The Beer Thread

[madtownwarrior]

Three Floyds Alpha Claus X-mas Porter was outstanding as well....

[Benny B]

I tried Three Floyds Zombie Dust on tap at Romans last night, I'm not great at describing what I tasted but I really loved the spicy hop flavors (Citra?) but after drinking a bit it seemed sort of thin and lackiing other than the hop taste.

Zombie Dust is a single-hop - lots of Citra and only Citra - and you've just experienced a single hop brew the same way many others have... as either good, great or awful, and sometimes it all three depending on how much you've drank.  The unscientific rationale in homebrew circles is that if your taste buds become accustomed to one dominant taste/flavor/aroma (in this case, the Citra) in a beer, you can be desensitized to that taste after a few "samples" and be left with a very bland background of fermented malt water (which you described as "thin and lacking").

Trying to get my hands on a contract for few pounds of Amarillo, Mosaic and Citra (2013 grow season).  Incidentally, Zombie Dust is one of the beers I've been wanting to clone, but I thought I might add another hop variety (hopback or dryhop) to give it some "complexity" so it doesn't get tired after 3 or 4 mugs.  It's a great beer to sample and share... not so great as a sixer during an MU road game (for reasons mentioned about).

[Spotcheck Billy]

^ Thanks for the explanation, I know what I like when consuming it but not always the 'why' I like/dislike something

[Hards Alumni]

Well, I just managed to homebrew 5 gallons of vinegar.  At least I know how to keg my 'beer' now. 

[Chili]

Well, I just managed to homebrew 5 gallons of vinegar.  At least I know how to keg my 'beer' now. 

What were you trying to make? Did you introduce Aceto or infection?

[Hards Alumni]

What were you trying to make? Did you introduce Aceto or infection?

A simple brown ale.  It was my first go at kegging my own so I wanted something that I knew was easy.  Turned out that it was probably Aceto... which is a bummer.  But at least I managed to carbonate my vinegar... so... small success?

[akmarq]

A simple brown ale.  It was my first go at kegging my own so I wanted something that I knew was easy.  Turned out that it was probably Aceto... which is a bummer.  But at least I managed to carbonate my vinegar... so... small success?

What a shame...sounds like you'll have to brew again this weekend

[MUfan12]

Tried Lakefront's 25th Anniversary Imperial Stout. Really enjoyed it. Well balanced, good flavor, and smooth for a 10% beer.

Also had MKE Brewing's Anodyne Coffee Brown. Solid beer, the coffee adds some depth to the standard brown ale. If they bottled it, I'd buy it.

[Benny B]

A simple brown ale.  It was my first go at kegging my own so I wanted something that I knew was easy.  Turned out that it was probably Aceto... which is a bummer.  But at least I managed to carbonate my vinegar... so... small success?

Out of curiosity... what type of keg and where did you get it from?

[Hards Alumni]

Out of curiosity... what type of keg and where did you get it from?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_keg

Corny keg.  Brand new for xmas last year, unsure where my wife got it from... totally unused though.  I've been slacking and didn't make a new batch of beer until early November this year... had to drink up the reserves and then there were some nice seasonals to try.

[Benny B]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_keg

Corny keg.  Brand new for xmas last year, unsure where my wife got it from... totally unused though.  I've been slacking and didn't make a new batch of beer until early November this year... had to drink up the reserves and then there were some nice seasonals to try.

Yep... got a dozen or so of those in my basement... many years ago I had occasional contamination problems with cornies until I learned to properly (and completely) disassemble/clean/sanitize the things.  But yours was brand new, so you got a mystery on your hands.

[Hards Alumni]

Yep... got a dozen or so of those in my basement... many years ago I had occasional contamination problems with cornies until I learned to properly (and completely) disassemble/clean/sanitize the things.  But yours was brand new, so you got a mystery on your hands.

I'm quite sure that the problem was my carboy and not the keg.

