We went to the zoo last weekend.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
2nd Quarter Stats
Well ... here it is, the end of another quarter for the SheppyBrew Nano Brewery. At the end of March, I published some of my brewing statistics for the 1st quarter of 2010. Here is a quick run-down of how things are going after the 2nd quarter:
One thing I have started doing is replacing Mr. Beer recipes with recipes that I came up with on my own. Whisky Wife Wheat was a beer I made in 2009, and replaced it recently with Whisky Wife Wheat II. And, currently both in the fermenters are both Dragon Spit Brown Ale (which was a favorite of mine in 2009) and Dragon Spit Brown Ale II. I also formulated a new version of Tommy Hawk APA without any Mr. Beer ingredients, which I enjoyed quite a bit during the BlackHawks' quest for the Stanley Cup this year. I still have quite a few Mr. Beer HME / UME combos that I will try to brew up next to Sheppy Brew originals so that I can compare the results side-by-side.
The Beer Model has a new favorite: Buckwheat's BPA, which is probably going to have to be brewed up very often to keep up with demand. I'm not sure why Tracy likes it so much. It really is more of something I would think I would like (which I do). Usually, if Tracy really likes a beer, I think it is good, but not great. This is a rare beer that we both think is great. I've already brewed this up twice in 2010. It is probably the only beer I've ever made exactly the same twice without any tweaking of the recipe.
I also have a new favorite. Well, I guess I have a couple of new favorites: Quarter Life Crisis and Stone Soup IDA are both wonderfully extremely hoppy creations that have the malty backbones to combine into real beer-lovers' treats. These were both beers that were brewed in the first quarter, although I did not taste Stone Soup IDA until April. I've done Quarter Life Crisis twice so far this year, and will probably do another Stone Soup IDA soon.
Yes, I do realize that none of this is very interesting to very many people out there, but it does interest me. It is fun to look back and remember what I have done. Anyway, that is all for now. I'll keep you posted on what is going on in the Sheppy Brew Nano Brewery (even if you don't care).
- 2010: I have mixed 18 batches of beer. I am still on pace for 36 batches this year. (should be around 81 gallons)
In 2009, I brewed 29 batches of beer.
- 2010: I have brewed 15 different recipes. 9 of these are brand new to 2010.
2009: I had 18 completely different recipes.
- 2010: I've done 1 lager. It was a success, and I will be doing another one which I will probably start in August. It is going to be an Oktoberfest lager. I'm going to call it Rocktoberfest II.
2009: All my beers were ales.
- 2010: All my beers so far have still been Sheppy Brew recipes.
2009: 26 were Sheppy Brew recipes.
- 2010: 100% (so far) have been good, very good, great, or oh-my-god fantastic.
2009: 93% were been good, very good, great, or oh-my-god fantastic.
- 2010: 9 batches have been partial mashes.
2009: I did 3 partial mashes.
- 2010: 13 batches have had no Mr. Beer ingredients.
2009: 6 batches had no Mr. Beer ingredients.
The Beer Model has a new favorite: Buckwheat's BPA, which is probably going to have to be brewed up very often to keep up with demand. I'm not sure why Tracy likes it so much. It really is more of something I would think I would like (which I do). Usually, if Tracy really likes a beer, I think it is good, but not great. This is a rare beer that we both think is great. I've already brewed this up twice in 2010. It is probably the only beer I've ever made exactly the same twice without any tweaking of the recipe.
I also have a new favorite. Well, I guess I have a couple of new favorites: Quarter Life Crisis and Stone Soup IDA are both wonderfully extremely hoppy creations that have the malty backbones to combine into real beer-lovers' treats. These were both beers that were brewed in the first quarter, although I did not taste Stone Soup IDA until April. I've done Quarter Life Crisis twice so far this year, and will probably do another Stone Soup IDA soon.
Yes, I do realize that none of this is very interesting to very many people out there, but it does interest me. It is fun to look back and remember what I have done. Anyway, that is all for now. I'll keep you posted on what is going on in the Sheppy Brew Nano Brewery (even if you don't care).
Friday, July 02, 2010
Chore
Here is Connor doing one of Tyler's chores because he "likes to vacuum". Don't worry, I found other things for Tyler to do. (FaceBook readers will have to go out to My Blog to see this video).
