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[StrikerObi]

To each their own. If that is what they do for fun ignore them and focus on enjoying beer they way YOU want to.

Oh I don't begrudge them, I just found it to be a totally crazy hobby. It's like playing Pokemon JUST to catch 'em all. Weird, but not wrong in any way.

 

[wickedcapedkid]

Critics of Japanese beer, you are mostly correct. 99% of our beer sucks.

However...

Yebisu Black beer is really good, along with...

Suntory Premium Malts Black

Everything else is fairly disappointing to the western tongue.

 

[distantmantra]

Baird (Suruga Bay Imperial IPA), Kiuchi (Hitachino Commemorative Ale, Classic Ale) and Yo-Ho Brewing (Aooni IPA) are all great Japanese brewers. And they're available in the states.

 

[Jos]

OK this is all sorts of Bad Ass haha

That was for a Weta Workshop themed night last year. We did the same for their Xmas party as well. Turns out that two corney kegs fit perfectly into a scuba tank belt. The only trick is making sure each keg gets drained evenly!

Damned impressive! Planning on making something with some New Zealand Hops shortly

Nice - we went down to Motueka for the hop harvest last year. The smell in the barn where they kiln the hops was incredible. The new season harvest isn't too far away actually..

 

[Chopper]

I just saw a documentary on "beertickers". Have you heard of this UK hobby and what do you think of it? It seems to me like they basically sucked all the fun out of drinking beer and turned it into a job.

But on the plus side, it revealed to me the downright insane amount of cask ale available in the UK. I am so jealous.

As for me, tonight I drank my last Sam Adams Holiday Porter and then went to the local store and got the following: A bomber of Sierra Nevada Wet Hop 2011, a DFH Burton Baton 12oz bottle, and a Ten Fidy can which I drank tonight. It was delicious as always.

Beerticking is fun, if beer is something you are passionate about. Personally, there is little I enjoy more than sampling beer I have never tried before from the huuuuuge number of breweries here in Sussex. Documenting every beer you try is pretty hardore, but just the sort of behaviour you'd expect from your average CAMRA member, of which I am also a member.

Just had two 9s delivered. Hammerpot's Red Hunter, and their Pale Ale. Can't wait to try them. Gotta rack 'em up for a few hours first though.

 

[distantmantra]

Being distributed through Sierra Nevada's accounts, so those of you who typically have zero access to Russian River will get it. Should be out in July.

 

[distantmantra]

Citra Hop Pale Ale is bottled. Handing it out when my daughter is born late next month! 24 12 oz. bottles to hand out and 11 bombers to enjoy with my close friends.

 

[UrokeJoe]

Tried this last night. Got it from Trader Joe's for $1.99, could not finish.... so skanky! just a *WARNING*

 

[distantmantra]

Tried this last night. Got it from Trader Joe's for $1.99, could not finish.... so skanky! just a *WARNING*

There are some recent reviews on BA, seems like people bought it on a whim due to the $2 price tag. Apparently the chocolate stout isn't bad... but still not very good.

 

[UrokeJoe]

There are some recent reviews on BA, seems like people bought it on a whim due to the $2 price tag. Apparently the chocolate stout isn't bad.

all I tasted was alcohol. and yeah the $2 is a catcher.

 

[thespot84]

Citra Hop Pale Ale is bottled. Handing it out when my daughter is born late next month! 24 12 oz. bottles to hand out and 11 bombers to enjoy with my close friends.

HOLY SHIT. Scrolling down over this gif is like 3D!!!!

 

[AcridMeat]

Tonight's drink.

It's actually nice. Sweeter than I was expecting, though I didn't know what to expect.

May switch back to Henninger after.

 

[Malvolio]

The aftermath of one very enjoyable night of beer tasting.

 

[StrikerObi]

The aftermath of one very enjoyable night of beer tasting.

Jesus that's a big haul. You guys didn't drink the whole Utopias in one night did you? That's the kind of thing I would save and drink only a little bit on very important days.

 

[tokkun]

I'm surprised you could taste anything after 6 Hopslams.

 

[Malvolio]

Jesus that's a big haul. You guys didn't drink the whole Utopias in one night did you? That's the kind of thing I would save and drink only a little bit on very important days.

We probably drank a bit over half of it. We had six people over and that was actually a duplicate 2005 bottle that one guy owned. It was so good and not just the novelty that I had always pictured it to be. Equally impressive to me was the 1994 Sam Adams Triple Bock. The beer was actually made before I was even old enough to drink.

