Fred Seger's Blog

Such a bloody goof! I have a new homebrewing blog and group.

2012-01-05T03:23:00.000-08:00

This is Sparging!

I can't believe this. I've been running a new homebrew blog and I haven't told anyone here!
I've been rather busy reading, looking for a new job, the holidaze, and running two other sites and have neglected this one, my biggest.
So I got a job. I'm still reading. The other two sites?
bethebrew.blogspot.com (home of the I'd Tap That homebrewing club). It has beer, book, homebrewing ingredient, and beer bar reviews. I also post recipes, sell t-shirts, and drink beer so, yea, a good time. Check it out and let me know what you think. Hell join us for a brew session sometime.
Graydentech.com and it's blog graydentech.blogspot.com. It's a home PC support company I started a couple years ago after I was laid off from Iron Mountain. I have security tips and an occasional entry about a new Microsoft tool I'm teaching myself. System Center Configuration Manager. It's a fun little tool, well actually it's rather large but it's still fun. The last company I worked with wanted me to learn it but I never really had the time to study. After I left I was so interested in SCCM I downloaded the trial from Microsoft and built a home lab just to get proficient with it. It's working out well.
As for this blog I believe it'll be going through a metamorphosis of sorts. I have an enormous amount of ideas in my head and need an outlet. I think this site will be a great medium.

Bring out yer dead! (Christmas Lights)

2011-12-26T06:15:00.000-08:00

China has an interesting way of recycling Christmas lights.

Ben Franklin Post 2

2011-11-18T05:13:00.001-08:00

General virtual is more probable to be expected and obtained from the education of youth then the exhortation of adult persons.

Bad habits and virtues of the mind being like diseases of the body, are more easily prevented (in youth) than cured in adults.

Double Tap Undead Ale

2011-11-12T15:19:00.001-08:00

This is the premier of my latest creation. The Double Tap Undead Ale is based on a Strong Ale with German and American hops.
I used a "fruitier " yeast for this and it turned out great! 9.1% and very smooth.
Cheers!

The Pumpkin Ale

2011-09-25T11:18:00.001-07:00

Tastes fantastic. Very happy with the flavors and balance. Definitely one of my best!

The Eric Stout

2011-09-25T11:17:00.001-07:00

Transferred the Eric Stout for conditioning. Tastes fantastic. Baking the oats really added some great flavors.

Smells like pumpkin pie.

2011-09-03T12:48:00.001-07:00

Just added 5lbs of pumpkin and 4oz o molasses after baking it for an hour. Smells great!!

Woops Chris "it'll boil out " Christman forgot the bucket

2011-09-02T18:44:00.001-07:00

Rule #9 Just like Ford Prefect says about the towel; don't forget your bucket!

1st round of grains.

2011-09-02T17:31:00.001-07:00

BIG brew day tomorrow. 5 brewers, 5 batches.

THIS IS

2011-08-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

SPARGING!

(redux)

You're Drinking Your Beer Wrong!

2011-08-12T17:03:00.001-07:00

See this glass? It's better for most beers than those shaker pints we're forced to drink our craft ale from.
Why? Aroma for one and trust me when you're drinking an ale with aroma like this you'll thank me.

THIS IS

2011-08-06T18:01:00.001-07:00

SPARGING!!!

Eats for the Brew!

2011-08-06T17:24:00.001-07:00

Tap rule #11 Always have munchies while brewing.

Android Passwords Being Stored in Plain Text (!)

2011-07-25T04:45:00.001-07:00

http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/2y5XJ4fCZcU/Android-Password-Data-Stored-In-Plain-Text

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Today in History: The Sub That Sank a Train

2011-07-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

66 years ago today Commander Eugene "Lucky" Fluckey and the crew from the USS Barb did two things no sub had ever done. One, successfully land an attack party on Japanese soil, and two, "sink" a train. The team members used scuttle charges from the Barb and wired them to a homemade microswitch. Around 1:45AM a train engine carrying supplies triggered the switch and blew 200 feet into the air.

Paul Saunders, William Hatfield, Francis Sever, Lawrence Newland, Edward Klinglesmith, James Richard, John Markuson, and William Walker.

These 8 guys were the only US troops to ever launch a ground combat operation on Japanese soil. Leave it to those Submariners!

So today in honor of that ingenious and heroic attack I'll be opening a Fluckey's Ghost at 1:45PM. Way to go guys.

Sam Adam's Lattitude 48 (deconstructed) - East Kent Goldings

2011-07-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Earthy yet fruity. I like this but like the Zeus edition better.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Cheers!! Grayson's Kiwit

2011-07-22T14:50:00.001-07:00

Grayson's Kiwit. A kiwifruit infused Belgian Wit made with a hefewiezen yeast strain that provides a hint of banana. Prost!!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Christmas in July!

2011-07-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Thirsty Dog - 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale
I found this in the beer frig tonight and thought why not?
Very good but a little heavy for 90 degree weather.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Killer Chic : Hollywood's Sick Love Affair With Che - Reason TV

2011-07-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

Grayson's Key Whit

2011-06-25T04:27:00.001-07:00

Lighting the brewing lamp early this morning. What am I brewing? It's a wit style ale using a lot of kiwi and a hint of coriander.
Brew on!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

File Under Spooky Tech - The Flying Orb Camera

2011-06-22T03:35:00.000-07:00

I swear I saw this on Half-Life.

Masters of Reality - Always

2011-06-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Best band in the world.

