You need to check out this page which is full of home brewer's setup they have at home. Some of them are pretty interesting and have given me some great ideas for a new setup.

http://www.brewzilla.nl/?brewhalla

Ok so next up on the brewer's table in Nevaeh Poh 1.2 It will soon get an an upgrade as I will be going completely all grain. This one might take some tweaking as I have to figure out how to take a 5 gallon part grain/part extract and turn in into all grain 16 gallon batch. Only time will tell...but let me tell you this...hops...yes hops...will dominate this brew and your tastebuds!!!!! (evil laugh)ha ha ha ha ha!

oooohhhh....this was a special treat. Ommegang Brewing's Witte! This 5.1% abv brew was right one with a true Belgian Wit! This brew had an orange/lemon taste/aroma to it that just caught my taste buds by surprise. Not too hazy like most wits....Kinda reminds me of Allagash White with more citrus taste to it. Tart...nice bitterness...a little sour. Hmmm....I would say this one kicked Hoegaarden in the ass and said "what's up bitch?" Honey taste is kicking in....this is kinda unique.....medium bodied.....definitely likin this one. Go Beligium! (lol) 4 out of 5 fo this style!

Ahh...an English ale.....Theakston's Old Peculiar! This amber beer is definitely on the sweet side. Kind similar to New Castle in body and bitterness (not IPA bitterness). It had a malty nose to it...good lacing (not that I really care) and a sweet aftertaste. Kinda grassy taste....typical of your Euro amber. Medium body. Not really impressed....3 out of 5.

Ok so tonight I got to try 3 beers I have not had before...starting with the Stone 13th Anniversary thanks to a good customer of mine! This 9.5% abv brew was awesome!!! You could hardly taste the alcohol in this one which really surprised me. It was definitely on the sweet side for this style (strong ale). Medium body, dark colored. A little piney taste...more citrus and malty I think. Kinda hoppy for such a beer....not like an IPA though. Caramel taste....hmm...definitely. Different. Agressive....yet kinda reminds me of Arrogant Bastard....4 out of 5 fo sho!

Ok so finally the Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout. Ok so maybe I got spoiled by the last one cuz I was kinda dissappointed....but this one was a little too much on the sweet side. It had nice roasted malt flavors/aroma but for some reason I just wasn't feeling this one. I would say if you like Oatmeal Stouts to definitely give this one a try because it is very drinkable. This 4.95% abv stout is the session beer of stouts. It has a good body and good flavor to it! (but compared to the Breakfast Stout....um......yea.......maybe not lol) 3 out of 5!

My wife actually gave it a try! I was surprised, but so was she after my reaction with this brew! She kinda liked it! (not bad for a Miller Lite drinker! lol)

OMFG!!!!!!! This stout is from Founder's Brewing Co. Let me just say HOLY SHIT!!!!! This has to be one of the best Stouts I have ever had. The name "Breakfast Stout" is true to it's name. It has everything one is looking for in starting their morning (or evening) out! This 8.3% abv. brew has a great coffee, chocolate taste/aroma! Alcohol is well hidden in this one. Semi-sweet! Goes down so smooth. Great carbonation! Full bodied, roasted malts, thick (not like Guinness Draught), but ooohhh mannn this one hit the spot! I could actually drink this every day during the winter months! If anyone wants to brew a stout...style it after this one! I must say this is definitely a must try!!! I honestly can't say enough about this brew.....wow! I give this stout a 6 out of 5! (Very F'n impressed!)

Next up was the Rogue Juniper Pale Ale. This 5.2% abv American Pale Ale was a pretty decent brew. More of a session brew in my opinion as it had some nice hoppiness to it, but one you could drink quite a few and not fall off of your bar stool! It had some citrusy aroma/taste, little piney (not much) and had great clarity! This was a little lighter colored than most pale ales and the ibu's were probably a little lower than most pale ales, but deliciously fruity none the less. Not sure what a Juniper berry tastes like, but again it had a fruity taste to it. I give this one a 3 out of 5!

