TongoRad

That's LaGuardia, raji! tgfny- I can give you a number of suggestions, but it might help if you could provide a little more detail. Are you by yourself, or is this a business lunch? Do you have your own transportation? That sort of thing... The most 'interesting' places are probably the Caribbean Roti shops in South Ozone Park and Jamaica, but they're pretty informal. Post back- we'll help you narrow things down. I work in the area so I have a bunch of favorites.

Anchor Porter and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot- just a smidge over that 4% AbV We've come a long way, baby!

Thanks, Derek. You're right about that John Palmer site- I just glanced through it and it seems to be quite an excellent resource. And there is a very handy Hop Utilization chart included that I just may rely on for this particular calculation. I've toyed with the idea of brewing smaller batches myself, and may even do it in the case of pale all-grain beers (helles, wit, kolsch, etc.), should the mood strike. For now, though, I want to see how the concentrated boil goes because it sure would be nice to have a larger volume of beer for essentially the same effort. My biggest concern is the water used to dilute the batch at the end. I plan on doing a pre-boil to make sure it is 'safe' and sealing the pot to refrigerate it overnight.

Yeah, they're like that, especially these beer people. I'll post back with more details when I have the stuff in hand. They are not classic for an IPA at all, actually. Those hops would be East Kent Goldings and I've used them in precisely this sort of beer with great success... {To back up just a bit... I'm not sure of the exact year- 1995 I think- but everybody who entered the original Boston Beer Company's Longshot competition received a pound of Goldings for the effort. I took most of that pound and used it in a 70/70 IPA ( the 70's stood for 70 IBU's and 1.070 o.g.), all hops were goldings. 'Up the wazoo', being the technical term. This was, in part, inspired by a passage in the Terry Foster Pale Ale book. In it he writes " Nevertheless, a group of dedicated English homebrewers, the Durden Park Beer Circle, has reconstructed a recipe for Original India Pale Ale. It uses only pale malt, has an OG of 1.070 (17P) and uses 2.1 ounces of Goldings per gallon...this amounts to 52.5 HBU per five gallons (150 to 200 IBU!)" Obviously I backed off on the bitterness a bit, but my beer wasn't meant to spend months at sea, either Anyway, conceptually it may have been simple, but it also kicked butt if I do say so myself.} So that was one of my original thoughts- either resurrect that beer or my smoked porter. Going 'all extract' pushed me in the direction of the IPA, but then I also remembered the Phoenix hops. They are a fairly recent development- a sexy English 'dual' hop- that I recall getting curious about just when I stopped brewing. Randy Mosher recommended them as "very attractive" in the 1997 Special Hop Issue of Zymurgy. What's not to like about 'very attractive'? Scuttlebutt at the time was that they had elements of both the typical English (spicy/floral) and American (citrus/resin) varieties, but I definitely look forward to finally getting some first-hand experience with them. As far as domestic examples go I can't really think of a widely distributed one that features the Phoenix hops, but Brooklyn's East India Pale Ale probably comes really close. It utilizes only British two row malts, has a very similar gravity, and a combination of English and American hops (leaning towards the Goldings, IMO) with a dry hop addition. Only time will tell...

Agreed!You know I certainly would drink a beer from a seidel / mug if I were with your friend, would listen to his pitch, and be in keeping with a tradition. ← Just make sure you're sitting at a sturdy table or bar, because slamming the mug down is a big part of the fun, and it's also the one part that you can do by yourself (Something about giving thanks to the thing that will not only hold your beer for you but will also hold you if need be, not that that sort of thing applies to me, mind you...) Here's something from the "why didn't I think of that file" in regards to those frozen mugs (I'll credit this to Garrett Oliver who posted the idea on another message board): If you are in an establishment that practices this custom and the bartender is reluctant to give the mug a rinse to bring it up to room temperature, just request that your beer be served in an oversized wine glass. Or you could just bypass the whole process and get the wine glass from the start.

One of my very dear friends, and main partner-in-crime to tell you the truth, is of German-American heritage. All it will take is a good two minutes with him to truly appreciate the value of a good solid hunk of glass in your hand To this day, even when I'm alone, I can't imagine consuming a good Helles lager in anything but a seidel (mug). I'd say that anything else would seem a bit 'nancy-boy', but then again my mugs happen to be a set of Tiffany beer mugs that I got as a wedding present so I guess we won't go there. I'm still willing to clink the hell out of them, that's for sure, and they really are some heavy sonofabitches. My bottom line is 'if you got it, use it'. Glassware can definitely make a difference with beer, but I wouldn't sweat it too much if you don't have each of the major types of glass. I happen to love stems myself and I find that they are tremendously versatile as a beer consumption vehicle; if I had to choose only one all-purpose glass it would be the 'tulip'. But that's not where I find myself- I have 'em, so I use 'em. If you really wanted to branch out into a more complete collection, though, I don't think you'd really need more than six glasses (tulip, imperial pint, mug, weizen, pils (pokal), and snifter)...make that seven if you like Kolsch because they really can't be beat from a stange. That really isn't so much, and, yeah, I'm including the mug in there. Just don't put it in the freezer ...

