Brewing Beer: You Name it Imperial Stoutenporter

I know I know there's nothing called a Stoutenporter. Well you read on and then tell me what I should call it. The following is a list of beer ingredients I had sitting around the house; 10.6 lbs of dark malt, 14 oz. of brown sugar, 11 oz. of molases, 4 kinds of left over hops and some fresh espresso. Hey, I was tired of looking at those cans of extract in my basement. I mean what good are they doing us there? ;-) One was from 1997 {wince} don't worry I taste tested it. Some call this a Kitchen Sink beer or Frankenstein beer...I call it MINE! Muhuwahahah! Seriously if it works out I think the ABV will be around 10% or so depending on the attenuation. Is it an imperial stout? Who the heck knows? I'll tell you one thing. It is gonna kick your butt! From Barley Wine to Wee Heavy Scotch Ale to Imperial Stoutenporter...sheesh I think it is safe to say we like BIG beers. But where do we go from here?

Beer Words: Small Beer

"Small Beer" is a new term to me. On the way to work I was listening to WXPN and heard it mentioned as the word of the day. So here I am passing it on to you. You can find references at Wikipedia and Dictionary.com. It's similar to "small potatoes", meaning; of little or no significance. Of course when used literally it means beer of low alcohol content.

Brewing Beer: Wee Heavy, Scottish Ale, 80 or 90 Shilling Ale

Matt, friend of ours, chose this style for our next batch. Wee Heavys are known for being higher in alcohol content, very malty and somewhat sweet. 10 lbs. of liquid amber malt extract, 1 lb. brown sugar, and 8 oz. of molases should get us there! We're aiming for 8-9% avb. Hey do you remember the exploding fermenter problem? Well this time I remembered and used a blow off tube again. The picture here is of last time. This time I'm using a glass carboy as the primary. Oh yeah, and the barleywine is doing fine.

McKenzie Brew House in Frazer, PA - Construction Update 12/10/05

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I'm sure they don't appreciate the snow, but construction can still progress indoors. Fortunately, the roof is mostly finished. And, just think that maybe in a few months we can be enjoying a nice stout, abbey, tripel, or export ale indoors while the snow is coming down outside. mmmmm.... :)

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Mixed Case: Dogfish Head Boom Box

Dogfish Head has a mixed case that is totally awesome. It contains the following...

Raison D'Etre 60 Minute IPA Shelter Pale Ale

Picked up a case tonight. Mmmmm...something to enjoy playing pool tonight. Dogfish Head must think very highly of "Raison D'Etre" they gave it quite a name in French. Translate it yourself here.

Site Changes: What's new?

There's all these Web 2.0 apps out there that look so interesting. I just had to try some... New RSS Feed Feedburner makes it easier to subscribe to each of the most popular feed readers. So check out the RSS Newsfeed on the right. Let me know what you think. Email Newletter If you don't like to fire up the browser to visit the Brew Lounge site and you don't want to use the RSS feed then maybe you would enjoy a Brew Lounge email delivered to your inbox. Enter your email where it says Email Newsletter. Enjoy!

Dave Alexander's Regional Food and Drink (aka D.A.'s RFD) in Washington, D.C.

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So what are two hard working business people with a bit of time to spare who just put in a long day of presentations to do in Washington, D.C. on their way to Union Station? Well, of course, stop at Dave Alexander's R.F.D. for a couple of celebration brews!

I've been here before and have read plenty about the place, but I still can't get a good handle on the name. Is it D.A.'s R.F.D.? Is it Dave's R.F.D.? Is it Dave Alexander's R.F.D.? Technically, for those who care, R.F.D. stands for Regional Food and Drink. Personally, I think this is one of the stranger names for what is hands-down one of the best beer bars that I've ever been to.

While there is a good representation of regional beers, the other couple hundred of beers are well outside the region and the country. Ok, so let's move past the name issue, right? (I hear you: "Get over it!")

The draft list is nicely varied with different styles of beer. The bottle beer list is phenomenal, boasting over 300 varieties. My colleague, Melissa, and I had some time to kill before our Amtrak train left Union Station. For anyone who knows her, they understand that it did not take any arm twisting to get off the Metro train at the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop (under the MCI Center, home of the Wizards and Capitals).

From there, it's just a short walk down the block on 7th street to Dave's. Many people will often list Dave's and Brickskeller as the two best beer bars in D.C. I tend to favor Dave's. For one thing, your first step in the door you realize that the bar area seems more spacious and inviting. We were quite comfortable dragging our baggage and shoulder bags to the bar and stashing them while we had drinks.

The second reason that I favor Dave's is for the ample selection of draft beer, as opposed to just bottles at Brickskeller. Lastly, Dave's is in a convenient location where you can easily walk between the Metro station, retail shops, restaurants, and other bars. Brickskeller, on the other hand, leaves you feeling a bit out there with not as many other options within walkable distance.

Without getting into naming specific beers available at Dave's (since just about any that you might be looking for are on the list :), I'll just mention that Melissa had this year's Anchor Christmas ale and Unibroue Maudite. I started with the Unibroue and finished with Ommegang's Three Philosophers (don't believe I've ever had it on tap). Melissa and I both agreed that the Maudite is a strong ale, although so very smooth and drinkable with flavorful hop notes. It has some of the characteristics of a belgian but with a bit more hops than you'd expect in a typical belgian beer.

So far, Dave's had not disappointed me in my visits. I highly recommend a visit if you're ever bopping around D.C., at the MCI Center for a game or concert, at the convention center just blocks away, or simply passing through like we were with some time to spare. Did I mention, it's only 2 stops on the Red Line from Union Station?

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Beer Words: Real Ale

Hmmm...interesting. Didn't know it was such a big deal to have the yeast still present and active in the beer. In this respect Real Ale is like home brew.

Brewing Beer: Kolsch is gone :-( What's next?

What can I say? A holiday party did a number on my homebrew keg! I was happy to have so many people try it and like it :-) Now, I really need to get my butt in gear. I don't have any homebrew left. Well, I do have the barleywine, but, supposedly that shouldn't be ready until sometime in the summer. I think I need to bottle it and have a tasting to be sure ;-)

Thirsty? What's in the fridge?

We've been lagging here for the past week. So, since I don't have anything intelligent to say at the moment, I thought I'd let you peak into my refrigerator and see what tasty beverages await.

Hm, looks like some beers from Clipper City in Baltimore: Peg Leg Imperial Stout; Winter Storm Category 5 Ale; Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale. How about some Winter Ale from Blue Point on Long Island. There's a few leftover Oktoberfests like Erdinger, Paulaner, and Spaten. Then there's some two year old Rudolph's Reserve and last year's Rude Elf Reserve, both from Bethlehem Brew Works. And, of course, some old standbys like Amstel Light and Rolling Rock for the less adventurous. Whoa, wait a minute, where did those Wexford Irish Cream Ale's come from?!?!

Then, upstairs sneaking into our wine cooler are some quality brews from Dogfish Head (60 minute IPA and 120 minute IPA); Rochefort 10; Chimay (all 3 varieties); La Trappe Quadrupel; and Abita Turbodog.

Oh, and just for good measure there's some Sly Fox Christmas Ale, Sly Fox Saison Vos, and Southampton Saison hanging around, but too lazy to join in the picture.

