The Official Bay Area Beer Thread
06-04-2009, 06:19 PM
#272
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Palo Alto, CA
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Only 4 bottles left out of the 50... I got pretty cleaned out last Friday and didn't get to make the replacement in time - was hoping for a brewing rotation that kept me with beer through the summer, but had some $$ surprises in the last month that kicked my ***. Anyway, the next one will be better as it's going to be a lighter, American style Hefeweizen base with a little less fruit, though, like the ale, the aging makes it SOOOOOO much better. I can save you the last two, but I don't know for how long! 
06-05-2009, 12:29 PM
#274
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Stockholm
Posts: 7,441
Car Info: 2018 Golf R Variant
Sadly my beer did not make it through the weekend... 
Brewing up more as soon as I can.
Matt - I do my brewing in my kitchen, and last time round I had two going and if you hold your head directly above them you can get a whiff of the Co2 and the yeasty smell, but never too bad. I did a blow-off style last time with the Ale since it was fairly high gravity, and you could smell it occasionally but we even had it locked up all weekend whilst camping and it smelled fine in here when I got home. I have 3 other friends that brew and they all live in small 1br apartments, each with a wife who WOULD complain if it were bad.. Hope that helps.
Brewing up more as soon as I can.Matt - I do my brewing in my kitchen, and last time round I had two going and if you hold your head directly above them you can get a whiff of the Co2 and the yeasty smell, but never too bad. I did a blow-off style last time with the Ale since it was fairly high gravity, and you could smell it occasionally but we even had it locked up all weekend whilst camping and it smelled fine in here when I got home. I have 3 other friends that brew and they all live in small 1br apartments, each with a wife who WOULD complain if it were bad.. Hope that helps.
06-05-2009, 12:58 PM
#275
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Lake Tahoe
Posts: 102
Car Info: 08 Wrx hatch
06-05-2009, 01:24 PM
#276
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iTrader: (17)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 22,776
Car Info: '13 BRZ Limited / '02 WRX
Sadly my beer did not make it through the weekend... Brewing up more as soon as I can.
Matt - I do my brewing in my kitchen, and last time round I had two going and if you hold your head directly above them you can get a whiff of the Co2 and the yeasty smell, but never too bad. I did a blow-off style last time with the Ale since it was fairly high gravity, and you could smell it occasionally but we even had it locked up all weekend whilst camping and it smelled fine in here when I got home. I have 3 other friends that brew and they all live in small 1br apartments, each with a wife who WOULD complain if it were bad.. Hope that helps.
Brewing up more as soon as I can.Matt - I do my brewing in my kitchen, and last time round I had two going and if you hold your head directly above them you can get a whiff of the Co2 and the yeasty smell, but never too bad. I did a blow-off style last time with the Ale since it was fairly high gravity, and you could smell it occasionally but we even had it locked up all weekend whilst camping and it smelled fine in here when I got home. I have 3 other friends that brew and they all live in small 1br apartments, each with a wife who WOULD complain if it were bad.. Hope that helps.
06-06-2009, 08:40 AM
#277
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I got my outdoor burner setup as well, so once I have a solid income again I can get an 8gal kettle w/ chiller so I do not have to do partial-boil anymore, nor do I have to do it all in my kitchen. Basically the kettle setup will run just under $400, and then I will need a wort chiller as well. Should be loads easier, and produce more consistent, better beer.
So if things go right, I will be cooking up another lilikoi wheat and a more relaxed ale today. If not... Anyone want to buy some Dainese moto gear or some Honda Fit Sport rims? Haha...
06-06-2009, 10:22 AM
#279
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kansas - BAIC 4 LIFE!
Posts: 12,775
Car Info: 04 Forester XT/96 Brighton Project
Well I've come to find out that the retarded hicks down here in TX love nothing more than to have Bud, Bud light, Coors, Michelob and thats usually it. Fortunately there's a couple of places like Buffalo Wild Wings that serve more than just the tradition texan **** in a bottle/draft.A few I've been fond of once discovering:
- Murphy's Irish Red - omgz replaced newcastle as my overall favorite!
- Smithwicks - I've had it in bottle, but not on tap.
Surprised to find Tsing Tao & Saporro at a couple of local asian places.
- Murphy's Irish Red - omgz replaced newcastle as my overall favorite!
- Smithwicks - I've had it in bottle, but not on tap.
Surprised to find Tsing Tao & Saporro at a couple of local asian places.