Ok so last night I got to try some new beers we haven't yet had at the store. First up was the Founder's Harvest Ale! At 75 Ibu's this one was blistering on the tongue full of hops...it was almost like whole hops were sitting in this beer! Full of hop bitterness, this 6.5% abv brew was excellent! Good carbonation, good hoppy/piney aroma. Bitter aftertaste....mmmmm. This had a little fruitiness to it but man was this a tasty hoppy brew! If you want to test your taste buds to the hoppiness max give this one a try. 5 out of 5!

ha ha just for shits and giggles I got a sampe of the Bud Light Golden Wheat. I figured why not since I'm about ready for bed. Well let me tell you that first off I applaud the attempt...but to pair Bud Light with wheat....doesn't make sense...why not just make a wheat and call it it's own name (they might sell more!) Well anyway this light beer has a little less carbonation than Bud Light itself, yet it's almost as if I'm drinking a carbonated Tropicana O.J. with alcohol. Not very impressed. Definitely a strong presence of oranges in this one...not so much any spice. Alcohol is around 4% abv which is normal but damn...bud light? I know I try not to down it because it is bud light but come on! Might as well have a bud light lime if I don't feel like bud light orange! ha ha! 1.5 out of 5. :(

This was a homebrew that another customer gave me. I guess his son(in-law?) is a homebrewer. This porter was pretty decent. Nice mouthfeel, little on the sweet side. Notes of coffee, very light bodied though. Decent enough for a session though the carbonation might be a little too much for this style. 2 out of 5.

oooh...I really enjoyed this one!!! Perfect night for it as well considering the temp. This had a nice malty aroma/taste! Dry, robust character....medium body. Almost black in color! Hints of coffee/caramel/butterscotch notes. Awesome brew. Kinda mellow...semi-sweet. 4 out of 5...definitely a MBA (must brew again!)

Next up was an amber colored brew. Faint malt aroma, light-medium body. Higher abv than the previous one. Semi-dry aftertaste. Good carbonation, good malt character. Amber ale maybe? 3 out of 5!

Ok so tonight I finally got to enjoy some quality homebrews from Tom. First up was a gold color brew. Strong citrus aroma, good carbonation. Light body, smooth, sour aftertaste. Hints of coriander, orange peel, sweet on the palate. Hmm...if I had to pinpoint a style I would probably say a Saison? Decent brew....3 out of 5!

I can't seem to find the picture of the 90 minute "Randallized" but let me tell you this...Holy Hoppy! This one tasted completely different from the 90 minute. I would say is spent a good 1/2 hour soaking in the cascade hops inside the Randall before exiting into a pitch which then entered my glass which then entered my mouth for me to enjoy! This thing was BITTER!!! I would say it is safe to assume the alcohol content is still the 9% abv that the 90 normally is but holy crap was this bitter, hoppy, smoother, much more enjoyable! I can see where it could be over-the-top to some hop heads but I enjoyed it very much! 5 out of 5 and a 10 out of 5 for creativity!

ha ha now that's just funny!
The one and only "Randall" (btw...that is the 90 minute IPA hook up to it and it is filled with cascade hops)!

Dogfish black and tan (Chicory Stout/Pale Ale)...yummy...you get the best of both worlds here!

ooooooohhhhh.....75 MINUTE IPA!!!! This one was definitely in between the 60 and 90 as far as almost everything goes with those two. It has the color of 90, yet the hoppiness of it is in between. Awesome...for those that can't decide to go 60 or go 90....go 75!!! ha ha 5 out of 5!

Shelter Pale Ale was the first order of business! First off this 5% abv pale ale is one of their flagship beers. This delicious copper color pale ale has a nice floral aroma with a medium body to it. Taste is light and citrusy with hints of pine...more on the citrus side though. Nice bitterness too it with a little lingering aftertaste (not much compared to the 60 & 90 min). All in all a great starter for someone will to get hoppy! 4 out of 5!

well it's about time....

The bar!

The front door!

Of course while we are down in Ocean City, MD we had to take a short road trip 25 min north to Dogfish Head Brewing Co.

Next up was this lil bugger! HOP-OCALYPSE! This brew from Clay Pipe Brewing Co. out of Frederick, MD was awesome. Full of hop flavor/aroma! Definitely pack with hops! Had more of a piney taste/aroma with a lot of bitterness to it. This amber colored IPA was around 6% abv and had a terrific mouthfeel. All in all this one gets a 3 out of 5!

Ok so sorry it has been so long since I have posted, I have been pretty busy of late. Anyway here goes so shit from the past month or so. Down at the beach I had a chance to re-introduce myself to the Pyramid Brewing Company's Apricot Wheat (changed to "Audacious Apricot Ale"). This 5.1% golden colored Fruit Ale was delicious! Best Apricot beer I have had to date. Light bodied, fruity aroma, sweet tasting. Obviously the apricot taste/aroma is very much present. Went down very good (great summer session). All in all for a fruit ale I would definitely have to give this one a 4 out of 5! If you don't like apricots...well that's just too bad cuz you are missing out!