Well, that's all that I have to amuse you with for the time being. Stop by if you're thirsty ;-)

McKenzie Brew House in Frazer, PA - Construction Update 11/25/05

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Just a quick post here to update the progress on McKenzie Brew House in Frazer, PA. Looks like the parking lots are starting to take shape and windows have been installed. The fermenting tanks sit behind the larger windows in the front of the building to the right of the entrance.

Also, I wonder if I see the making of an outdoor patio to the left? So, with this progress, maybe this indicates that we have full steam ahead on the remaining interior development. Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday yesterday.....now bring on the Christmas/winter ales! :)

p.s. Sorry about the tint in the picture from my car's windshield. 20 degrees at 7am made me too lazy to get out of the car!

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Upcoming Beer Events

Here's a brief list of selected beer events over the next few weeks in the Philly Metro area. Not meant to be comprehensive, just a few that I'm gonna keep on my radar and might try to attend.

Fri. 11/25; 6pm-? - Grey Lodge - 2005 Mad Elf draft debut (pay as you go)
Fri. 11/25; 5pm-7pm - Beer Yard, Wayne - Clipper City/Heavy Seas, Baltimore tasting (free)
Fri. 12/2; 5pm-7pm - Beer Yard, Wayne - Victory tasting (free)
Sat. 12/3; 2pm-6pm - Yards, Philadelphia - Open House (free)
Sun. 12/4; 1pm-4pm - Heavyweight Brewing, NJ - Open House (free)
Wed. 12/7; 7pm-9pm - Spinnerstown Hotel, Spinnerstown - Meet Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewing ($20 buffet + 4 beers)
Fri. 12/9; Union Jack's on the Manatawny, Boyertown - Dogfish Head Tasting (pay as you go)
Fri. 12/9; 10am-10pm - Sly Fox IPA Project Celebration, Phoenixville (pay as you go)
Fri. 12/16; 5pm-7pm - Beer Yard, Wayne - Legacy tasting (free)
Fri. 12/23; 5pm-7pm - Beer Yard, Wayne - Troegs tasting (free)

Brewing: Barleywine ABV

Just a quick note. Now that I have my notes back I can calculate the ABV for the barleywine. Drumroll please...it weighs in at more than 11.5%! ~:-)

Making Beer: Kegging the Kolsch

Just in time for Thanksgiving! I will stand by my original take on this beer. It is definately on the sweet side, but, in a good way. I also chilled it a bit to see how that affected it. All i can say is that I can't wait to share. Anybody want to come over and have a pint ;-)

Beer Bottle: Grolsch

I always thought the Grolsch bottles were cool. I was at The Beer Yard the other night for a Omegang tasting. While I was there I saw a case of the famous bottles and decided to buy it. I'm hoping to use them for my homebrew. The only thing that I was nervous about was the taste. I haven't had it in so long and the case wasn't cheap. Well my fears were laid to rest. It was delicious. Keep in mind that this is not an outrageous beer. It is smooth, slightly sweet, slightly bitter and very well balanced. Kinda nutty...almost biscuity. There's something about Grolsch Lager that tastes better than others in this style. Now I remember having this beer when it was skunky too. Some might attibute that to the green bottles. Who knows. All I know is that the case I have tastes great! :-) I would put it above Fosters, Yuengling, Victory Lager, and Heineken.

Brewing: Kolsch & Barleywine Sample

Bryan, Brian, Matt and I were hanging out after dinner last night. I thought it would be a great time to sample the Kolsch & Barleywine. I used the auto siphon to pull some out of the carboys. I'm always nervous when people taste beer that I brew, but, hey some of them helped with the barleywine so...it wouldn't be all my fault!!! ;-) We tasted the Kolsch. Nobody was particularly impressed with it. There were comments like. "It's kinda syrupy." There were other references to its mouthfeel as well. We reminded ourselves that it was warm and not carbonated yet. I'm not sure how much that will make a difference, but, I think it will improve the drinkability of it somewhat. Afterall, how many beers have you bought poured, stirred the carbonation out while it was room temperature? The Kolsch highlights...it's not thin, it has good balance, it isn't super dark like the alt we made and no nasty beer nose. it would probably fall into the ever so popular amber style of beer. We finished the keg of Alt last night so I might as well keg this since I'm gonna be cleaning the keg anyway. How was the barleywine? Well we were much more impressed with this one. Of course the style lends it self to being warmer and less carbonated. I don't have my notes here...AGAIN....but, its been in the secondary for a while now and is far from being finished. Well that's what all the books and sites say anyway. Honestly I like it a lot just the way it is. I do think that some of the harshness will fade as it ages. The barleywine highlights...it is definately a barleywine, it seems well balanced...maybe a little too bitter, color is good, alcohol is present, but, not distracting. Hey there were lots of smiles and heads nodding arond the table ;-)

The Foodery in Philadelphia, PA

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So, a funny thing happened on the way to watching the Eagles lose miserably in South Philly for Monday Night Football.........I had a GREAT beer afternoon in Center City Philadelphia (for anyone outside the Philly region, that's what most would call 'Downtown').

I made three stops after getting off the train at the Market East station. The second stop was The Foodery at 10th and Pine streets, which is in the 'Antiques Row' area of the city along Pine Street. Don't worry, you didn't miss the first stop, I'll get back to that later!

Many in inner beer circles know that The Foodery is a rarity in Philadelphia. Because of Pennsylvania's wonderful beer and liquor laws, it's quite rare to find beer (especially high-quality beer) in anything but a case (12 or 24 bottles, depending upon size). However, The Foodery has gone above and beyond the call of duty for satisfying a beer lover's hopes and desires :)

From the outside, you might almost miss this establishment. Even when inside, you're first confronted by a small grocery section. Basically, this looks like your typical bodega. What makes this different is that there are approximately 15 coolers full of beer that would make any beer lover salivate. (Sorry, the picture kind of sucks....nice Charmin, eh?)

And, to make matters even better, less than 2 coolers are dedicated to the generic swill. The remaining are filled with everything from local microbrews, to hard-to-find regionals from elsewhere in the country, to highly sought after foreign beers, especially Belgian.

To list individual beers is mostly impossible; so, instead I'll list the 6-pack of beers that I did purchase to take to the game with me. Rogue Chipotle Ale (22oz); La Trappe Quadrupel; Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter; Abita Turbo Dog; Brasserie d'Ecaussinnes Ultrabrune; and a 6th one that I can't remember for the life of me (ugh).

The selection is great, the prices average, and the service spotty. But, when you're in Philly for any occasion and need some good beer by the single bottle, make sure that you stop at The Foodery. Oh, and by the way, when you mix and match your 6-pack selections, if you get no more than 2 of any kind, they will take 10 percent off of your bill. p.s. The single bottle selection and variety gives me a bit of the feel that I've had at Bierkraft (Brooklyn, NY), Michael's Deli (King of Prussia, PA), and D's Six Pax & Dogz (Swissvale, PA)

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Video: History Channel - Modern Marvels - Brewing

I was over at Jeremy's enjoying a Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat and a Hennepin Farmhouse Saison while watching a Modern Marvels episode about brewing. It was awesome. They even featured Dogfish Head! Whoohoo! I don't know how often they will run it. It's supposed to be on at 2 AM as well. Looks like you can buy the DVD as well. If you don't have it taped already that is ;-)

Upcoming Beer Events

Here's a brief list of selected beer events over the next few weeks in the Philly Metro area. Not meant to be comprehensive, just a few that I might try to attend.

