Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

[Coffee]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Barleywine is such a great style of beer that it makes me doubt the need for other styles.

Moylan's makes a barleywine named "Old Blarney" (although those are the smallest words in the title). As far as I know, every beer Moylan's makes is bottle conditioned. The only other beer I've had from them is their Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale, and I highly recommend it.

I also double-plus highly recommend this barleywine. It's a nice copper hue with a slightly sweet scent and a flavor dominated by caramel and a mild spiciness with a thick texture. Bitterness is about what I'd expect from a barleywine, and in fact is the very reason I love this style. I wish I could explain the bitterness a little better to people unfamiliar with the style, but I've mostly been drinking bourbon as of late and the last "beer" I had was Natural Light (a friend gave it to me, I didn't buy! Honest!).

Long story short, Moylan's barleywine is awesome.

As a brewer I'd have to say that a good reason for the existence of other styles is that barleywine takes forever and a day in the fermentor before you even move to bottling, and then there's another interminable wait before you drink it.

[TheAmazingRando]

Is it just me, or is Dogfish Head hard to find now that Sam Calagione got his TV show? I'm glad that an awesome brewery is finally getting the attention they deserve, but I really want some 90 Minute IPA and all I can find is Midas Touch and Festina Pêche.

[Bakemaster]

Went out to the new-ish local brewpub on Friday night, and finally got to try their own beer (it hadn't finished last time we went), but they only had two on tap. One was described as a Belgian-style spiced winter ale and had a spice I couldn't quite identify, but seemed very familiar; it was pretty enjoyable. The other was a pale ale that was pretty much bang-on for the This Is A Tasty Pale Ale style, which is good but not super notable to me. It does bode well for their coming brews, though.

I need to try that winter ale again at the bar and have a chat with them to figure out what they're up to.

[netcrusher88]

Look who's homebrewing now

[Thesh]

Look who's homebrewing now

What a faker... Obama drinks light beer. Yes, that's right, you heard me. LIGHT BEER.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162- ... 03544.html

You will never fool me, you light beer drinking sissy!

[lewismd]

I am very disappointed in Obama. No, not about the civil liberties beefs I have with his administration. He's from Chicago, he has had a couple great opportunities to showcase some great Chicago breweries like Two Brothers or Goose Island, but noooooooooooo. Bud Light? Yuengling? Ugh.

This is really unacceptable. Palin/Bachmann 2012!

[Dark567]

I am very disappointed in Obama. No, not about the civil liberties beefs I have with his administration. He's from Chicago, he has had a couple great opportunities to showcase some great Chicago breweries like Two Brothers or Goose Island, but noooooooooooo. Bud Light? Yuengling? Ugh.

This is really unacceptable. Palin/Bachmann 2012!

I heard his favorite is Goose Island 312. He just drinks Bud Light for the working class image, people who drink craft brews are 'elitist' apparently.

[Azrael]

Chicago

I hate your pizza, but thank you for Goose Island.

[TheAmazingRando]

I would love to have the opportunity to love Goose Island, but I can't find their Bourbon County Stout anywhere.

[KallistiEngel]

Bud Light? Yuengling? Ugh.

Come now, at least Yuengling is drinkable. Don't even compare it to that foul brew. It's not as good as a micro of course, but for a more mass produced beer it's pretty good. Sam Adams and Blue Moon are the only other mass produced beers I feel are worthy of comparison to Yuengling.

[telcontar42]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=3000005011&play=1

Some people in Finland just tasted a 170 year old beer. It was salvaged from a ship wreck, but still "tasted like beer".

[Dark567]

Chicago

I hate your pizza, but thank you for Goose Island.

Its better than that New York stuff any day of the week. Hell Detroit or St. Louis style pizzas are better than that floppy stuff.

And they all certainly go better with beer than the floppy stuff. A heavy stout belongs with heavy pizza.

[mercutio_stencil]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=3000005011&play=1

Some people in Finland just tasted a 170 year old beer. It was salvaged from a ship wreck, but still "tasted like beer".

Well that's interesting; I suppose the question is did it taste more stale than lets say, a Stella?

[Nath]

I hate your pizza, but thank you for Goose Island.

Its better than that New York stuff any day of the week. Hell Detroit or St. Louis style pizzas are better than that floppy stuff.

