I was cruising the web and found this video about different ways to open a bottle of beer. I am sure there are many more ways to open a beer, so perhaps you might have a creative way that you might like to share with us. If you haven't heard of or seen any inventive ways, then perhaps you can come up with something new. If it is something different, I might give it a try.
I hope you find this entertaining. Talk to you all later.
Cheers!
January 21, 2008
January 14, 2008
Tastey Temperatures
Just like wine, beer has an ideal temperature range for drinking. It also has an idea storage temperature. Temperature is important for a number of factors.
First we'll talk about storage temperatures. To prevent early spoilage and increase longevity of you beer, you need to keep your beer out of direct sunlight and make sure that the temperatures stay relatively constant. Sunlight can lead to the "skunky" taste that many people find unpleasant (I am one of those). If you are brewing your own beer and are not able to keep your beer out of the light, then placing a dark colored t-shirt over the carboy will definitely help. Storage temps and fermentation temperatures are different for very specific reasons, but I am not going to go into detail about the fermentation. The style of beer plays a very important role in the temperature at which your beer is stored.
Strong beers, such as barleywines, tripels, and dark ales are better suited between 55-60 deg. Standard ales like IPA's, dopplebocks, and stouts should be stored at 50-55 deg. The last temperature is for light beers; lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, etc. is 45-50 deg.
As a rule of thumb, the higher the alcohol, the warmer the temp, and the opposite is true for lower alcohol beers.
Serving temperatures are a different story. The main reason for the temperatures given are to bring out the flavors found in the various styles of beer. Some beers are better served cold while other are better at room temperature. Here are some guidelines for different styles:
- Serve fruit beers at 40-50° F.
- Serve wheat beers and pale lagers at 45-50° F.
- Serve pale ales and amber or dark lagers at 50-55° F.
- Serve strong ales, such as barley wines and Belgian ales, at 50-55° F.
- Serve dark ales, including porters and stouts, at 55-60° F.
I hope that these guidelines help to make you beer drinking experience more enjoyable, and that you'll share these tips with you friends and family.
Cheers!
First we'll talk about storage temperatures. To prevent early spoilage and increase longevity of you beer, you need to keep your beer out of direct sunlight and make sure that the temperatures stay relatively constant. Sunlight can lead to the "skunky" taste that many people find unpleasant (I am one of those). If you are brewing your own beer and are not able to keep your beer out of the light, then placing a dark colored t-shirt over the carboy will definitely help. Storage temps and fermentation temperatures are different for very specific reasons, but I am not going to go into detail about the fermentation. The style of beer plays a very important role in the temperature at which your beer is stored.
Strong beers, such as barleywines, tripels, and dark ales are better suited between 55-60 deg. Standard ales like IPA's, dopplebocks, and stouts should be stored at 50-55 deg. The last temperature is for light beers; lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, etc. is 45-50 deg.
As a rule of thumb, the higher the alcohol, the warmer the temp, and the opposite is true for lower alcohol beers.
Serving temperatures are a different story. The main reason for the temperatures given are to bring out the flavors found in the various styles of beer. Some beers are better served cold while other are better at room temperature. Here are some guidelines for different styles:
- Serve fruit beers at 40-50° F.
- Serve wheat beers and pale lagers at 45-50° F.
- Serve pale ales and amber or dark lagers at 50-55° F.
- Serve strong ales, such as barley wines and Belgian ales, at 50-55° F.
- Serve dark ales, including porters and stouts, at 55-60° F.
I hope that these guidelines help to make you beer drinking experience more enjoyable, and that you'll share these tips with you friends and family.
Cheers!
January 9, 2008
Curry for the Courageous
For those of you who have never had Curry, you are certainly missing out. Curry is full of complex and wonderful flavors. There are various types of curries and each of them is well worth discovering. Curry is a matter of preference and preparation styles, none are better than the other, just different, offering different flavor profiles and texture characteristics. The recipe that I am including here is a basic curry, that can be used and adapted to different meats and vegetables. I recommend using fresh, whole spices because the flavor they add is unmistakable.
1 1/2 3-inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
8 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup canola oil
1 med. onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, pureed
1 chunk (1 1/2 inch) fresh ginger root, peeled and pureed
1 1/2 pounds of your favorite protein source (i.e. lamb, chicken, shrimp, beef, etc.)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt + more to taste
3 whole plum tomatoes (you can use roma), chopped, plus 1 tbsp. of the juice
2 bunches spinach cleaned and washed thoroughly, chopped coarsely
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno ends cut off (seeds removed to lessen heat) and cut down the middle
1 cup peas, 4 med. boiling potatoes (3/4 in. cubes), 4 med. zucchini (1/2 in. cubes), or any combination.
2-4 tbsp. chopped cilantro1. Heat oil in non-stick pan, but do not let smoke, and add the first group of spices, cook for about 5 to 10 seconds. Add onions and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, ginger, protein of choice, ground spices, salt, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring constantly until liquid evaporates, oil separates and turns orange, and spices begin to fry, 5-7 minutes. Cook until spices start to smell cooked (about 30 seconds after change in oil).
3. Stir in spinach and cilantro. Add 2 cups water and jalapeno, and season with salt. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender. (20-30 minutes for chicken, 30-40 minutes for beef or lamb. If using shrimp, wait until later in the procedure)
4. Add the vegetables of choice (except peas) and cook until tender. Stir in cilantro. Add shrimp and/or peas if using. Simmer until all ingredients are cooked, and heated through (about 3 minutes.)
The most difficult part of this recipe is the preparation. Make sure that all the ingredients are prepared prior to beginning the recipe.
