OT: Beer Thread

[nobody important]

Ok - I have decided to branch out and try some different beers. The selection at the local grocery is limited but I picked up what they had.

2 bottles of Innis and Gunn Oak aged beer and 2 cans of Stiegl. Also a single can of Steam Whistle. The Stiegl came with 2 cans of Stiegl Radler Grapefruit, not really sure what to think of that.

I have no idea what I really bought but it was all they had for selection.

Innis and Gunn is strong and quite sweet, with noticeable barrel taste. Used to drink it a lot then kind of got tired of it. One word of caution: stay away from beers in clear or green glass bottles. If exposed to sunlight (like from a nearby window) they will skunk very fast. If sitting under fluorescent light for an extended period, they will also skunk. It's the reaction of hops to light in the green part of the spectrum. Brown bottles or cans protect the beer. The canned version of this beer is much better, and you get 500 ml to boot.

Haven't had the Stiegl, sounds like a standard Euro Pilsner. I like their Radler. Think of it as a low-alcohol grapefruit cooler.

Steam Whistle falls under meh for me. Just seems overhyped for what you get, but that's just my opinion.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

Stiegl is quite good - typical "crisp" Euro pilsner. Very easy to drink.

 

[nobody important]

Since we're talking acquisitions, those of you in or passing through Calgary may want to stop in at Willow Park Wine and Spirits. Picked up the following there, with links to the reviews on Beer Advocate:

Goose Island Matilda
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/4318/

Thiriez L’'Ambrée D'’Esquelbecq
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4315/9794/

Heretic Torment
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25960/86649/

Le Trou Du Diable Saison Du Tracteur
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13605/59019/

St. Bernardus Abt 12
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/259/1708/

Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/637/1716/

La Rulles Saison XIII
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4663/139314/

La Trappe Quadrupel (actually got this one in Banff)
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4663/139314/

Plus, three Normandy ciders and a Quebec cider. Very pleased with my haul from our trip to Alberta.

 

[blues10]

^^^Thanks for the tips^^^^

I will post once I try them.

 

[Ducky10]

Ok - I have decided to branch out and try some different beers. The selection at the local grocery is limited but I picked up what they had.

2 bottles of Innis and Gunn Oak aged beer and 2 cans of Stiegl. Also a single can of Steam Whistle. The Stiegl came with 2 cans of Stiegl Radler Grapefruit, not really sure what to think of that.

I have no idea what I really bought but it was all they had for selection.

Always enjoyed Steam Whistle, it may not be the best Pilsner around but it's nice and easy to drink.

 

[buggs]

that's one beer that i'll never, ever brew.

Holy crap, we see eye to eye on something.

Only beer I never finished was a pumpkin beer. Was downright painful. Think it was a Sam Adams too. But then I don't like pumpkin pie either, so hardly a surprise.

 

[HannuJ]

Cool thanks. I've had someone recommend me that Dragon's Milk at a local liqueur store but it's always like $15-$16 dollars for a four or six pack(can't remember which).

$4/bottle for a high alcohol beer aged in whiskey barrels?
honestly, that's an amazing deal.

 

[HannuJ]

Stiegl is quite good - typical "crisp" Euro pilsner. Very easy to drink.

in Toronto, it was big for a bit because of the hipster can stylings.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/817/43252/

the reviews reminded me why i didn't love it. sweetish for a pilsner, which isn't my thing. if i had to drink a european pils, i'd choose a fresh Pilsner Urquel. i once had their unfiltered Urquel and it was a thing of beauty. gentle floral notes when you drank it.

i've only brewed a pilsner once, simply because homebrewing pilsners are a pain in the arse. you need to ferment at 55 F and, once it's almost done fermenting, you need to raise the temp by a few degrees to get rid of the off flavours. THEN you have to lager it (put it in the fridge) for 3 months.

my ideal pilsner would be crisp as hell, clear as hell and have some hoppy bitterness to it. saaz and cascade hops for grass and floral notes. La Pitoune from Trou du Diable's a beautiful pilsner, or the US west coast hoppy pilsers. those are also great.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

I prefer Urquel, but I started drinking Stiegl before it became "popular". Don't mind it at all, but it doesn't seem to be as prevalent at pubs/bars anymore.

 

[HannuJ]

I prefer Urquel, but I started drinking Stiegl before it became "popular". Don't mind it at all, but it doesn't seem to be as prevalent at pubs/bars anymore.

i almost never see it on tap. think it's just a can account in toronto. even it's can presence has faded. one of those things.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

i almost never see it on tap. think it's just a can account in toronto. even it's can presence has faded. one of those things.

Used to drink it at a place that was "local" to our studio facility: Dominion on Queen, under it's old management. Bit of a dump, but did have some interesting beers on tap from time to time. Been a while since I've seen Stiegl elsewhere too. I do much prefer the finish on Urquel, but don't mind Stiegl at all.

 

[HannuJ]

Used to drink it at a place that was "local" to our studio facility: Dominion on Queen, under it's old management. Bit of a dump, but did have some interesting beers on tap from time to time. Been a while since I've seen Stiegl elsewhere too. I do much prefer the finish on Urquel, but don't mind Stiegl at all.

Dominion's now a different kind of dump. taken over by a corporation. trivia for you: it is what remains of one of Toronto's original breweries

 

[YWGinYYZ]

Dominion's now a different kind of dump. taken over by a corporation. trivia for you: it is what remains of one of Toronto's original breweries

More trivia: it lost its top floor many years ago in a fire - the architecture is interesting, but if you look at old pictures, you can see it's one story shorter than it used to be.

 

[Duke749]

$4/bottle for a high alcohol beer aged in whiskey barrels?
honestly, that's an amazing deal.

I'll take your word. When I officially start driving for UPS I might just celebrate with that.