 

[Malvolio]

I'm surprised you could taste anything after 6 Hopslams.

Hopslams were actually the after drinks. Went well with the food. Then it was onto the homebrews and things get very hazy after that. It was a full day event.

 

[scissorfight]

Equally impressive to me was the 1994 Sam Adams Triple Bock. The beer was actually made before I was even old enough to drink.

i finally got around to my bottle of '94 triple bock last year. to say it was disappointing would be an understatement - it was one of the worst beers i've ever had.

 

[Malvolio]

i finally got around to my bottle of '94 triple bock last year. to say it was disappointing would be an understatement - it was one of the worst beers i've ever had.

I've read a lot of reviews that agree with you so I was a bit worried about it, but to me it was pretty tasty. Not sure if there is a quality issue with some of the bottling or something but I can't imagine anyone saying that about what I tasted yesterday. It's not something I would go out of my way to get again, but as a taste of where the idea for Utopias was born I thought it was pretty successful.

 

[distantmantra]

Picked up a Widmer 4-pack of bombers at Costco today. 2 bombers of Nelson Imperial IPA and 2 bombers of Pitch Black IPA. I rarely, if ever, buy Widmer, but I couldn't pass it up for $10. $2.50 a bomber!

 

[fenners]

Picked up a Widmer 4-pack of bombers at Costco today. 2 bombers of Nelson Imperial IPA and 2 bombers of Pitch Black IPA. I rarely, if ever, buy Widmer, but I couldn't pass it up for $10. $2.50 a bomber!

I'd ignored Widmer before I picked up that bomber pack... I really enjoyed 'em.

 

[distantmantra]

I'd ignored Widmer before I picked up that bomber pack... I really enjoyed 'em.

Being from the PNW I've got this unconscious rule where I ignore Pike, Red Hook, Pyramid and Widmer and never give them the time of day. No real reason other than they're the old kids on the block.

 

[thatbox]

My pub had SN Ruthless Rye IPA on tap last week. I didn't get any rye from it, but it was a really enjoyable IPA if you like the SN taste.

 

[distantmantra]

I picked up a sixer of Ruthless last week. The bottled version has a strong spicy rye flavor profile.

 

[UrokeJoe]

I picked up a sixer of Ruthless last week. The bottled version has a strong spicy rye flavor profile.

Ruthless is a good name. Strong spicy rye indeed. Bottled as well.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Still got four of these fuckers left:

Great beer, but it wasn't worth 2 hours in line for 6 bombers.

 

[dubc35]

Tried this last night. Got it from Trader Joe's for $1.99, could not finish.... so skanky! just a *WARNING*

Trader Joe's refuses to store their beer cold thus I refuse to buy beer from them.

Enjoying a Hale's Supergoose now. Not as good as I remembered but still tasty.

I'm heading up to the Diamond Knot brewery this weekend for some beers and lunch. I've only had their IPA so I might check out their other brews.

 

[distantmantra]

Trader Joe's refuses to store their beer cold thus I refuse to buy beer from them.

Firestone Walker makes their house beers and they have the cheapest prices on Russian River in the area. As long as it's not 70+ degrees in the store, the beer is ok.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Trader Joe's refuses to store their beer cold thus I refuse to buy beer from them.

Enjoying a Hale's Supergoose now. Not as good as I remembered but still tasty.

I'm heading up to the Diamond Knot brewery this weekend for some beers and lunch. I've only had their IPA so I might check out their other brews.

For the most part nothing actually happens if a beer is not stored cold.

 

[distantmantra]

For the most part nothing actually happens if a beer is not stored cold.

Yup. I cellar a lot of my stuff around 50-55.

 

[dubc35]

Science may not back up my claim but science schmience. Yep that's my argument, lol...I'm an engineer btw.

 

[thatbox]

I picked up a sixer of Ruthless last week. The bottled version has a strong spicy rye flavor profile.

Ruthless is a good name. Strong spicy rye indeed. Bottled as well.

Hrm, I wonder if it was just the keg then. Hopefully I'll see it again tomorrow and can give it another shot.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Yup. I cellar a lot of my stuff around 50-55.

Moreover, most grocery stores that carry fresh produce like Trader Joe's keep the ambient temperature at a significantly cooler temperature than say, your house.

 

[distantmantra]

There's also no benefit to drinking beer in frosty cold glasses. The extreme cold actually mutes a lot of the flavors in the beer.