I do not know if you remember this blog post: Extra Kids where Connor and his friend David told me that doing dishes was "the funnest thing ever".
Obviously, Connor does not get this attitude from his Dad.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Best Beers in America II
So, just a couple days ago, I posted that The AHA recently posted their 2010 Zymurgy Best Beers In America Poll, and that I had not had very many of them.
Since then, I stopped at the liquor store. I wanted to buy Russian River Pliny the Elder (#1 on the list), but I could not find it. Disappointing. Instead, I picked up Arrogant Bastard and Dogfish Head's 90 minute IPA. So, now I've tried 3 of the top 5. I've had 4 of the top 10, and 10 on the list. I'll feel pretty good about myself if I can taste 5 or 10 more on the list.
Both Arrogant Bastard and Dogfish Head's 90 minute IPA are fine beers. Of course, neither of these are locally brewed, so they are pretty expensive. I do not know for sure, but I assume if I were in a more local liquor store to either of these, they would be fresher than the beer I got.
Personally, for the cost, I would just as soon drink a local Imperial IPA as I would the 90 minute. I do not think it is any better than the New Belgium Ranger IPA, for example. It very well could change my opinion if I were to get one fresh out of the brewery, but Delaware is a long way from Colorado, so my Colorado beers are going to be fresher than anything I'll drink from Dogfish Head. IPA is not really my preferred style of beer anyway. Because of that, I do not really have one of my beers to compare to the 90 minute IPA.
Arrogant Bastard is a very interesting beer. To me, it tastes like a more bitter, less hoppy version of the SheppyBrew Quarter Life Crisis, which is a beer style that I really do like. And yes, as arrogant as it might sound, I like my beer better than I like Arrogant Bastard. Again, freshness might be a factor in the "sample" I got. Plus, I think it is somewhat human nature to prefer something that I, a home-brewer, created over another beer. That being said, if you were to offer me an Arrogant Bastard, I would not hesitate to accept. The beer is deep red in color, and aggressively bitter throughout the drink. It has a nice malty / caramelly background with a healthy dose of American citrusy and piney hops and maybe just a touch of roasted malts. It is really what I would call the perfect combination of flavors ... except mine just blends them better (IMAO).
Anyway... there you go. I am on my way to trying more of the best beers in America.
Since then, I stopped at the liquor store. I wanted to buy Russian River Pliny the Elder (#1 on the list), but I could not find it. Disappointing. Instead, I picked up Arrogant Bastard and Dogfish Head's 90 minute IPA. So, now I've tried 3 of the top 5. I've had 4 of the top 10, and 10 on the list. I'll feel pretty good about myself if I can taste 5 or 10 more on the list.
Both Arrogant Bastard and Dogfish Head's 90 minute IPA are fine beers. Of course, neither of these are locally brewed, so they are pretty expensive. I do not know for sure, but I assume if I were in a more local liquor store to either of these, they would be fresher than the beer I got.
Personally, for the cost, I would just as soon drink a local Imperial IPA as I would the 90 minute. I do not think it is any better than the New Belgium Ranger IPA, for example. It very well could change my opinion if I were to get one fresh out of the brewery, but Delaware is a long way from Colorado, so my Colorado beers are going to be fresher than anything I'll drink from Dogfish Head. IPA is not really my preferred style of beer anyway. Because of that, I do not really have one of my beers to compare to the 90 minute IPA.
Arrogant Bastard is a very interesting beer. To me, it tastes like a more bitter, less hoppy version of the SheppyBrew Quarter Life Crisis, which is a beer style that I really do like. And yes, as arrogant as it might sound, I like my beer better than I like Arrogant Bastard. Again, freshness might be a factor in the "sample" I got. Plus, I think it is somewhat human nature to prefer something that I, a home-brewer, created over another beer. That being said, if you were to offer me an Arrogant Bastard, I would not hesitate to accept. The beer is deep red in color, and aggressively bitter throughout the drink. It has a nice malty / caramelly background with a healthy dose of American citrusy and piney hops and maybe just a touch of roasted malts. It is really what I would call the perfect combination of flavors ... except mine just blends them better (IMAO).
Anyway... there you go. I am on my way to trying more of the best beers in America.
