I like this time at night on HBT

I will continue to ramble since everyone is so quiet this early. All the seats on the bus were like double seats and some people were seat hogging with their stuff. I sat next to someone in half of the double seat. Then a large lady got on the bus, looked for a place to sit and I realized there was no where she could fit. So I got up, offered her my seat and she said, my knees are really bad and I wish I could, but I won't fit there. So I asked a lady to move her bag so the guy sharing my former seat could move and the large lady could have the whole double seat to herself. When I offered my seat, the guy next to me gave me a dirty look. But I said, oh, if this lady moves her bag, you can sit there and he did. Then I just smiled at them and people smiled back.

I'm not sure how it works in cities, proper bus etiquette and all that but I do know that if someone needs a seat more than I do, I should give it to them. My knees are fine and I have no problem standing.

I've been mostly away from here as work, spring projects and bottling have kept me way busy. I just bottled the sixth batch of beer in the last month - I'm running out of room and bottles! I guess I better start drinking more

At the moment I have one more batch lagering and then won't be brewing the next one for two weeks so I have a little time. The nice part is I have quite a selection of brews to choose from at the moment, which is always a good thing.

BobbiLynn - I've never understood why normally decent people (I usually give people the benefit of the doubt) turn into rude people when they are in certain circumstances (and bus/subway is definitely one where you see the bad side of most folks shine through.)

Your bus story made me think of this one...

[ame="http://youtu.be/53XyCbIJGKY"]http://youtu.be/53XyCbIJGKY[/ame]

BobbiLynn said:

I will continue to ramble since everyone is so quiet this early. All the seats on the bus were like double seats and some people were seat hogging with their stuff. I sat next to someone in half of the double seat. Then a large lady got on the bus, looked for a place to sit and I realized there was no where she could fit. So I got up, offered her my seat and she said, my knees are really bad and I wish I could, but I won't fit there. So I asked a lady to move her bag so the guy sharing my former seat could move and the large lady could have the whole double seat to herself. When I offered my seat, the guy next to me gave me a dirty look. But I said, oh, if this lady moves her bag, you can sit there and he did. Then I just smiled at them and people smiled back.

I'm not sure how it works in cities, proper bus etiquette and all that but I do know that if someone needs a seat more than I do, I should give it to them. My knees are fine and I have no problem standing.

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That was nice. You have the etiquette right though. Once the bus starts filling, bag are supposed to go in laps so people can shuffle around.

Younger and/or fit people are supposed to stand, unless they are exhausted, if the bus doesn't have enough seats available.

I can't tell you how many times I've gotten out of my seat on a bus.

Leadgolem said:

I can't tell you how many times I've gotten out of my seat on a bus.

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I wish more people were like that, everyone is in such a hurry and think that their interests are more important than that of others. I saw plenty of young/fit people not budging from their seats. But, yes, maybe they were exhausted.

BobbiLynn said:

I wish more people were like that, everyone is in such a hurry and think that their interests are more important than that of others. I saw plenty of young/fit people not budging from their seats. But, yes, maybe they were exhausted.

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Yeah, you never can tell who is getting off work. Or who has feet trouble, etc. So, you can't really say anything.

I got both my chocolate making stuff, and the cheese making stuff already. It should be an interesting weekend.

BobbiLynn,

I love talking about your perspective on life. The SWMBO finally said, "who is this BobbiLynn?"

Fish Fry Rule #1 - Leave your fear of lines at the door. A couple years ago we showed up a a Fish Fry and saw the huge line. We started to get our line personalities out, like "don't come near me, I'm in line and don't try to cut" etc. As we are moving forward with our pitcher of beer when we run into a large group that seems to be just standing around drinking. We indicate that they should jump in and get in line for fish. One of them leans over and sez, "when we are drinking beer with our friends , lines are not our priority." Whoa....I loolk at the SWMBO and she is having the same revelation.......lines don't matter, people, friends, and beer do......about 15 mins later we try out the theory by telling the folks behind us to go ahead because we needed to get another pitcher. It felt good and the beer tasted even better. Fish Fry Fridays Rule!

I'm drinking a homebrewed IPA that I named Crom. It was fermented with Conan yeast that I harvested from a can of Heady Topper.

I'm doing finishing touches on my new keezer. It should be up and running for a temp-test by tomorrow evening...

