BeerBorg

Been a while since I posted. We've been busy getting our (small) house ready for our 30 year old son to move back in. Cali is starting to wear him out, along with his Crohn's, so he'll be here for some time I imagine. That'll put a crimp in my piano practice--might have to buy a digital so I can practice quietly. Finally have a little work too, which is nice, but hasn't left me much time for online activity.

The new microbrewery that I was loosely involved with at it's beginnings has opened. Glad I left the owner to his own devices after his "pre-grand opening" (where he had none of his own beer ready to serve, only other micros). The beer he is selling is truly awful. One I sampled the other day was nearly undrinkable, with what I think was a budding infection. The other three were just plain bad. So bad that I would not be able to drink a pint of any of them.

And on that note, I just got my scores back from the BJCP tasting exam. I am now a BJCP judge with the rank of Certified. I was two points shy of the score required to take the Written Proficiency Exam, which is what is needed to pass with an 80% or better to achieve the rank of National. Their exam system (which is described on their website: http://www.bjcp.org/docs/BJCP_Exam_Structure.pdf) is a bit complicated, requiring three seperate tests. I'll decide whether or not it matters to me to take the written proficiency exam the next time an opportunity to take the tasting exam rolls around. It's somewhat tantalizing, having come so close (a score of 80% on the tasting exam and 10 judging points are required to take the final test. You need 20 experience points to advance to National rank if you score well enough {an 80% composite score between tasting exam and written proficiency exam} on the last test).

Gotta get brewing more again now that the weather's cooling. Have my best session APA so far going into competition this Saturday for 10/12 judging. High hopes, but it's a very crowded flight and there are some VERY good brewers in the area, so we'll see.

Hope you're all doing well and brewing great beer!

oly wrote:Been a while since I posted. We've been busy getting our (small) house ready for our 30 year old son to move back in. Cali is starting to wear him out, along with his Crohn's, so he'll be here for some time I imagine. That'll put a crimp in my piano practice--might have to buy a digital so I can practice quietly. Finally have a little work too, which is nice, but hasn't left me much time for online activity.

The new microbrewery that I was loosely involved with at it's beginnings has opened. Glad I left the owner to his own devices after his "pre-grand opening" (where he had none of his own beer ready to serve, only other micros). The beer he is selling is truly awful. One I sampled the other day was nearly undrinkable, with what I think was a budding infection. The other three were just plain bad. So bad that I would not be able to drink a pint of any of them.

And on that note, I just got my scores back from the BJCP tasting exam. I am now a BJCP judge with the rank of Certified. I was two points shy of the score required to take the Written Proficiency Exam, which is what is needed to pass with an 80% or better to achieve the rank of National. Their exam system (which is described on their website: http://www.bjcp.org/docs/BJCP_Exam_Structure.pdf) is a bit complicated, requiring three seperate tests. I'll decide whether or not it matters to me to take the written proficiency exam the next time an opportunity to take the tasting exam rolls around. It's somewhat tantalizing, having come so close (a score of 80% on the tasting exam and 10 judging points are required to take the final test. You need 20 experience points to advance to National rank if you score well enough {an 80% composite score between tasting exam and written proficiency exam} on the last test).

Gotta get brewing more again now that the weather's cooling. Have my best session APA so far going into competition this Saturday for 10/12 judging. High hopes, but it's a very crowded flight and there are some VERY good brewers in the area, so we'll see.

Hope you're all doing well and brewing great beer!

You might just have to go back and 'splain what he's doing wrong. It's a shame to make sucky beer.

Good luck with the judging! Hope your beer does good!

Good to see your doing good and son is hanging in there, hope your wife is doing well also.

You might just have to go back and 'splain what he's doing wrong. It's a shame to make sucky beer.

We invited him to come visit our club before he ever got going. He apparently decided it wasn't worth his time. Either that, or he didn't want to "show off" his beer. A couple people went to his grand opening a month ago, and psted on the club forum that it was the worst beer they'd ever had. I figured I'd give it a month to see if he had his act together (I figured he would since you kind of expect that from a career military officer), but was sorely disappointed. The other six people in there were obvious first time visitors, so I doubt he's getting much repeat business. It's a darn shame. The past president of our club manages a brew supply place (part of a large chain), and wrote that he was becoming concerned about the guy's knowledge too after talking with him repeatedly. It kind of amazes me that someone would sink so much money and time into a venture that he seems to have more love for than knowledge about. Unfortunately, his beers aren't feelin' the love. No food there either. We're starting a pool to see when the doors close.