Fri, Nov 18th; 5-7pm - Beer Yard - Ommegang tastings (free)
Fri. Nov 18th; 5pm-? - Sly Fox, Royersford - Firkin (pay as you go)
Wed. Nov 24th; 6pm-? - Grey Lodge - Last 2005 Dogfish Punkin (pay as you go)
Fri. Nov 25th; 6pm-? - Grey Lodge - 2005 Mad Elf draft debut (pay as you go)
Sun. Dec 4th; 1pm-4pm - Heavyweight Brewing, NJ - Open House (free)

New York City Pub Tour : Stop #6; Hop Devil Grill

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OK, FINALLY.....I am going to finish this NYC Pub Tour series of postings. You would swear that it should not have taken me so long to post comments on 6 beer establishments in New York City. Afterall, it's been 10 weeks now since our trip to NYC for Matt and Kathleen's wedding.

Unfortunately, my note taking really died off by this time of the night, so I am relying mostly on my memory for this posting (don't worry I didn't drink that much ;-). Let's just start this off by saying that while Ginger Man and Burp Castle provided excellent competition on this pub tour, Hop Devil Grill ranked right there at the top of our experiences on this particular Friday.

I would probably give a nod to the neighborhood and the bar ambience, of course as well as the vast beer selection, as the factors pushing Hop Devil to the top of our list. Inside the bar is shaped like a 'U' (or a 'C', if you like!) with one side being devoted to a wide-ranging variety of beer that we skipped in favor of the "other side" comprised of mostly, if not all, Belgians. And, while we could have stayed inside, the weather was nice enough that we decided to take a sidewalk table in favor of the neighborhood street scene.

You may remember from a previous post that I mentioned Hop Devil Grill being located on Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. Being very residential lends the neighborhood to a lot of foot traffic. It's a diverse neighborhood....more so than even NYC as a whole. We were getting hungry for a full meal at this point, so we opted for only one beer.

So, how better to accomplish this than to order a large bottle of St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel. Mm, Mm good. This is my simpleton's way of describing how perfect everything was from our server's friendliness, to our outdoor seats, to the smooth-drinking St. Feuillien. Refer to my tasting notes from the St. Feuillien dinner at Monk's Cafe in Philly later in September.

The experience with this beer was quite consistent between the two tastings. So, we reluctantly moved on from Hop Devil with every intention to return as soon as possible. It is not necessarily the easiest place to get to if you are taking the subway. You need to make an approximately 10 minute walk from the 6-train (Astor Place). But, come on now, everything in NYC is walkable, right?! Take a taxi if you wish, but if the weather is suitable, then make the walk and enjoy the scenery! Don't miss this stop when in New York City.

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The Black Door in Philadelphia, PA

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Listen up! We now have a beer destination in the South Street area of Philly! With all due respect to Dark Horse (nee Dickens), Artful Dodger, Mako's, Quincy's, Cheers to You, O'Neals, Bridget Foy's, Manny Browns, Abilene's, and others, The Black Door provides beer lovers a single reason to head to the South Street area. Sure, South Street has had its ups and downs and changes over the past decade. It's hard sometimes to tell whether South Street will continue to carry the "vibe" that it once used to. But, for the time being, head over to 2nd and Bainbridge, sit down and enjoy the scene, the TVs, and the beer. Hopefully, they have established a bar (no pun intended ;-) by which future businesses around South Street will measure themselves.

As a bit of history, according to an article in the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, The Black Door's inspiration comes from a black door that they unearthed during renovations that they believe may be a part of the original Underground Railroad. There's also a tower, which I thought may actually be something like a hearth's chimney for cooking. It seems like an interesting history to the location that I wouldn't mind discussing with the owner next time I'm there.

When you enter the establishment from the corner you can go up to a small bar upstairs or to the two bottom levels where there's an even smaller bar. Scattered around these three floors are tables at which to sit, eat, and drink. And, there's never a flatscreen plasma TV far from any table.

You might be able to tell from these comments that my only gripe about this place is the amount of space. Basically, if you don't have a seat at a bar or a table, it's a rather awkward place to just be standing around drinking because of the limited space. But, let's assume that you've secured a seat and now read on..... I've been here twice now and the beer list has basically not changed within the month. There are 5 draft beers and a plethora :) of bottled beers from which to choose. I didn't have the energy to either memorize or try to write down all of the quality beers from the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, and Belgium.....so I took a picture.

This was the third time in the past month that I had Young's on tap, which makes me wonder if they've signed with a regional distributor and making are making a bigger marketing push in this region. In any case, their Oatmeal Stout, the Chimay, and the DeKoninck all lived up to expectations for pouring, presentation, and taste.

The staff is not extremely friendly or forward, but as long as the beer comes out in a timely fashion, tasting fresh, and presented appropriately, I won't complain. They also have a food menu specializing in reasonably-priced fare that satisfies your bar munchies.

As in past reviews, I'll mention that the restrooms are tasteful, clean, and ...... shall we say interesting? Basically, it's a unisex common sink area with individual male/female stalls. Nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose without offending. The message here is you're looking for an easy-going, quality beer drinking location south of Old City, check out The Black Door. You'll be glad you did.

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Beer Review: O'hara's Celtic Stout

O'hara's Celtic Stout from Carlow Brewing Company was given to me by a friend. It has been sitting in my beer fridge for a few weeks and was just begging to be opened. So, I decided to try it tonight. Sometimes I like the taste of a beer sometimes I like the nose. Sometimes a beer has both. This one has both. It has a wonderful roasty full nose. Not sure if its coffee or toffee...hmmm. It kinda reminds me of honey roasted cashews and toffee. How does it taste? Well I tend to compare to Guiness when drinking stouts. This is good, but, it isn't a Guiness type beer. It's well balanced between the hops tang and roasted malt. It's less creamy and more watery than Guiness and Murphy's. I like it as a clean tasting well balance big tasting stout.

Beer Review: Sam Adams Winter Lager

So I was on my way to Florida last Monday and I stopped at Olde Philadelphia Tavern - Concourse A East of Philadelphia International Airport. They had some good beer on tap besides the standard fare. I don't have my notes right now, but, I know Guiness, Sam Adams Lager, and Sam Adam Winter lager were on tap. I have tried Sam Adams Winter Lager before, but, it was a long time ago and I have expanded my tastes since then. Let's just say that it didn't disappoint. Sam Adam's sometimes comes off as a bit too filtered and complex, but, not so with this brew. Again I don't have my notes so I'll do my best to remember the details. Not much nose, kinda like an Alt in that respect. Boy I didn't expect the sweet finish of this one! It really balanced out the slight bitterness upfront. If you think Yeungling lager is sweet this "lager" does it one better. Kinda like a Scotch Ale. Hmmm...I drank too much Sam Adams way back so i don't drink it that often these days. This Winter Lager reminds me that there's more to their lineup. If you get a chance to try it and you like a slightly sweet beer give it a shot. Hey if you are flying into or out of Philly, you should stop by the Olde Philadelphia Tavern in Concourse A if you get a chance. Good beer and the burger I had was pretty tasty too. ;-)

I'm Back! Ybor Amber Lager & other Florida stuff

Last night we landed in Philly after a vacation in Ft. Myers, Florida. My family and I didn't go there for beer of course, however I did take notice of a few beer related items while on vacation there. Here's a store in Fort Myers where you can buy some good beer, A.B.C. Fine Wine & Spirits. I wouldn't say the beer is cheap, however they do have an awesome selection. From all the usuals to Rogue, St. Bernardus, Anchor Steam, Chimay and of course some Florida brew. Florida Brewing Company's, Ybor Amber Lager was pretty good. I would have to say it was very close to a Yeungling Lager, slightly sweet, but, more dry and nutty. I would have to say that they best beer I had on vacation was Guiness Stout and Sam Adams Winter at the airports. Other than that Heineken was about the only beer I could rely on that had any taste. I did buy some Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at A.B.C as well. I wonder what I would turn up if I really looked for good beer in Florida?