Paw Paw Wheat and Three Frogs IPA

2011-06-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

The 1st is from Weasel Boy brewing. The 2nd is from Elevator Brewing. Both Columbus breweries. Both awesome. More to come.....

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Beer Review - Kentucky Bourbon Ale

2011-06-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

Aroma - Heavy vanilla and whiskey. Very interesting. Slight honey and peat.
Appearance - Brilliant amber and very clear. The white head dissappeared quickly. Looks like bourbon.
Taste - Bold whiskey, sweet malt, and orange peel(?). It leaves a bit of honey sweetness behind.
Overall a very tastey beverage. Not a session brew since the whiskey is very strong. I would have loved to try a nice stogie with it.

Thanks Maureen!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Kitchen Sink Rye - Done

2011-06-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

I threw together this IPA about 4 weeks ago. I had some spare belgian caramel, crystal, and 8oz of rye. Threw in some columbus and centennial hops. Racked it onto the yeast from Fluckey's Ghost, ending up with a final gravity of 1.012. It's very good.
Care for a pint? Freshly tapped today! I'm going to offer it up for a trade with a neighbor who's rented a BBQ smoker for the afternoon.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Epic Beer Commercial

2011-06-11T05:30:00.001-07:00

Day One - The Yeast Are Happy

2011-06-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

I just checked on the Dreadnaught and it's fermenting like crazy. Too high in fact. The temp is 76 degrees so I'm going start chilling it down to 68 over the next several hours.
It actually blew through the blow off at the top!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

The Rye Is Dead Long Live The Rya

2011-06-04T18:12:00.001-07:00

We have to make this again! One of my best.
Brew On Brothers!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Hey Kids Watch Me Make This Bag Disappear!

2011-06-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

Big brew day tomorrow! The brewing lamp will be lit around 1:00pm.
The list of brews goes like this:
Chris - Imperial Cascadian Dark Ale OG 1.089
Ogi - Yuengling Lager Clone
Fred - Big Bad Imperial IPA OG 1.090
Then a partigyle after with the best of both mine and Chris' mixed!
I'm just hopin my hops get here in time. Long story.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Friends Who Drink But Don't Brew

2011-06-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

Tap tip #46 : Friends who want beer from friends who brew should always offer bottles.

Time to fill these with some good beer.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

A Summer Ale

2011-04-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

The 'Brewing Lamp' will be lit this afternoon for what looks to be an all day brew session. Three of us will be brewing a summer ale that will resemble Sam Adams Summer Ale. I'd be willing to bet it'll turn out better because that's the way it is around the Seger Brewhaus! With the help of Brett and Chris this should be a fun day to brew 20 gallons (twenty, yes!) of this brew. We'll be doing a partigyle again so lets hope my numbers are correct.
Brew on!

Stunning Time Lapse Photography

2011-04-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Make sure you view this full screen and in HD. It's awesome.

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Fred's Beer - Pearls Before Swine -

2011-04-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

From Stephan Pastis.

I love this strip. I didn't know I was a croc let alone a dead one.

2011-04-03T08:49:00.001-07:00

Tsunami Engulfs Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture

2011-03-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

I think this will be the last post on the tsunami for a while. I've been glued to too many media outlets. It's been very hard on my psyche but I can't stop looking. I can't wrap my head around this enormous catastrophe and the more I try the harder it gets. So with that being said, the below video is a home video shot from a roof top in the fishing town of Kesennuma.

View Larger Map
Its been there for 58 years but in a matter of 5 minutes 45 seconds, it's gone. I'm praying for the families affected by this and other towns like it. Even my 7 year old son has been very concerned and even asked his Sunday school teacher to pray for everyone affected.

It's so eerie the way the water just crept in and took everything.

Kasich's Ohio Budget Disaster

2011-03-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Matt Mayer via Reason.TV explains what's going on with Kasich's new budget. Spending our way out of debt is not responsible, it's stupid. At least Kasich can bring D's and R's together in this issue right?

Libya 'Conflict' or Whatever You Want to Call it

2011-03-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

Seems like this operation is getting better guidance than Operation Iraqi Freedom. Of course I say this in jest.

Chief of Naval Operations - Even though we're supposedly handing over control soon they have no idea who and the US will still be doing most of the work. Foreign Policy

US Defense Secretary - No timeline when we'll be done. Yahoo

German Forces Are Separating from NATO coalition - Daily Mail

Where are all the war protesters and reports of quagmires?

US Navy Photo Says Thank You USA

2011-03-25T02:48:00.000-07:00

This is awesome. I hope it goes 'viral'.

Go Navy! Operation Tomodachi

2011-03-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of helping victims of Hurricane Hugo. I remember helping in a lot of clean up efforts around Mt. Pleasant, power restores, and even the cute college ladies below my apartment that needed some light. We shared some of our emergency supplies and even partied, I mean parted with some of our whiskey.

Go Navy!

UPDATE: 18 Rad Rye IPA

2011-03-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

The 1st runnings were boiled for 90 minutes and OG turned out to be 1.072. I was shooting for 1.090 so my efficiency was around 60%. I have to get some iodine. (If a little iodine is poured on a sample it will turn black when the sugars have been converted - don't put the sample back though :) ).
It's been a week and the fermentations been slowed down enough to test. I came up with 1.018 which is almost finished. I'd like to give it another couple days to try to get it down to around 1.010. The other "second runnings" have an OG of 1.020. Not so hot but we're mixing the two together to get closer to a session beer than an Imperial Rye Pale.
After tasting the sample of the 1st runnings I'm starting to have second thoughts about combining the two. It's going to be a very good beer. Adding the second runnings into it may stretch the taste too far. I'd like to call a meeting of the High Order of Peculiar Zymurgists to see what they think. The 1st partigyle may be a failure. If it is I'll learn from it and move on.