Just curious - how does it differ from their Sansbitter product - the one that comes in little bottles? have you tried both? Owen, Afraid I haven't tried (or even seen) Sansbitter. San Pelligrino Chino is sweet as well as bitter, and quite dark in colour. There is a website, but it seems to be down at the moment. It describes Chino as a type of chinotto, so I wouldn't be surprised if the flavour is similar to the Chinotto you photographed in your recent post. What does Sansbitter taste like? I dimly remember seeing virulent red bitter soft drinks in Spain many years ago that tasted like non-alcoholic Campari: was it like this? ← A little late to the party here, but I can clarify these two. The comparison of the Sanbitter to Campari is spot-on, or more precisely like a non-alcoholic Campari and Soda. The Chinotto is very much like an amaro (Ramazotti, Averna) and soda, non-alcoholic. They're great for when you want that sort of cocktail but don't want the alcohol. I don't drink many other sodas, but I'll take a Jarritos any chance I can get. Tamarindo all the way, baby!

Just posting back with some behind-the-scenes stuff that has been happening, as well as a final recipe. Christopher's eCGI Homebrewer's Course First Installment is up. I think he found the right way to be thorough enough without throwing too much information at you too soon. All beginners are encouraged to check it out, and to start brewing: "You can do iiiiiiiiiit!" (...that guy never fails to crack me up). On to where I stand at the moment- My brother is going to get the CO2 tanks taken care of. There is a welding supply place not too far from his house and he can probably get this done faster than I can. I used to be able to do it from work, but am no longer at the same place. We wouldn't want me to get out the Yellow Pages or anything like that, would we? I mean...I just may get a paper cut On another front I contacted the guys from my old homebrew shop. They are still around and seemed genuinely glad to hear from me. In fact, they had the same reaction to the 9 year absence that I did :"has it really been that long?" In some ways it was a lifetime ago, and in others it really does seem like yeaterday. Anyway...just because I love to be a real pain in the ass sometimees...all of the ingredients that I plan on using for this batch are items that they normally don't carry. But have no fear, for a special order is on its way. My other inclination would be to change the recipe rather than go someplace else, but this way I don't have to do that. Here's what I'm doing: Extract (2) 3.5 lb. Cans John Bull Light liquid extract 3 lb. Extra Light DME Hops Eroica- approx. 22 HBU for bittering 4 oz. Phoenix- for aroma and dry hops Yeast Wyeast #1275 Thames Valley Hopefully this will give me a beer at o.g. 1.070 with IBU's in the 60's. Utilization is tough to figure for something like this- if I add one can John Bull and the DME to 3 1/2 gallons water at the beginning, I'll be boiling the bittering hops at a gravity of around 1.080. Then there is the matter of how much of a rolling boil I can get on my stove. This isn't exactly the style where a few IBU's extra will hurt so much, so I'm figuring on the low side for utilization and hoping for the best. The second can of extract will be added at flame-out, along with the first addition of aroma hops. The residual heat will essentially pasteurize the extract, which is all you really need for that product (I'll go more into the 'hot break' when I move on to grain brewing, but it is not necessary here.) The main ingredients all have an English flavor profile though the end result will be a lot bigger and more aggressive than any (imported) English IPA that I have seen. There are some domestic versions of the style that are probably more in line with my recipe. Anyway, it's going to kick ass, I guarantee it. And I can't wait. Coming up: Hosing the gunk off of stuff Shopping Yeast starter Water treatment Giddy up...

Great first installment, Chris. And a very interesting ( in a good way) first recipe- if I were doing it I would definitely opt for the coriander seeds. I look forward to hearing from people brewing along. Come on in folks, the water's fine!

Very solid lineup across the board- definitely try the Dunkel (Altbairisch) if you can find it. On the stronger side both the Maibock and Doppelbock (Celebrator) are arguably the best representations that you will find of their respective styles, well worth looking into.

Just a follow up with a money shot- Good stuff!

