cdh

I've only got a pair of give away bottles... the rest is in big heavy swingtops that I'm loath to part with... so those at great distance have priority on the two 12 oz crown capped bottles. Those closer are welcome to meet up and trade some brew in person. I'm actually having a similar carbonation issue to iain's. I bottled the five gallons into 1 6 liter PET bottle that I force carbonated right away, and the brew was quite nice and actually quite good with a good charge of fizz in it. the remaining 3.75 gallons got primed with a half cup of corn sugar, aiming for a little more fizz than a standard british beer, and bottled in 20 oz swingtops and a pair of crown capped give away bottles. It's been two weeks and the three swing tops I've opened have been barely fizzy at all despite some yeast sediment appearing on the bottoms of the bottles. Very strange. If it keeps up like that, I may dump a bunch of the swing tops' contents into the 6L PET bottle and fizz it up that way.

Never seen it, but haven't looked either. What is so good about it, anyway? Will poke around on the web for informaiton about it for you. Even if it isn't available in NYC, you have three other states within an hour's drive that might have it if you should happen to get a rum-runnin' urge in you.

And what a day it was! Absolutely packed, and some of the good stuff went before I had a chance to give it a try, but even still... an excellent evening judging by what I did have a chance to try. The Brewer's Art Green Peppercorn Triple was certainly the most unusual beer I've ever run across. Tastes almost just like what you'd expect... A rich, hoppy beligian triple style, with a big dose of pepper flavor, though no pepper bite. I was hoping for a bit of tartness, since most of my experiences with green peppercorns have had some tart twang to them, but there wasn't any. Just rich triple goodness that tastes like it ran into a pepper mill. The Lancaster Winter Ale (a last minute sub in for the Four Grain) was a good dark malty heavy wintery brew. Not much more to say about that one. The Duke of Ale was wonderful... Despite the fact that the knowledgeable swore to me that it was an IPA, its hopping was so smooth that it struck me as more of a rich ESB... which, I guess, was how IPAs got started. Whatever it was, stylistically, it was great. The John Harvard's Heather Ale was quite interesting, and I liked it. A beer without hops is, of course, missing something that everybody associates with beer... but the heather used to replace it made for an interesting, almost metallic flavor, but not in an offensive way. Don't know that I'd drink it by the pint regularly, but when not in the mood for hops, it might be a nice change. The Yards George Jefferson was another dark, hoppy malty beer about which I just don't have much more to say. Was good... but that is about it. A beer for movin'on up, to a deelux apartment in the sky -y -y, I guess. Was good seeing Rich and Lew Bryson and other notables in the exciting Philly beer scene there last night. Scoats the publican was ever the gentleman, making trips out into the cold to thank those stuck waiting in line for having the patience they did. An excellent event, and I can't wait for the next Friday the 13th!

Yup... I have to agree that I'm not in the Haters' club. It took me days to think of the bitter melon, asafoetida and buckwheat groats that I came up with over on the other thread. And who eats them regularly, anyway. As far as things a North American would come across in more than 2% of situations, I'm totally in the "I'll eat it!" Club.

Just remembered another nomination for the axis of evil- russian buckwheat groat kasha. Has a weird solvent-y kind of flavor and just sucks. and, btw: snails- yummy! bugs? never tried em. My mind is, on the other hand, open to the possibility that bugs might taste good. An anthropologist friend of mine who spent a few years in Papua New Guinea told me that the sago grubs are quite good.

This is the first I've heard of the place, but I'll salute its passing and join in your feelings about the passing of that way of life. Genteel adventurism-- RIP.

The only dish I've eaten in recent memory and absolutely hated because of an ingredient was a dim sum dish of rounds of bitter melon hollowed out and stuffed with something. The Bitter melon was WRONG! Not just culinarily evil, but WRONG! Astringent, puckery kind of bitter. The thought still makes the sides of my tongue curl up. And my other nomnation for axis membership is asafoetida. Smells like garlic infused sweat socks, and makes kitchens in which it was used smell the same. Tastes worse.

cdh's un-named cocktail This is a lovely variation on a Manhattan. The marsala and Peychaud make for a very interesting herbalness quite different from what you'd get from plain old sweet vermouth. Well worth a try for Manhattan lovers. 1-1/2 fl oz Bourbon (I used Evan Williams) 1/2 fl oz sweet Marsala 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters Keywords: Cocktail ( RG859 )

cdh's un-named cocktail This is a lovely variation on a Manhattan. The marsala and Peychaud make for a very interesting herbalness quite different from what you'd get from plain old sweet vermouth. Well worth a try for Manhattan lovers. 1-1/2 fl oz Bourbon (I used Evan Williams) 1/2 fl oz sweet Marsala 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters Keywords: Cocktail ( RG859 )

The Cool Refreshing Breeze The humidity and general meteorological unpleasantness of late had inspired a need for something chilly and refreshing... I was looking for the York peppermint patty effect, and where else to turn but creme de menthe. Inspired by thoughts of mint juleps, I took Bourbon as the base and poured two ounces over the ice in my shaker. Then topped that with a half ounce of clear creme de menthe and and a half ounce of creme de cacao... shook til it my metal shaker was too cold to hold, poured into a cocktail glass, and topped with three shakes of Fee's mint bitters. 2 oz Bourbon 1/2 oz uncolored creme de menthe 1/2 oz uncolored creme de cacao 3 dashes Fees Mint bitters Combine the first three in a sharker with ice. Shake. Strain into glass. Top with bitters Keywords: Cocktail ( RG848 )