Ok so Saturday (8/29) Steve and I bottled our IPA Nenaeh Poh. We got 30 16oz. bottles out of it which somehow we came up a little short, but oh well. Anyway we are going to give it 2-3 weeks to let it carbonate and then we will give it a try so we will keep you updated!
ps. pics of the beach and the "Randall" will come soon!

What's up? Well Steve and I are sitting on our balcony watching the waves come in so I figured I would just give you an update on what's going on. Well yesterday we stopped at Dogfish and checked out their brew pub and tried something so f'n awesome I can't really describe it. I will post a pic of this contraption they had that made hoppiness happiness! Anyway just wanted to say hi from Ocean City Maryland and I will upload pics when I get the chance. By the way Dogfish has a 75 minute IPA that we are going to try on Thursday so it should be pretty sweet! Til then....surfs up!

Ok so it's been about a week now so Steve and I decided we are going to take the next step in our beer process. After we sterilized our fermenter and siphon, we took some Simcoe and more Warrior hops and put them in the secondary fermenter. Then we siphoned the beer out of the primary and off into the the secondary it went! Oh how exciting. Dry hopping at it's best!!! I'm glad we used the Simcoe and Warrior because they are high alpha acidic hops so they should give it a great hoppy aroma/taste. Anyway, we are leaving it in the secondary for two weeks so when we get back from the beach it should be time to bottle it! Til then....

Next up was the Founder's 6.6% Red Rye PA. This one was a particularly interesting one as the taste is a little on the hoppy side. I get citrusy notes from the smell and taste. Almost like a well balanced Pale Ale. It has a decent body, little carbonation and could honestly pass for a pale ale except it has something that just sticks out when I taste it. I read up on it and apparantly it was dry hopped which gives it that floral aroma/taste. It has such a hoppy taste but it has something bread like in it. I dunno...but for a rye ale this would be a definite purchase. 4 out of 5.

Next up was a brew from Founder's Brewing Company. This was the Dirty Bastard scotch ale. This one I was quite impressed with. It has been awhile since I have tasted a good scotch ale. This Grand Rapids, MI scotch ale clocks in at 8.3% abv. It had a very dark color and was loaded with nice malty tastes. Toffee and caramel tastes, a little sweet. Good body and good carbonation to this one. Man how I have really grown to enjoy a good scotch ale. This one gets a 4 out of 5!

OK so Steve and I were sitting outside watching the Yanks sweep the Red Sox tonight so we decided to try some beers tonight. First up was the Victory Helios which is a 9.5% abv Saison. This one was not impressive as far as Saisons are concerned. It actually smelled like a hefeweizen but when I tasted it, it had some sweet and sour notes to it. The aftertaste was not pleasant at all. Took Steve about 20 minutes to finish it lol. It was a little fuller bodied saison than most I have had. Little pepper type flavor, spicy I guess. 2 out of 5. :(

update:

Ok so we started with 3 gallons of water that we started to heat...then we steeped the Victory Malt and the Crystal 60L malt for about 25 minutes. Then we heated it up to a boil for another 25 minutes. After that we then took the Cascade hops and added them to it for about 10 minutes. Then we took the Warrior hops and put them in and boiled for another 10 then added that last of the Cascade hops for another 15 minutes. ( I plan on using more Warrior hops to dry hop it once it goes in the secondary fermenter) After the boil we put it in my bathtub filled with cold water to cool it. Once it was down to about 70 degrees, we topped it off with 2 more gallons of warm water. Then we siphoned it into the primary fermenter...added some yeast making sure it was stirred well then stored it. It has been about 24 hours now and their is some bubbling action already which is cool. I'm gonna let it sit for about 5-7 days then put it into the secondary fermenter to get some clarity and dry hop it. So we shall see!

S&M IPA

Ok so me and my buddy Steve decided it was time to start brewing again. So I finally got my shit together...ordered supplies and well, I have the Saturday afternoon off so why not brew?!
Anyway here is the recipe I'm using for the S&M IPA.

H2O (thank you captain obvious!)
8oz. Crushed Victory Malt
1lb of Crushed Crystal 60L Malt
6.6lbs. of Plain Light Malt Extract
1oz. Cascade Bittering Hops
1oz. Cascade Finishing Hops
4oz. Warrior Hops
Muntons yeast

I will keep you updated on how everything goes!

