Beer you are drinking right now

[channingcrowderhungry]

Originally Posted by mexicanconnection2002

Stillwater Artisanal Cellar Door American Farmhouse Ale

Have a bottle in the fridge. How was it?

[channingcrowderhungry]

Originally Posted by StrangeGator

Just picked up a bomber of Hebrew Jewbiliation 16th Anniversary, 16 varieties of malt, 16 hops, 16% alcohol. This beer is a little on the dark side for me with the roasted hops, but it's got huge balls on it. Had to work up to it with some Lagunitas Hop Stoopid.

Also have a bottle in the fridge. U guys have good taste

[RayUF07]

Just some good ole Bells Two Hearted Ale.

I forget how good this is. I probably under appreciate it due to the fact it's readily available, but damn, its a good IPA.

[ufhomerj31]

Just had some Molson

[mexicanconnection2002]

Cellar Door is a very nice saison. The white sage in it was different but not overdone. Will have to try more from that brewery. $10.99 for a bomber but was well worth it.

Have some two hearted in the fridge also. Quality IPA.

Drinking tonight...home brewed saison (4%) and an Cigar City Jai Alai IPA clone.

[RayUF07]

I want to venture into home brewing. Anyone have tips on what I need to get started?

[LeafUF]

Doing a little pre-gaming before I head out to see the Shins.

Had a Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin, Pyramid Hefe and right now a Kona Pipeline Porter.

[channingcrowderhungry]

Originally Posted by RayUF07

I want to venture into home brewing. Anyone have tips on what I need to get started?

Buy one on those kits to get started. They run around $100 but it gets you all the equipment to get going. Do a batch with the premade stuff to get your feet wet, then ditch the kits and start mixing your own ingredients.

[RayUF07]

Originally Posted by channingcrowderhungry

Buy one on those kits to get started. They run around $100 but it gets you all the equipment to get going. Do a batch with the premade stuff to get your feet wet, then ditch the kits and start mixing your own ingredients.

I wanted to do my own thing and not a kit beer, but I guess what you say makes sense to get started. Thanks!

[RayUF07]

Had some DFH Hellhound last night. It was pretty damn good.

[mexicanconnection2002]

Originally Posted by RayUF07

I wanted to do my own thing and not a kit beer, but I guess what you say makes sense to get started. Thanks!

Go to a local home brew store and I am sure they can help you get started with equipment. Homebrewtalk.com is a place where you can do some reading and get familiar with how you want to brew (extract, all-grain or partial mash). I do mostly extract batches due to time limitations (brew after work and can be done in little over two hours). I have a 15 gallon boil kettle and usually do 5 or 10 gallon batches. I buy bulk extract (50 lbs) to save money. I buy my hops in bulk also. I go to the home brew store to buy yeast and specialty grains.

You can look at recipes on line and then tweak them to what you want to make. There are also many clone recipes of commercial beers. I usually come up with my own recipes and just try it out. Some come out better than others, but they all make beer that is pretty darn good. Let me know if you want to discuss more about what you need to make it happen.

[RayUF07]

Cigar City Jai Alai Humidor Series IPA is on the books for tonight. I'm interested to find out the difference between it and the normal Jai Alai, which I love. I'll report back after I finish these 2 bombers.

[channingcrowderhungry]

Originally Posted by RayUF07

Cigar City Jai Alai Humidor Series IPA is on the books for tonight. I'm interested to find out the difference between it and the normal Jai Alai, which I love. I'll report back after I finish these 2 bombers.

The humidor is a crazy beer. Unlike anything I've ever had. Aged on cedar is just, well, different. I've had it fresh and had it a year old. Completely different beers. Curious what you think.

I'm on a sculpin. Always good. Not sure what's coming next.

[northgagator]

Originally Posted by channingcrowderhungry

Buy one on those kits to get started. They run around $100 but it gets you all the equipment to get going. Do a batch with the premade stuff to get your feet wet, then ditch the kits and start mixing your own ingredients.

This is great advise. Also check out your local home brew supply stores. Usually the guys that run those stores are pretty knowledgable. Also, check the web for local home brewing clubs. Most of these guys are good at share information .

[RayUF07]

Originally Posted by channingcrowderhungry

The humidor is a crazy beer. Unlike anything I've ever had. Aged on cedar is just, well, different. I've had it fresh and had it a year old. Completely different beers. Curious what you think.

I'm on a sculpin. Always good. Not sure what's coming next.

Crazy is a good way to describe it. I enjoy the difference though. Can definitely taste the cedar. Cedar and Pine are almost overwhelming, to me. It kind of covers up the grapefruit taste from the regular Jai Alai that I love. I think I taste a lot of cedar up front, then some pine, with a slight grapefruit finish. Overall, I enjoy it and it's a nice change of pace from the regular Jai Alai, but still has that same, crisp taste.

Bottled 9/17/12

[cstgator]

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout (Russian Imperial)

This is the best Russian Imperial stout that I've ever had. Wow. Textbook. Yes, better than the overrated Old Rasputin (then again, I like a number of RISs over Old Rasputin: Great Divide Yeti, Bell's Expedition, Stone, Sam Adams, Samuel Smith...). Anyone else into stouts and porters??? All I see are comments about IPAs, lol.

And then I followed it up with a Shipyard Blue Fin Stout.

Which is the worst stout I've ever had (this is an Irish dry stout though). Super disappointing. And there's 5 more to drink, ugh. Very bitter (but not a hoppy bitter) and really, really dry. That's ok if the flavor wasn't totally one-dimensional, but all I got was bitter coffee-ish maltiness. Gross.

BTW, you guys should check out Orlando Brewing. Not nearly as marketed and popular as Cigar City, but IMO, they make better brews. I bartend at a really popular British bar and the Orlando stuff always is a hit. The CC drafts take forever to sell out (and an Orlando beer is usually next in the rotation and is gone with 3 days, lol). The Blackwater Porter is just sex in your mouth. Or my mouth at least.

[rivergator]

Originally Posted by cstgator

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout (Russian Imperial)

This is the best Russian Imperial stout that I've ever had.

that's wonderful stuff. you might consider putting a four-pack up for a year

[gatordavisl]

Originally Posted by RayUF07

Just some good ole Bells Two Hearted Ale.

I forget how good this is. I probably under appreciate it due to the fact it's readily available, but damn, its a good IPA.

Recently discovered Two Hearted myself. It's a good ale.

[channingcrowderhungry]

Originally Posted by RayUF07

Crazy is a good way to describe it. I enjoy the difference though. Can definitely taste the cedar. Cedar and Pine are almost overwhelming, to me. It kind of covers up the grapefruit taste from the regular Jai Alai that I love. I think I taste a lot of cedar up front, then some pine, with a slight grapefruit finish. Overall, I enjoy it and it's a nice change of pace from the regular Jai Alai, but still has that same, crisp taste.

Bottled 9/17/12

The one I drank that had a year on it had almost no hop favors and all cedar. It was like drinking an actual humidor. I loved it but I bet most wouldn't.

[northgagator]

Originally Posted by rivergator

that's wonderful stuff. you might consider putting a four-pack up for a year

I just could never resist the temptation for that long.