Adam, where are you?

There's been some friends of your's asking when you'll be home. Oh, and hey, didn't you clean up the leaves before you left?!

Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA

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We travel far and wide in search of good beers and bars, but how often do we forget the "old reliables" in our own backyards?! We made our way over to the Flying Pig last night. It's no more than 2 miles from our home and it has one of Chester County's finest selections of both tap and bottled beer. Plus, as an added bonus, it's served in a very down-to-earth environment by friendly people.

It's definitely the kind of place where you can feel comfortable going in a suit after a wedding (we have done) or sweatshirt and jeans (like last night). And, a few nights a week, they feature live and local music. In the front window area are a couple of comfy sofas and chairs. The bar area is not huge with probably around 15 barstools. The remainder of the establishment is filled with tables for dining or drinking. Throughout there are TVs, with some type of sports action, usually local, to watch. To summarize the food selection in one sentence, I'd say that the food menu qualifies as average-to-above-average pub grub.

As for the beers, the rotating bottle and draft selections are posted on chalk boards around the bar, while the usual suspects are listed on a laminated paper menu. Just as a way of giving you an idea of the quality draft beers, I'll list the rotating specials that were on tap last night: Victory Moonglow Weizenbock; Unibroue Trois Pistoles Abbey Dubbel; Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale; Heavyweight Black Ocean Schwarzbier; Leffe Brown Ale; Legacy Euphoria; North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout; and Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus Amber Ale. These were in addition to almost 15 other draft beers including (among the better ones): Chimay Cinq Cents; Guinness; Hoegaarden; Sierra Nevada Pale Ale; and Victory Hop Devil. If you're still looking for a beer to suit your fancy, the bottled beers number approximately 50 from which to choose.

Last night, we enjoyed the Heavyweight and North Coast on tap, as well as a 25oz. Chimay Grande Reserve bottle. Also, we bumped into a friend of Patty's and had friendly conversation with a Malvern businessman and the owner of the Flying Pig. I'd say that this is fairly typical of the scene and experience that would normally be had at the Flying Pig.

So, the moral of the story here is...."Don't forget or take for granted your old friends. They still have a lot to offer." On that note, I think I'll make a point of visiting Flanigan's Boathouse in Malvern, Maddie's in Frazer, Appetites on Main, Winner's Circle, and Riverstone Cafe in Exton. While I don't expect any of these to quite measure up to the Flying Pig or the Drafting Room, what the heck? Variety is the spice of life, right.......?

p.s. Don't be frustrated by the lack of parking. If you look around, you'll see that there are street parking spaces as well as public lots to choose from just a stone's throw from the front door. Or, if you're lucky, you may find a spot in the very small lot of 5 spaces behind the bar. Oh, and if you're coming by train, it's an easy walk to the Malvern train station off the R5 SEPTA regional rail line (approx. 50 minutes from center city Philadelphia).

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McKenzie Brew House in Frazer, PA - Construction Update

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No sooner did I post a construction update on Monday and the fermenting tanks have arrived and are being brought inside one at a time. I'll continue to update with pictures and comments as the events warrant. (Maybe this indicates that their brewing operations will be in full swing in time for their grand opening?!)

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Sly Fox Brewery in Royersford, PA

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This posting has been a while in the making, considering that we made our first trip to Sly Fox's Royersford location over my birthday in early October. Now, we made our second trip last week for Patty's birthday. Although, it's actually the first trip that really made an impression on us. More about that in a minute. The new Sly Fox is a full-fledged restaurant, pub, and brewery (20-barrel). When we went in October, they were hosting a VIP party for initial investors and "friends" of Sly Fox. It was a kickoff party, of sorts, where they debuted the first bottles (all 25oz.) and gave them away as parting gifts for the guests. This was a private party complete with tours of the facility. We arrived at the tail end of the party, but when I discovered what was going on, I couldn't resist asking. And good thing I did (what do they say about "....you'll never know if you don't ask....?!) because we were introduced to Nick who took us on a full tour of the back-of-the-house operations......the tanks, fermenters, cold storage room, etc. WOW! What a change from the cramped quarters of their Phoenixville location (10-barrel). Not only are the front restaurant and bar ample in size, but the brewing area in the back is a dream come true for anyone accustomed to brewing in a claustrophobic environment. (Brewmaster Brian O'Reilly was not around at the time, but Nick did a wonderful job filling in, giving us our own private tour, answering questions, and taking his time to show us around.) In addition to all I just mentioned, they even have a large game room with TVs, shuffleboard, pool tables, and arcade games. This is perfect for kids, and adults too (!), especially while waiting for a dining room table to become available. OK, back to the beer. Between our two visits to Sly Fox in Royersford, we sampled Kulmbacher Dark Lager, Santiam IPA, Saison Vos, and Pughtown Porter. None of the beers failed to impress, although to varying degrees. During our first trip, I was so impressed by the Saison (moderately hopped with a full, tasty, but not overwhelming flavor of fruitiness and spiciness) that I asked to take some home with me.....even if to buy it. Nick took it one step further and grabbed a newly bottled Saison for me to take home. It became a perfect opening accompaniment to our dinner at Birchrunville Store Cafe last week, mmm :) The Dark Lager was a moderately dark and very drinkable beer with solid malt characteristics to enhance the body the flavor. This earned a growler full to bring home with me to drink during the Eagles game the following day (Adam, why weren't you there to help? ;-) The Santiam IPA is part of the 2005 annual IPA "project", the 8th installment. This also is a very drinkable beer with a pleasant nose, moderately but not offensively hopped. I think this has all conveyed the general theme of Sly Fox. They create some very good, drinkable, but not offensive brews. They get adventurous, but not to the degree of someone like Dogfish Head (but, then again, who is?!) I recall that a few years ago, when O'Reilly first took over brewing duties at Sly Fox, that I was rather unimpressed with what he first had coming out of the tanks. However, as others can probably attest, the quality has grown steadily over the past couple of years, even garnering some awards at the Great American Beer Festival. He really has taken the brewpub from small and underperforming to respectable, recognizable, and high-quality. Now, the only thing I'd ask is that he get just a bit more creative and aggressive with some of his recipes. (mmm, I'm hoping that the Gang Aft Agley Wee Heavy is not far away?!) Hopefully, the opening of the Royersford location will allow him the space to do this. According to their website, there's a barleywine, an oatmeal stout, and a Christmas ale in the tanks now. According to their description, it may be a good beer to model our Christmas homebrew after. Sounds like another trip to Royersford in the works! Who's ready?