2011-03-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Some incredible sights and sounds from the tsunami. Its so hard to even grasp the terror and helplessness these people experienced.

This is some more but thankfully a happier ending. An awesome display of teamwork and heroism by strangers.

Best Friends

2011-03-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

This is hilarious!

Gilbert Gottfried Fired from AFLAC | "Fitty Cen" a MONUMENTAL Ass Hat

2011-03-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

Not that being the voice of a duck is a huge gig (how is this talent?) but good old Gilbert Gottfried has been fired from AFLAC for the following tweets:

"Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The Beach comes to them."
and
"I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, They'll be another one floating by any minute now."

I also read that 50 Cent tweeted “Look this is very serious people I had to evacuate all my hoe’s from LA, Hawaii and Japan. I had to do it. Lol,”

But beyond the utter stupidity of the these two (and even some idiot UCLA student named Alexandra Wallace) There has been some good news.

A four month old has been reunited with her parents after 3 days under the rubble. I can't imagine what those parents had been imagining. Miracles happen.

Surreal Tsunami Moment

2011-03-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

But wait...there's more!

2011-03-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

The following are actual posts from FaceBook and Twitter.

"thesulk" is a writer for Family Guy.

Peace, Love, and Save the Whales

2011-03-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Just when you think the world pulls together in times of tragedy, the internet provides a medium for the mentally disabled.

Wow, just wow.

18 Rad Rye IPA - The Creation

2011-03-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

Grab your paddles and pints it's brew day! Chris and I are doing a partigyle, a first for me (and Chris) but with any luck this'll create a double batch of rye ipa. I was trying to base this off Cromwell's IPA but the hops I needed just aren't available. I'm using Citra and Magnum in place of the Horizon and Centennial. Citra's a fairly new hop with lots of fruity flavors so this should be pretty cool to do. There's a lot of 1st's in this brew but with any luck it'll be a kick ass ale. As always I try to share my recipes for everyone to look at and tweak. I can't wait to make some bread out of this grain bed. I love rye bread. What's in the name? 18 is from the percentage of rye. Rad is a unit of radiation measurement. I always try to input something "submarine-like" into my names. After all it's Fairwater Brewing. We'll be outside most of the afternoon so come on by and grab a seat. I have plenty on tap and if the weathers nice I'll grill up some doggies.

Grain Bill
15lbs Pale
3.75lbs Rye Malt
18oz Crystal 80
4oz Roasted Malt

Hops
Magnum - 1.5oz @60
Citra - 1oz @60
Simcoe - 1.5oz @5
Amarillo - 1.5oz @0
Citra - .5oz @0

Yeast
For the yeast I'm using the Wyeast 1056 American Ale I harvested from the last Eric Stout I made. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about adding a harvested yeast from a stout but I'll throw caution to the wind today. It seemed to work well with my HoneyBell Hefe (to be blogged later).

According to Beer Smith I should have an OG of 1.089 which should be plenty for second runnings.

Now what am I doing and what's a partigyle? I'm running hot water (approximately 167 degrees) over the grains a second time to collect more wort. I'll collect 7.25 gallons of wort off the grain bed for my 1st batch. After I get that I'll continue to collect 6.5 gallons of wort for a second batch of weaker wort. Basically it's like running water over a tea bag a second time for another cup of tea. It'll be weaker but it'll still be tea.
After the initial fermentation of both batches I'll mix both together to create more even keeled ale. I'll have no idea of what the alcohol will be but I'll take an average measurement from both batches. Should be fun!

Dogfish Head Brewing is Leaving!

2011-03-12T04:28:00.000-08:00

It's unfortunate but it seems the residents of Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin and Rhode Island will no longer be able to grab a pint of Dogfish Head at their local pub or even store. According to the Dogfish blog it seems as though the expansion has gotten ahead of production. Canada and the UK will also be suffering. Why those specific states? I don't know but I'm wondering if Ohio will be next.

High Order of the Peculiar Zymurgists Calendar

2011-03-04T03:40:00.000-08:00

I need a New Template

2011-03-04T03:37:00.000-08:00

I'll be changing things around here soon. New layout, logo, background, etc..I need to do a lot more work here so over the next couple weeks you'll notice some changes. Some may be ugly some may be cool and from time to time it may look like an elephant came over and stomped this place in the jewels. Just be patient and know that in good time this place will be a lot better.

Van Halen - Dreams

2011-02-25T03:18:00.000-08:00

Great inspirational video. Looks like the majority of my postings have been videos. I normally don't like playing "Fred Seger VJ!" but this is all I've had time for lately. I've got beer stuff, security stuff, and life stuff to come, so much more but it has to be a little later folks.

Story Reads - Missile Secrets Given to Russia

2011-02-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

Information about every Trident missile the US supplies to Britain will be given to Russia as part of an arms control deal signed by President Barack Obama next week.

I haven't seen the actual "wikileak" so you may want to look it up. If it's true what's worse? The fact it's true or the fact that I'm not surprised?

Click for more info.

2011-02-04T02:48:00.000-08:00

China's a weird place. How can it be capitalist and communist at the same time? Well anyway I spotted this nifty little bit and thought I'd share. What do you think? Should Mark Pi return the favor with a commercial of Hu getting drenched in Soy Sauce?