I made some Caponata tonight (Thursday) for consumption on Saturday. I prefer to give it a day or so to really come together. I'm using this particular method for the third time, and I really like the results. Might as well give a bit of a demo (just click on the recipe above for the ingredients)- The first thing to say, I guess, is that this is a combination stovetop/oven method and I tend to add quite a bit of oil as I go. I figure that if the eggplant wants to be a greedy little oil sponge I may as well just let it- and the end results are pretty rich and luxurious to boot (surprise, surprise). I also have come to prefer to use balsamic vinegar over the (more traditional?) red wine vinegar, and that is pretty much because the sweet/sour aspect of the dish is enhanced by the balsamic. Here are the supporting characters. I made the roasted peppers last night. The sliced eggplant is dredged/dusted with flour before hitting the saute pan. This does two things- it keeps the eggplant from sticking and falling apart (also- that part that sticks tends to get crispy, and you don't want that), and the modest amount of starch helps thicken the juices given off by the veggies. Here is a shot midway through cooking- some moderate browning is okay, but I really just want to cook them through. I add the capers and peppers to the sweated veggies for a bit to allow them to bloom. Here it is before the tomatoes and eggplant enter the picture- Coarsly chopped eggplant after shedding its skin- And here it is out of the oven. The flavors have had a chance to marry and the individual elements have softened yet still hold a bit of their shape. In a few days and out of the fridge this will look a hell of a lot more appealing, although it smells damn fine right now. I will post a final photo to the recipe at that time

Caponata Serves 12 as Appetizer. I've done this three times in a row in this particular manner- so that officially makes it a recipe. The key is how you cook the eggplant. I've tried doing it in chunks. I've tried baking it split and then scooping out the interior. This is the way that gives the best texture and taste. Go no further if you are afraid of oil, because I use a lot of it here and it gives the end result a luxurious, rich quality. 1 Large Eggplant 1/2 c Flour 1 Medium Onion, diced 2 Cloves Garlic, sliced 1 Rib Celery, diced 1/2 Roasted Red Pepper, diced 1 Can Tomatoes, drained 1/8 c Capers, rinsed 4 Basil Leaves 1 c Olive Oil, or more 1/4 c Balsamic Vinegar Salt as required 1- Place the tomatoes in a bowl and coarsely squish them between your fingers. 2- Cut eggplant into 1" rounds, skin on. Salt each side and place in colander with a heavy weight on top. Allow to drain. 3- Preheat oven to 350F. 4- Rinse eggplant and pat dry. Dredge with flour, shaking off the excess. Heat a oven-proof saute pan to medium high and place 1/4" olive oil covering bottom of pan. Saute one side of eggplant slices, adding more oil as needed (the eggplant will soak up the oil like a sponge). Turn over and add more oil to the pan as well as a drizzle on top of the eggplant slices. Place the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and cooked through. You may need to turn the slices one more time and add another drizzle of oil mid-way through the cooking process. 5- Remove from oven and place the eggplant slices to the side. Peel and coarsely chop. 6- In the same pan add a bit of fresh oil, just to film the bottom, and add the onion, celery and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add capers, peppers and basil leaves. Toss until heated through. Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, eggplant and a bit of salt as required. Stir and bring to a simmer. 7- Return the pan to the oven and allow to cook uncovered for 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally. 8- Remove and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled with bread as an antipasto. Keywords: Intermediate, Vegetarian, Vegetables, Italian, Dip, Appetizer ( RG1685 )

Allrighty, then- let's get started with a 'square one' shot. I've moved two times since I last brewed so at least most everything found its way to one location (a shelving unit in my garage). It has all been gathering dust for years, though that really shouldn't be that much to overcome. Most of that stuff won't even be used on the first extract batch, but should come into play on the next. I am most concerned with the condition of the kegs, particularly the seals and o-rings. I would guess that the CO2 tanks need to be recertified and filled, and that would need to happen first because I need the CO2 in order to test and clean the kegs. I prefer to use my kegs for my secondary fermentation and conditioning so even if this weren't going to be a draft beer (which it is) this is a necessary first step. Meanwhile I will finalize a recipe. Without getting too much into it, there are just certain styles that do not translate to the extract(*) method very well, while others can be pulled off easily. My inclinations are to avoid prehopped kits (I like to control the hops myself) and anything other than the lightest of the extracts (same reason as the hops but substitute 'specialty grains'). I am also leaning towards a 3 gallon boil for a 5 1/2 gallon batch, diluted with cold water at the end, just because I suspect that the stovetop will not do a satisfactory job with a 6 gallon boil. Or take forever. So that's a somewhat concentrated boil and it brings its own set of issues to the table such as poor hop utilization and overcaramelization of the wort. The plan is to make an English IPA, playing off of the fact that the original IPA's had no caramel or specialty grains in the grain bill but did get some caramelization from a lengthy and high gravity boil. I will deal with the poor utilization by adding a significant amount, but less than half, of the extract at the very end, keeping the gravity manageable enough to get decent hop utilization. More on this when the recipe is complete. (*) Malt extract is essentially concentrated or dehydrated runoff from the mash- wherein the the starches in the malted grain are converted to fermentable sugars. The benefit is that you don't have to conduct a lengthy mash and sparge process yourself, just add water and boil. The downside is that you don't conduct a lengthy mash and sparge process yourself, and have no control as to what grains are in there or how fermentable it is.

