Random Beers

[ctenidae]

+1 for Ayinger. Fan of all their products.

 

[marcski]

I don't know what it is, I just can't get into wheat beers. Flavored or otherwise.

 

[marcski]

Had a growler of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. It was quite tasty....got really good reviews but I think there are better ones. (ie. RacerX, Laguinitas, Troegs scratch #55, which I had last week and was delicious, to name a few).

 

[marcski]

Just opened my first can of the Heady Topper! I stopped by my buddy's restaurant for lunch...and he just ordered a case of the Toppers, not even on his beer menu yet, but I stole one...had it on ice this afternoon and just opened it up for a nice afternoon cocktail.

Really tasty! Very hoppy and fruity, yet not overly bitter.

Edit: Now, I am about 2/3 of the way done with the can. It is becoming almost sweet on the tongue. Pretty easy to drink although it is full bodied and a bit on the filling side..but really, really good.

 

[drjeff]

Not so much a beer TR as much as a beer lover's PSA that pertains to anyone skiing/riding or just visiting the general Magic/Stratton area! I read a few weeks ago about a new beer/wine/VT Cheese products etc store, called Mueleman's Craft Draughts in Rawsonville essentially at the junction of rte's 100 and 30. I was on my way with my family yesterday from Bromley down to visit Glenn and his wife for dinner, some quad riding, some fireworks and my kids playing for hours in the stream behind Glenn's house. Knowing that even fully iced, the whimpy soft sided travel cooler my family transports food to/from VT wouldn't stand up to keeping beer cold for the 5 or so hours in 80ish degree heat while we were at the Bromley Adventure Park yesterday, I figured this would be a great chance to check it out, and it didn't dissapoint! While the store is small, what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up in quality! You just can't beat walking in the door and behind the cash register is 2 kegs tapped to fill growlers! A quick growler of Trapp Vienna Lager. And one of Goose Island IPA (The 2 tapped kegs yesterday )that and I was off eith the owner to the couple coolers to see what else was thete! The 1st thing I see, BOOM! 4 packs of Heady Topper from The Alchemist Which I then added Bomber bottles of Harpoon's 100 Barrel Ginger Wheat beer and my new summer favorite, Ayinger Brau Weise! With the family anxiously waiting to get to Glenn's I had to leave,! A very worthy beer addition to South Central VT indeed!! :beer: but i'm going back soon and often

 

[Nick]

I brewed some Alt Bier last week! Will be ready to bottle in about another week. Yay!

 

[marcski]

Had some Swamp Head Big Nose IPA and Seadog IPA over the weekend down in Disney. Also a Rogue Dead Guy Ale. I searched every bar and eatery within a 5-10 min walk of my room.

 

[WWF-VT]

I was in Waterbury, VT on Saturday and stopped by The Alchemist cannery. I almost cried when I found out they were sold out of Heady Topper until Monday. I did get a 12 pack of Otter Creek Summer Ale which was only OK for a summer beer.

 

[drjeff]

I was in Waterbury, VT on Saturday and stopped by The Alchemist cannery. I almost cried when I found out they were sold out of Heady Topper until Monday. I did get a 12 pack of Otter Creek Summer Ale which was only OK for a summer beer.

I tried one of those on tap on Sunday when I was at Bromley and had switched from "active parent on the alpine slides" mode to just "parent sitting on the benches watching their kids on the waterslides" mode

I agree with you. OK for a summer beer. Not going to rush out and buy that for my beer fridge anytime soon though

 

[legalskier]

New iPad beer app-

 

[marcski]

Bought a couple of growler's of Oscar Blue's Deviant Dales IPA out of CO. Absolutely delicious!!

Also picked up growlers of Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA )out of ME) and a Wildemann's (out of MD) Farmhouse IPA.

 

[marcski]

The Deviant Dales was so good....IMHO, a top 5 IPA!! I went back to the LBS with 2 more growlers but of course the keg kicked while he was filling the 2nd. So, I picked up an Ithica Beer Co. Flower Power and one of the Deviant Dales. Can't wait to drink it!!

 

[ctenidae]

Brooklyn Brewing Summer Ale in cans made for a good boat beer yesterday

 

[Nick]

Will be bottling my Alt Bier today. Should be ready to drink a few days after my son is born :beer:

 

[marcski]

Had a growler of the Shipyard's Monkey Fist IPA. Quite tasty. Reasonably priced at about 11.99 for a 64 oz. growler.

But, I'm still groovin' on the Oskar Blue's Deviant Dales. 14.99 for a 4 pack of the 16 oz cans. I had 2 cans tonight. It's also been featured on tap at a few pubs around my area. It's really hard to find the Heady Topper in my neck of the woods. Those are probably my 2 fav's at the moment....with Bear Republic's Racer X in 3rd. (It's been a while since I had the racer x, i need a taste of that soon.).

 

[Nick]

A little frustrated. Almost all the beer I made is somewhat flat. I'm not sure if I did something wrong? Alternatively I have only tried the grolsch style bottle and I haven't changed the rubber stoppers on them and this is the 4th batch. Are they shot by now? Maybe it just isn't sealing and letting out the carbonation.

 

[ctenidae]

A little frustrated. Almost all the beer I made is somewhat flat. I'm not sure if I did something wrong? Alternatively I have only tried the grolsch style bottle and I haven't changed the rubber stoppers on them and this is the 4th batch. Are they shot by now? Maybe it just isn't sealing and letting out the carbonation.

Could be the seals- they do wear out, though wouldn't expect it to be after 4 runs. Most likely causes are often dead yeast or not enough priming sugar, though you'd generally expect that to be a widespread problem. One way tyou can get only some bottles carbonated is if your priming sugar didn't get mixed in well- have had that happen where all the sugar went into the first few bottles.

Put 1/4 cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in each bottle, cap, and leave in the sun. Preferabbly behind a Perspex shield. If you're happy you had the shield, you'll know the seals were good.

 

[marcski]

Sierra Nevada Souther Hemisphere Hop Ale:
The hops are flown in and brewed within a week from being picked in New Zealand.

Pours a light copper color. It's an ale, not an IPA, which Is definitely my favorite style of beer. But, 2nd I enjoy good ales. This is a bit similar in body to a Sam, but hoppier, yet still with a nice malt finish. I feel quite nice after a 32 oz growler, which I might add was only $7.99.

I am going to go for a Deviant Dale in a can to finish off my night. . (My local beer store has them @ 14.99/4-pack of tall-boys. I am hard pressed to find a better pint anywhere for $3.50!).

 

[Nick]

Thanks c-ten, I opened up a larger bottle (1L) with the Grolsch style caps so I'm guessing I have a few bad bottles. The seals do look kinda worn out, the line from the compression is really obvious. The one that was carbonated appropriately was really good!

 

[marcski]

Thanks c-ten, I opened up a larger bottle (1L) with the Grolsch style caps so I'm guessing I have a few bad bottles. The seals do look kinda worn out, the line from the compression is really obvious. The one that was carbonated appropriately was really good!

The 32 oz growlers I have are essentially 2x grolsch bottles. The caps do go bad somewhat frequently and the LBS keeps additional caps for that reason.