Thanks go to Fred for my invite!

Octopus Squeezes Out of a Beer Bottle

2011-02-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like this?

Let's Follow Up with Some Shots!

2011-01-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

After the Thomas Sowell excerpt I felt it necessary to laugh a little too.

Thomas Sowell - The Blame Game

2011-01-23T04:15:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday and I should be posting the latest news about my latest brew, Fluckey's Ghost. Right now I think this is more important information that should be heard (AND read) by all who pay attention to our illustrious leaders in Washington. Whether you roll DemoLiberal or RepubConservative this is good to hear. It'd be nice if The People could agree and make this country great again.

Barley in Space

2011-01-19T03:51:00.000-08:00

This beer from out of this world (literally)! Isn't it amazing how beer can help serve man in so many ways?

Slightly odd posting on Freecycle Columbus

2011-01-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Blood Sweat and Tears - Spinning Wheel

2011-01-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well I was in a mood for most of the day then I had a pint and jammed this. Troubles gone. Enjoy some Blood Sweat and Tears on me.

Bread Made from Spent Grains

2011-01-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

After I started brewing using an all grain method called single infusion I had no idea what to do with the grains I used. I would have 12 to even 20 pounds of "spent" grains that would just get thrown away. They smelled so good I didn't want to just toss them into the garbage. After a few batches I decided to make bread with them. There are conflicting discussions on whether or not bread made from spent barley used for making beers is nutritionally worth anything. Maybe it isn't but I sure love the taste of the recipe I discovered below. The template isn't mine (if I find the website I printed this from I will definitely give them props) but I have tweaked it a little to my taste. If I'm using lighter grains I tend to go with honey as the sweetener, darker grains get molasses. The amount of flour varies batch to batch as well. If the grains are still a little wet I'll add more flour in 1/2 cup increments switching between the wheat and bread flour. The result is a hearty slightly sweet bread that is hella-licious as a grilled cheese sandwich or with fresh thick cut German bologna. It's even better when you match the cheese to the bread and have a pint of the beer you made along side. Now that I've blown a few minutes of your time I've posted the recipe I use and the resulting bread below. If you try this recipe feel free to tweak and or comment about it here.

I made some changes with my latest batch. They're shown in red. To help relieve the grain of some of the unused wort I put it in a strainer and used the bottom of a coffee cup to pressed as hard as I could. (Jan 20th, 2011)

3.5 (3 1/3) cups all purpose flour - Remember this varies from batch to batch depending on the wetness of the grain you're using.
2 cup wheat flour (could handle higher ratio of wheat)
2 tsp. salt
3 cups spent grain
¼ cup of sugar, honey or molasses (depending on the grains used when brewing)
¼ cup of slightly melted butter
1 egg (Beaten)
1 (1/2) cup of milk (usually use less, depending on how wet the grain is)

Yeast Starter
1 package of dry bread yeast (Quick rise)
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar (didn't need sugar this time)
Add sugar to water in a bowl and completely dissolve. Add yeast and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you should see some activity in the bowl. When you're dough is ready roll the yeast to the bowl and knead it into the dough mixture.
Using the quick rise yeast I was able to skip the waiting period. I just added the yeast to warm water, waited about 5 minutes then added the batch to the dough. It rose great with no problems.

Mix the dry, then the wet ingredients until the dough is easily pulled away from sides of bowl and all the ingredients are mixed in well. It's a great idea to use a mixer with a dough hook.

Knead for 10 min by hand or 5 min by mixer. Slowly add yeast starter and mix well.

Shape into ball and let rise in oiled bowl until doubled (about 90 min) Punch down and divide. I usually get 3 average sized loaves out of this. Let it rise again in greased loaf pans or cookie sheet until doubled, (or slightly more as this is dense bread, takes about 1 hr.). Score top of loaves with a knife.

Preheat oven. Bake at 350F for 50 min, until deep golden brown. Spray loaves with water just before going into the oven and again 2 min into baking to make a crunchier crust. Rotate pans halfway through. Let cool for 30 min on baking rack before slicing,

See my results below:

elCheapo at Amazon

2011-01-07T05:47:00.000-08:00

2010-11-25T05:04:00.000-08:00

From left to right:
Raspberry Porter, Cromwells IPA, and The Eric Stout
I've been a busy guy since the last time we saw each other. I've brewed several beers and there are three in the above photo. The other is a Marzen that isn't making me very happy. I know the reason why too and it's such a goofball maneuver that I don't want to share it. So I have 4 brews on tap at the "brewery" and 3 of them are awesome! I'm going to have to bottle some this week there are a couple competitions I'd like to throw my hat into. The "kegerator" is below.

I'll get into the creation at a later date. I have to go make some spent grain bread.

2010-09-19T17:28:00.003-07:00

A New Day, A New Start

2010-09-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

It's an awesome feeling.

Macrotastic Garden Soldier

2010-08-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

I found this guy this morning while pruning the dead foliage out of my garden. I love these guys especially since they keep the spiders to a minimum. I actually think he's flexing here.

The camera I use (FinePix s700 from FujiFilm) was having problems focusing on him so I put a piece of paper behind him to help. I looked around for black but couldn't find any.

It's been a while since I posted any macro shots but time is not a luxury for me.

Saturday Morning Stormtrooper Dance

2010-08-14T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is awesome. Very cool and well done.