 

[dubc35]

There's also no benefit to drinking beer in frosty cold glasses. The extreme cold actually mutes a lot of the flavors in the beer.

I've heard that. I remember reading the English making fun of Americans because we drink our beer too cold to taste all of it.

 

[Yaboosh]

For the most part nothing actually happens if a beer is not stored cold.

Except oxidation at a substantially higher rate. As well as bacterial and wild yeast activity if the beer isn't perfectly clean.

 

[Angry Grimace]

There's also no benefit to drinking beer in frosty cold glasses. The extreme cold actually mutes a lot of the flavors in the beer.

The biggest reason that I can tell why this occurs is because the frostiness on the glass is just causes condensation when the beer hits the glass and puts water into the beer.

Except oxidation at a substantially higher rate. As well as bacterial and wild yeast activity if the beer isn't perfectly clean.

From what I've been told, this is rarely going to become a problem until well after the best by date on the beer. Besides, I have yet to see a bottle shop selling only chilled beer.

 

[Rentahamster]

I've heard that. I remember reading the English making fun of Americans because we drink our beer too cold to taste all of it.

Fuck it, I like frosty mugs.

 

[B For Bendetta]

My local beer bar

Having a Breakfast Stout now

Also, refusing to purchase a beer that isn't stored refrigerated? Do you really want to miss out on all the beers you're going to because of a superstition? Really not worth it dude

 

[dubc35]

Also, refusing to purchase a beer that isn't stored refrigerated? Do you really want to miss out on all the beers you're going to because of a superstition? Really not worth it dude

The last couple times I've bought beer at TJ's it's been skunk. I can't think of any other places that store their beer at room temperature. It may not be the temperature but it's been bad in the past so no more in the future. I've worked in beer and liquor distributors before. I know most have them sit in the warehouse at ambient temperatures. Some put them in refer's but not all.

Nice looking local pub there!

 

[Chris R]

I thought skunk beer was due to light and not temperature?

 

[Malvolio]

I thought skunk beer was due to light and not temperature?

Light is certainly a huge factor. As far as temp goes, I've heard that constant change in temperature is more detrimental than just storing it warm.

 

[KingGondo]

I've heard that. I remember reading the English making fun of Americans because we drink our beer too cold to taste all of it.

Insanely cold beer is the best way to get hammered quick, duh.

As usual, Americuh is superior to Yurop.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The last couple times I've bought beer at TJ's it's been skunk. I can't think of any other places that store their beer at room temperature. It may not be the temperature but it's been bad in the past so no more in the future. I've worked in beer and liquor distributors before. I know most have them sit in the warehouse at ambient temperatures. Some put them in refer's but not all.

Nice looking local pub there!

Skunkiness is not caused by temperature, it's caused by light reacting with hop oils. Age tends to cause oxidation (which is a different off flavor often described as cardboard) and a reduction in the hop flavors, but this tends to be less so in higher alcohol beers, which is why those beers are often cellared.

 

[B For Bendetta]

Insanely cold beer is the best way to get hammered quick, duh.

As usual, Americuh is superior to Yurop.

People drink beer to get drunk? Then what is liquor for?


And yeah, as noted above, storing temp has nothing to do with skunk. Roommate and I store beer in kegs at room temp for months on end with no adverse effects. Tons of great beers are stored at room temp.

 

[thatbox]

My friend and I have started homebrewing, and I'm trying to convince him to keg some of our latest batch since bottling is a pain in the ass. He says that kegs only last a couple of weeks before going bad. Do you guys find this to be true? We have a dedicated fridge that's big enough to keep the keg in, if we go that route.

 

[Yaboosh]

My friend and I have started homebrewing, and I'm trying to convince him to keg some of our latest batch since bottling is a pain in the ass. He says that kegs only last a couple of weeks before going bad. Do you guys find this to be true? We have a dedicated fridge that's big enough to keep the keg in, if we go that route.

If served with CO2, kegs last just as long (if not longer) as bottles.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Conway's Irish Ale is back in season.

I'm enjoying it more than I remember.

 

[B For Bendetta]

If served with CO2, kegs last just as long (if not longer) as bottles.

This. Do a Google search dude. Your friend is just flat out wrong. My buddy has had a RIS kegged since June. I can't even imagine what the argument would be that they go bad quickly in kegs

 

[cdyhybrid]

Just picked up tickets for Belgianfest Seattle 2012. Fuck yes.

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