USA
Reminds me of something cute that Connor did. Last time we watched Miracle (which I have decided is the best sports movie of all time) during the Semi-finals game vs the Soviet Union, Connor asked us to stop the movie. He ran upstairs and got a little American flag. During the rest of the movie, he waved his flag and chanted "U S A". Its real easy to get into that part of the movie.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Cable TV
Well, I've done it.
I've decided to drop cable TV for the summer. I'm not going to replace it with anything until October (hockey season). The over-the-air digital channels will do me just fine until then. I have to return the DVR, but after that, I will be down to only the 15 or so channels I can get through an antenna.
When hockey season comes around, I'll get whatever service gives me the best option for the most Blackhawk games in HD (hopefully for the best price).
One thing that was sort of frustrating about my deal with Comcast is that phone service, internet service, and TV service are "bundled", so I never really knew how much I was paying for any individual piece. But, a nice customer service lady helped me figure that out today. She even helpfully suggested downgrade options that might work better for me than just dropping my service completely. Such a nice lady. In the end, though, we decided (mostly me ... I think she still had her doubts that I really wanted to do this ... ) that completely dropping TV was the best option for me.
I'm not going to share with you the staggering amount of money I was spending on TV a month. I'm a bit ashamed by it ... although if you have cable or satellite TV (especially if you are adding on HD), you are probably paying pretty much the same. If I figure out how much I'm paying per hour of TV actually watched, the figure is even more embarrassing. I wish I would have done this right after the Hawks won the cup.
Anyway, if you are visiting me this summer, and expecting to watch TV, your selection of channels is going to be greatly reduced. Make sure you bring a book or a laptop or some other form of personal entertainment with you.
I've decided to drop cable TV for the summer. I'm not going to replace it with anything until October (hockey season). The over-the-air digital channels will do me just fine until then. I have to return the DVR, but after that, I will be down to only the 15 or so channels I can get through an antenna.
When hockey season comes around, I'll get whatever service gives me the best option for the most Blackhawk games in HD (hopefully for the best price).
One thing that was sort of frustrating about my deal with Comcast is that phone service, internet service, and TV service are "bundled", so I never really knew how much I was paying for any individual piece. But, a nice customer service lady helped me figure that out today. She even helpfully suggested downgrade options that might work better for me than just dropping my service completely. Such a nice lady. In the end, though, we decided (mostly me ... I think she still had her doubts that I really wanted to do this ... ) that completely dropping TV was the best option for me.
I'm not going to share with you the staggering amount of money I was spending on TV a month. I'm a bit ashamed by it ... although if you have cable or satellite TV (especially if you are adding on HD), you are probably paying pretty much the same. If I figure out how much I'm paying per hour of TV actually watched, the figure is even more embarrassing. I wish I would have done this right after the Hawks won the cup.
Anyway, if you are visiting me this summer, and expecting to watch TV, your selection of channels is going to be greatly reduced. Make sure you bring a book or a laptop or some other form of personal entertainment with you.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Best Beers in America
The AHA recently posted their 2010 Zymurgy Best Beers In America Poll.
#1 is Russian River Pliny the Elder. I've never had it.
In fact, I am ashamed to say that out of the top 5, the only one I've had is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Out of the top 10, I've only had 2. Out of the whole list (top 50), I've only had 8.
As a home-brewer, I have a responsibility to at least taste a higher number of the top beers in America ... don't you think? I do believe that I had better go out and get a few of these top beers and make myself drink them.
It will be a sacrifice, but I will force myself to perform this duty.
#1 is Russian River Pliny the Elder. I've never had it.
In fact, I am ashamed to say that out of the top 5, the only one I've had is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Out of the top 10, I've only had 2. Out of the whole list (top 50), I've only had 8.
It will be a sacrifice, but I will force myself to perform this duty.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Weird Kids
My kids got hold of the digital camera and shot a series of videos.
This was the weirdest one. In case you cannot tell, it is captain underpants spinning round and round and round. If you don't know who captain underpants is, consider yourself lucky. Although, I do prefer CU to Sponge Bob.
If you are a facebook reader, you'll have to go to blog.ericshepard.com to see the video.
This was the weirdest one. In case you cannot tell, it is captain underpants spinning round and round and round. If you don't know who captain underpants is, consider yourself lucky. Although, I do prefer CU to Sponge Bob.