And they all certainly go better with beer than the floppy stuff. A heavy stout belongs with heavy pizza.

You are both insane. As someone in a pizza wasteland, I'd be happy with either a good NY slice or some decent Chicago deep dish. (Or better yet, Champaign deep dish.)

[Thesh]

Seconded. All pizza can be good, regardless of style. Thin, crispy crust pizza, thick delivery-pizza style crust, and doughy deep dish pizza... NOM NOM NOM

It's like arguing between spaghetti and lasagna.. They are different, but both good in their own ways.

[Bakemaster]

I hate your pizza, but thank you for Goose Island.

Its better than that New York stuff any day of the week. Hell Detroit or St. Louis style pizzas are better than that floppy stuff.

If you had floppy pizza, you had shitty pizza. The outstanding examples of any style of pizza will never be floppy.

I've heard this objection to New York style pizza so many times... it's like saying, "I don't like deep dish pizza because it's so soupy." All these statements really say is that shitty pizza is shitty.

[Nath]

To be fair, NY pizza is not entirely unfloppy, at least compared to Midwestern thin crust. As long as it's still got some crunch and chewiness, a bit of floppiness isn't bad.

[bigglesworth]

I agree, the pizza as eaten in Pisa has a fair amount of flex (and is delicious).

[lewismd]

Seconded. All pizza can be good, regardless of style. Thin, crispy crust pizza, thick delivery-pizza style crust, and doughy deep dish pizza... NOM NOM NOM

It's like arguing between spaghetti and lasagna.. They are different, but both good in their own ways.

Well said. I'm a Chicago guy, but I can appreciate thin NY style pizza or fancy California style pizza with funky ingredients just like I can appreciate a Giordano's deep dish.

[telcontar42]

I just got back from a trip to Russian River to taste Pliny the Younger. It took a 2 hour car ride and an hour wait in line, but it was definitely worth it. It's an incredible beer. What really impressed me was drinking Pliny the Younger side by side with Pliny the Elder. The Elder is usually one of my all time favorite beers but next to the Younger, even fresh an on tap, it just didn't hold up.

[faldion]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=3000005011&play=1

Some people in Finland just tasted a 170 year old beer. It was salvaged from a ship wreck, but still "tasted like beer".

Well that's interesting; I suppose the question is did it taste more stale than lets say, a Stella?

Being Finnish myself, I've read quite a bit about this beer. Apparently hydrogen sulfide, phenols and tea were found in the aroma. The taste was sour and salty, with the sourness overpowering any malty or fruity tastes there might have been. The aftertaste was described as burnt. According to one researcher, it resembled lambic more than any other beer. The researchers are currently working on identifying the yeast and hops used in the beer. Many breweries have expressed interest in brewing a commercial version of the beer.

[McCaber]

Being the Wisconsin guy that I am, "beer" and "Spotted Cow" are near synonymous. Unfortunately, the New Glarus brewery doesn't export out-of-state anymore, so most of you guys are out of luck.

Lakefront Brewery makes some delicious stuff. Riverwest Stein is their trademark, and their Wheat Monkey and Cream City Pale Ale are also top-notch.

Leinie's is known across the land, but it doesn't stop their Creamy Dark from being awesome.

Fuck, now I really want some beer and I have no money. I hate these problems.

[uncivlengr]

Starting a new batch of beer sometime soon, this time it's a Russian Imperial Stout.

Looking forward to this for a few reasons... my last batch of weisen didn't turn out very well (over carbonated and too sweet), but I think it was due to my apartment in the summer, which doesn't let me keep the temperature down as low as I'd like it. All the malt is liquid this time, which is great because I hate dealing with the sticky, clumpy powder. I'm going to try using frozen water bottles to cool down the wort this time, as it took way too long last time and I'm always paranoid about contamination and/or cooking the yeast.

[Dark567]

Being the Wisconsin guy that I am, "beer" and "Spotted Cow" are near synonymous.

Spotted Cow has to be the single most overrated beer ever. It isn't good. It isn't even anywhere close to the best beer New Glarus makes(Fat Squirrel, although not the best, is so much better). Spotted Cow is too corny and the smell comes off like Miller lite, except with slight hint of honey. Being from Wisconsin, I can only say that Spotted Cow is such a poor example of our brews. Please look at other New Glarus Beers, and breweries like Ale Asylum, Lake Louis and Sprecher.

