Most of my brewing stuff just arrived, and the first thing I opened was the box for my Bourbon Barrel Porter.  Popping it open, I discovered this brew is going to be  A LOT more complicated than I thought.  Instead of a simple extract brew, it’s a partial grain brew, with a pound of mixed grains, two types of hops, […]

Look what was waiting when I got home! There was lots of gear in there, some of which I find baffling. I’m sure it’ll all make sense some day. All I need now is the kettle, which should be delivered tomorrow and I’ll be ready for brew day!

My buddy Steve is going through an existential crisis: His favorite beer is being discontinued.  He needed a shoulder to cry on and some good advice, and for some crazy reason, he turned to us.  His story follows below: In the world of craft beers and overall beer appreciation I’m most definitely a newbie.  Having […]

Well, it looks like Saturday is the day and I’ll be honest – I’m getting kind of nervous as my first brew day ever approaches.  My goal is to have every detail figured out before I dive in so I make no major mistakes.  I’ve been reading a lot, but I’d also like to lean […]

It has begun. the first item to arrive is the Bayou Burner. It came at the right time, too, as the power has been out for the better part of the day. Maybe I’ll fry a turkey…

If you recall, I was really disappointed that my first installment of the Beer of the Month Club included two beers from Saranac, a brewery I really don’t care for at all.  It took a little while, but apparently the kids over at Saranac caught wind of my clearly expressed negative opinion and decided to […]

Fellow blogger David Flaherty from GrapesAndGrainsNYC.com has posted a video of his brew day that went horribly, horribly wrong.  In the end, the beer is in the sink and my heart is in my throat, because as someone who’s about to take the plunge and start to homebrew, it’s my greatest fear. Of course, I’d […]

My head is spinning.  It all started when Don was given the opportunity to use an acquaintance’s gear to home brew.  As many of you know, I’ve been wanting to start brewing as well, so I thought now is the time.  Don’s (probably) going to brew soon, and it’s something we can do together, with […]

I’m quite the creature of habit, and I usually like to stick to a routine.  When it comes to beer, the rule is that I usually don’t drink any during the week, and imbibe on the weekends.  Now the former rule is one that is broken regularly (I’ll have a beer after a rough day […]

Peter over at Simply Beer has really outdone himself on this one.  He’s had a hand in putting together a once-in-a-lifetime dinner for foodies and beer lovers alike: We are excited to announce Cru Vs Brew – a Wine and Beer Competition Dinner featuring Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn Brewery’s Brewmaster), Fred Dexheimer (Master Sommelier) and Chef Ariane Duarte […]

So the “biggest beer on the block” arms race continues, and I think it’s getting pornographic, and not in the good bow-chicka-wow-wow kinda way. I’ve had the good fortune (thanks to Kevin, Dark Lord of the Stout) to try both Sam Adams Utopias and Brew Dog’s Tactical Nuclear Penguin.  As you may recall, the Utopias […]

Well, I’ve received my second shipment from the Beer of the Month Club and I’m happy to report that there’s not a bottle of Saranac to be found.  Instead, there are four nice little beers, two from a brewery called Sherwood Forest out of Marlborough, Massachusetts and two from Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta, Georgia. I was happy […]

So, just like that,  no more football. While the Pro Bowl is a useless and unwatchable football game, it was always there to ease us into the oblivion of the NFL offseason.  It is the methadone to the heroin that is NFL football, a gentle step down the ladder.  But not so this year – […]

I have finally given in and decided that it was time to upgrade my glassware.  I’ve been drinking mostly out of pint glasses, and it finally struck me that I was missing out on some of the finer pleasures of drinking a good beer, especially the nose. My goal was to find a single type […]

If this were the Dark Ages, I’d be roasting on a spit right now, because I’m a huge fan of Heresy.  Not the religious type  (but I’m probably guilty of that, too), but of Weyerbacher’s wonderful barrel-aged stout.  Heresy starts life as Weyerbacher’s Old Heathen imperial stout, which is then aged in oak barrels that […]