Stauffbier said:

I'm drinking a homebrewed IPA that I named Crom. It was brewed with Conan yeast that I harvested from a can of Heady Topper.

I'm doing finishing touches on my new keezer. It should be up and running for a temp-test by tomorrow evening...

Click to expand...

Nice setup.

I'm drinking a concord wine that I think I will call Bob Dole.

Stauffbier said:

I'm drinking a homebrewed IPA that I named Crom. It was brewed with Conan yeast that I harvested from a can of Heady Topper.

I'm doing finishing touches on my new keezer. It should be up and running for a temp-test by tomorrow evening...

Click to expand...

Maybe I can catch a bus to your place. Long way to travel for a homebrewed IPA, but whatever... Maybe I can get an all day pass?

opus345 said:

BobbiLynn,

I love talking about your perspective on life. The SWMBO finally said, "who is this BobbiLynn?"

Fish Fry Rule #1 - Leave your fear of lines at the door. A couple years ago we showed up a a Fish Fry and saw the huge line. We started to get our line personalities out, like "don't come near me, I'm in line and don't try to cut" etc. As we are moving forward with our pitcher of beer when we run into a large group that seems to be just standing around drinking. We indicate that they should jump in and get in line for fish. One of them leans over and sez, "when we are drinking beer with our friends , lines are not our priority." Whoa....I loolk at the SWMBO and she is having the same revelation.......lines don't matter, people, friends, and beer do......about 15 mins later we try out the theory by telling the folks behind us to go ahead because we needed to get another pitcher. It felt good and the beer tasted even better. Fish Fry Fridays Rule!

Click to expand...

There will be enough for everyone, no worries. :cross:

BobbiLynn said:

Maybe I can catch a bus to your place. Long way to travel for a homebrewed IPA, but whatever... Maybe I can get an all day pass?

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If you ever catch that bus you get an all year pass Miss Bobbi!

Funny how we gravitated to this thread. I suppose it is because we are all like minded for the most part.

I drank a beer last night that I had used potatoes in the mash. Not very much but enough I could taste it. It was pretty good actually Got to tell you though I was a little worried and let my buddy drink it first

Vman,

Was this your own experiment or something you found on HBT/interwebs?

I am kind of embarrassed to say but it was a spur of the moment thing. I was in the kitchen mashing and saw a pot of potatoes that bad been boiling in the stove for awhile and just dumped them in the mash. They had boiled to the point that it was all a gooey mess and I was going to dump them but I figured what the heck they make vodka out of them so why not

I am kind of planning a pale ale now with them where I can measure how much I put in and just what flavor I get from them. I am thinking though it will be a good thing since that beer was the first beer emptied last night.

Varmintman said:

I am kind of embarrassed to say but it was a spur of the moment thing. I was in the kitchen mashing and saw a pot of potatoes that bad been boiling in the stove for awhile and just dumped them in the mash. They had boiled to the point that it was all a gooey mess and I was going to dump them but I figured what the heck they make vodka out of them so why not

I am kind of planning a pale ale now with them where I can measure how much I put in and just what flavor I get from them. I am thinking though it will be a good thing since that beer was the first beer emptied last night.

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It makes sense, anything that contains starch can be converted to fermentable sugar. Interesting.....

My sleep schedule has changed so that now feels like late night. Stew is cooking. My friend Sharon and her husband Steve are coming over tomorrow. I can't wait. Since hubby and I are Bill and Bobbi, we joke that when we get together it's just a bunch of BS. They will help me cut back on beer inventory.

Varmintman said:

I am kind of embarrassed to say but it was a spur of the moment thing. I was in the kitchen mashing and saw a pot of potatoes that bad been boiling in the stove for awhile and just dumped them in the mash. They had boiled to the point that it was all a gooey mess and I was going to dump them but I figured what the heck they make vodka out of them so why not

I am kind of planning a pale ale now with them where I can measure how much I put in and just what flavor I get from them. I am thinking though it will be a good thing since that beer was the first beer emptied last night.

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Don't be embarrassed, you're pretty much spot on based on some quick research:

http://www.brewery.org/brewery/library/Potato.html

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/1984-potato-beer-scaling-recipes-mr-wizard

opus345 said:

BobbiLynn,

I love talking about your perspective on life. The SWMBO finally said, "who is this BobbiLynn?"