If you are a facebook reader, you'll have to go to blog.ericshepard.com to see the video.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
My Brush with Fame
Do you know who I sat next to on my flight home Friday? Do you? Do you?
I sat next to Erin Glass on the way home from TN. Can you believe it?
It is possible you do not know who Erin Glass actually is. Erin Glass is the one and only wife of the one and only ... wait for it ... wait for it ... Gary Glass. Can you believe it? Yes, the one and only wife of the one and only Gary Glass sat next to me on the flight home from TN. How cool is that?
And, yes, it is possible that some of you do not know who Gary Glass is either (other than being the one and only husband of the one and only Erin Glass). I suppose he is probably not even the only Gary Glass in the world. Perhaps Erin is not the only Erin Glass in the world either.
So, for those of you who do not know, Gary Glass (at least the one married to Erin, the lady who sat next to me on the way home from TN) is the Director of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). You're pretty jealous, aren't you?
Erin is actually a high-ranking member of the AHA as well. The Contact Us Page on the AHA website lists her as the Brewers Association Membership Coordinator & Brewery Detective. She told me one thing she does at the AHA is work with homebrewers who want to go that next step to actually starting up a commercial brew pub or microbrewery. I'm sure she does many other fun beer-related things on a daily basis. Sounds like a fun job to me.
The reason that Erin Glass, one and only wife of the one and only director of the AHA, was traveling back from TN was because she took her very small (and very cute) daughter to visit family while Gary was up in MN for the National Homebrewers Conference. The very small child was not very happy most of the trip, and Erin spent most of the first hour apologizing to me about the loudness of her daughter's cries. I kept telling her not to worry about it. It was not that long ago that my children were that small, and I totally understand how hard it can be. The poor mother ordered some wine, which was a mistake, as most of it ended up spilled. I, of course, ordered a beer. And, she mentioned that usually she would have ordered beer as well, but really was not wild about the choices on the flight. It came out that I homebrew and then she mentioned who she was and we had something to talk about for a few minutes while both her daughter, and my 5-year-old finally slept.
She, of course, knows most of the big-shots in home brewing. She told me what a nice guy Jamil Zainasheff, author of Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew, is. I, of course, have Jamil to thank quite a bit for my Quarter Life Crisis and my Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale. She told me that Charles Papazian, author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, is still pretty much a stove-top brewer (which sort of surprises me). Apparently, Charles has a new daughter as well. And, of course, she knows John Palmer (How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time) as well. I'm sure she knows other big shot authors in the homebrewing world, but those were the ones she mentioned.
Erin also told me I should join the AHA, and that I should attend the NHC in San Diego next year.
Anyway, that was my brush with fame for the weekend. It was nice to talk beer on the way home for a few minutes.
I sat next to Erin Glass on the way home from TN. Can you believe it?
It is possible you do not know who Erin Glass actually is. Erin Glass is the one and only wife of the one and only ... wait for it ... wait for it ... Gary Glass. Can you believe it? Yes, the one and only wife of the one and only Gary Glass sat next to me on the flight home from TN. How cool is that?
And, yes, it is possible that some of you do not know who Gary Glass is either (other than being the one and only husband of the one and only Erin Glass). I suppose he is probably not even the only Gary Glass in the world. Perhaps Erin is not the only Erin Glass in the world either.
So, for those of you who do not know, Gary Glass (at least the one married to Erin, the lady who sat next to me on the way home from TN) is the Director of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). You're pretty jealous, aren't you?
Erin is actually a high-ranking member of the AHA as well. The Contact Us Page on the AHA website lists her as the Brewers Association Membership Coordinator & Brewery Detective. She told me one thing she does at the AHA is work with homebrewers who want to go that next step to actually starting up a commercial brew pub or microbrewery. I'm sure she does many other fun beer-related things on a daily basis. Sounds like a fun job to me.