06-06-2009, 10:44 AM
#280
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iTrader: (17)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 22,776
Car Info: '13 BRZ Limited / '02 WRX
Well I've come to find out that the retarded hicks down here in TX love nothing more than to have Bud, Bud light, Coors, Michelob and thats usually it. Fortunately there's a couple of places like Buffalo Wild Wings that serve more than just the tradition texan **** in a bottle/draft.A few I've been fond of once discovering:
- Murphy's Irish Red - omgz replaced newcastle as my overall favorite!
- Smithwicks - I've had it in bottle, but not on tap.
Surprised to find Tsing Tao & Saporro at a couple of local asian places.
- Murphy's Irish Red - omgz replaced newcastle as my overall favorite!
- Smithwicks - I've had it in bottle, but not on tap.
Surprised to find Tsing Tao & Saporro at a couple of local asian places.
06-06-2009, 10:48 AM
#281
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iTrader: (17)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 22,776
Car Info: '13 BRZ Limited / '02 WRX
Nice - Sunnyvale is great, I miss living there. I need to find a job as well, was doing fine w/out till I had a few surprises so I am in the same boat. Since I already have my gear set up, I am just waiting till I can afford the ingredients - so it will not be as posh for the next few brews (the ingredients for my last ale ran me around $100, but you can make good beer for less than $50 if you do it right and DO NOT shop at SF Brewcraft). Paying off cc bills as well leaves me with less than $20 to pay for food for a week sometimes but getting debt paid off is more important. Hoping I can get some stuff today though, and you are welcome to run through the process with me if you want to get an idea when you are ready. I have to say, the reading and stuff is great and a good idea, but nothing really made sense for me till I ran through the process with some friends a couple times. When I was ready to do my own, I pretty much knew what to do and the instructions made sense. I am going to try to write a "for dummies" instruction set that sort of merges all the conflicting information I have found into a process that, for me, produces good beer. So far my favorite brew was my first ale I did, but I have learned the most making beers that I wasn't exactly happy with if that makes any sense. The last ale taught me to strain my wort if I end up using LOADS of hops...
I got my outdoor burner setup as well, so once I have a solid income again I can get an 8gal kettle w/ chiller so I do not have to do partial-boil anymore, nor do I have to do it all in my kitchen. Basically the kettle setup will run just under $400, and then I will need a wort chiller as well. Should be loads easier, and produce more consistent, better beer.
So if things go right, I will be cooking up another lilikoi wheat and a more relaxed ale today. If not... Anyone want to buy some Dainese moto gear or some Honda Fit Sport rims? Haha...
I got my outdoor burner setup as well, so once I have a solid income again I can get an 8gal kettle w/ chiller so I do not have to do partial-boil anymore, nor do I have to do it all in my kitchen. Basically the kettle setup will run just under $400, and then I will need a wort chiller as well. Should be loads easier, and produce more consistent, better beer.
So if things go right, I will be cooking up another lilikoi wheat and a more relaxed ale today. If not... Anyone want to buy some Dainese moto gear or some Honda Fit Sport rims? Haha...
06-09-2009, 03:40 PM
#283
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,402
Car Info: 02 WRX wagon=dead; rollin' in a Craptastic Camry!
Right now I've got a 12 pack of Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, a couple Red Nectar's and a couple Anderson Valley Boont's in the fridge. Then of course there is the Trader Joe's Vintage Ale in the wine fridge - I usually buy 6 or so around the holidays and store three to drink over the next three years during the debauchery that is Christmas!
06-09-2009, 06:00 PM
#284
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iTrader: (17)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 22,776
Car Info: '13 BRZ Limited / '02 WRX
Right now I've got a 12 pack of Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, a couple Red Nectar's and a couple Anderson Valley Boont's in the fridge. Then of course there is the Trader Joe's Vintage Ale in the wine fridge - I usually buy 6 or so around the holidays and store three to drink over the next three years during the debauchery that is Christmas!
sounds like a delicious assortment. I think I'm going to try the Sam Smith's Old Style Pale Ale tonight (I think that's what it's called).
06-09-2009, 07:31 PM
#285
Yeah, You've Probably Never Heard Of Me.
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: in a glass case of emotion.
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Going to pic some of this up
Hitachino White Ale
Awesome citrusy white, great summer beer. I usually start with this down at Churchkey.
hey anyone tried the Alagash White yet?
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4/59