[McCaber]

Being the Wisconsin guy that I am, "beer" and "Spotted Cow" are near synonymous.

Spotted Cow has to be the single most overrated beer ever. It isn't good. It isn't even anywhere close to the best beer New Glarus makes(Fat Squirrel, although not the best, is so much better). Spotted Cow is too corny and the smell comes off like Miller lite, except with slight hint of honey. Being from Wisconsin, I can only say that Spotted Cow is such a poor example of our brews. Please look at other New Glarus Beers, and breweries like Ale Asylum, Lake Louis and Sprecher.

I know, Spotted Cow is overrated, but it's the one that everyone talks about. Their Stone Soup, Fat Squirrel, or Cabin Fever are miles better. Even their Moon Man IPA is good. Come on, give me some credit here. No need to talk down to me.

And Sprecher's Black Bavarian is indeed very good, as are a bunch of stuff from local brewpubs. The Milwaukee Alehouse especially has some tasty things available.

[Dark567]

Come on, give me some credit here. No need to talk down to me.

Sorry, didn't mean to come off that way. Just wanted to make sure people understand Wisconsin has some better brews

[mercutio_stencil]

I just had a bottle of Full Sail's LTD #4, and I'm confused. It wasn't bad, it was quite drinkable, almost like they were trying to make a Bud clone. Then I look online, it's apparently 'single malt' as in it all comes from a single variety of barley, which does a good bit to explain the palate. Except, it's apparently 7% abv. There is no way that light, crisp lager I had was that boozy.

[Bakemaster]

I picked up a 4-pack of Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron over the weekend. It wasn't everything I hoped it would be, but it was definitely worth trying. My biggest issue with it, surprisingly, was that any hop presence was pretty much completely undetectable (by me, at least). The fact that the label identifies it as a "malt beverage" rather than a beer makes me wonder if there really are no hops at all in this brew. I'm not a hops fanatic, but I do think they play an important role in pretty much any beer; their absence was kind of loud in the Palo Santo Marron. (OOPS: Hmm, they say it's brewed with palisade, glacier and warrior hops; maybe they just got lost in all the malt? I wonder why they labeled it the way they did?)

Getting past the hops, though, this was a really unique beer that I think any fan of dark beers should try if they get a chance. The carbonation was pretty subdued and the alcohol content, not hidden as well as in some other brews, gave it some distinctly wine-like characteristics. Sweet but earthy fruit flavors, definitely in the fig/date area rather than crisp or bright; but also somewhat spicy. I wonder if the spice is coming from the strong malt flavor, or from the wood (which is very noticeable), or something else? It's actually less chewy than I'd expect given how dark it is, which is another area where it felt wine-like to me - often strong, dark beers are chewy and thick, but this is much more a strongly-flavored beer than a strongly-textured beer.

We'll see how my opinion changes (or strengthens) after another try; I've got two bottles still and don't plan to try cellaring them.

[uncivlengr]

Starting a new batch of beer sometime soon, this time it's a Russian Imperial Stout.

Looking forward to this for a few reasons... my last batch of weisen didn't turn out very well (over carbonated and too sweet), but I think it was due to my apartment in the summer, which doesn't let me keep the temperature down as low as I'd like it. All the malt is liquid this time, which is great because I hate dealing with the sticky, clumpy powder. I'm going to try using frozen water bottles to cool down the wort this time, as it took way too long last time and I'm always paranoid about contamination and/or cooking the yeast.

Just bottled this batch and sampled the dregs and OH BOY is this going to be incredible if it's this good before bottle conditioning... I don't think I'll ever try another recipe.

It's got some kick, too, which the Imperial Stout is supposed to have - 9-10% alcohol content. If I had had my shit together on brew day I would be able to measure it directly, but I need some really tall slender glassware that will fit the hydrometer I've yet to use.

[Garm]

Starting a new batch of beer sometime soon, this time it's a Russian Imperial Stout.