So finally I get to try a good ol homebrew from Tom!!!! (about time!!!) Anyway his wife stopped in with two samples (both which were gone in about 20 min.) I do have to say that I really did enjoy this brew. First off it had a specific sour taste to it that kinda reminded me of the Penn Weizen which is copied from a southern german recipe. This one had lots of citrus flavor, a nice malty aroma...sort of banana taste? Not much spicy accent to it (which I prefer). Alcohol seemed decent (4.5% +?) Great carbonation...not too much...not too little. Good lacing on the glass. Medium body with a good mouthfeel to it...dry almost. Tart! Color was just like a wheat beer should be. I noticed that there was little sediment in the bottle which is ok (some brewers leave a little in there for extra flavor) which is fine with me. All in all I would really have to say this is a good hefe! Congrats Tom...brew some more!!!! 3 out of 5!

Finally a decent brew to enjoy.....what? you say Brooklyn out of a can? YES!!!!! Believe it or not it is the same damn beer that is in the f'n bottle. Anyway...pour it into a glass and quit being an ass. This fine brew is a good session lager. This 5.2% abv lager has a little dark color to it. Decent body (typical lager body) and a slight malt aroma. Not really any signs of hops but hell this beer tops Yuengling any day of the week. Good carbonation and a decent aftertaste makes this brew a great summer beer. Not too much into lagers but this one definitely takes the taco...lol.... 4 out of 5!

Ok....I swear this New York one was like drinking a Yuengling Lager but with a higher price tag...really? They claim they are a "craft" brewery but yet they use corn and other cheap "macro" ingredients. Man I have to be honest, I was really dissappointed in these. Guess I really won't be recommending these to any of my customers except the macro ones. This gets a 2 out of 5.

Next up was the New Jersey Lager. This one was a little darker than the PA lager...not much body/taste. Slight malt aroma, but other than that...a glorified Yuengling Lager light lol.1 out of 5.

So the other night I got to try a couple of beers new to the Zoo. Hometown Brewing came out with a few beers and each one is going to be the name of a state. So naturally I tried the ol PA lager first. Not much taste to it as far as hops and malt...more like a macro pilsner. Considering it is contracted through Lion Brewery (Lionshead) it actually kinda tastes like Lionshead. Eh...for a thirst quencher...1 out of 5.

Next up was the Shiner Hefeweizen. I was quite surprised with this one. Now let me tell you that this 5.28% abv hefe was decent. It is not up to par with the Sierra Kellerweis or some other good German weiss beers, but for someone who has never had one, this would be a go to beer. It has a citrusy/fruity/spicy taste and aroma. Banana flavor? Good mouthfeel, low carbonation. Decent! 3 out of 5!

Ahh...Shiner Bock...the Yuengling Lager of Texas as I refer to it. It has some similar qualities as the Y. Lager, but it is better tasting. This 4.4% abv dark lager was a little on the sweet side. I couldn't taste any hop character in it at all. A little maltiness to it, but this tastes more like a macro than a craft. hmm...kinda dissappointing if you are into "better beers" like me. When I say better beers I say beers that use better ingredients not cheap ones. Beers that aren't massed produced on the scale of A-B, Miller-Coors-Molson, Pabst, etc..... Anyway, it does have a slight roasted taste to it (kinda reminds me of Michelob Amber Bock), it has a light body with high carbonation. I would buy a case for some non-craft drinkers to tempt them into the craft scene. I would kinda see this as maybe a gateway beer for the Miller/Bud/Coors drinkers. 2 out of 5.

Next up was the seasonal Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. This is a great weiss! Full flavored! This 4.8% abv hefe had a pretty complex flavor to it. It has a touch of citrus and yeasty flavors/aroma to it. Doesn't really seem on par with most american hefeweizens I've had. Can't pin it down...it's just different. Definitely has a clove taste to it, yet it is not too overpowering. I Great summer beer for sure...I will be buying quite a few more cases! 4 out of 5!

Ok so I got to try a couple of beers tonight! First up is New Belgium Brewing Company's Fat Tire! (I used to live in Phoenix, AZ and every bar had this on tap...kinda like Yuengling Lager around here) I honestly haven't had this in about 8-9 years since I lived there, but it was nice to have it again. A customer brought this one back from South Carolina. So I had it and I thought that this 5.2% abv amber ale poured an amber color (after all it is an amber ale lol). It had a good malty taste with and a little nutty flavor to it (not like a brown ale...seemed different somehow). Good mouthfeel to it...not really sweet, mild bitterness to it. Good carbonation. Definitely a session beer that would replace any macro. Overated?...probably but none the less a good brew. For the style it gets a 3 out of 5.