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McKenzie's Brew House in Frazer, PA

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How's construction coming along on the new McKenzie Brew House in Frazer, PA? Funny you should ask. I'll post back here regularly with pictures as construction nears completion. Sorry about the sun; I'll keep that in mind for future pictures :) p.s. I scraped the following from http://www.lewbryson.com

"10/10/05: Construction has begun again on the second McKenzie Brewhouse in Frazer, PA; the brewhouse will come from the defunct Brü in Rochester, NY. Tentative opening date of February 1. AND.... 10/10/05: Brü is dead, long live McKenzie II!! Just got confirmation that the 15 bbl. Criveller system from Brü in Rochester (the former Empire brewpub) will soon be headed for Frazer, PA for installation in the second McKenzie Brewhouse, where construction has resumed and trusses are up. That's straight from Scott "Dude" Morrison, who said the roof goes on this week. The planned opening is February 1st, and Scott will be brewing at both pubs, aided by his new assistant, Ryan Michaels, who managed to escape the collapse of Valley Forge. Scott's training him up in the straight and narrow. Got this news from the Dude whilst sharing some of his Vuuve XXxXX "Belgian Imperial IPA" (very nice stuff) and Dark Saison (even nicer) at the Kennett Square Brewfest...but I gotta say: good as they were, beers like these ought to be in bottles. "Oh, I'm over that," the Dude said with his usual big grin, referring to the management decision to stop bottling. "I realized that the bottling was really cool, but it was a lot of work, and this left more time to make beer. So I'm pretty much okay with that!" Keep asking for bottles, folks."

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Brewing Beer: Kolsch in the Secondary

Whoohoo the Kolsch is in the secondary! And mmmm...does it taste good :-) Used a yeast starter from the Altbier. That seemed to work out pretty well.

Grey Lodge Pub in Philadelphia, PA

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So, a funny thing happened on the way to Nodding Head Friday night! Adam and I went to the Grey Lodge Pub in Northeast Philly (Mayfair) instead. The original goal was to taste the last of the gold-medal winning "George's Fault" brewed by Nodding Head Brewery and inspired by George Hummel of Home Sweet Home Brew.

But, it struck us that maybe we should call before we drive all the way into Center City to fight for a parking spot. As we get to the Manayunk exit on the Schuylkill Expressway, we learn that the sixtel of George's Fault has already expired (tapped at 3pm).

So, plan B......head up to Grey Lodge instead.......great decision!! It was a great decision because, for both us, it was the first time paying a visit to this beer destination. Also, across the region, Grey Lodge is known as a place to find beers on tap that you likely won't find in many other establishments. They also have a moderately impressive selection of bottled beer as well.

Perhaps the most striking thing about this location is the fact that it's in the most unlikely of places. This isn't Center City....this isn't Old City.....this isn't Manayunk.....this isn't really a neighborhood where you'll find any tourists and, let's be honest, even people from the Philly area would admit venturing into.

People of Mayfair please don't take that the wrong way; afterall, I grew up visiting my aunt and uncle on St. Vincent and walking "the boulevard" (Frankford Ave.) with my uncle and appreciate the area for what it is.

But, I digress.... After scoring a great parking spot out front, Adam and I walked in and immediately started with Southampton Double White Ale. Although not quite as fully-rounded, complex, and delicious as the bottled version that I had from Beer Yard, this was still a very good beer with a noticable, yet understated, apricot nose. Adam picked up on this more than I did; I attributed that in part to what I thought was a smoky environment.

Our second choice of beers was the cask-conditioned Flying Fish Grand Cru. The beer poured even more flat that we expected it to. And the taste itself was fairly unmemorable. What I do remember, though, is that it had a strong malty flavor upfront that disappeared quickly into a nondescript finish. That should be a reminder to me why I should be using my new leather bound pocket notebook to record my thoughts immediately. Hm, sorry Patty...(it was a gift from my wife). I'll use it better next time!

Our second beer would've been our last, if it hadn't been for the subpar experience with the Flying Fish. So, our last beer now became the Cricket Hill Col. Blide's Bitter. Good move on our part :) Neither of us had experience with any of Cricket Hill's beers. It was a tough choice amongst some strong competition on the draft list.....Rogue, Brooklyn, Sly Fox.....and a couple handful of great bottles. But, we wanted to try something that we haven't seen much of before. This is a very drinkable beer, with moderate hop content balanced between bitter and floral (my comment), and a biscuity finish (Adam's comment).


A few comments about the place itself. Apart from the average environs at Grey Lodge, the restrooms must be seen for the wall art. You'll know what we mean when you see it. Ah, nevermind, here's a picture! And, the upstairs has a bit of more relaxed scene, with tables and more loungy feel, than downstairs.

The downstairs has two dartboards, a jukebox, an area for live music, and a typical bar scene. Sorry for the length....hope through all the words I made it clear that we enjoyed ourselves quite a bit in the 2 hours that we were there and will be headed back as soon as possible, and would recommend that you do the same!

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Making Beer: Altbier...revisited

Ok...so I don't know if you read Bryan's post, but, after that I just had to taste the Alt again. There's something I need to keep in mind. The first pull from the keg is right from the bottom. This means you get all that yeasty and hoppy stuff that falls out of suspension in your first glass. Whoa! That first glass was bitter! The second glass was soooo different. I mean the bitterness was nowhere near the same level. It was much more balanced than the first glass. Mmmmm...Black Alt.

Brewing Beer: Misc - Kolsch, Altbier mmm, New Site

Yea got those homebrewing blues again. Maybe tonight I'll get the Kolsch into the secondary {shrug}. On another note, I am enjoying the Altbier more with every glass. Can't wait until Bryan can give his opinion. Will he pan it? Will he say..."Um...uhh...it's ok." :-) We'll see. By the way I just found this site called The Brew Site. Seems to feature lots of examples of beer types including seasonals. Some mention of brewing too, but, I didn't see many articles about that. I added it to our links section on the right. Check it out if you like the low key authentic beer lover style websites. Removed the Google Site Search. It didn't search the site anyway! Kept the Google ads to see how it works and juggled some of the stuff on the right sidebar around so the links and archives are higher.

New York City Pub Tour : Stop #5; Burp Castle

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Now things are on the upswing to finish out this Pub Tour through Manhattan :) It didn't take long to realize that Burp Castle was next door, so I finished my beer at Standings and we walked out the door and made a quick right turn into Burp Castle.

I wish I had taken a picture of the exterior, because it really is very easy to walk on by and miss the front door....and walk into Standings....hm, sounds like I'm speaking from experience! They don't appear to have a website and I couldn't seem to track down any pictures online; but, in any case I've put up some interior pictures for you here. (p.s. I believe there is some type of "relationship" between Standings and Burp Castle, I just didn't ask and wasn't able to determine for sure)


Ah, now this is better! Just take a look at the picture of one of the murals that line the walls here. It gives you a bit of an idea of the ambience of Burp Castle. Then, look at the tap list. One of the neat things about this place is the ambience. The size of the bar area was really not much different than Standings, but between the lighting, the murals, the woodwork, and the friendly staff it all serves to make you feel relaxed and ready to put down a few quality brews. They also have a small, caged-in outdoor area to sit and enjoy the beer. But, we preferred to stay inside.

We happened to be the only customers there at the time, so we had the full attention of the bartender. She was very pleasant and we traded stories about the gentrification of city neigborhoods, the search for good beer in NYC, and the nightlife at Burp Castle. The bar rotates through their kegs fairly often and always maintains a good mix of Belgians, Germans, and local microbrews. I had a Six Point Otis (of Brooklyn) and Patty had a Leffe Blonde. The Otis is an extremely tasty full-bodied stout with distinctive roasted coffee and nut flavors.

