New brew

Over to the right, we've added a section to the sidebar listing our current beer production. Chronicling our homebrewing was ostensibly the whole inspiration for this blog, but for some reason we haven't written about it much.

Anyway, on Sunday we brewed a 10-gallon batch of a "SMaSH" (single malt and single hop) beer, made with 20 lb. of Crisp Maris Otter 2-row pale malt and 6 ounces of Willamette hops. (Thanks to Suburban Brewing for the idea.) As always, ingredients were purchased from John Reynolds at Brew Your Own Beer.

Original gravity was 1.055 and we are expecting final gravity of 1.013 for 5.6% ABV. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up higher since we were a little short in our pre-boil volume. We are using White Labs 007 Dry English Ale yeast (reusing the yeast cake from our previous brew), pitched at 64°F. Ambient temperature in my basement is closer to 60°F, so it should be a clean tasting beer without many fruity esters.

We plan to keg and force carbonate this beer, which should be ready for drinking around April 10.

free beer

All you food bloggers

Bourdain's "Obsession" episode last night: I thought the bit on food bloggers was spot on. Equal parts sardonic bemusement, ironic distance and feigned-reluctant attachment. In other words, classic Bourdain. I know it was one of those cheap compilation episodes but I enjoyed it.

I feel like I oughta be tweeting this. Isn't that what all the kids are doing these days?

When things should work but don't work

That's the work of ... the PLCB.*

I don't have a lot to say about the Memphis Taproom/Local 44/Resurrection Ale House raids, that hasn't already been said. You should read what Joe Sixpack said here, what Lew Bryson said here and what Bryan Kolesar said here. And, of course, I can't forget the estimable Mr. Jack Curtin's Liquid Diet post on the topic.

So in case all, like, 19 of you haven't heard about this already -- check out those links above, and revel in the glory of Pennsylvania's Kafka-esque bureaucracy.

If you read this Brog you know that we are big fans of what Brendan & Leigh are doing at their bars. Although we don't know Brendan & Leigh except as satisfied customers of their fine establishments, we wish them the best.

* Apologies to the Evens

Romesco sauce is awesome.

That is all.

Meet me in Manhattan

What does one drink when he come homes from work and there's no cold beer in the fridge?

Jim Beam Rye, Tribuno vermouth, Angostura bitters, twist of lemon.

I would be much obliged if you, gentle reader, would submit recommendations for rye and vermouth in the comments, for I am new to this drink.

Pinocchio's Beer Garden

Our friend Geoff sends word of a new bottle shop in Media, PA, boasting over 500 varieties of beer. Pinocchio's Beer Garden boasts labels such as Abita, Affligem, Allagash and Avery -- and that's just the A's!

Located on Baltimore Pike in Media, it's on my way home from work and dangerously close to Zac's Hamburgers. Looking forward to checking it out.

Pinocchio's Beer Garden

131 E. Baltimore Pike

Media, PA 19063

610-566-7767