I like this time at night on HBT

My chest freezer is in deep freeze mode now with local pork and apples/rhubarb that should be wine by now. My fermenting chamber was an old Sears 1972 monster that gave up the ghost a year or so ago. I haven't been brewing for a while so I have not missed it. We have all the gear (un-assembled) to start 1bbl batches. I hope to find an upright (maybe a commercial 1 or 2 door unit) for the conical when I get around to that.

Definitely buy the beef and more chest freezers if you need them. I have bought a few 1/4's (local grass-fed) in the past and nothing can touch it. I am drooling now thinking of those rib steaks. Same for the pork I have now.

Nice to hear from you Dan!

 

The pastrami I just made was a grass-fed beef brisket. Oddly, when I asked, the store told me it was actually CHEAPER than the normal beef brisket. Unexpected.

 

What is cheaper than grass? I suppose it is not realistic for "big beef" but being cheaper speaks well for small farming/organic. I really hope that is the direction our food is going in.

Grill is just about ready for some nice salmon fillets (chicken boobs for my son's sleepover guest). Oven roasted potatoes and sauteed asparagus...I am hungry.

 

I think I will drink some American Pale Ale tonight. And some other stuff. Please disregard everything I type after right now.

 

I respect your plan and appreciate the warning. I am too full to drink much now. Maybe one or two and I'll hit the couch.

 

Red Bull.... annnnd GO!

 

Haha, right on. That's a good point.

 

Long time away from the forum, hope all is well. Currently trying to make my kegerator look a little nicer and seeing how i can implement some Arduino into my brew world.

Cheers!!

 

Got about another week or so until my first homebrew is ready to drink. Think I may do a match of mead before another brew.

 

Another week is upon us. Oh crap!

If you guys haven't run into Mongster on this forum, you're in for a treat. He's as oddball as you get (probably a good fit for this thread). I had the great pleasure of conversing with him recently and wrote up the interview which is on the front page of this forum. Take a look if you like: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/brewer-interview-Stian-Mong-Mongster.html

If you don't have time for that, just check out his whacky video. How can you not like this guy?

 

I did love that video. Classic stuff.

 

So here's a thing.... It seems like all the members here are truly good folks. I haven't been a member a long time but man everyone is so helpful and genuine. There's good thing going on here. Proof positive beer brings people together that it is indeed true that beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy.

 

I'm back again.

I just accepted a position in the UK for a year.... I may be converting back to 1 gallon batches.

 

Congrats on the new job.

 

Cool! (right?)

I spent almost a year working in Paris back in the 90's. One of the best times of my life. I miss those times (actually, I miss living carte blanche in the EU).

 

Thanks! Part of me isn't sure if I should take it still haha! Cheers!

PP - that makes me feel better. I've been dating someone for 3 years now and she'll be in med school, so she cannot come. But I'll be on carte blanche as well and will have free travel to see family or have her fly over... so it's a good thing? It's only a year?

Edit: that mean's I have to leave all my homebrew stuff? balls.

 

For your late nite soundtrack, Laura / Matt Monro.

 

Live it up man! Sounds like a fabulous maybe once in a lifetime opportunity. Best of luck either way.

 

I like this time at night, ya'll are wonderful folk.

 

Good evening folks,

Hope you are all having a wonderful night. My daughter is home visiting from college this weekend so we all went out for a nice dinner. There was a one man guitar/singer outfit there that was rather nice.

I had a few Bell's UPA's that were quite good. I did not know until tonight that Bell's had moved into the UP:

http://www.mlive.com/beer/2014/11/upper_hand.html


The moon and stars have been fabulous the last few nights. Orion is out in all his glory. Listen to this while you gaze upon him:

 

That's great you can go out and enjoy an evening with your daughter. Our kids must be similar ages.

When I go out at night this time of year, one of the first things I look for is orion's belt.