Looking forward to this for a few reasons... my last batch of weisen didn't turn out very well (over carbonated and too sweet), but I think it was due to my apartment in the summer, which doesn't let me keep the temperature down as low as I'd like it. All the malt is liquid this time, which is great because I hate dealing with the sticky, clumpy powder. I'm going to try using frozen water bottles to cool down the wort this time, as it took way too long last time and I'm always paranoid about contamination and/or cooking the yeast.

Just bottled this batch and sampled the dregs and OH BOY is this going to be incredible if it's this good before bottle conditioning... I don't think I'll ever try another recipe.

It's got some kick, too, which the Imperial Stout is supposed to have - 9-10% alcohol content. If I had had my shit together on brew day I would be able to measure it directly, but I need some really tall slender glassware that will fit the hydrometer I've yet to use.

I usually dump the hydrometer into the bucket just before I put the lid on. Then I toss it in when I uncap the fermentation bucket to rack it into a carboy. I always forget to check the gravity when I transfer to the bottling bucket.

Let us know how your stout turns out. I'm finding that my high body beers don't turn out as alcoholic as I'd like them to because temperature variation keeps the yeast from being as efficient as it otherwise would be.

[uncivlengr]

Yeah, I guess I was thinking that it'd be difficult to read the hydrometer from inside the bucket, but it'd be better than nothing. That and again, my paranoia with leaving the bucket uncovered for any more time than is absolutely required.

[Garm]

Yeah, I guess I was thinking that it'd be difficult to read the hydrometer from inside the bucket, but it'd be better than nothing. That and again, my paranoia with leaving the bucket uncovered for any more time than is absolutely required.

Reading the hydrometer from inside the bucket is pretty easy. At least it is for me, but that might because I have a hydrometer that's easy to read from a slight vertical.
I usually drop it in the first time right before I oxygenate the beer. Then it's pretty easy to check when you're racking since it only takes 30 seconds. Can probably do it while your siphon starts up if you're really worried about it.

[uncivlengr]

A bit of an aside, but you actively oxygenate the wort? I've always just poured the wort "really hard" into the bucket to get it to splash around a bit.

[Garm]

A bit of an aside, but you actively oxygenate the wort? I've always just poured the wort "really hard" into the bucket to get it to splash around a bit.

It's something I started doing recently. I bought an aquarium pump from the pet store and use a micro fine bubbler stone thingy to disperse the oxygen into the wort. I usually let it bubble for 15-30 minutes. The problem is that it requires a lot of stirring since you have to keep the foam from spilling out of the bucket. I let the bubbler stone sit in a puddle of rot-gut vodka while I make the beer, then I throw it away once I've used it to oxygenate. A package of three costs like a dollar so it's not adding significant cost. I think the pump I got cost about twenty bucks but that's cuz I splurged.

On Labor Day weekend my brother and I made a "Fruit Cake Old Ale." It should be done in a month or two and I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully it carbonated enough to drink. If not, I'll have to take action.

Right now I've got an ESB (fuller's clone) and a Porter in carboys. I'm hoping to bottle the ESB tonight. For my next beers I plan on doing a Dortmunder Export (pale beer) and a Peche. I also need to make another Kolsch. The last one I made turned out beautifully. My grand scheme is to perfect recipes for the ESB and the Kolsch since those are probably my two favorite types of beer... Well-bodied and refreshing with a touch of hop bite.

[mercutio_stencil]

The pouring 'hard' method will work well most of the time, most yeast don't need too much oxygen. The bubbler method garm is using is better, but you run into some sterility issues, you're pretty much pumping the nasty, bacteria ridden air around you into your beer. Best would be to use a quick blast from an oxygen tank so it's sterile and you get more dissolved O2 for those really picky yeast.

But all that's really over thinking it.

[Coffee]

I'm weird, I admit it, but I just whisk the work while it cooks and pour hard.

[ExplodingHat]

I'm trying Stone Old Guardian barleywine-style ale and it is pretty dang amazing. Simultaneously very sweet and very bitter.

[McCaber]

So apparently Goose Island has just been sold to ...

Anheuser-Busch.

Reactions?

[netcrusher88]

If they actually stay hands-off, good for Goose Island. Though I don't know why they didn't sign a distribution deal, and I don't trust AB.

Verdict: buy now before they stop making it.

[Azrael]

Aaaaaaaand done with that brewery.

I simply will not support shit like that.