Yeah that’s right! I picked up a 12 pack of Schlitz long necks yesterday. I still don’t trust them past two, but the thing is, there is some real nostalgia in that beer. When I was very little pops would have a beer now and then. Maybe with dinner or during a football game. I have vague memories of him letting me try a sip once in a while.

Schlitz tastes like those memories! It sounds crazy, I know. I was really young, too, I know, but still, there is something in that bitter clean finish, low to no mouthfeel, high carbonation that has some historic rightness to it. Brothers, if you’re reading this and can find a 6′er or single give it a try and report back. I’d like to know if my memory serves me or not.

I tell you what, though, even with the high school chant of “Schlitz’ll give you the schlitz!” I’ll take it over Bud or Busch any day.

Cheers!
Tony

I had the chance to have a couple pints of Guinness last night. The keg at that bar must be old or the faucet dirty because there was a definite metallic flavor in the after taste. I don’t remember the pub draught having that.

It made me want to go back home and have a pint of my own. The nitrogen and CO2 is settling down to show a return of the great cascade. I may have failed to mention that once it got cold, the foam show went away. That darn liquid physics gas properties.

Isn’t it sad that I don’t remember if it was physics, chemistry or biology that I fell asleep through when the topic was gas volumes in liquid? I vaguely remember that topic being brought up in college, but that is all!

Cheers,
Tony

It has been over three months since my last brewing session. It has been a couple weeks since the kegs have been emptied. This healthy kick has been brutal for my brewing hobby. There I am running and watching what I eat, spending time cleaning the house on my infrequent nap breaks (the kids are getting older) and completely neglecting all my brewing equipment!

Heck, there is even a 16 gallon keg sitting in my garage just WAITING for me cut open and convert it into a brew kettle. Yet there it sits. Holding my youngest daughter’s bike helmet.

Maybe if anyone is still reading this, there might be some sugestions to regain some motivation for the fermented goods?

I hope all is well, folks, I’m not going to sell my brewing stuff yet, I still have two kits to fire up!

Cheers,
Tony

Last weekend I walked up the driveway to another rummage sale and was startled to find something brewing/beer related. Usually the rummage sales my kids and I visit have a lot of baby clothes, old tools and toys that no one wants. Oh, all that and a bunch of stuff that looks like granny turned down as knickknacks.

There, sitting on the side of the driveway was a smallish cooler with a faucet coming out. Yeah, folks, there was a jockey box for sale. It had everything included: one line cold plate, tubing, faucet and shank, sanke tap, even a cleaning pump thing.

I wanted to ask the woman manning the table “Does he know you’re selling that?” but resisted that urge.

The thing that shocked me more than finding that there was what they were asking for it. The price on the sticker was $10.

What is worse, though? I had my wallet out, looked at the money in there, looked at the box, put my wallet back… took it out again… put it back…

Yup, I walked away from the jockey box. I knew that it was a great deal, a steal in fact, but in my head I also knew that it would sit in my shed or garage for a long time before I did anything with it. Even resell it. It would just sit there.

I passed.

Happy Thursday everyone!
Cheers,
Tony

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m taking a break from brewing and blogging for a while. This summer has been very hectic for us, and the kids are napping a lot less than normal. It has always been nap time that I get a chance to write, and as that time dwindles my writing will also lose.

There are still plenty of projects that I have “on deck” including the keg convert and a drip tray. If I get to them in the next month before school starts I will take plenty of pictures and write them up as I can. Otherwise it will have to wait.

Get outside, enjoy the summer and I’ll catch everyone when I can.

Peace and Cheers,
Tony

I wrote about the time waster that is My Brute last week or so ago. As an update, my main brute, Farkler, has started a clan. The Naptime Warriors!

This is such a fun, time wasting game if you haven’t tried it yet, you should!

Incidentally, and this is actually beer related, I stopped at Midwest this morning to pick two more kits. It was supposed to be a recon mission to cipher on going all grain, but instead I bought an Irish  stout and a lemon coriander weiss.

Cheers!
Tony

Imagine my surprise when my keg of IIPA gurgled at me just now! That’s right, the beer that only I would drink found itself drank. This has to be a record for my beers though, as this one lasted well over a month.

Its a good thing that Surly Furious clone is ready to go!

By the bye, the watered ESB isn’t as bad as I thought. I may add a bit more, actually.

Cheers!
Tony

After much pressure I have added half a gallon of water to the keg of ESB to try and get it more drinkable. I may add another half gallon depending on the results.

This unfortunate turn of events may be precipitated by my not strictly measuring the resulting volumes of my beers. It has been happening that the keg doesn’t look as full as it should be after racking out of secondary.

Has anyone else had to add water to a finished beer?

Cheers,
Tony

The only thing this has to do with beer and brewing is the fact that it has taken up some valuable writing and drinking time playing with this site. My Brute is a quick little “battle” between a brute you create and another person’s brute. It is completely random both what attributes they get and how the battle goes. There is no way to control the brute once it is in the arena.

Regardless, it is a fun time waster and I am trying to get my two brutes up to an experience level where I can start a clan for all the Stay Home Dad’s out there as well as the brewers!

Click either link or both, create your brute and see how it stands up to Farkler and Brewdad!

Enjoy, I sure am!
Cheers,
Tony

I kegged my ESB two days ago. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to put it on the stout facuet with beer gas because my fridge is too small! Now I know I have to drill a hole before the winter stout season is upon us.

The Maibock that it replaced was a big hit. The family reunion saw quite a few pints poured. Strangely enough, most of my wife’s family didn’t like the IIPA. I don’t understand it, but that was ok, it just means more for me!

The Furious clone is still sitting in secondary. Can anyone venture an educated guess on how long to leave it with dry hop?

Cheers and Thanks,
Tony