Perfect timing indeed- now I definitely feel as though the beer gods want me to do this. Congratulations, Christopher, and good luck with the course if you haven't yet completed it. I will definitely be there. I'll probably have a bit more leeway with the photos than you did, this being a journal and all. I'll definitely post some of my ingredients, hopefully the homebrew shop (if they let me), some of my gear, and maybe even some people making happy drinking faces. I'll also photograph some of the process which, in cojunction with the textual elements, I hope will be illustrative. We'll see.

Thanks, Chris. I guess I should've made note of that, though I really didn't follow a recipe. Once the hot potato was milled I spread it thin up the sides of a large bowl to allow the steam to come off. Then I kept adding all purpose flour a little at a time until it felt like it was holding together. They were made and shaped in under 10 minutes. One of the reasons I would like to keep up with it now is so that I get the 'feel' part of it down pat- if I understood the technique a little better last night I could have made them a little less fluffy.

First of all- thanks to Susan Burgess aka Susan in FL for suggesting doing this thread as a journal, giving some pointers to get started, and investigating some pesky issues in regards to posting that may come up. So here's the readers digest version of my Rip Van Winkle story: I got started homebrewing in 1991 via the prodding of some friends. My dad and I were already into home winemaking so I really didn't need to buy very much new equipment, and coincidentally some friends had just purchased a bar and gave me a bunch of old soda kegs that they found in the cellar. All I really needed was a CO2 tank and regulator and I was good to go. My first few batches were done in an enamel lobster pot on the stove and fermented in a 6 gallon Poland Spring water jug that I got from work. You really can go the low-tech route and make some really good beer- which is where I find myself right now. It wasn't long before I was doing all grain, decoction mash brews and that's sort of where I left it in '97. My lifestyle now is a heck of a lot different than it was then and I just don't have the weekends to dedicate to that sort of thing. But, for whatever reason (mostly from participating in the homebrewing thread here, actually- so thanks, folks) I have gotten the bug again. The thing is- it's going to have to be done at night, between 8 and 11 pm, and on a stovetop (the 'brewing' part, that is). My plan here is to document the whole shebang- from un-mothballing all the old stuff to purchasing my ingredients to brewing to packaging to serving. I'll also post my thought process, in regards to recipes, procedures and God only knows what else, along the way. The first beer will be all extract and, depending on how that goes, I may go into partial mash recipes. Questions and comments are welcome and encouraged. I don't think I will actually be brewing anything for a week or two, but I do have a lot of work to do and some phonecalls to make during that time. See ya soon. Cheers!

Have you tried the Smuttynose Old Brown Dog? Had it on tap last week and was quite impressed. It's definitely a thicker beer than yer Newcastle. Nice body, some hops, and a not too sweet chocolatey flavor. ← Yeah- it's a good beer. I liked the Avery better but that is also a good option to have around. Browns are always sooo good on draught. I guess that's true for almost all beers, but still...

Last night Lady Rad was out of the house, meaning that I could eat as late as I wanted to. This was an opportunity to play that I just could not refuse- normally I would have done the same sort of dish that I wound up making but it would've been with dried pasta instead of the gnocchi. Here are my humble ingredients: A potato, sausages and some sauteed broccoli rabe. And here is my weapon of choice (well...necessity, actually, seeing as I don't have a ricer)- grandma's Foley: I put the potato in the oven while I got the kids to bed. It was ready when I was. The food mill worked well enough for one potato but the holes were getting kind of clogged by the end of the process. I really do need to get a ricer because this was easy to do even when time is tight and I would like to make gnocchi more often. I started at 7:30 and was eating by 8:15, and that included quite a bit of cleanup time in between. Here is my dinner for one: I really like to caramelize my sausage for this dish, and I prefer not to blanch my broccoli rabe so the flavors are pretty aggressive. Once the gnocchi came to the top of the water I added them to the pan with the other ingredients along with a ladle of water, allowing them to cook a bit longer with the other flavors. When I turned off the heat I added two pats of butter and gave it all a toss before serving. The final verdict was that the gnocchi were a bit too soft and delicate for the rest of the dish, though flavor-wise it is a classic. Orichietti is still the way to go, but I really enjoyed my gnocchi making experience and can see myself doing it more in the future.