Clove...banana....citrus...mediun bodied

Here was my nightcap. Rogue Dad's Little Helper (considering father's day haha). This 7.2% abv malt liquor was decent. Gold color, mild citrus aroma. Not anything like Hurricane or Colt 45 or any typical macor malt liquor. The taste was a little on the bitter side...slight pale malt taste. No sign of hops anywhere. Might try another down the road but probably wouldn't buy a case. 2 out of 5.

Here is one I haven't had in awhile and figured to give it a review. The Harpoon IPA. This 5.9% abv IPA used to be one of my standby ipa's when I was younger (and craft beer was hard to find). This one is a very well balanced brew. Light amber color, floral aroma, nice hopped up taste, not as bitter as I prefer but an easy drinkin IPA. 3 out of 5.

Next up was the Widmer Drifter Pale Ale. I was very impressed with this 5.7% abv American Pale Ale. It had a nice floral aroma, medium body, and nice amber color. Taste was hoppy, bitter, and malty. Citrus notes in there as well. Very easy to drink. 3 out of 5.

Next up was the Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale. This 4.8% abv amber ale was a good medium bodied ale. It had a nice malt aroma with hints of hops. Mouthfeel in this one was very nice...not too strong or overpowering, a little on the bitter side. Taste was nice...malty and hoppy. Good session brew. 4 out of 5.

Ok so last night I tasted a few beers I had got the other day so here goes. First up was Widmer Brother's Hefeweizen. This 4.7% abv golden wheat beer was delicious! It has all of your typical American wheat beer flavors--lemon, light malt, minimal spice taste. Citrus aroma, cloudy....perfect for a summer beer! 4 out of 5!

Last but not least was a red ale from Green Flash Brewing out of San Diego County. This red ale is probably more of a "red" ipa. Nicely hopped up with that piney/citrus aroma and taste. Great mouthfeel to it. Medium body with a little bitterness to the after taste. (This is all I drank while pouring for the 2008 Pints for Pets) This is a solid brew. Definitely try it! 4 out of 5!

Next up was the 2009 Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale (also known as the Southern Hemisphere). This 6.7% abv brew is awesome! This IPA has everything one would expect...great hop character, piney/citrus aroma, grassy/hoppy taste..somewhat bitter. Very firm...5 out of 5!

This first one was from Boulder Brewing Co. I got to try this one at the Pints for Pets and was impressed. It had a lighter hop aroma than I'm used to coming from a dry-hopped ale. The alcohol is 4.85% abv which is pretty low for a nicely hopped up beer. Nice hop/fruity aroma/taste. It was a little thin in the mouth but for a hop head this would be considered a great session beer! 4 out of 5!

Ha ha, my son wasn't even a thought in the back of my head when we last won the cup. I'm glad him and I got to share this! (Glad I finally got to shave my face too...man I looked a lot older with it)

Oh hell yea! I've been waiting for this for a long time!

Success! With over $112,000 raised I'm glad I did my part (with the help of family and friends). You all should be proud!

For game 7 of the Pens game I had to resort back to my coveted Nugget Nectar...then on to something different. Rogue Mom's Hefeweizen. Boy was this tasty for a hefe. Cloudy color, 5.2% abv, hardly any citrus/spicy aroma, more malty in my opinion. I honestly wouldn't even classify this as a hefe, maybe an APA? Anyway it was a little dry tasting, mild bitterness. Definitely different. OK with me..I like going against the norm. 4 out of 5!

Sorry it took so long to get back here, I have been very busy the last couple of weeks. First off, the Pints for Pets was very successful and I would like to personally thank everyone for coming. It was a blast and I think it went very well. I was able to try some of the few different beers that I haven't been able to get ahold of like some East End, Intercourse, and Bullfrog. They brought some very good beers.

mmm...aren't you jealous? I love my job!

Oh hell yea...it's victory beer time! So the Pens advanced to the Stanely Cup finals for the 2nd year in a row (hopefully winning this time around) so I decided to bust out something I got (thanks to a good customer!). This is the Brooklyn Local 2. I'm not sure if you ever got around to trying the Local 1 which was a Belgian Golden Ale (better than Duvel in my opinion), I was looking forward to this! This is a strong Belgian Dark bottle conditioned ale! @ 9.0% abv, this brew warms the tastebuds! It starts with a fantastic malty aroma smell/taste that is followed by a fruity and spicy taste. Can't pinpoint the fruit but man this beer is f'in great! Not much hoppiness to it, yet it just holds something herbal in it. WOW! Love it! For this style this definitely gets a 5 out of 5...too bad the price is absurd....try it~!

Ok I had to throw this one up there! This was a great 2 on 1 with Guerrin scoring off a sweet ass pass from Sid......can you say Lord Stanely?