Of course, I wanted to stay for more, but Hop Devil Grill was calling next. I would be very anxious to return to Burp Castle later in the evening to experience it with the late night crowd. You should obviously be able to tell that I highly recommend this be on anyone's short list of must-go-to beer bars in Manhattan. p.s. oh, and as I mentioned in previous posts, for those of you inclined to care about these kind of things, the restrooms were quite clean and adequate......a good place to stop for a beer and nature's duties as well ;-)

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Lake Placid: Ubu Ale & 46’er I.P.A.

It was Monday night football time again and we continued with the Lake Placid selection and some Brooklyn variety that Bryan had left over. We also had a growler of the Altbier we made. Bryan's cold prevented him from giving me his true review, but, hey I liked it ;-) Maybe Bryan can help out with the Ubu Ale, but, I really liked the IPA. Clean crisp and a bold hoppy bite :-)

Site Changes: Brew Lounge

We recently decided to get our own domain name. So, we can still be found here...

http://beerbits.blogspot.com/

...but, you can also find us here...

http://www.brewlounge.com

Hopefully that will make it easier to remember us.

Philadelphia Eagles: We won! Yards, Victory, Flying Fish

E-A-G-L-E-S...Eagles! This was the first time I ever went to an Eagles game and wow what a play at the end. They blocked a Chargers field goal and ran it back for a touch down to win the game! Whoohoo! Ok, I did want to mention that the beer was good. Maybe Bryan can help me out here too 'cause I can't remember which Yards it was. Basically they had Yards, Victory and Flying fish in bottles that they pour into a cup for you. Which is part of the reason I don't remember what they were. Victory lager for sure. I'm not sure if all the areas of Lincoln Financial Center had these brews, but, ours did and it really topped off this fall football day :-)

Brew Pubs: City Steam Hartford, CT

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Last week I was in Hartford, CT on business. Bryan mentioned that there was a place called City Steam that I should check out. So my coworker and I stopped for dinner. I'm running out of time to type so I'll get to the point. The beer wasn't very good. Probably a little below average. Food was great. The ambience was way cool. I wish we would have sat upstairs. There were so many little nooks to sit in and levels to walk to. If you like interesting architecture, check it out. Don't expect much from the beer though.

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Brewing Beer: Keg the Black Altbier

After two weeks in the secondary it was ready to be kegged. How do I know? Um...I wanted to taste it? ;-) Since I'm not bottling it I don't really have to worry about exploding bottles so i didn't worry about it too much. A good way to determine if it is ready would be to measure the specific gravity daily. When it is the same two days in a row then it is ready. To prepare the keg I just emptied the iodophor solution I store them with and wipe it down with one step on the top near the openings.. Early tasting notes are as follows: Appearance I would have to say....black. Seems to have good head retention. We will be able to tell later when it is fully carbonated. The Altbier is the one on the right. The left is a Saranac Octoberfest. Nose Malt...chocolate...malt...malt... Taste Malty upfront and a strong bitterness throughout. This is a clean tasting beer. Drinkability I think it will be drinkable for anybody who likes porters and stouts. Overall I would say it tastes like a bitter porter. Next...racking the Kolsch to the secondary fermenter.

Bethlehem Brew Works in Bethlehem, PA

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I stopped in at Bethlehem Brew Works the other night on the way home from cousin Jerry's funeral. It's a good place for any occasion, especially to reflect upon and raise a toast to the dearly departed :( In any case, any trip in or around the Lehigh Valley should always include a stop in the heart of the Historic/Moravian District at the Bethlehem Brew Works. And for you homebrewers, there's a Keystone Homebrew store directly outside of BBW on the lower level. So, on this particular Monday evening, the bar and restaurant areas were jumping with customers. I figured this must be the leftovers from happy hour and what looked like one or two large parties. At this time, BBW had the following beers on tap: Valley Golden Ale; Fegley's ESB; Hammer Shop Wee Heavy; Steelworker Oatmeal Stout; Pumpkin Ale; Wing Nut Brown Ale; and Peche Lambic. (Also on tap was Hoegaarden, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Woodchuck Amber Hard Cider......why did I mention the last two???) To my knowledge, the Golden Ale, the ESB, and the Stout are flagship beers that are always on tap. I can speak for the last two and say that they are both very respectable and drinkable beers. In fact, a growler of the Stout happened to make its way home with me ;-) While I was there, I first enjoyed the Wee Heavy followed by the Pumpkin Ale. The Wee Heavy was a happy beginning to my short stay visit. It was poured with a 3/4" head which disappeared quite quickly. It had a strong malt character which was offset equally by bitter hop notes. I also noticed a slight caramel flavor. This is one of my favorite styles and BBW does right by it! (They describe it on the menu as the "big version" of their Bagpiper Brew Scotch Ale.) Should have also brought a growler of this home too! I decided that the Pumpkin Ale also needed a tasting. This was served with a very thin head and a big pumpkin pie nose accompanied by a similar strong taste in the front of the mouth. However, this dissipated quickly in the back of the mouth and throat into a very quaffable medium-bodied, lighter-colored ale. I considered this very appealing as I would not want this type of beer to be lingering with the pumpkin spice all the way down my throat. Another winner! p.s. And if the upstairs bar and restaurant are not enough to satisfy your appetite and thirst, the downstairs hosts more dining space as well as the acclaimed Steelgaarden belgian beer bar. This downstairs bar gives a cozy and warm feel as well as a superbly stocked bar. Their house brews are also available downstairs. And, judging from a different visit, the Steelgaarden is also a popular Saturday night haunt for the "local scene." I dare you to compare. TIP: If you're not from the Lehigh Valley, the optimal way to experience BBW is to come to town for one of their many annual festivals/events, stay in a downtown hotel (like The Hotel Bethlehem), and visit BBW as many times as possible ;-) p.p.s. For once, I didn't take a picture when I was at BBW, so I lifted the picture above from the BBW website....hopefully, they won't mind :)

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Brewing Beer: Quick update

The Kolsch is still in the primary fermenter. I'll need to get to that soon. It's time to rack it into the secondary. The Altbier is in the fridge at about 45 degrees. It's been there for about a week. This will be the first beer I have ever brewed and lagered (or chilled in the fermenter). I hear it helps remove the harsh flavors. {shrug} I'll probably keg this soon so I can use the carboy for the secondary fermentation of the Kolsch. Might bottle some too. Just so it is easy to share with my Dad. And....the Barleywine is doing well I guess. I still have it in the secondary fermenter. I really need to take a specific gravity reading two days in a row to see if it is done fermenting. If it is...I don't know what to do. Taste it I guess :-)

Dogfish Head on the Cape May Ferry

Hey, good job on the supporting the local guy with some nice advertising at the Cape May Ferry, but why no Dogfish Head available at the bar. At least that's what the bartender said. He didn't know why, but assumed that perhaps it's just a once-and-a-while beer that they serve.

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Let us know...

What would you like us to post about? Let us know. Beer Words Beer Tours Making Beer Pub Reviews Growler Time Tasting Random Thoughts Do you want to hear about the time that Bryan dressed up as an Elf for Halloween? Just kidding.