Fish Fry Rule #1 - Leave your fear of lines at the door. A couple years ago we showed up a a Fish Fry and saw the huge line. We started to get our line personalities out, like "don't come near me, I'm in line and don't try to cut" etc. As we are moving forward with our pitcher of beer when we run into a large group that seems to be just standing around drinking. We indicate that they should jump in and get in line for fish. One of them leans over and sez, "when we are drinking beer with our friends , lines are not our priority." Whoa....I loolk at the SWMBO and she is having the same revelation.......lines don't matter, people, friends, and beer do......about 15 mins later we try out the theory by telling the folks behind us to go ahead because we needed to get another pitcher. It felt good and the beer tasted even better. Fish Fry Fridays Rule!

Click to expand...

Hmmm.....still a good story even if I was a little toasted. And when did I post it....10PM...and then I went to bed. Jeez, I'm getting old.

opus345 said:

Don't be embarrassed, you're pretty much spot on based on some quick research:

http://www.brewery.org/brewery/library/Potato.html

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/1984-potato-beer-scaling-recipes-mr-wizard

Click to expand...

Excellent. I've been kicking around with the idea of using potatoes in some kind of brew. I had hoped the starches would break down with just straight cooking. One of the sources I was looking at seemed to think they would, but I had no way of checking the reliability of that information.

These processes are using the enzymes from the malted grains to break the starches into sugar. That actually makes more sense to me.

I had considered processing mashed potatoes in my pressure canner. I might still do that, just to see what happens. To see if that was enough heat to split the starches apart.

Now, do I want to start making chocolates tonight? It's a little late in the day, and I'm tired. My work week just ended.

I've been considering using sweet potatoes in beer for a good while now. I've read you can sub the sweet tatters for pumpkin.

I went ahead and made the first version of the mocha candies. This version uses some instant espresso powder I bought to try to solve the graininess problem I had with the chocoffee. It doesn't seem to have worked, though I will wait until they have cooled to be sure. The next version will use coffee ground as fine as my coffee grinder will make it. I do hope that resolves the graininess.

Stauffbier said:

I've been considering using sweet potatoes in beer for a good while now. I've read you can sub the sweet tatters for pumpkin.

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Now that sounds really good, I love sweet potatoes. I have made sweet potato pie that multiple mistook for pumpkin pie so makes sense you can sub it.

Opus, I hate it when that happens, have to go back and try to remember what you said in that final post of the night before stumbling off to bed.

LG, what about concentrated liquid instead of trying to use the grounds? But that would probably mess up your consistency or something. I could go for some chocoffee right now. Been up since about 3:30, then the dilemma, drink a beer and try to get back to sleep, or just go ahead and make coffee and start my day. So I drank a beer and still awake so I guess I'll go to Plan B, the coffee.

Wow what a day. Got my fermentation chamber aka old fridge moved in and have to wire a temp control up for it now. But the really cool thing is I got a ice maker now in another fridge. First ice maker I have ever owned :rockin:

Life is good now.

My wife will eat a sweet potato over a regular spud any day and I have to say her fried sweet potato is downright good.

Reading those articles sounds like the spuds do not add any flavor but I swear I could taste a difference. Might just have been a mental thing though on my part. I tell you what though I have all the spuds I can brew for free so I might continue to experiment with them

Sounds like you had an adventure in the big city, Bobbi. It's good to get away and do something different every once in a while, recharges the batteries, so to speak. Now you should be able to take up the possum hunt with renewed vigor!

Not much new here, more snow and I had to chip the ice off the windshield Saturday morning after work. I should have next Friday night off, the powers that be at work have decided that working everyone six days a week is starting to burn people out. Duh! I'll probably head up north and make sure the furnace is still running or the house hasn't been taken over by furry critters.

Point Brewery in Stevens Point used to come out with a potato beer every fall, I don't know if they still do. They grow a lot of potatoes in the area they made it as a tie-in to the potato harvest and one of the local communities Potato Fest.

I'm in the mood for a little Marshall Tucker this morning.

I love the Marshall Tucker band. They used to play every year here during the summer at a ski hill and it was great. I might just see if they are still doing it and go this summer.

Stauffbier said:

I've been considering using sweet potatoes in beer for a good while now. I've read you can sub the sweet tatters for pumpkin.