 

[nobody important]

in Toronto, it was big for a bit because of the hipster can stylings.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/817/43252/

the reviews reminded me why i didn't love it. sweetish for a pilsner, which isn't my thing. if i had to drink a european pils, i'd choose a fresh Pilsner Urquel. i once had their unfiltered Urquel and it was a thing of beauty. gentle floral notes when you drank it.

i've only brewed a pilsner once, simply because homebrewing pilsners are a pain in the arse. you need to ferment at 55 F and, once it's almost done fermenting, you need to raise the temp by a few degrees to get rid of the off flavours. THEN you have to lager it (put it in the fridge) for 3 months.

my ideal pilsner would be crisp as hell, clear as hell and have some hoppy bitterness to it. saaz and cascade hops for grass and floral notes. La Pitoune from Trou du Diable's a beautiful pilsner, or the US west coast hoppy pilsers. those are also great.

Brewing a well made Pilsner is my holy grail of brewing. It is completely unforgiving of any process flaws, from recipe design to final packaging. I don't think of it as a PITA, just a challenge to be answered.

Personally, I think 3 months of lagering is overkill for a 1.050 beer, especially if you're just crashing it. I want my yeast a little bit active during lagering. After the D-rest, it gets ramped back down to about 3-4C for a month. Having a low floc strain helps, I'll worry about clearing later with some gelatin.

 

[HannuJ]

Brewing a well made Pilsner is my holy grail of brewing. It is completely unforgiving of any process flaws, from recipe design to final packaging. I don't think of it as a PITA, just a challenge to be answered.

Personally, I think 3 months of lagering is overkill for a 1.050 beer, especially if you're just crashing it. I want my yeast a little bit active during lagering. After the D-rest, it gets ramped back down to about 3-4C for a month. Having a low floc strain helps, I'll worry about clearing later with some gelatin.

i refuse to use gelatin in my beer.
think the standard is a 3 month lager at 2 C, which is what my fridge is at. last time, it didn't clarify after 30ish days. so we'll see. i'll brew one near the midpoint/end of the winter.

now that i have an oxygen stone, i should be able to make a nice starter (urquel yeast) and oxygenate the beer. that's 90% of your problems right there.

 

[Daximus]

Got some Big Rock Purple Gas today. Saskatoon Berry beer. It's interesting... very different taste. Very tart but smooth. Definitely taste the Saskatoons. Always wanted to make a good Saskatoon beer when I start up. I tend to have buckets of them around every year. One can only make so many pies.

 

[nobody important]

i refuse to use gelatin in my beer.
think the standard is a 3 month lager at 2 C, which is what my fridge is at. last time, it didn't clarify after 30ish days. so we'll see. i'll brew one near the midpoint/end of the winter.

now that i have an oxygen stone, i should be able to make a nice starter (urquel yeast) and oxygenate the beer. that's 90% of your problems right there.

If your goal is a very crisp Pils, I would go with the more attenuative Danish Lager yeast. It seems to be a popular choice for the Jever-style beers. Personally, I go for the maltier brews. I tried one of the Urquell strains once back when Wyeast had them in their seasonal releases, but usually used Bohemian or Munich. Really must go buy myself a freezer so I can get back into lager brewing.

So, why the aversion to gelatin? I know it makes my beer anathema to any vegans, but that isn't a concern for me. I just think of it as another tool in the kit, although I mostly don't care if my beer comes out crystal clear or not.

 

[HannuJ]

So, why the aversion to gelatin? I know it makes my beer anathema to any vegans, but that isn't a concern for me. I just think of it as another tool in the kit, although I mostly don't care if my beer comes out crystal clear or not.

many issues.
1. the vegan thing
2. i'm jewish. i don't want gelatin in my beverages
3. it's a cheating step
4. might be related to point #2, but the idea of malts, water, yeast and hops having hooves in it? not for me.

 

[nobody important]

Tonight's beer exploration is Tree Brewing's Leap Beer Smoked Bock from the MLCC.

You should read biboergosum's review on Beer Advocate. This poster is always entertaining.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2594/242663/

Hesitated a bit on buying this, not a big fan of rauchbiers, maybe it was the addition of bog myrtle that brought out my daring side. It's OK, might have enjoyed it more as an accompaniment to some good barbecue instead of as a late night* sipper. Just a bit cloying and medicinal for my tastes, but don't let me stop you from checking it out. If you don't like it, whatever is left would probably make an interesting addition to the cooking liquid for a stew.

* Yes, I know it's only 9:30. Artistic license, OK?

 

[Heldig]

I had a Rune Stone Peated Scotch Ale from Bad Tattoo the other day. Described as having a "peaty backbone" I certainly would not want to drink one with a stronger peat taste. Quite earthy. I will stick to more traditional Scottish Ales and Wee Heavys in the future.

 

[Benny27]

Anyone (in Winnipeg) have an info when the new Beer Market on Roblin (near the Thirsty Lion) is slated to open?

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

So I get we all like our lesser known beers, but what about the bigger brands?

I love Kieth's and I find Canadian acceptable. anything else better be free and cold.

 

[YWGinYYZ]

@Tom: I'll drink anything free and cold, and smile and thank whoever gave the free, cold beer to me.

Would I buy most of the big brand stuff? Nope. But I appreciate the friends who feed me free alcohol just the same.

 

[Wolf357]

So I get we all like our lesser known beers, but what about the bigger brands?

I love Kieth's and I find Canadian acceptable. anything else better be free and cold.

I enjoy hipster beer snob lagers and ales as much as the next guy...lived in Southern Germany where it was literally "The land of beer" ...
However as I now live in a rural area and cannot get my niche beers...nothing wrong with a major brand as Moosehead...my little rural country store that sells beer wil even get Sam Adams from time to time...which is actually very good...