I love what I see from Gov. Christie

2010-07-29T03:30:00.001-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Timeline

2010-07-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

Oil Spill Timeline Update Day 84 from RightChange on Vimeo.

Help Name This Song! by Dear Christie(In the Studio!!!)

2010-07-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Help Name This Song! by Dear Christie(In the Studio!!!)

No Mosque at Ground Zero

2010-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to be astonished yet not surprised at the same time?

The Grand Bargain is Dead

2010-07-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

http://thescyruschronicles.blogspot.com/2010/07/state-of-ohio.html

Red White and Boom! - Columbus Ohio

2010-07-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight: If you're going to Red White and Boom tonight (downtown Columbus) be sure and stop by the Gordon Biersch tent to say hello. I'll be pouring some fantastic GB lager tonight from 5 - Fireworks.

Fred

I'll also be posting some "live footage" from tonights event so take a peak occasionally if you're not heading down to the festivities. It should be an awesome afternoon and evening.

Here are my scores for The Eric Stout

2010-06-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

About time huh? I was off making some more brews. I have a goal to have 4 on tap by the 21st. The latest is a 10% Imperial IPA that gave me a massive amount of trouble to start. It's finishing up fermenting now so we'll see if everything went according to plan. Now on to the scores!

These scores are given to participants involved in homebrewing by certified beer judges. Although it sounds kind of funny this is a very real certification. The purpose of the Beer Judge Certification Program is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. I haven't taken the exam yet but I hear it's very detailed. I had two different judges critiquing my entry. Angelo (the head brewer at Barley's Brewpub in downtown Columbus) and Jeff, a certified judge from the area. Jeff, I hear is a bear when it comes to scores so I was quite happy when I read his sheet.

1st up is aroma. Aroma is important in any food you eat isn't it? To be honest my stomach could be completely full and the moment I start smelling pulled pork my mouth starts to water. Who the hell smells a beer right? Some people (admittedly like myself) smell a beer before they drink it. Others just rely on their nose to add to the experience. If someone wanted you to try a beer that they swore was the best damn beer they ever had yet it smelled like a rhino pissed in it you'd probably give it a wide berth. Part of drinking coffee is that awesome aroma when it's being made isn't it? The same should apply with beer. I know not too many people take the time to catch all the aromas coming from their beer but they might be surprised what they smelled if they did. Take for instance a Bud. The next time you open a beer from Anheuser Busch or Miller be a "snob" and put it in a glass. Give it a quick whiff and ask yourself what you smell. I won't tell you what I smell so you can judge for yourself.

Aroma
Angelo - Nice roasty toasty with a hint of fruit, butterscotch and alcohol. 9 out of a possible 12
Jeff - Medium roasted malt, faint alcohol, fruity esters, and very low diacetyl (pleasant). 10/12

Appearance - I've never used to pay attention to appearance but in the last 6 or so months I've been introduced to the possibility. It's a nice addition to beer when I think about it. I want my stouts to be black as motor oil and my IPA's clear with hints of red in them. It's not huge in my opinion. Seeing as it's only worth 3 of the 50 possible points for a perfect score it doesn't matter to them that much either. I scored 3/3 with Angelo and Jeff. Angelo called it beautiful.

Flavor - Obviously one of the most important factors in any food product but sadly a lot of people miss out on the different flavors real craft beers can have.
Jeff - Medium roasty grainy malt, moderate bitterness balances (keyword is balance - Fred) without overpowering. Finishes dry from the dark malts or oatmeal (I used 12oz of real quaker oats). 17/20
Angelo - Alcohol evident - not buggin me though, graininess is present, like the balance (bingo again with the balance!) - good roasty coffee flavor not over done. 17/20

Mouthfeel - The body and carbonation of the beer. Is it light and watery? Heavy and syrup like? Too much or too little carbonation?
Angelo - wonderful, enticing, coats the tongue on all sides 4/5
Jeff - medium carbonation, medium body, creamy, slight warmth 5/5 (perfect!)

Overall Impression -
Jeff - very nice beer, hits all the right notes 8/10
Angelo - WELL DONE - might be too strong or alcoholic for the style but I like it (I like alcohol) 8/10

Totals
Jeff - 43/50
Angelo 41/50

I'm very happy with my scores. With all the mishaps that happened with it's production I can't wait to make this again and have it come out perfect.

Runner Up

2010-06-13T13:12:00.001-07:00

The Eric Stout placed as a runner up in this years Barley's Homebrew Competition.
According to the head brewer it was "ambrosia on the tongue". Awesome. I can't wait till next year.
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Barley's Homebrew Competition Winner 2009

2010-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Blood Orange Hefe
I'm still debating if I like it or not. I just had a Rye IPA so my taste buds are still recovering from the rye.
Fred
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Weazel Boy Black IPA

2010-06-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Good. Very good. Aroma is herbal w/citrus. Tasty. Earthy hop flavor up front. A great coffee w/black patent malt, maybe a hint of chocolate. Somewhat hot/boozy but dry. A great single serving beer. I have to stop here and make it my last brew of the afternoon or I won't be driving home.
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Mobile test

2010-06-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Man Made Wooden Submarine

2010-06-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Genius and so cool. Meet the Jacksons and the Argonaut Jr. (II). Why two? The father of this wooden sub first broke into the briny deep back in 1894 and was invented by Simon Lake.
video platform video management video solutions video player

The Wort Hog and the 46 degree goal.