FrozenInTime wrote:Good luck with the judging! Hope your beer does good!

Good to see your doing good and son is hanging in there, hope your wife is doing well also.

Thanks John. I've been missing ya".

oly wrote:

You might just have to go back and 'splain what he's doing wrong. It's a shame to make sucky beer.

We invited him to come visit our club before he ever got going. He apparently decided it wasn't worth his time. Either that, or he didn't want to "show off" his beer. A couple people went to his grand opening a month ago, and psted on the club forum that it was the worst beer they'd ever had. I figured I'd give it a month to see if he had his act together (I figured he would since you kind of expect that from a career military officer), but was sorely disappointed. The other six people in there were obvious first time visitors, so I doubt he's getting much repeat business. It's a darn shame. The past president of our club manages a brew supply place (part of a large chain), and wrote that he was becoming concerned about the guy's knowledge too after talking with him repeatedly. It kind of amazes me that someone would sink so much money and time into a venture that he seems to have more love for than knowledge about. Unfortunately, his beers aren't feelin' the love. No food there either. We're starting a pool to see when the doors close.

His open time will depend on how long h can stay afloat. Odds are, word will get out his sudz suck and fewer will even bother to come in.

All I can suggest is that you wait a bit, buy him out when he decides that nobody has the good tast to drink his (crap) beer. He's gonna need to unload that soon enough.

Definitely want to brew tomorrow after such a long day at work. At the very least, pick up supplies.

Is it just me or my worn out equipment? I have been trying to put an order together at Midwest, I get halfway though it and I loose everything. I know my 5 year old laptop is whipped, and my phone is an iPhone 4, but I can't get an order in. I'm going back to the old fashioned way and order out of the catalog on the phone. I might just take a ride to my LHBS and get my stuff that way and even pay with the green paper from my wallet.
I just want to make some beer.

For those that know I am slowly (VERY) slowly working on a electric build.
Just put my PID controller into Auto Tune mode. 20 minutes to go from 68* water to 157*. The really weird thing is the lack of noise.

Inkleg wrote:For those that know I am slowly (VERY) slowly working on a electric build.
Just put my PID controller into Auto Tune mode. 20 minutes to go from 68* water to 157*. The really weird thing is the lack of noise.

I was going to post that I had a successful brew equipment day too. I finally got the beer fridge parts from USPS limbo land.

I was so proud of myself for installing them without any trouble and in about 2 hours the fridge was reading 45F on my remote thermometer.

But while we were watching the Texans blow their lead the fridge starting buzzing on off on off and when I pulled the back cover off and waited for the buzz sure enough the compressor didn't turn on.

So I posted on the appliance fix it forum and now have to hope I get some good advise on what to do next.

I'm screwed if they want me to replace the compressor because I don't have experience soldering and it is a very tight space to work in.

I wrapped my finger around a paint stirring attachment on my drill while mixing overlay when putting in a wood floor a few years ago and have trouble with manipulating small stuff in tight spaces (It's pretty crooked now so I don't try giving directions that require pointing to tourists anymore).

Anyway just ranting because I can't brag and have to drink warm beer if I want one bad enough.

Glad to see your new electric rig is coming along Inkleg. (jealous, jealous, jealous)

Just about finished with my all summer project, tearing an old house down. I could have had it done for $3000 and it most likely would have been done in one day, no I decided to do it myself and worked all summer on it. But for the most part it is done now. It's time to start doing something really important, I need to make some beer. Did I make $ 3000 by doing it myself? No, but I didn't
Spend it and its done.

My wife Carol and I got back from camping in Pennsylvania ... we were gone a week. It was awesome.
I didn't feel like bringing bottles or a corny in the car, so I got Stone IPA in bottles when we got there.

Great week. We went here ... http://otterlake.com

Welcome back Tabasco glad you had a good trip.

Does anyone else really hate Mondays? Man, I haven't even started my week yet and I want it to be Friday again.

JimH wrote:Does anyone else really hate Mondays? Man, I haven't even started my week yet and I want it to be Friday again.

I'm getting so I can't stand going to work at all any more. Of course, the 4 hour/day round trip commute is a big part of that.