 

It is so nice when she visits. She is such a good kid. I could not be more proud. She is going on 21...about half my age...I have a trio of boys also that came along a bit later. They are going on 10,8 and 6. What can I say? I'm a lucky man

I wanted to be an astronomer when I was young. With that aspiration, I am amazed at how little I know on the subject. I can spot orion and find polaris but not much else. I should make time to study a bit. I am still in awe of a perfectly clear night sky.

 

I don't know about where you are, but Mercury / Mars are still visible just after dark in the West, and Jupiter rises in the sky in the east, the brightest thing in the sky now. Sirius is always the brightest star, Betelgeuse is easy to pick out in Orion, and Capella is also bright north of me. I look at the stars almost every night when I go out with my dog.

If you have an iPhone, get Sky Guide (app). It's a couple of bucks and will blow your mind.

 

Good evening Late Niters! Friday nite, time to get on the revelry.

For your late nite soundtrack, here's a medley put together by the Playing for Change editors. These songs are so cool. This is their 100th production. They really show how much music, more than perhaps any other endeavor, can pull the human race together across the artificial borders we've created to separate us.

 

Love it. Cheers.

 

For Android, google Sky Map is amazing.

 

That's nice, Pappy! Music really is the common bond among us all. Jubilation, sorrow, togetherness.

Maybe all world leader requirements should be they play an instrument well or at least truly appreciate all music. I wonder where that might lead this small world of ours? Happy I think

 

That's the one I used to have. Installing it right now.

 

Get it on the daughter's phone too.

I got put Sky Guide on my 17-yr old's phone and now he's hooked.

 

Hey Dan, nice to see you back. I agree. Playing an instrument is a wonderful thing. I would never suggest that I could play well but I could get lost with my guitar for hours that seemed like minutes. What a relaxing experience. I haven't played much for years. Maybe that's why I'm such a mess

I will. Not sure she would be as interested but it is worth a shot. It is taking forever to install. I think I need a new phone. The sky is getting hazy now too.

 

Hey, Ischiavo! Great to hear from you too bro! I am not a musician by any-means. But do respect all people who give their hand and heart at it. I think that's what matters most. Giving your heart into it even if that doesn't mean you'll be the next superstar. I get all happy playing around with s guitar and harmonica. Trust me. I can not play!!! Two of my kids play the guitar pretty well. They won't make their living that way but will always find strength and solitude with their guitars.

 

Well, I had to make some compromises on the brisket for the pastrami. Still, it's moving along nicely. In the end, the best I could score was a nice 4 lb flat of corned beef. (long story behind that, not important)

I put together my spices, soaked the corned beef, applied the spices, and set it on a smoker with hickory burning at 225F steady for over 8 hours now. (I mean right now this minute, it's been 8 hours)

I'm expecting the temp to start dropping off soon. According to pastrami tradition that I've read online, once I take it off I need to steam it for several more hours. I'm thinking I could do this with my false bottom and a bit of water over-night in my big brew pot.

What do you think? Do this? It smells like seventh heaven now. Oh, it smells nice. I want it to be tender.

Any suggestions? This is my first time doing this.

 

I soak mine overnight in water, in the fridge, to remove some of the salt.

When you slice it, try to cut across the grain of the meat. That will help a lot in making it fall apart when eaten.

 

Thanks PP. I love your photos. It makes it all so beautiful.

I'm going to move my pastrami from the smoker into the steamer within the hour. I promised SWMBO a packed lunch tomorrow, so I MUST deliver. A pot pie in a lunch bag will just piss her off. LOL.

I'm going to give her some pastrami, some rye bread, some swiss, some Russian style dressing, Bavarian kraut, and a cookie.

 

Pining...

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Good stuff! I raise a knack:



BTW, Wow! It is not blistering cold outside. I am actually back and forth in a t-shirt. My brewshop door is all heaved out of alignment though. Things that never moved from frost before have moved the last few years around here. You should see my front steps that I worked days on...ruined. Pisses me off. Posts dug 6 feet into the ground are not good enough. The poured in place concrete steps at my wife's studio are pushed up a few inches on the front. I could go on but spring is in the air.

 

Well?