[Benny B]

Sorry for threadjacking this into a homebrew discussion, but the title doesn't say where you had to get the beer.  The OP simply said good beer deserves its own discussion.

Ever since I overpurchased a few pounds of chocolate malt a few months ago, I've been experimenting with how dark I can make a (palatable) beer.  I've gotten up to two pounds in a double-chocolate imperial I made last year, but the latest batch I only used one pound (all 5-gal batches, by the way, for those of you keeping score at home).  I'm going to try breaking the 3-lb. barrier in a few weeks, but I need some inspiration... so my query:

What was the darkest beer you have ever had, and what do you remember about it?

[mubb34]

Sweaty Betty - Colorado Micro-Brew...Yum

[MUfan12]

Sorry for threadjacking this into a homebrew discussion, but the title doesn't say where you had to get the beer.  The OP simply said good beer deserves its own discussion.

Hey, by all means, talk away.

As someone who doesn't have the room (and likely the patience) for homebrewing, I find this interesting.

[Hards Alumni]

Hey, by all means, talk away.

As someone who doesn't have the room (and likely the patience) for homebrewing, I find this interesting.

If you have room for two 5 gallon pails and a few cases of bottles you have room to homebrew!

[Spotcheck Billy]

I currently have five 5 gallon batches lagering in the cellar 

I only do partial mashes, trying to keep it simple so 3 lbs. of any malts is too much for me.

[TheButlerDidIt]

So, as I'm sure many of you know, the Bradley Center has a craft beer bar on the second level. I think it's called the Tap Room. It serves your typical solid crafts (Sierra Nevada PA, Ale Asylum Hopalicious, Lakefront Fixed Gear), your big beer "crafts" (Blue Moon/Shock Top/Leiney Stuff), and your English/Irish imports.

Aside from beer on tap, there's also bottled beer. More of the same usual, but solid craft beers/big beer alternatives/usual imports.

A few weeks ago, something caught my eye-The Tap Room sells bottles of Leiney's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout. I don't think I've had a better stadium/arena beer.

[madtownwarrior]

Hard to pass up Ale Asylum Hopalicious on tap....

So, as I'm sure many of you know, the Bradley Center has a craft beer bar on the second level. I think it's called the Tap Room. It serves your typical solid crafts (Sierra Nevada PA, Ale Asylum Hopalicious, Lakefront Fixed Gear), your big beer "crafts" (Blue Moon/Shock Top/Leiney Stuff), and your English/Irish imports.

Aside from beer on tap, there's also bottled beer. More of the same usual, but solid craft beers/big beer alternatives/usual imports.

A few weeks ago, something caught my eye-The Tap Room sells bottles of Leiney's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout. I don't think I've had a better stadium/arena beer.

[Hards Alumni]

Hard to pass up Ale Asylum Hopalicious on tap....

Try living 5 miles from the brewery.

[🏀]

Try living 5 miles from the brewery.

Since your close, does Ale Asylum sell kegs out of the brewery to the public?

[Hards Alumni]

Since your close, does Ale Asylum sell kegs out of the brewery to the public?

I've never asked, but they are carried at many area liquor stores.  I had Hopalicious at my wedding 3 years ago.

[🏀]

I've never asked, but they are carried at many area liquor stores.  I had Hopalicious at my wedding 3 years ago.

I'll send them an email.

That's one thing I wish breweries in Wisconsin did a little bit better on. Many of the Chicago guys have keg reservations, sucks to make a trip and come away either empty-handed or without the brew you were really looking for.

[Hards Alumni]

I'll send them an email.

That's one thing I wish breweries in Wisconsin did a little bit better on. Many of the Chicago guys have keg reservations, sucks to make a trip and come away either empty-handed or without the brew you were really looking for.

Also, their old building (They just opened a new one late last year) was tiny, and now they can produce a ton more... I think what you're suggesting would be a great idea.

[Chili]

Since your close, does Ale Asylum sell kegs out of the brewery to the public?

That would be against the law.