Great demo, thanks. That is a hell of a lot of cardomom, though. Maybe you could cut way back on it next time and add in a little coriander in its place. Do dish about that wonderful looking naan- did you make it? Gotta love the char- it really makes the sandwich come alive. That store-bought stuff just won't do. Another alternative if you don't have access to naan or time to make it is to just roll your stuff in chapatis (Kati Rolls), which don't take as much time.

I made it there today for some supplies and tacos, and am glad I did. At first the grocery section seemed a little too streamlined and compact for what I expected, but in the end I was able to get pretty much what I came in for and put a few other items on the old mental list. They have more El Yucatecos than I have seen before- including a chipotle flavor- plus a few Bufalo sauces at very reasonable prices (The Bufalo Chipotle is only $1.09 a bottle and the El Yucatecos are just a little more than that). The dried chiles are in the back on a high shelf in what I guess you would call bulk packages. The guajillos seem to be of very good quality (I haven't cooked with them yet but they have a nice aroma and are quite pliable) at $6 for a large bag (3 quarts, maybe?). The refrigerated section features some killer poblanos and tomatillos. I forgot to look for fresh epazote, but I do know that they have dried. Anyway- I'm very happy with what I found there. The tacos are what has been described above- very good stuff indeed, definitely on par with La Batalla up the road. The squirt bottle sauces (verde and chipotle)are better by a long shot, imho, much more vibrant. On the side I was given some braised (?) spring onions and slices of pickled cactus. Just a hell of a lunch for 5 bucks. I'll definitely be back soon.

Those Witchcraft sandwiches always sound so good. They have to open up a place in southern Queens, which is where I am most of the time. Speaking of which... If you work in and around JFK for a while you will eventually hear about Biordi's Italian Deli. It's a friendly small neighborhood spot in a residential area that you would never find on your own (at the corner of 135 Ave and 128 St). Their version of the 'Italian Hero' (similar to the one Sandy posted above) is the best I have found in the area, and that includes Howard Beach. I just love this kind of sandwich to begin with- all of the flavors are so complimentary to one another and blend so perfetly. Biordi's uses capicola (Carando), none of the 'cappy' stuff, soppresata (Citterio- gotta love those peppercorns), genoa salami and provolone. It is dressed with hot peppers, lettuce, onion and tomatoes. It may not be the best in the city but it's good to have something of this quality close by.

I'll admit that I looked it up but, yeah, it's from Ithaca Brewing. Sounds good, too. (That reminds me that I have some friends in Dryden that I haven't seen in a while...hmmm...). Anyway- Sneakeater- if you liked this beer and you would like some alternate suggestions for when it is not available please do post back. I'm sure that there are quite a few similar year-round beers that you could find easily. Also, if you see the Troegs Nugget Nectar around- it's also a seasonal, but get some if you can- there's a different hop profile but it looks like it is in the same ballpark stylistically. That beer freakin' rocks. Forgive the didacticism but that disctinction isn't really necessary. It's all beer.

OOh- I'm glad this thread has been bumped. Did somebody mention Gyros?: That baby is from a place in Glen Cove, Long Island, NY. I'm not sure the photo really does it justice, but it is as tasty as it is big. And it is big, a real gluttonfest (I'm so bad sometimes ). I've gotten to the point that I don't even bother with the side of fries anymore. Anyway, the place has a real old-school charm, like it's been there forever (and the guys tending the grill as well); I just wish I could go more often. I do most of my restaurant hopping during the lunchtime hour, and some weeks I cover a lot of territory. I'll have to remember to bring my camera along. I'll leave you guys with an older shot, though I am here at least once a month and the quality never wavers. This is a thali lunch from the House of Dosas in Hicksville, and I am convinced that it is the best 7 bucks you can spend on the Island:

I can't say exactly, but maybe you got an old and unbalanced sample. The roasted malts used in Porters and Stouts will acidify the mash somewhat, though that quality is usually balanced out in the finished beer. I don't ever recall its being that noticible in the Taddy Porter, myself. Another possibility is that the diacetyl present in that beer (a fermentation byproduct that comes across like butterscotch) in conjunction with some oxidation gave a sensation of a certain 'sourness'. This may be the result of age or exposure to excessive heat. Either way, I don't think you experienced it in its full glory, which is too bad.