Lew Starts Some Shi. . . .

And I'm sure, in short order, the fan it will hit.

Yes, our good friend Mr. Bryson started a new blog yesterday, entitled Why the PLCB Should Be Abolished, and he's already receiving calls from the press.

Oh, I have a feeling this is gonna get good.

Cheers,

Dave

Housekeeping

Happy Monday!

Just a quick shout about some goings on. First and foremost: What's everyone doing May 17th? If you happen to be in Central PA that Saturday and are looking for a good time that's supporting a good cause, check out Pints for Pets in Altoona, PA. Benefiting the Central PA Humane Society, P4P will be held from 4-8 PM at the home of the Altoon Curve, the Picturesque Blair County Ball Park. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Check out the stellar beer lineup and then get your tickets. I know a guy who knows a guy that might be able to help you out.

On a hope and a prayer, the Ides of March RIS double batch (MB0016, 0017) will FINALLY be transferred to secondary, freeing up our primary vessels for some more brewin'. I've had the itch to brew for about two weeks now, but no place to put it. Hopefully we can move onto The Missionary Position Belgian Strong Ale (MB0018) and Stone Soup Porter (MB0019).

And Finally, work will be taking me to some far and away places in the upcoming months. while searching for breweries in North Jersey (I have to spend some time there at the end of May), I stumbled across this video on the Cricket Hill Brewery website, makers of the best beer in the world, or so says Brew Master Rick Reed. After watching, I seriously considered staying an extra night just to see this guy in action.

Enjoy this tidbit.



Cheers,

Dave

Ides of March Strikes Again!

Well, technically the Ides of April. So Justin and I checked in on the Ides of March RIS double batch tonight, expecting to be able to transfer to secondary to free up our primaries. Well, not so much. After 31 days in primary, we had a "FG" of 1.036 and 1.034 respectively for our two batches.

So as of tonight around 7:00 PM, we repitched a pack of Safale US-05 into each brew. Hopefully that gets us down to where we need to be, right around 1.021-ish. We shall see soon enough.

Cheers,
Dave

More beer for all of us!!

It's back!! Or, well, it will be. June 1st, according to this article.

Yes, that's right. Titusville will again be a craft brew hot spot, and once again, Matt Allyn (of Voodoo fame) will be heading up the brewery.

Thanks,Lew, for the heads up.

Pumped, I am.

-Dave

One Night in Detroit

Work recently took me to Detroit for a single Thursday night. Knowing the amount of good breweries in Michigan, specifically the Detroit/Ann Arbor metro area, this time I did my homework.

With only a limited number of hours to devote to beer due to that pesky "job thing", I strategically planned my route from my hotel, hitting a bottle shop and a brewery, culminating with dinner/beers with my cousin's fiance at a beer bar. Quick, fast and full of beer. 70 miles round trip. Try to keep up.

Leaving my hotel in Livonia, I traveled southeast to Dearborn to hit Merchant Fine Wines. This place is CRAZY! Tons of beer, huge Belgian and Import section, lots of sour ales, and of course the obligatory Michigan Beer. I picked up some JP 750's, E. S. BAM and Maracaibo Especial. I also put together a mix-6 include a couple brews each from Founder's, Arbor Brewing and Darkhorse.

Back in the car, I headed northeast to Kuhnhenn Brewing in Warren. Quite the drive, a bit farther than I anticipated, so my stay at the home of Raspberry Eisbock was severely diminished. It is completely (un)fortunate that I could only pop in and out to grab a couple bottles of KRE. The pub is just so inviting with a neighborly quality that just begs you to pull up a stool and let the barkeep pull a pint for you. Alas, I could not, because I was meeting someone.

My soon-to-be cousin-in-law (technical term) chose the final destination because he knew my penchant for good beer and good food, especially burgers. He did some searching and found the Red Coat Tavern, supposedly boasting the best burger Detroit has to offer. The burger was good, not necessarily the best, but the beer list was huge and full of great selections. 750's of JP and Ommegang among others, let alone some jewels such as Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout. BTW, it was fantastic. I would definitely suggest a stop at this red-lit, British pub that hasn't been changes since the '60s. I'll be sure to swing by when in town.

It was a great whirlwind tour. I wish I had more free time on this trip, but it looks like I'll be heading back shortly and will be able to partake in such a great beer scene.

Cheers,
Dave