Tasting: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Well I had a chance to taste some of the 120 min. What can I say? This is something you just have to try. It almost doesn't taste like beer. Jeremy and I shared a bottle last night. Wow! I wish I would have taken notes, but, I'll do my best to describe the experience. Appearance Golden, legs, large bubbles in the head that disappated after a few minutes. Almost looked like a white wine. Nose Sweet, malty....can't remember much more. Taste Subltle sweet, honey, just a bit of alchohol, but, nothing to fret about. Drinkability Very! Be careful you could be three sheets to the wind with this 21% abv beern in no time. Seriously, this reminded me of a sweet Riesling style wine. Now I wouldn't say that you notice the hops much. I can't even remember any hops flavor, but, maybe I was just enjoying the whole experience so much I forgot to take note. If you have a chance and you like triples, belgians and the high abv. beer, then you can't pass this one up!

Making Beer: Barley Wine, Altbier & Kolsch Brewing

I did it! Whoohoo! I racked the barley wine. Took the specific gravity reading, 1.031. Pitched the champagne yeast to bring it down another 0.03 over the next couple weeks. At the same time I started brewing a new batch of Kolsch. Well if it wasn't so dark it would look more like Kolsch. The cool thing was that I used the yeast from the Alt to save some money. Never did this before so it will be interesting. Not bad for a nights work :-)

Personal: Homebrewer's Blues

I have been wanting to get on with the brewing, but, life is getting in the way. Some nights I just don't feel like running down to the basement. Other nights I just can't make the time. This is where I am right now. I should probably rack the barleywine to the secondary fermenter. Maybe tonight? What gets me through? Man, I can't wait to taste it! Also, anybody have an opinion on whether I should use champange yeast to finish the barleywine fermentation? I was reading something about it making the barleywine too dry.

New York City Pub Tour : Stop #4; Standings

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After a little stroll over to Grand Central Station and a nice walk through the grand building, we hopped on the 6-train down to Astor Place (and, yes, we again skipped the Oyster Bar at GCS....but, once again, for no good reason! We WILL stop there....someday)

So, we find ourselves next at Standings Bar. It's directly next to Burp Castle and down the street from McSorley's. This is on 7th street on the edge of Greenwich Village and East Village. It was at this point that we hit a bit of a lull.

Hear me out on this before you call us lightweights! Up early in the morning, drop the dogs off at the kennel, pack the car, drive 2 1/2 hours to NY, check into the hotel, take the LIRR into NYC, hit 3 bars in the first 2 hours, walk, and take a subway to our 4th bar. And, it's only just coming up on 5pm. (Sorry, just a bit of sympathy, please??? :)

All of this was to say that Patty took a pass on beer here at Standings, I ordered an Avery, and neglected to take any notes or pictures. We were, as you can see, in a bit of a funk here. I'm not even sure of the style of Avery that I ordered.

Although, I may have also been slightly thrown off by the bartender, who poured me a glass of water from a half-full bottle of spring water. Was this is personal bottle of water? Did he find it in the back room and didn't want to dump it out (for conservation reasons, or course)? Or was this the special "house water"? In any case, I didn't ask, didn't want to know, and therefore didn't drink it!

Ok, back to the topic at hand. Standings is the kind of place that you probably don't make a destination. But, when strolling through the area, you'll probably want to stop off and catch some sports action on one of the several TVs, a quality brew, and some easy-going and pretention-free atmosphere. Contributing to the name is the mostly standing-room only theme. There are just a couple of tables in this smaller-than-average bar.

The rest of the area is a combination of high-top tables and the one bar with 10-15 seats around it. There are several TVs with sporting events usually on them and a lot of sports-themed decor (pennants, etc.) The bathroom, once again for those who care about these kind of things, is about as basic as you can get. Barely a hole in the wall, with a door, and not much else. I can definitely see this as a place that later in the night becomes a big hangout to watch some games on TV with your buddies and drink good beer. I'm guessing it's not a huge pickup scene with the ladies....but, I could be wrong. I promise the last two places on our tour are impressive and worth the wait. And, fortunately for us, we moved from Standings to next door at Burp Castle.

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Birthday Weekend in Review

Ok, for a quick summary of a great food and beer weekend, see below. You'll be hearing more details about them in the coming days. Friday - weather sucked......went to Sly Fox in Royersford, PA. Major improvement on the overall feel (ambience?) compared to their Phoenixville location. Got a "private VIP tour" of the facilities, including brewery operations. Stopped up and enjoyed the Rauchbier that Adam wrote about earlier. Saturday - weather sucked some more....had a couple Oktoberfests at home to help the afternoon go by. Went to Majolica in Phoenixville for dinner, then Destiny brewpub afterwards. Jury's still out on Destiny. Will require one more follow-up visit with Adam. Sunday - weather tried to rebound but still sucked and the Eagles lost (convincingly) to add insult to injury. Went to The Black Door pub in South Street area of Philly for dinner and brews before going to see The Cat Empire at the TLA on South Street. All around (food, beer, music), this was the highlight of the weekend and well worth the lost sleep for Monday morning. Will have much more to say about The Black Door later. p.s. Oh, and by the way, Adam stopped by with a free sample (woo-hoo!) of the 120 minute IPA from Dogfish Head that he described in an earlier post. Thanks my friend! :-)

Big Beer: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Whoohoo! Has anybody tasted this? 21% ABV is nothing to sneeze at. Can you say four beers in one? Just picked up some on Saturday. The first time I tasted this was during a tasting at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA. I had to stop tasting for about an hour just to let the alcohol run its course. Now if you want alcohol you have lots of choices, but, if you want it in your beer and you want it to please your discerning beer snob palate, then this is your beer (can you even call it beer?). This is the best tasting big beer I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. (10/10 edited for grammar...heheh)

Brew Pubs: The Sly Fox - Rauchbier

Friday night I was watching TV and surfing the web when I the phone rang. Bryan called. He was at The Sly Fox in Royersford, PA. After a quick recap of his experience he got to the point ;-) Would you like me to bring you home a growler to add to your collection? (Filled with beer of course.) I thought about it for a minute...ok it was a little less than that ;-). "Sure, I'll take a growler." I hit their beer list on their site. The Rauchbier sounded interesting...although I didn't know that it was smoked beer. How I missed that I'll never know. I'll let Bryan post about his experience at The Sly Fox in Royersford. I think he would tell it better. I would like to comment on the Rauchbier though. I'd have to say that it was just a bit too smokey. I'm not sure how to drink something like this. Maybe it's one of those beers that's better in small quantities or perhaps it should be enjoyed with some smoked meat. I do know that by itself it left me a little overwhelmed. Now, with that being said, I did finish the growler by Sunday night. Sooo...it is drinkable. Think Altbier & smoke flavor. If it were a little less smokey I would have enojoyed it more. Thanks Bryan :-) Yet another beer style sampled.

Making Beer: Altbier to the Secondary Fermenter

Tonight I transferred the Altbier to the fermenter. It looks very dark and tastes great. Malty and bitter...mmmmm. I measured the specific gravity and it seems like it has a bit more to go which is expected. I also tried to save the yeast from the sediment on the bottom of the primary fermenter for next time. This is the first time I've done this so we'll see how it goes. I decided to siphon as much of the sediment into a sterilized growler and put an airlock on it until I figured out the rest and let it finish eating up the nutrients. As I understand it, storing it in a closed container like a capped bottle could cause it to explode if it isn't finished fermenting. Whoohoo! Just a couple weeks until it gets kegged or bottled. :-)

Making Beer: Das Altbier & Barleywine

Yes, everything is going well. The Barleywine fermentation is still going strong. The altbier is slowing down and is probably ready to rack into the secondary fermenter. In the mean time check out what wikipedia has to say about altbier and barleywine.