The Cool Refreshing Breeze The humidity and general meteorological unpleasantness of late had inspired a need for something chilly and refreshing... I was looking for the York peppermint patty effect, and where else to turn but creme de menthe. Inspired by thoughts of mint juleps, I took Bourbon as the base and poured two ounces over the ice in my shaker. Then topped that with a half ounce of clear creme de menthe and and a half ounce of creme de cacao... shook til it my metal shaker was too cold to hold, poured into a cocktail glass, and topped with three shakes of Fee's mint bitters. 2 oz Bourbon 1/2 oz uncolored creme de menthe 1/2 oz uncolored creme de cacao 3 dashes Fees Mint bitters Combine the first three in a sharker with ice. Shake. Strain into glass. Top with bitters Keywords: Cocktail ( RG848 )

A Nameless Cocktail 1-1/2 fl oz bourbon over ice in an old fashioned glass 2 dashes Fees' peach bitters top with Trader Joe's Apricot-Peach juice. Keywords: Cocktail ( RG847 )

A Nameless Cocktail 1-1/2 fl oz bourbon over ice in an old fashioned glass 2 dashes Fees' peach bitters top with Trader Joe's Apricot-Peach juice. Keywords: Cocktail ( RG847 )

the Homeskillet An old favorite that has become a classic amongst my friends 2 oz Rye (or bourbon if you're looking for something sweeter) 1/2 oz red vermouth (anything but Martini and Rossi... echhhhh) 1/4 oz Luxardo maraschino 2 dashes Angostrura Shake over ice until really chilly. Serve up Keywords: Cocktail ( RG846 )

the Homeskillet An old favorite that has become a classic amongst my friends 2 oz Rye (or bourbon if you're looking for something sweeter) 1/2 oz red vermouth (anything but Martini and Rossi... echhhhh) 1/4 oz Luxardo maraschino 2 dashes Angostrura Shake over ice until really chilly. Serve up Keywords: Cocktail ( RG846 )

Recent experimentation has yielded another cocktail unrecorded in the literature so far as I can find: 1.5 oz Bourbon (I used Evan Williams) .5 oz sweet Marsala 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters This is a lovely variation on a Manhattan. The marsala and Peychaud make for a very interesting herbalness quite different from what you'd get from plain old sweet vermouth. Well worth a try for Manhattan lovers.

Lead... and we'll each follow in our own time. Maybe with questions.

How would you feel about leading a bunch of extract brewers through their first all-grain brew? That was the next project on the agenda...

Kidneys are one of those things that are like sheep flesh. Veal kidneys are good. Lamb kidneys are good. Beef kidneys, on the other hand, suck. (as does mutton) See the Rosa Mexicana thread for a clear description of how terribly they suck... suffice it to say that they suck significantly. I've had good veal kidneys that are extremely similar to calves' liver, and terrible beef kidneys that smell like a urinal. Pork kidneys I've left alone.

I dunno about the blanket judgment of bland. I was quite mushroom-centric when there and the mushrooms were really quite tasty. Nothing was fiery-kimchee-sets-the-tastebuds-ablaze flavorful there, but I rather enjoyed it. Some of the pancakes and porriges did semm a bit flavor lacking from the tastes of others' I sampled... but some of it was really good. Some root or other I'd never heard of (I think todok, but am uncertain) was a particular standout good dish.

Ms. Burros: A very interesting discussion we have going here. Thanks for your time and thoughts. I'm interested in your comment about the European reliance on the precautionary principle. When looked at from one perspective, the European refusal to accept such technologies as genetic modification or irradiation or any other laboratory process does appear to be the precautionary principle in action. However, from another perspective, the failure to be as picky, if not moreso, than the USDA when considering dairy and meat matters belies that contention, don't you think? A very few people are known to become ill from raw dairy, and tradition prevents regulation. However bring in something new and unheard of, regardless of scientific pronouncements of harmlessness, and the continent is up in arms. All of which seems to tie in well with the Slow food movement... keep your science off my food... tradition is the best teacher, and such. Was wondering about your thoughts on the matter,

A vegan friend of mine speaks with fond rememberance of the accomodations that Gray Kunz made for him at Lespinasse. Now that Cafe Gray is an option, I'd bet the kitchen would be similarly flexible. Another chef well remembered by this same friend is Alan Harding... don't know what has befallen him other than Schnaaack in Blkyn. Hangawi is fancy, all veggie, and very very tasty. Or... call the high-end spot of your preference a few days in advance and ask if they could accommodate a veggie... maybe talk through dishes or preparations that would be particularly pleasing to the particular veggie in question.

Bottled yesterday. Well... put 6 L into my aforementioned Tap-A-Draft thingy and force carbonated it, and put the rest into 24 500ml swingtop bottles and 2 crown capped give-away bottles. So far, three 8g CO2 charges have been blasted into the beer in the Tap-A-Draft, and it has picked up a nice light carbonation. Very tasty indeed. I'm getting no chalkiness like Theakston notes... Am quite pleased. Can't wait to try the bottle conditioned variation. Have to wait two weeks for that.

Just checked out the free CIA course, but it looks more like cheese appreciation than a technical cheesemaking course. Actually it looks like an infomercial presented by the California Cheese Board, come to think of it. Cheese, It's What's With Dinner.

I've wanted to learn cheesemaking for a long time too! Will check out the free CIA course. May have to make the trek out to one of the local dairies that sell raw milk for this project too.