There are many different beers that can be paired with curry. I would recommend a honey ale, to bring out the sweetness found in many curries. Another good option would be an Indian pale ale. Regardless of what you choose to serve with your curry, remember that the fun in trying new things is learning more about what you like and don't like, and sharing those things with others.
January 7, 2008
Wet, Brown, and Delicious
Brown Ales... It seems that there are a few different styles of brown ales; English mild, English brown, and American brown ales. It seems like when ever I want a beer that is refreshing and full of flavor it is very difficult to find one that satisfies both needs. Well Brown ales seem to fill the gap where other just slip through.
Brown ales were invented in England and come in many different shades and flavors, but they all fall under the styles above. The term brown ale actually only became recognized around 40 years ago. They tend to be similar to porters, but are paler, sweeter, mellower, and not as dry.
English mild ales are from southern England and tend to be dark brown, low in alcohol, and low in bitterness. Crystal malt is a major ingredient, which lends to its sweetness, however, it is not all that popular in the U.S.
English Brown ales are from the northern region of England and is typified by the Newcastle Brown Ale. It has a reddish brown color, is drier than the mild ale, and has a higher alcohol content. It is quite popular in the U.S. due to its less sweet and heavier qualities.
American brown ales are sometimes called California browns or Texas browns because they tend to be hoppier and bigger in flavor. They tend to be on the same level of alcohol as the English brown ales, around 5.0%.
There are other beers called brown ales, for instance, Belgian brown ales, but they do not fit in to the category of brown ales, they tend to be more tart or sour in flavor. These beers are called Flanders brown and red ales. They are named as such because of the distinct area that they were first brewed.
The reason that I chose to talk about Brown ales is because I just brewed my first, and it will be ready soon. I hope to find the results of my beer to be indicative of the traditional styles. I will let you all know once I try it.
Until next time, happy brewing, and happy drinking.
Brown ales were invented in England and come in many different shades and flavors, but they all fall under the styles above. The term brown ale actually only became recognized around 40 years ago. They tend to be similar to porters, but are paler, sweeter, mellower, and not as dry.
English mild ales are from southern England and tend to be dark brown, low in alcohol, and low in bitterness. Crystal malt is a major ingredient, which lends to its sweetness, however, it is not all that popular in the U.S.
English Brown ales are from the northern region of England and is typified by the Newcastle Brown Ale. It has a reddish brown color, is drier than the mild ale, and has a higher alcohol content. It is quite popular in the U.S. due to its less sweet and heavier qualities.
American brown ales are sometimes called California browns or Texas browns because they tend to be hoppier and bigger in flavor. They tend to be on the same level of alcohol as the English brown ales, around 5.0%.
There are other beers called brown ales, for instance, Belgian brown ales, but they do not fit in to the category of brown ales, they tend to be more tart or sour in flavor. These beers are called Flanders brown and red ales. They are named as such because of the distinct area that they were first brewed.
The reason that I chose to talk about Brown ales is because I just brewed my first, and it will be ready soon. I hope to find the results of my beer to be indicative of the traditional styles. I will let you all know once I try it.
Until next time, happy brewing, and happy drinking.
January 3, 2008
Happy New Year
Hello everyone, it has been a few (okay more than a few) days since my last post, but it is the holidays, and it is good to take a break every now and again. I realize that you have been patiently waiting with bated breath for the next post so here it is.
One of the things that I knew already, but revisited over the break was that b
eer is appropriate in so many places. You might be thinking that it is only appropriate at certain times, but this simply is not true. Beer is as great at a family gathering during the holidays as it is on at the beach on a sunny summer day. After brewing my first beer, and having my parents visit over christmas, I realized that after talking about the beer and the process of creating the beer, it was a great experience to be able to share the results. Together my dad and I also brewed another batch, so we were able to go through the process together, and when it is ready, we will be able to discuss the outcome and what worked and didn't work.
Another time I found over the past few days that beer can be appropriate, is to mark specific, special days. On New Years day, my girlfriend, our dog, and I went to the mountains east of San Diego to an abandoned fire lookout. It was cold and windy, but the view was fantastic. While we were up there, we sat and talked about goals and expectations for the new year and commemorated it with the Pale Ale that I brewed. I can't really think of a better way to start off the new year.
Beer brings people together and brings people closer, beer is a great way to mark momentous occasions, and it is great for a cozy winter day. It can be used to make decisions, and set goals; however, I would recommend decisions be made with a little less beer (sometimes).
I hope that your holiday were wonderful and that the new year brings you new friends and new adventures.
Cheers!
One of the things that I knew already, but revisited over the break was that b
eer is appropriate in so many places. You might be thinking that it is only appropriate at certain times, but this simply is not true. Beer is as great at a family gathering during the holidays as it is on at the beach on a sunny summer day. After brewing my first beer, and having my parents visit over christmas, I realized that after talking about the beer and the process of creating the beer, it was a great experience to be able to share the results. Together my dad and I also brewed another batch, so we were able to go through the process together, and when it is ready, we will be able to discuss the outcome and what worked and didn't work. Another time I found over the past few days that beer can be appropriate, is to mark specific, special days. On New Years day, my girlfriend, our dog, and I went to the mountains east of San Diego to an abandoned fire lookout. It was cold and windy, but the view was fantastic. While we were up there, we sat and talked about goals and expectations for the new year and commemorated it with the Pale Ale that I brewed. I can't really think of a better way to start off the new year.
Beer brings people together and brings people closer, beer is a great way to mark momentous occasions, and it is great for a cozy winter day. It can be used to make decisions, and set goals; however, I would recommend decisions be made with a little less beer (sometimes).I hope that your holiday were wonderful and that the new year brings you new friends and new adventures.
Cheers!
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