2010-05-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Remember the fermentation chiller I built about a year ago? I believe it's time for an upgrade. A $10 upgrade to be honest. I'm trying to lager a few beers this year and in order to lager I need the temperature of the fermenting wort to stay around 50 degrees for about a month, maybe more. Try as I may the Wort Hog 5 leaks cold air like a screen-doored submarine. I planned on building a cabinet around it to help seal the seams but w/o the time I needed to make one (did I mention I don't build cabinets? I'm a computer nerd -when I'm working) I bought some duct tape and went to town. I also filled some spare boxes that were lying around with shredded paper and put them inside to kind of fill the void. I built the thing for 2 carboys but since I'm only lagering one 5 gallon batch I wanted to cut down the space the warm air could fill. Oh and I covered it in a few thick blankets for extra protection. I'm not proud of it ok but it works and works well I may add.
On my first run of the upgrade I chilled the ambient air (68 degrees) inside the Hog to 50 degrees in about 3 hours. I was happy but needed to push it to 46. From past experience the wort inside the carboy is about 3 degrees warmer than the ambient air and I need the wort to be as close to 50 as possible. I went to bed hoping it would cool further. It did. I woke up to a 46 degree chiller. Outstanding.
I had to try it with a 68 degree carboy. My thought is it takes a lot more cooling to remove 18 degrees of heat from 5 gallons of wort than the ambient air. I was right. It took almost an entire day to bring the air to 51 degrees. It stopped chilling there. I need faster results and a colder chiller. I'm conducting my next "experiment" today. I'm putting 5 gallons of 68 degree water in a tub full of frozen juice bottles for 12 hours. It should give it a nice jump start. If I can pre-chill the carboy to the desired temperature and then put it in the chiller the unit should hold it there without a problem.
We'll see.

Homebrewing Update

2010-05-19T20:19:00.001-07:00

I'm brewing the biggest baddest IPA I've ever brewed (once again ha ha ha) in two weeks. Be ready sucker. 1 pound of hops and 16 pounds of grain. Sweet Sophia this is gonna be a muther of a brew. I'll be brewing it on my burner and in my new stock pot. I'm very excited. Next week I'm making an American Lager. Much smaller but using 4oz of a very popular hops, cascade. I'm trying to get my fermenter chiller (let's call him the Wort Hog from now on) to chill and maintain a temp of 47 degrees for lagering the Pils. To be continued.....

The Dead Weather - Are Friends Electric?

2010-05-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

I really like this cover of the 79 Gary Numan release. I think I may get more of The Dead Weather in the coming days. Let me know what you think.

Cromwell's IPA

2010-03-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Named in honor of John P Cromwell a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. During WW2 Captain Cromwell, serving aboard the USS Sculpin, was under Japanese depth charge attack. Sustaining heavy damage Cromwell brought the ship to the surface to engage the enemy in surface combat. This gave the crew a chance to abandon the heavily damage submarine while he stayed on board. Possessing secret knowledge of US naval submarine tactics and movements he went down with the ship as she sunk to her grave preserving the vital intel the Japanese surely would have tortured out of him.
This is the second beer in a series I am making in honor of the men who served above and beyond the call of duty while under the waves.

Another first with this beer. It's officially my 1st all grain India Pale Ale (IPA) and once again I am very happy with the results. Up front and very hopped with a citrus flavor it mellows after the first drink to a smooth malt finish. Decently strong, this comes close to 7% ABV. I've made stronger but this has the alcohol burn - or hotness - hidden better than most. This is the first time I've used simcoe hops. I've always wanted to try them ever since I had Great Lakes Barley Wine. Simcoe has a clean pine-like aroma with hints of citrus. It's mainly used for bittering but has a less astringent attribute so it can be added later on instead of early in the boil. I only used 4oz of hops in this recipe and I think using the simcoe makes one believe I used more.

- Grain Bill -
13 lbs 2 row
12 oz Munich
1 oz Crystal 20
4 oz Crystal 40

- Hops -
1oz Horizon (60min)
1oz Centennial (10min)
1oz Simcoe (5min)
1oz Amarillo (0min)

- Yeast -
Wyeast American Ale 1056

This was a tricky one. I needed the infusion temperature to be 150 and some bad calculations gave me 143 degrees which is very low for the 2 row I was using. I tried recirculating a gallon at 160, then 177, then finally I through caution out the window and sparged 1.5 gallons of 177 degree fresh water into the mash tun. This broght my temperature to the desired 150. I collected 6.5 gallons of wort from the infusion and began to boil.
During the infusion I usually get some time to relax, read, and maybe enjoy a stogie. Not this time. Running back and forth to the kitchen trying to heat the water/wort kept me busy for about the hour it's supposed to "soak". Just for the helluvit I let the mash go for another 30 minutes thiking I'd get a little more bang for my buck. I did. My attenuation turned out to be 81% - the highest I've ever had. Attenuation (use of the grains sugars for extracting wort).
Afterwards I boiled with no problems, added the hops when scheduled and my numbers turned out exactly the way I wanted them. OG = 1/065 and after 1 week at 68 degrees FG turned out to be 1.012.

It's sitting on tap right now and very very tasty! Sweet pine aroma from the simcoe hops, a citrusy stomping on the palette blends smoothly with a sweet yet dry malty finish.

PROST!