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Coffee is good. But, now I want to start making chocolate coffee in the mornings.

Where are you getting all the potatoes, v-man, growing them? I started some in a container this year to try it out. Not sure how many gallons, but I had to put the container where I wanted it and then fill it with compost by the wagon load. Actually messed up a little and we had one last frost I wasn't expecting, so some of the potato plants I transferred from the compost pile(where I had thrown out potato skins) to the pot died. I should have just let them grow in the comfy, warm compost a little longer. Now I am thinking, why can't I plant spring crops in the winter and just put them right around the pile. The pile will keep them warm. Cold weather is over here, so I'll have to wait to try that.

Well, something happened in the woods and a large animal is injured, my dog is freaking out and the animal was moving fast for a while there. It is still doing some kind of yelping that sounds like pain and doesn't sound like it's moving anymore. Will load a couple guns onto the racks on my 4-wheeler and go check it out. If it's gonna die anyway, I'll probably eat whatever it is. I am hoping it is a buck that got injured by another buck. Young, inexperienced, tender meat. If he dies in my woods, I can eat him. I will only shoot if it is to put him out of his misery. Well, wish me luck...

The Marshall Tucker Band is still around. Doug Grey is the only original member of the band. The Caldwell brothers were the heart and soul of the band, and with them having both passed on as far as I'm concerned it just isn't Marshall Tucker any more.

Nevermind, better not do that, pack of coyotes must have heard the same thing I heard. Wish hubby was well enough to be my hunting partner. I guess let it go and let the coyotes have it. The yelping sounded like fear and pain. A deep, deep, large animal voice. Had to tell my dog that we weren't prepared to fight a pack and he was upset about it, but understood, came back into the safety of the house without complaining much.

Anyway, I turned my compost pile yesterday(friend helped get the front end loader running) and got it watered and cooled off for the spring. A couple pictures, the pile is a beaut, eh? And second pic of of my dog. He's looking over his shoulder, still wondering what happened in the woods and what he missed out on.

If you want to do potatoes in a container just get a bunch of old tires. Fill one with dirt and plant your seed potatoes and when the plant is tall enough throw another tire on top and fill it with dirt. Just keep doing that and by fall you will have a tower of potatoes. Once soil temperatures get into the 80's new potatoes stop forming so plant them early and keep them cool. They prefer a little lighter soil so a little sand mixed with the compost might help, and they require a lot of potash. A little sulfur usually is a good thing too.

Your homegrown potatoes taste so much better than store bought, especially those skanky Idaho potatoes.

BobbiLynn said:

Coffee is good. But, now I want to start making chocolate coffee in the mornings.

Where are you getting all the potatoes, v-man, growing them? I started some in a container this year to try it out. Not sure how many gallons, but I had to put the container where I wanted it and then fill it with compost by the wagon load. Actually messed up a little and we had one last frost I wasn't expecting, so some of the potato plants I transferred from the compost pile(where I had thrown out potato skins) to the pot died. I should have just let them grow in the comfy, warm compost a little longer. Now I am thinking, why can't I plant spring crops in the winter and just put them right around the pile. The pile will keep them warm. Cold weather is over here, so I'll have to wait to try that.

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I live in Idaho Bobbi. And I am out in the country surrounded by both 2 row barley and spud farmers. I have to pay for the 2 row but spuds are free to me. And funny thing I am not to fond of spuds but if I can brew with them well I just might start liking them

ruralbrew said:

If you want to do potatoes in a container just get a bunch of old tires. Fill one with dirt and plant your seed potatoes and when the plant is tall enough throw another tire on top and fill it with dirt. Just keep doing that and by fall you will have a tower of potatoes. Once soil temperatures get into the 80's new potatoes stop forming so plant them early and keep them cool. They prefer a little lighter soil so a little sand mixed with the compost might help, and they require a lot of potash. A little sulfur usually is a good thing too.

Your homegrown potatoes taste so much better than store bought, especially those skanky Idaho potatoes.

