TheBigChill

That's a lot of flavor for summer time...

good2go

iTrader: (2)

Has anyone tried this beer? I saw that the local BevMo is carrying them and I kinda want to try it out, but they're stupid expensive (supposedly because the yeast went to space and back ). I can overlook the obvious gimmick if it is at least a decent imperial stout.




Ninkasi Brewing's Imperial Stout brewed with Oregon hazelnuts, star anise and cocoa nibs and fermented with the Ale yeast — which survived a four-minute space trip at the altitude of about 77 miles above Earth.

Anyone ??

gesso

iTrader: (1)

Rough afternoon working on eo2k's oil pan and water neck...

AlwaysBroken

I just finished carbonating a 5 gallon batch of hefeweizen. I used 14 lbs of grain and 2 lbs of light candi sugar. It has the usual banana character (fermentation temp went a bit crazy in the beginning so no clove) but it's boozy as ****. I'd count this as a successful experiment.

Got an IPA and a cider fermenting.

EO2K

iTrader: (37)

Pre and post gravity readings?

AlwaysBroken

To my wife's eternal annoyance, I forgot to do either. I pretty much don't bother unless I'm brewing for a competition.

I'd guess it's somewhere in the high single digits ABV based on previous experience and how buzzed one glass gets me. My intention was to make a beer with about the same amount of body and flavor as my usual 1.050 hefeweizen, but with a painfully high ABV.

TheBigChill

Dat Sour Opal doe.... Try Agrestic from Firestone if you like sours / wild ales.

EO2K

iTrader: (37)

Damn, my farmer tan be showin'

Agrestic will be the BarrelWorks first commercially distributed product, so ya'll might actually be able to find it somewhere other than at the Paso Robles/Buellton brewery locations. Also coming soon: Venice Beach location: http://www.firestonebeer.com/visit/news.php

God damn 805 needs to come down in price so I can feel better about buying it more often.

TheBigChill

The unavailability of that beer is troubling. When I first got my hands on it at a FW event @ my local watering hole, I drank them like a man possessed. Well, until I realized I had already spent $60 on six 10oz snifters of it...

y8s

iTrader: (8)

this weekend's camping supplies:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bshnf2aIMAAKFW4.jpg:large

18psi

iTrader: (76)

I'm curious: how many of you enjoy hoppy beers? And if so, why?

I've been trying a TON of different beers lately, my favorites so far as mild, smokey, PORTERS with coffee, chocolate, stuff like that. I actually enjoyed a few ales too: a couple pearch and apricot ales, esp when it's hot outside. I've tried a couple red ales too which were pretty good. I like lighter stuff, with IBU lower than 30-35, but with a distinct taste or aftertaste, refreshing, just enjoyable. I hate bitter stuff. But I find myself constantly sifting through TONs of different brews because so very many of them are way too hoppy.

Like a few times before I tried Deschuttes black butte porter, and while just a smidge too hoppy, I can deal with it and it's enjoyable. Yesterday I got Deschutte's summer ale, and that crap is so bitter it's just riduculous.

I just can't understand how people can like somthing so bitter you can't even taste it, but apparently it's super popular cause you see a metric TON of super hoppy ipa's, ales, and india pale ales all over the stores everywhere, with like 10-15% flavorful porters and stouts. This annoys me. I've asked the clerks before, and they say it's because people drink way more of them

So edumacate me......what's so special about it, or is it an acquired taste like hard liquor

AlwaysBroken

Some of it is good hoppy beers and a lot of it is bandwagon riding. You might want to try bell's two hearted ale for a very hoppy but smooth beer. The point of an IPA (IMO) is that it has lots of hop flavor and aroma- the bitterness is just a side effect of the many late hop additions. It should be smooth rather than harsh.

That being said, maybe you just don't like hoppy beers. Spend 3.50 a bottle and drink Weihenstephaner... or be like me and brew your own for 20-30 bucks a keg (depending upon grain bill and whether you reuse your yeast).

portabull

i don't like a hoppy beer. i've never had an ipa that was enjoyable to me. only try them when they're free at a friend's house, and that's all he has. to me, it's pretty darn hard to beat dos equis amber on tap.

Girz0r

iTrader: (1)

I'm with you V, I prefer smooth & tasteful vs hoppy/bitter as well

Recently tried:
Fat Tire Ranger IPA = Bitter, crisp & unbearable when warm.
Fat Tire Rampant IPA = Smooooooth Also seemed stronger than the Ranger.

Lagunitas Imperial Red was my favorite, but it's not being made anymore

As for acquired taste? Do you enjoy these brews at a near freezing temp? Do you pour into a glass? Use a thermal cup? Or just straight from le bottle?

TheBigChill

For anyone with taste buds not burnt due to Meth abuse, there needs to be a balance in an IPA. I feel like a lot of them are just going for shock value, because somehow hoppiness became the litmus test for good / cool beer.

In all seriousness, I understand taste is subjective and some like the bitter aspect, but in general, brewers seem to be heavy handed with the bittering hops and dry hopping these days. Like mentioned above, Two Hearted is a smoother IPA, so is Founders All Day IPA. It doesn't help that a lot of IPAs- especially Imperials- combine high alcohol with already bitter hops. It gets aggressive fast.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

Yeah exactly. I just don't get it.
I'll keep trying new stuff but just tired of wasting my money on hoppy stuff. I'll probably throw away the rest of this Deschuttes Twilight Summer Ale cause I hate it.

*edit: just saw that it's 35IBU

So I guess I like sub 25

AlwaysBroken

As I said above, there's a lot of bandwagon riding by people who think that shoveling hops into the beer make a great IPA without regard to balance or flavor. People buy it because they're the same idiots who thought that Sam Adam's Boston Lager was Great Beer since the mid 90s.

Anyway, try Two Hearted Ale. It is pretty widely available and not overly expensive. It's a good example of what can be done with the style- you get a nice complex explosion of flavor and smell (citrus, floral, tropical, etc from hops) without intense bitterness. I've introduced several former non-beer-drinkers to it and they all loved it. IPAs don't have to taste like battery acid.

Also, get on your phone when you're contemplating a purchase and look the beers up in beeradvocate. That Twilight Summer Ale is an 84 on BA- ie, not so great.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

will do, thanks. keep the suggestions coming. I'm (mostly) getting everythign from bev-mo and costco
hopefully one of them has it

I try to look em up while at store, but it's so time consuming

Monk

iTrader: (3)

V is in California, so two-hearted probably isn't available to him.

I was like you once. I drank dark beer exclusively, and I despised IPAs.
Now I drink IPAs pretty much exclusively until the weather gets cold, and then it's mostly stouts, porters, etc.
I think it's something akin to coffee drinking. You start out with maybe something girly, like a chai latte, and in a few years you're down at the docks giving handies to sailors for a few drops of coffee that is as black as your tarnished soul.

There is a balance though, as previously mentioned. Species of hops is important as well.
Try single wide IPA if you can find it. It's one of the best taste/ $ IPAs out there IMO.
Put it in the freezer for a while before you drink it.

AlwaysBroken

Dunno what state/county/city you are in, but if there are breweries nearby (they seem to be everywhere these days) you might want to go around and try some flights (ie trays of 3-4 oz sampler beers) to see what sort of beers you like. If you really like something, you can often get growlers to take home and you can ask the brewers/bartenders if there are commercial beers that are comparable to what you're drinking.

My wife generally hates hoppy beers but is happy with:
-yeungling black and tan (which is quite cheap here in FL)
-newcastle
-founders porter (incredibly good)
-new belgium portage (which she is quite fond of)