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C-Rider

C-Rider

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Look at these two photos.

The first is a commercial brew I bought as I needed bottes. Little did I know that they were "screw ons". And the brew wasn't that good either. It's
Speight's Gold Metal Ale from the land down under.

The second also from Oz, but home brewed Cooper's Sparkling Ale.

The head tells the story.

SpeightsGoldMetalAle.jpg


CoopersSparklingAle3-29-11.jpg
 
Big head isn't always a good thing... I'd rather have a GOOD head than something that's too thick, taking up too much of the space in the glass for my home brew... Of course, you can tweak almost any recipe to get lots of head initially, it's more difficult to get it to hang around for the time it takes you to drink it... :D
 
There was plenty of room in the glass/mug for the beer and head. The head lasted to some extent all the way to the end. There was even traces of it along the walls of the glass until the end. I think that was "good" head.
 
AussieBrewerInColorado said:
Coulda been the pour. Pour easily and slowly into the glass tipped at a 90 degree angle, and use your pour mojo to alter accordingly to get the best head. (that sounds wrong).
Click to expand...

Poured them both just about the same. First glass straight up, then tilted about 45 degrees.

90 degrees would be horizontal and it would pour right onto the floor/counter.
 
C-Rider said:
Poured them both just about the same. First glass straight up, then tilted about 45 degrees.

90 degrees would be horizontal and it would pour right onto the floor/counter.
Click to expand...

lol. yeah i start horizontal (with tap or bottle inside the glass) and gradually lower the glass and accommodate as i see the foam appear. I do use cobra taps right now and put it pretty much against the glass at 90 degree when starting, moving the glass down. Always full pressure.

Works for me, and i've had ****ty probs with carbing in the beginning with too much foam. Have it perfected now with Cobra taps but just installed a collar on my converted freezer which will change things when I get taps installed.
 
C-Rider said:
It's
Speight's Gold Metal Ale from the land down under.

The second also from Oz...
Click to expand...

Not to be picky but Speights is from New Zealand not Australia, and it's gold medal ale. One thing to realise is that this, along with the likes of Lion Red & Tui East Indian Pale Ale (do not confuse this with an IPA ;)), are our mainstream beers. This is what we drink instead of BMC.
But I agree homebrew is much better than even this commercial beer :mug:
 
mattd2 said:
Not to be picky but Speights is from New Zealand not Australia, and it's gold medal ale. One thing to realise is that this, along with the likes of Lion Red & Tui East Indian Pale Ale (do not confuse this with an IPA ;)), are our mainstream beers. This is what we drink instead of BMC.
But I agree homebrew is much better than even this commercial beer :mug:
Click to expand...

New Zealand, Australia, same difference to us here in the islands! ;)

Refer to the whole state of California as "Califrisco" too! :p
 
C-Rider said:
YES it's a frosted mug and my fridge is set for 32*. What you like drink warm beer?:mug:
Click to expand...

Actually, I find my home brew is BETTER in a room temp glass then in a frosted glass. The brew is chilled in the fridge for 4+ days, so IT'S chilled... Using the non-frosted mug/glass means the brew is closer to the proper drinking temperature from the start... For me, that's in the 40-55F range.. :D
 
Golddiggie said:
Actually, I find my home brew is BETTER in a room temp glass then in a frosted glass. The brew is chilled in the fridge for 4+ days, so IT'S chilled... Using the non-frosted mug/glass means the brew is closer to the proper drinking temperature from the start... For me, that's in the 40-55F range.. :D
Click to expand...

So I've been told. Each to his own. :mug: I drink most of my beer after a long hot hike and the really chilled stuff is what satisfies me then.
 
I watched some beer videos from Germany,& some of the older Germans said that a "proper" head is 1/4 to 1/3 of the total pour. I think 1/4 looks classic. But,I may be a little biased,as I'm of German decent.
 
Think we are just pointing out that the frost dilutes the beer and most beer's flavor profile doesnt come out till closer to 40 degrees, but if you like it that way DO IT :)
 
I don't have a thermometer for brewing yet,but I'll measure the actual temps for aroma/flavor when I do. I say from 45-55F is right in there. In other words,cool basement temperature. That had to have come from How the Germans stored their beer till time to drink it after it was done.
 
unionrdr said:
I don't have a thermometer for brewing yet,but I'll measure the actual temps for aroma/flavor when I do. I say from 45-55F is right in there. In other words,cool basement temperature. That had to have come from How the Germans stored their beer till time to drink it after it was done.
Click to expand...

I don't have mine on a thermometer either... Just figure the glasses are in the mid 60's and the brew is in the mid/upper 30's (fridge temps)... Most of the year, I should be able to keep the glasses to under the mid 80's, even in the middle of the summer time. So even with a 50F difference, the brew should still be in the 40-55F range...

I will say that it changes the character of the brew... I didn't really like one batch when put in a frosted glass. Put that same brew into a room temp glass and it's great. Go figure...

BTW, I believe the Brit's also do this method... So it's pretty common in the 'old world'... Just most Americans seem to think that you need to freeze the glasses in order to get a great brew... :rolleyes:
 
Ice cold beer is only good for BMCs. Homebrews or more complex crafted beers are much better appreciated at 40-45F. You can make the experiment yourself. Pour a pint of cold homebrew in a glass at room temp and sip it sporadically. You will notice that as it warms up the favors and smells become more accentuated and sometimes even change.
 
Indyking said:
Ice cold beer is only good for BMCs. Homebrews or more complex crafted beers are much better appreciated at 40-45F. You can make the experiment yourself. Pour a pint of cold homebrew in a glass at room temp and sip it sporadically. You will notice that as it warms up the favors and smells become more accentuated and sometimes even change.
Click to expand...