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I have to tell you I laughed pretty good at this

I'm headed up to Menards in a bit to pick up some wiring supplies and a few other odds and ends. I have all the components for my electric build and figured I better start putting together the control panels if I'm ever going to start brewing on this system, and with the money I have spent if I don't I will never hear the end of it. Not so much money as some of these guys in the electric forum have spent, it probably won't be pretty but it will work. And as long as it will make beer and be consistent it doesn't have to be shiny.
Last summer I picked up one of those open top plastic freezers you see in grocery stores, they usually have frozen pizza in them. Got it for free off Craigslist and it works. I'm going to wire up a different controller for it and it will be my fermentation chamber. So I will be able to start doing lagers and some of the Belgian styles that require ramping up the temp as the fermentation progresses. Now all I need is a chest freezer for a kegerator and I'll be pretty well set. (famous last words) I've had to pass up some really good deals but I don't need another project sitting around, I have way too many of them now as it is.

Varmintman said:

Wow what a day. Got my fermentation chamber aka old fridge moved in and have to wire a temp control up for it now. But the really cool thing is I got a ice maker now in another fridge. First ice maker I have ever owned :rockin:

Life is good now.

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Automatic ice makers are now a requirement for me! You'll love it!

BobbiLynn said:

Nevermind, better not do that, pack of coyotes must have heard the same thing I heard. Wish hubby was well enough to be my hunting partner. I guess let it go and let the coyotes have it. The yelping sounded like fear and pain. A deep, deep, large animal voice. Had to tell my dog that we weren't prepared to fight a pack and he was upset about it, but understood, came back into the safety of the house without complaining much.

Anyway, I turned my compost pile yesterday(friend helped get the front end loader running) and got it watered and cooled off for the spring. A couple pictures, the pile is a beaut, eh? And second pic of of my dog. He's looking over his shoulder, still wondering what happened in the woods and what he missed out on.

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Glad you waited a bit on the food. Good dog for listening to you. And that's quite a compost pile you have there!

I just got back from Menards $250 poorer. Good thing I only needed odds and ends. And I still forgot to pick some things up but they are just....odds and ends......

Of course I still need pumps, silicone tubing, quick disconnects and on and on and on. Pretty soon though I will be able to quit spending money on parts and begin spending money on malt and hops and yeast.

ruralbrew said:

I just got back from Menards $250 poorer. Good thing I only needed odds and ends. And I still forgot to pick some things up but they are just....odds and ends......

Of course I still need pumps, silicone tubing, quick disconnects and on and on and on. Pretty soon though I will be able to quit spending money on parts and begin spending money on malt and hops and yeast.

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Have you bee watching the Cheap Compact Wort Pump thread?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/cheap-compact-wort-pump-375904/

I may take a flyer on the $21.95 ebay one. Maybe the Solar Project one.

I've tested out the $20 black one and I think I'm going to use it for mash tun recirculating only. I'll be purchasing a chugger for everything else. My run from brew stand to conicals is 15' with a 5' rise. That's just too much for the little guys I think. I'll be doing a dedicated hard plumbed recirculating pump in my mash tun.

BobbiLynn said:

Now that sounds really good, I love sweet potatoes. I have made sweet potato pie that multiple mistook for pumpkin pie so makes sense you can sub it.

Opus, I hate it when that happens, have to go back and try to remember what you said in that final post of the night before stumbling off to bed.

LG, what about concentrated liquid instead of trying to use the grounds? But that would probably mess up your consistency or something. I could go for some chocoffee right now. Been up since about 3:30, then the dilemma, drink a beer and try to get back to sleep, or just go ahead and make coffee and start my day. So I drank a beer and still awake so I guess I'll go to Plan B, the coffee.

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I could use a concentrated liquid. That's really a last resort though. In order to get the liquid to mix you actually have to add a fair amount more water they you would think, then leave the chocolate at temperature for a while so the water evaporates out. Otherwise it won't set properly.

That would mean that making this stuff would be much more of a PITA then I would prefer.

The instant espresso powder didn't leave a grainy texture precisely. It did change the fat percentages enough that the finished product doesn't have that smooth mouth feel that makes chocolate so nice. The other problem is the actual flavor profile. The espresso powder tastes like it was very darkly roasted, no lite or mid flavors at all. I'm not really happy with it this way.

The next version will use ground coffee as fine as I can make it in the new coffee grinder. It's pretty close to cocoa powder to my senses. I hope it works well in the chocolate. It's dunkin donuts medium roast. That's what I used in the first chocoffee experiment, so I know it's got a good flavor profile for this project. The texture was just rubbish.