Homebrewers in the crowd?

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:07 pm

We had a vineyard and winery until this past spring. If I never see another grape or press or rack another tank it'll be wonderful. I do love the wine though. Just not the process.

Anyone know a source for Woopecker's Cider? (love that stuff too)

Tonight Ive got to brew up a "toddy" for my flu. It seems that 's the only thing giving anyone any relief from the bug that's going around.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:21 pm

I say leave it to the brewmasters and I'll be the drinker. Many fine brewpubs about here as well as local labels in bottles. Right now I am enjoying the seasonal special ales about, like Sierra Nevada Winter Ale, Pyramid Snow Cap, one called Jubilale and a few others. During the rest of the year, I am partial to Red Tail (brewed near the Weekenders' parental family compound in Mendocino Cty), Boont Amber Ale (very fine and reliable and they take away the stuff that gets old from the store, unlike anybody else). From afar, I have had a few good brews from Portland Brewing Co. IF ITS FRESH, the RedHook IPA is a very fine flavor, but ya gotta read the box for date. I prefer it over their more popular ESB.

now I'm thirsty.

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:35 pm

Doggone it, Weeks - you made me thirsty, too. I've tried 'em all but the Jubilale, and concur: there are some fine microbrews out there.

I wasn't a brewer, but a brewer's assistant - my dad went through a several year long brewing phase that started when I was in high school and ended sometime after I married - made me an (odder) duck at college when my friends wanted Cheap Beer and I wanted Good Beer. Gave me at least a slight claim to sophistication, however unmerited.

Other good ones to add to the list: North Coast's Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (motto: "Never Say Die!"), Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine (look for it in Feb or March - they brew one batch a year, so grab it when you can), Anchor Liberty Ale, Anchor Porter, Anchor Foghorn Barleywine, Sierra Nevada Porter, Sierra Nevada Stout, Sierra Nevada Summerfest, a whole laundry list of Rogue brews . . .

I want a beer.

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:44 pm

cowtime wrote:We had a vineyard and winery until this past spring. If I never see another grape or press or rack another tank it'll be wonderful. I do love the wine though. Just not the process.

Anyone know a source for Woopecker's Cider? (love that stuff too)

I make wine, too, although only from concentrate. I have crushed a few grapes, but my wife, the wine drinker, just doesn't consume it at the pace I consume beer, so it's not worth it to do the full process.

Can you not get Woodpecker there? Not sure where Castlewood is, but I would think you'd be able to find it in Bristol, Lynchburg, etc. I've seen it in Charlottesville, and there are many varieties of Woodpecker and Woodchuck available up here, even in neighborhood stores. My BIL worked for Woodchuck for some time, I got a lot of free cider in those days.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 9:41 pm

emmline wrote:darjeeling. With a touch of sugar-in-the-raw.

yum....thanks for the idea em. I think I'll go brew myself a cup right now!

And since I'm at home, I suppose that would make me a "home brewer", right?

happyturkeyman · Post by **happyturkeyman** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:28 pm

izzarina wrote:
emmline wrote:darjeeling. With a touch of sugar-in-the-raw.
yum....thanks for the idea em. I think I'll go brew myself a cup right now! And since I'm at home, I suppose that would make me a "home brewer", right?

TeaHeeHee! If we count tea then I'm brewerpaul the second.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:10 am

cazadorecovey wrote:To brewerpaul, sure, the price of my beer is low, but I wouldn't nec. call it cheapie in the degrading sense. It still tastes like it should, but its cheap because we buy all the grains in the 55 pound sacks and grind them at home.

I don't believe you. Convince me. Send a case of your beer to:

I never got the whole grain brewing bug. Too much like work! Extracts with specialty grains added work fine for me with a good labor/results ratio.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:03 pm

michael_coleman wrote:I have found the most amazing brewery. Coming out of Quebec is the Unibroue brewery and everything I have tasted from them has been incredible. If you like belgian beers, just about anything from them is incredible and a completely different experience in beer drinking. Y oumust try their Ephemere and their Blanche de Chambly.

Have you tried Maudite from Unibroue?

That's a tasty beer.

Next time you're up, try McAuslan's St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. Best stout in Canada.