^^ Ice cold to dull the actual flavor yup lol. If I want ice cold refreshing I'll chug water. Or BMC
 
TheSlash said:
If I want ice cold refreshing I'll chug water. Or BMC
Click to expand...

Same thing... :D

For the experiment post... You could start off a brew in the frozen/frosted glass, then sip it as it warms... Just make sure you give it enough time to get up to the better temperature range before it's gone... By the time you get over ~40F you should start to notice a difference...

Only reason to chug BMC is to get past the taste of it... Sort of like ripping tape/band-aid's off fast or slow... Fast, at least the pain is over quickly and you can move on... Slow makes it seem so much worse. :D
 
I agree with you,especially the British thing. A buddy of mine was stationed in England after 'nam,walked into a bar & ordered a beer. He described it as "pi$$ warm!". I knew they keep their beers at basement temps. Especially since refrigeration is/was expensive over there. But,like most Americans,if it's at that kind of temp,I ain't drinkin it. Because they're used to BCB's,for the reasons previously stated. Anything they can do,we can do better!
 
Didn't say we do it better... :eek:

I'm brewing styles from the British Isles right now, so serving them in a frosted glass is beyond wrong...

Even when I was buying my beer, I wouldn't spend money on BMC... In college, I almost never drank beer because I couldn't really find anything that I liked. Now, at least there's some decent beer available either at the better stores, or places you go out to. I do cringe when someone either orders a BMC, or walks up with one in their hand (sucking on the bottle)... Probably the same kind of person that thinks McDonalds makes the best burgers in the world... :eek:
 
My first batch poured a beautiful amber, had 2" of soft white head and great retention/lacing.

It also tasted like a skunk's anus.
 
BBGunBrewery said:
So the guy likes his beer cold...why does that matter to anyone? Just because it's a different temp doesn't mean it's wrong.
Click to expand...

Didn't say it was wrong... Just suggesting that he tries it not freezing cold... Beer can have different flavors/characteristics in a lower temperature range when compared with a slightly higher range. A shift of just 5-10F can make a big difference...
 
Golddiggie said:
Didn't say it was wrong... Just suggesting that he tries it not freezing cold... Beer can have different flavors/characteristics in a lower temperature range when compared with a slightly higher range. A shift of just 5-10F can make a big difference...
Click to expand...

+1. Most beers tend to really open up in flavor and aroma ~10 below room temp. :mug:

The reason BMC wants you to drink their beer ice cold is because it tastes like doo-doo.
 
Golddiggie said:
I don't have mine on a thermometer either... Just figure the glasses are in the mid 60's and the brew is in the mid/upper 30's (fridge temps)... Most of the year, I should be able to keep the glasses to under the mid 80's, even in the middle of the summer time. So even with a 50F difference, the brew should still be in the 40-55F range...

I will say that it changes the character of the brew... I didn't really like one batch when put in a frosted glass. Put that same brew into a room temp glass and it's great. Go figure...

BTW, I believe the Brit's also do this method... So it's pretty common in the 'old world'... Just most Americans seem to think that you need to freeze the glasses in order to get a great brew... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I'll try two side by side pretty soon. My beer fridg is set about 35 I think. Thanks for the idea of comparing.
 
TheSlash said:
^^ Ice cold to dull the actual flavor yup lol. If I want ice cold refreshing I'll chug water. Or BMC
Click to expand...

I almost never use water for drinking. Now I wash w/it and brew w/it but drink!

NOT! Most of the thinks I drink are 99% water so why drink it straight? :mug:
 
Golddiggie said:
Didn't say we do it better... :eek:

I'm brewing styles from the British Isles right now, so serving them in a frosted glass is beyond wrong...

Even when I was buying my beer, I wouldn't spend money on BMC... In college, I almost never drank beer because I couldn't really find anything that I liked. Now, at least there's some decent beer available either at the better stores, or places you go out to. I do cringe when someone either orders a BMC, or walks up with one in their hand (sucking on the bottle)... Probably the same kind of person that thinks McDonalds makes the best burgers in the world... :eek:
Click to expand...

McDonalds does make the best French Fries, perhaps not in the world, but in the fast food world for sure. :D
 
joetothemo said:
+1. Most beers tend to really open up in flavor and aroma ~10 below room temp. :mug:

The reason BMC wants you to drink their beer ice cold is because it tastes like doo-doo.
Click to expand...

Let's see. Room temp in say July in an un-air conditioned house 80-85, beer 10 below - 70*. Not gonna drink that for sure. :(
 
Golddiggie said:
Most of my brews would probably lay you out if you did that, on an empty stomach... :D
Click to expand...

Yea it was pretty empty when I got back today. 5 miles in 5 hours elevation gain of about 1000'. Spent 2 hours of the 5 pulling weeds and chopping trees along a trail we built.
 
unionrdr said:
I watched some beer videos from Germany,& some of the older Germans said that a "proper" head is 1/4 to 1/3 of the total pour. I think 1/4 looks classic. But,I may be a little biased,as I'm of German decent.
Click to expand...

Ya, unt mine had about 1/3 head. Pretty lousy at trying to type German ain't I? :)
 
joetothemo said:
Should have been more specific. Not Hawaii room-temp. Portland room temp :p
Click to expand...

I understand, most of the homes on the "mainland" are heated and air conditioned. To save money heating is kept in the 60's at night which is great for brewing and perhaps 70's during the days.

My home has open windows to catch the mountain or sea breeze most of the time, but when we lock up, man it can get hot inside. Think I need a cool one.:drunk:
 

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