First the glass. I’m not finicky about what shape or kind of glass, pint or no-nick, pilsner or flute, whatever, so long as it is CLEAN and sound. Some folks like putting their beer glasses in the freezer but I’m not a fan of that because that initial hit of beer freezes to the glass and then I’m drinking some slush with my beer. It totally kills the taste buds and needlessly chills the beer beyond serving temp. Of course, there are glasses in my freezer, I just don’t use them often. Instead, I’d rather keep the glasses in the kegerator fridge door. I would like to, but I don’t. My beer glasses stay in the cupboard with the rest of the drinking glasses. Grab a glass and come on down to the kegerator.

The straight pour from a regular faucet is the most common. Put your glass under the faucet at a slight angle so that first bit of beer runs down the side. Pull the faucet completely open in one smooth motion. as the glass starts to fill, let the beer drop straight down into the glass. Close the tap, again in one smooth quick motion when the glass is 3/4 full or so. The head should build right to the lip of the glass. Yup, I like to see at least an inch of head in my glass. Not half the glass, but at least an inch. It makes that great beer aroma hit the nose first when I raise my glass.

It is that simple to pour a decent pint! I shudder watching a bartender pour a pint, dump out foam, try to fill it again, pour out half the beer… there is something wrong with the balance of the system if you can’t get a clean pour without dumping out half a glass of beer. In fact, the first time you dump out half my beer will the the last time you’ll be invited to drink it.

Pouring a pint of stout from a stout faucet is stupid easy. Put the glass under the faucet and open it up. The beer should drop straight down into the glass. Stop pouring right near the top, then hold the glass up to your eyes so you can see the cool cascading affect. Give it a little twist and watch how the cascade changes. The faucet should pour considerably slower than a standard tap, but it is worth it.

I hope this helps, it sure helped me. It was kind of Cathartic…

Cheers,
Tony

There they sit, that hop scare IPA that I am still planning on tossing my home grown hops into and the wheat recipe just waiting to brew.

One of these days.

Of course, I also said a few kits ago that I was going to jump into all grain after these kits are done and gone. See how well that turned out.

Maybe this weekend.

Cheers!
Tony

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

The carbonation was still a little off this morning, so I cranked it up to 20psi until this evening. Hopefully it will fizz up nicely.

Cheers!
Tony

Cheers!
Tony

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

Cheers!
Tony

I took gravity of the lemon coriander weiss and it was still higher than I’d like, so I’m going to leave it for another week or two in hopes it might not be done yet. I know, I know, the books and pro’s recommend checking the gravity three days in a row and if there is no change it is done.

Well, so? What’s wrong with leaving it another week or two? Nothing.

By the bye, the hydrometer sample tasted quite lemon-y and good. I’m certain my “it would be better with lemon in it” mother in law will even like it!

Cheers,
Tony

My problem is solved by drilling two holes in the side of the fridge to pass the gas lines through. Before committing myself to the whole hole (ha) I used my hole saw to cut just through the plastic inside, then a screwdriver to crunch up the insulation between the inside and steel outside. The last thing I want to do is somehow hit a line that would result in one big paperweight.

Yes, I can plainly see the cooling plate in the fridge, in fact I’ve frozen beer lines on that cooling plate before, put the risk is still there.

After I made sure there was nothing to hit with the saw I punched it through. Looking at the ragged holes that I was going to be putting the hose through I got out my Dremmel. No plug in near.

Crap.

So while I was looking around trying to think of a way to dull the edges around the holes I spot my furnace, and the putty we put around some of the holes in the venting. *ding*

I still had some of that putty! Around the hoses it went, now I still have a sealed fridge, a barrier between the hose and the jagged lip of the holes and we’re good to go!

Next up is kegging the two beers that are patiently waiting to be drank.

After MONTHS of no beer on tap, I am close. Very close!

Cheers!
Tony

It is really hard waiting for the two beers in secondary to finish.  It has been a long time since I’ve had beer on tap.

Cheers!
Tony