The Eric Stout

2010-03-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Eric Stout

My 1st Oatmeal Stout and I couldn't be happier! "Chocolaty" with a roasty slight coffee finish. Smooth and light, easy to drink, too easy, I had 3 last night without noticing. Unfortunately this may be a one time brew and I'll explain why later. See red lettering. What's with the name? A friend of mine had me and another friend out to Oregon last year and after a few rounds he forced me to make a beer in his namesake. Nah I volunteered. It's an ode to the absolute blast the 3 of us had in Oregon. Drinking and hiking, hiking and drinking. Eric is a great friend to have and I'm more than happy I could make this for him. I can't wait to get back out there, I love Portland. I recommend going if you have the opportunity.

I think the brewing and friendship spirits where present when I made this. Even though there were multiple undesirable events it still came out great. I may even enter it into the National Homebrewers Competition in April.

- Grain Bill -
10 lbs 2 Row
8 oz Roasted Barley
1 lb Crystal 120
12 oz Quaker Oats (not the minute oats, I used the original)
12 oz American Chocolate Malt
4 oz American Black Malt

- Hops -
.5 oz Cascade (90min)
.5 oz Willamette (90min)
.5 oz Cascade (30min)
.5 oz Willamette (15min)

Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale

My strike water was 165 and once the grain was added it brought it down to 149. Panic ensued - not really but I was concerned about the temp. I needed 153 (yes it makes a difference, I found out with last years Christmas Ale) so I drained off about a gallon and brought it to 177 degrees then sparged back into the grain bed. Miraculously it did the trick and the grain bed was brought up to 153. This is one of the problems I encounter with not having a recirculated mashing system but I'm slowly getting there. If the mash isn't exposed to a heating source then the possibility of low temperature exists.
After an hour of sitting at 153 degrees I "mashed out" with 170 degree water and extracted 6.5 gallons of wort.
Added the hops and brought the wort to a hard boil which boiled over once but was under control after that. In doing that I know I must've lost a bunch of the Cascade and Willamette in the beginning stages. Life goes on.
After a 90 minute boil and 2 hop additions I got ready for the cooling. I inserted my chiller and the damn thing ruptured inside the wort releasing a little hose water into the wort. After pulling the chiller out of the wort I threw the pot into a vat of ice water and salt. Salt? It was a whim. I read an article where it's possible to chill a can of soda in about 3 minutes submerging it in. ice water and salt. So I thought the same principle should apply here. It did. The wort cooled from 180 degrees to 70 degrees in about 15 minutes. Outstanding.
I took an initial gravity reading (1.056) and pitched the yeast starter at 64 degrees. Then placed it into the fermenter chiller where it sat at around 68 degrees for a couple hours until the unit chilled it to 62 degrees. Fermentation started in about 12 hours (ALWAYS MAKE A STARTER! It really helps.).
After fermentation was complete (FG 1.016) I took it out of the chiller unit and placed it in a vat of water and ice bottles for about two weeks. It sat at around 46 degrees (yeah I know it's lagering temperature folks) for the duration. This is called crashing the yeast I think but I'm not sure.
I kegged it and set the the psi to 30 for about 48 hours then dropped it to 5 psi. I'm not quite sure on the numbers but it feels great to me. The resulting brew is pictured above.

Cheers!
.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day - Rogue Kells Irish Style Lager

2010-03-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I reviewed a beer. Since it's St. Patties I thought I might give it whirl.

I picked this up at Kroger tonight. It cost $4.99 which isn't a bad price considering the brewery. I went all out as (note: sarcasm) I was able to with my favorite keep sake from Las Vegas. I look back on the days of swilling at least one green beer, several pints of Guiness, and shots of Irish Mist with a quiet solitude knowing those days are behind me - what I remember anyway.

It's easy to see the hazy orange color and great foamy head but it's the taste that really stands out. This is a great bottle of beer, even for non-craft drinkers(!). The haziness is due to small amounts of wheat which probably adds to the smoothness of this lager. There's a slight biscuit aroma and mild fruity "notes". Taste isn't overwhelming but there's some apple flavor - green apples - and an orange lemony zest at the end which makes this an all aound good session brew. I think I may try to reproduce this some time. It may make for a popular addition to the kegerator.

Was it worth the $5? Yes, indeed, pick one of these up and enjoy it on a nice spring evening.

Friday Morning Jam | Sevendust - Deathstar

2010-03-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

I love this band!

Friday Morning SciNonFi Pic

2010-03-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

SciNonFi? Everything can be a word if you just wordify it.

Below is a great shot of the International Space Station.

Click here for the original hi-def version. It's beautiful.

Friday Morning Humor

2010-02-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

The World's Funniest and sadly.....deadliest joke.

Buffalo Sabres fan in India?

2010-02-23T04:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know what's more intriguing; a hip hop band from Bangalore or the fact one of them is wearing a Buffalo Sabres jersey. Is India participating in this years Winter Olympics? Yes but no hockey team. Is hockey even popular in India or are the Sabres "gangsta"?

BTW the name of the band is Low Rhyderz. It's interesting to hear American influences in other nations music. They don't sound that bad either. In fact they rap about the pride they have in their country in their 1st video. Which in my opinion is a lot better than most rap in the US. Another interesting observation is the lyrics are mostly English.

*The original photo can be found here.

The Road

2010-02-18T17:44:00.000-08:00

Depressing yet a good read. I guess I should have known better. I knew the subject going in but I wanted to read it anyway. I could hardly ever put it down. If you have a weak stomach be careful there are a few very disturbing situations. I'd like to give it 3 stars but the fact it kept my attention gives it 4.
+++SPOILER+++

I really have to wonder about Cormac. Some of the cannibalism goes a bit beyond obscure. Ha yeah I know...."some of the cannibalism". Does that say something about me? I'm glad the boy made it. I'd like to know a bit more about the state of the earth and how it became torched. I can assume a nuclear holocaust but could it also have been a meteor strike? Was this man made or nature?