I've been brewing for a bit now, like Maple Ales... being the good Canadian boy I am.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:44 pm

happyturkeyman wrote:
izzarina wrote:
emmline wrote:darjeeling. With a touch of sugar-in-the-raw.
yum....thanks for the idea em. I think I'll go brew myself a cup right now! And since I'm at home, I suppose that would make me a "home brewer", right?
TeaHeeHee! If we count tea then I'm brewerpaul the second.

I only JUST got the "TEA" HeeHee part.....

I have an entire cupboard devoted to tea, so would that make me BrewerPaulette?

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:14 pm

izzarina wrote:I have an entire cupboard devoted to tea, so would that make me BrewerPaulette?

Ah ha! Another TOA disorder . . . TOAD . . . sufferer!

I don't have an entire cupboard, but I have a shelf in one cupboard and another in a pantry closet . . . which isn't as extravagant as it sounds. You have to buy it when you can get it. I haunt the gift foods section of TJMaxx, Ross, and Marshall's looking for choice finds . . . last year I *almost* got a tin of Fortnum and Mason! I glimpsed the last tin as it was heading toward the checkout . . .

Two of my favorites:

www.harney.com

www.fortnumandmason-usa.com

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:47 pm

chas wrote:
cowtime wrote:We had a vineyard and winery until this past spring. If I never see another grape or press or rack another tank it'll be wonderful. I do love the wine though. Just not the process.

Anyone know a source for Woopecker's Cider? (love that stuff too)
I make wine, too, although only from concentrate. I have crushed a few grapes, but my wife, the wine drinker, just doesn't consume it at the pace I consume beer, so it's not worth it to do the full process.

Can you not get Woodpecker there? Not sure where Castlewood is, but I would think you'd be able to find it in Bristol, Lynchburg, etc. I've seen it in Charlottesville, and there are many varieties of Woodpecker and Woodchuck available up here, even in neighborhood stores. My BIL
worked for Woodchuck for some time, I got a lot of free cider in those days.

My daughter has been trying in Abingdon and Bristol, but so far- no luck.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:06 pm

Peggy wrote:Two of my favorites:

www.harney.com

www.fortnumandmason-usa.com

Oh yum....I bookmarked both of them. I LOVE gourmet teas, and these would make perfect stocking stuffers!
I found this one a while ago too, if you're into organic type stuff (which I am....I also like patchouli but that's a whole other story

):

http://www.gypsytea.com/

I could almost live off of tea. I drink it all day, and not just one kind. It really depends on my mood. Sometimes I like Irish Breakfast, and other times I like Chamomile and so on. It's nice to find someone that shares my "disorder"

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:34 am

Add me to the list of homebrewers. I brew the occassional ale, extract with some specialty grains normally. Haven't brewed a lager yet, because I don't have the extra refrigerator to lager it at the proper temp.

For commercial brews, I really enjoy Bass Ale. Harpoon Winter Warmer is great for the holidays and cold winter's evenings. Of course, Guiness is great, but only if I'm sitting in a pub somewhere in Ireland.

All the Best, Tom

chas · Post by **chas** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:47 am

TomB wrote:. . . Of course, Guiness is great, but only if I'm sitting in a pub somewhere in Ireland.

I drank Smithwick's the whole time I was in Ireland. I thought it was one of the finest brews I'd ever tasted. I looked for it in the US, eventually found that it wasn't imported. I even thought of making the trek up to New Brunswick the last time I was in Maine. Imagine my surprise when I found it in a packie in Connecticut a few weeks ago. I bought a case and. . . it just isn't the same as drinking it in a pub in Ireland.

I guess I'll just have to go back.

cazadorecovey · Post by **cazadorecovey** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:30 pm

Sure I love imported beers, Guinness still rocks my world, but I'm from Texas, so I have to throw Lone Star into the loop here. Now I know alot of ya'll are probably gagging right now from the thought of the stuff, but you have to look at it from a college point of view. Lone Star is cheap, dirt cheap... and sometimes even tastes better than Natty. Second, while you're drinkin on Lone Star because you've become familiar with the aquired taste of it, everyone else won't touch the stuff until everything else in the house is gone. Of course, by that time, you don't care who drinks the rest of the stuff because hopefully one of your friends has already carried you out to the car/ ambulance/ funeral home.

Covey

"Texas is the reason that the president's dead. Texas is the reason when they pick up his head. Texas is the reason, that the president's dead..."