Jeder Mensch der liebt nunmal stolz sein Heimatland Darum lieben wir, ganz klar, unseren Rhein´schen Strand Wo der Alte Schloßturm steht da sind wir zu Haus´ Weil es ohne Bier nicht geht rufen wir ganz schnell heraus:

[Chorus] Ja, sind wir im Wald hier? Wo bleibt unser Altbier? Wir haben in Düsseldorf die längste Theke der Welt, jajajaja Ja, sind wir im Wald hier? Wo bleibt unser Altbier? Wo ist denn der Held der mit seinem Geld die Runde bestellt?

Machen wir ´ne Herrentour an die schöne Ahr Trinken wir Burgunder nur, das ist sonnenklar Spätestens um Mitternacht ist die Sehnsucht groß Nach dem Glas vom Altbierfaß und der ganze Verein singt dann los:

[Chorus]

Making Beer: The Fermentation

I thought everybody might be interested in an update on the beer. Well, lets just say things are moving along. How do I know? Well the airlock blew off the barleywine for starters ;-) Once we pitched the yeast and moved the fermenters to a place where it was cool, it was time to wait. If you use a starter for the yeast, then the fermentation should be active in less than 24 hours. Well I always forget to start the yeast a day or two early and well...lets just say it takes a little longer, 52 hours for the Alt and 69 hours for the barleywine. So, who cares? Well, the longer it takes the yeast to take hold as the dominant microrganism the more chance that some other little pest will decide to feast on the wort. This is why I have been obsessing over this for a few days now. I tried a bunch of things to get that yeast to really start working. I'm not sure that any of them were the right thing, but, hey I was scared! :-)

• Placed them in warmer places in the house so that the wort temp would rise to just over 70 degress F. Warmer temperatures help get it started. Had to cool it down later once it started.
• Shook up the fermenters about 3 times each to make sure that the wort was aerated enough.
• Stared at the air lock a lot.

Well they finally started. I think it was because of the staring myself ;-) Well the Alt was the first to start and it chugged along for a couple days. I think it just about finished as of 10pm Tues. Then there was the barleywine. I'm pretty sure I stared at this batch a little too long. As I mentioned before the air lock blew off twice. The second time it actually put a somewhat large spot on my ceiling. Now that's active fermentation! Spouses just love that kinda thing. After cleaning up the mess in the basement I decided it was time to remedy the problem. All I needed was a blow off tube fed into a bucket of water. Kind of like a big airlock. Stopped at the hardware store to pickup a hose coupler and some more tubing. It worked like a charm. Here's a short video of the blow off tube bubbling in the bucket of water. (warning it's kinda dark) Next I'll need to rack the Altbier into a glass carboy. This will separate the beer from the sediment so it doesn't take on undesireable flavors from the dying yeast. During this process I'm also going to try and save the yeast for reuse next time. That should save me about eight dollars a batch :-)

Making Beer: Barleywine...popped off again!

Ok, so the air lock popped off again. I really need to get a handle on this. Now I have a big messy plastic bucket fermenter on my hands when I get home. Oh yeah and my wife is loving the "stinky beer smell" in the house.

Making Beer: Altbier & Barleywine Update

Things are going well. The Alt and the Barleywine fermentations have been very active. In fact the airlock even blew off the barleywine fermenter! I'll post more later.

New York City Pub Tour : Stop #3; Ginger Man

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As I promised, we moved on from our first two average stops at Stout and Heartland to Ginger Man. We only had to walk a couple of blocks to 36th street between 5th and Madison. This is one of those bars that could be the one and only destination in many pub tours!

They usually carry close to 75 beers on tap and cover the world from local microbrews to high quality beers from Germany, Belgium, England, and other countries. Also at the bar, the number of bottled beers run well over 100 and several reputable scotch and whiskey selections are also available. So how can I boil this all down to a review that you can use? I think that all I need to say is that this place is a winner that hardly comes up short in anything they do.

There are 4 locations in the country; this is the only one outside of Texas. In Texas, there's a Ginger Man in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. I've been to the Dallas and Austin locations, but ran out of time on my way to the airport in Houston. While the ambience varies a bit from city to city, the overall theme is protected....the theme being a large selection of interesting, high quality beer.

In NYC, the location is in block which feels a bit secluded from other life in the city. While it's not in Times Square, it's not in a neighborhood either. It's kind of an "in-between" place, where the street scene is not all that interesting. But, of course, we go there to be inside with the beer, right?!

As you can see in this one picture, recent additions to the tap list include Geary Autumn Ale, Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, Victory Prima Pils, Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, and cask conditioned Victory Hop Devil. Patty had the Prima Pils and I had the Bear Republic. By this time, we started to work up a bit of an appetite and need to get a base going for the next several hours :)

The food menu basically is a sufficient list of appetizers and bar-style sandwiches. Each time I've been to Ginger Man before, I always fall for the soft pretzel. Hard to say why, but with a limited food menu, the pretzels seem to be any easy choice. And, for a couple bucks you get a decent sized pretzel, with lots of salt and a honey mustard dipping sauce.

A little more on the place and the staff. The interior is fairly large and airy with a mixture of bar seating, low tables with comfortable seating, and separate lounge-type room in the back. The staff is knowledgable and willing to lend themselves for opinions on beer, or to provide as many samples as you need to make a good choice, or to just to make small talk while business is slow. I've found these observations to be consistent at each of the locations that I've visited.

Earlier in the summer when I was at the Ginger Man, a few interesting brews that they had on tap included: Boulder Sweaty Betty; Six Point Diesel Stout; Schneider Edel Weisse; Einbecker Mai Bock; Redhook Sunrye; Cooper's Extra Stout; and Blue Point Hoptical Illusion. The picture above is a little dark and hard to make out the tap handles; however, I hope that from my descriptions you can see that the Ginger Man should also be included in any beer drinking plans when in Dallas, Houston, Austin, or New York City. Oh, how badly I wanted to stay for another one, or 10, beers! But, next, we're taking the subway to the East Village/Greenwich Village.

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Making Beer: Altbier & Barleywine

Here we go again! I decided to put my most recent batch behind me. I keep tasting it every now and then hoping that it really isn't that bad and....well, it is that bad. Time to pitch it. You know what they say, "On to bigger, bitter and better beer." Okay, so I made that one up...heheh :-) On Thursday night John, Tim, Jeremy and Bryan came over and we brewed the Black Alt. I don't know what a Black Altbier is, but, that's what I'll call it for now. Things went so well Thursday night that we decided to brew a batch that I had been sitting on for a long time, the Barleywine. Bryan, Matt, Jeremy and Jackie were there to take part in the process. I can always blame them if the beer sucks...heheh ;-) Will it be strong? You bet, we used almost 14 pounds of malt extract! Is it hoppy? Yeah I'd say so. Bryan calculated the IBUs at almost 92! So, is there a downside to this barleywine? The only thing that is a bit disappointing is that it will require some patience. Barleywine is supposed to be bottle conditioned from 6 to 12 months as I understand it. Good thing I can look forward to the Black Alt in a few weeks. Both nights were perfect. We were outside in the cool autumn weather taking it all in :-)