One Skillet Spaghetti (world famous)

2010-02-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

This is a one skillet spaghetti recipe that was passed on to me from my step-mother Rita (rest in peace Rita). It's been my favorite spaghetti recipe since I was 16. Since that time I've engineered/mutated it several dozen times until it is what it is today.

One such mutation was brought about by Rita's mother (Loretta). One Saturday afternoon she accidentally added picante sauce instead of tomato. Maybe she wasn't wearing her glasses or had suffered a slight bump to the noggin but it added such a wild flavor I've used it ever since. You wouldn't believe the looks I get from my Italian friends but if you know me, you know I'm a one way ticket to crazy town. I'm the type of guy that throws caution to the wind. An adventurer that only knows danger as a mild annoyance and fear as something read about on the back of Lucky Charm boxes. OK here's the recipe:

Ingredients

8oz ground beef
8oz Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package (7oz) ready-cut spaghetti
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, don't drain
14oz Salsa (whatever temperature you want)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup water (I eventually add more but it's guessing)
1 can (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

I use a 12 inch 5qt skillet. It's the best size for stirring/moving all the ingredients around because it gets pretty messy in one pan. I've used smaller but it gets messier.

Brown the sausage, ground beef, and onions.

Drain the grease.

Add everything else minus the spaghetti and cheese.

Bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the noodles. I use about a hand full breaking the pasta in half when I add it.

Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes then start stirring about every 5 minutes.

Pay attention to the state of the noodles and the sauce they're "bathing" in, if it gets too dry in there it'll burn. Add water as necessary but don't over do it since you want a lasagna type consistency.

Once the noodles are finished (I prefer al dente) bring on the cheese.

Turn the heat off and cover. Let it sit long enough to let the cheese melt.

Notes:

Have fun and add different heats of sausage, picante sauces, cheeses, and even pasta. One of my favorites was a tomato basil linguine. It took longer and I really had to watch the water but it tasted great.

The picture I included has mild and sharp cheddar plus an Italian 5 cheese blend I picked earlier from a local grocery store (Kroger).

Guys if you can perfect this dish for a date (or wife) she will love you. I cooked this for my wife the first time she came over and it's still her favorite dish.

Refuse to be Terrorized

2010-02-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Christie

2010-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

Please please please give this a listen. I just had 2 of the 4 band members over this evening with their promo and although the "brewery" was closed it rocked out loud.

Let me know what you think. I, for one, think this is great stuff!

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Too Late to Apologize

2010-02-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

I want to know where Ben's glass harmonica is during the musical break.

Ambitious Brew - Maureen Ogle

2010-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

An interesting book. A little dry at times but there are very interesting facts about the US's brewing history. There's even some great looks into the politics of the past and how beer held an important roll in the shaping of our country.

It also has some insight into why the US is stuck on Budweiser. Adolphus Busch and company created it for the US not to be the cheap flavorless lager it is today but a light low alcohol beverage for the "capitalist on the go". It actually cost a lot more to make it at the time. I'm happy we Americans are slowing down a bit and enjoying our food and beer.

Breault Assault Porter

2010-01-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

Coming soon!

Health Care and Obama's Tom Foolery

2010-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much of an opportunity to write anything lately. I'm working out, studying, trying to locate a job, and working on my latest beer. I have a peice in mind I'd like to write about left and right, democrat and republican but just can't seem to find the time. Anyhow one of the biggest issues I have with the current president is below. It's not just this guy but it's all of them. They've lied again. Once again they're spitting in our faces and expecting us to take it sitting down. Grab a brew and try to stomach the BS below. I'd like to say it's unbelievabe but I can't. Who knows maybe the inexperianced senator from Illinois actually believed what he said. Just goes to show how inexperianced he actually is.

Sauerkraut Balls

2010-01-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

From Blogger Pictures

This is a staple for games and especially for the annual Zegerhaus Zegerfest.

8 oz. mild sausage (use hot if you'd like)

1/4 c. finely chopped onions

14 oz sauerkraut (squeeze dry and chop fine)

2 tbsp. plain bread crumbs

*5 oz cream cheese it helps to soften to room temperature

2 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. flour

2 beaten eggs

1 c. plain breadcrumbs

Cook sausage and onion until meat is brown; drain. Add sauerkraut and 2 tbsp. bread crumbs to the mixture. Combine cream cheese, parsley, mustard, garlic salt, and pepper. Add to sauerkraut mixture. Chill one hour. Form into small balls and coat with flour. Dip in egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs. Fry in deep fat until brown. Usually takes about 4 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note: The above picture is a doubled recipe. Depending on the amount of people you're serving you may need to double the ingredients.

Be sure to comment on how yours turned out. I'd love to hear it.

Happy New Year!

*EDIT: It's 4oz of cream cheese not 5. Sorry, Fred.

The Morgan Freeman Chain of Command

2009-12-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

This was sent to me earlier this month and I thought it was funny enough to post.

Christmas Music

2009-12-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Christmas (Remixed) Player! This takes at least 4 to 5 minutes to load and play (even for a broadband connection) so please be patient

By the album from Amazon for $8!

none really

2009-12-11T05:15:00.001-08:00