The reason that Erin Glass, one and only wife of the one and only director of the AHA, was traveling back from TN was because she took her very small (and very cute) daughter to visit family while Gary was up in MN for the National Homebrewers Conference. The very small child was not very happy most of the trip, and Erin spent most of the first hour apologizing to me about the loudness of her daughter's cries. I kept telling her not to worry about it. It was not that long ago that my children were that small, and I totally understand how hard it can be. The poor mother ordered some wine, which was a mistake, as most of it ended up spilled. I, of course, ordered a beer. And, she mentioned that usually she would have ordered beer as well, but really was not wild about the choices on the flight. It came out that I homebrew and then she mentioned who she was and we had something to talk about for a few minutes while both her daughter, and my 5-year-old finally slept.
She, of course, knows most of the big-shots in home brewing. She told me what a nice guy Jamil Zainasheff, author of Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew, is. I, of course, have Jamil to thank quite a bit for my Quarter Life Crisis and my Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale. She told me that Charles Papazian, author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, is still pretty much a stove-top brewer (which sort of surprises me). Apparently, Charles has a new daughter as well. And, of course, she knows John Palmer (How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time) as well. I'm sure she knows other big shot authors in the homebrewing world, but those were the ones she mentioned.
Erin also told me I should join the AHA, and that I should attend the NHC in San Diego next year.
Anyway, that was my brush with fame for the weekend. It was nice to talk beer on the way home for a few minutes.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sugar Free Honey
Making beer is a pretty easy process. Yeast does all the hard work. Yeast eat sugars (mostly from malted barley mashed to convert its starches to sugars). The main waste product from eating all those sugars is alcohol. Yes, yeast eat sugar and poop alcohol.
Another important byproduct of this process is carbon dioxide. Most home-brewers rely on this carbon dioxide to carbonate their beers. When I bottle my beer, I add some more sugar and let the yeast eat that up ... voila ... the little yeasties burp up just enough CO2 to dissolve into my beer and I've got carbonation. Most commercial breweries and some home-brewers carbonate in other ways. When you let the yeasties do it for you, it is called "natural carbonation".
Well, in my Whisky Wife Wheat beer, the sugars that I use to feed my little beasties come from honey. Or at least, that is the plan. When I was getting close to bottling time, I was in my local super walmart and grabbed a little bottle of honey. I'm not that picky about the type of honey, so I just grabbed what was the least expensive per once. Did not really look at it.
When I bottle my beer, I almost always do 2 or 3 liter PET (plastic) bottles and the rest in 12oz recycled glass beer bottles. The nice thing about the PET bottles are that they firm up as the yeasties carbonate the beer, so you know that the process is progressing.
This time, though, my PET bottles were not firming up at all. This has never happened to me. I figured my yeast had gotten lazy, so I sort of shook all the bottles to maybe get the little guys working again. But, after about 10 days, still nothing. I assumed my yeast must have completely died for whatever reason. So, my plan was to prepare a yeast slurry and re-open all the bottles, added a couple of drops per bottle.
For some reason, before I did this, I took a look at the bottle of honey. Right there on the front were the words "Sugar Free Honey". I turned the bottle over, and the nutritional information on the back confirmed: Sugars ... 0 grams.
What!?! Ok ... I probably should have at least looked at the honey before buying it, but sugar free honey? I do not know how a beer keeper teaches his bees to make honey with no sugars in it. I do not want to know. I do not even really know why anyone would want honey with 0 sugars of any type in it. I thought honey was a healthy processed-sugar substitute. Is the really honey? Do bees make this stuff? Again, I do not really want to know.
It is lucky that I looked, because the fix I was going to attempt (more yeast) would not have helped at all. More yeast with nothing to eat will not burp any more CO2 than my existing yeast could with nothing to eat. I ended up opening up all the bottles and added table sugar to each one. My existing yeasties attacked that sugar and when I left for the TRASH reunion, the PET bottles were firming up nicely.
So, I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere. My home-brewing blog-readers will probably check their honey now to make sure it is not sugar-free. I suppose my non-home-brewing blog-readers might also check.
Another important byproduct of this process is carbon dioxide. Most home-brewers rely on this carbon dioxide to carbonate their beers. When I bottle my beer, I add some more sugar and let the yeast eat that up ... voila ... the little yeasties burp up just enough CO2 to dissolve into my beer and I've got carbonation. Most commercial breweries and some home-brewers carbonate in other ways. When you let the yeasties do it for you, it is called "natural carbonation".
Well, in my Whisky Wife Wheat beer, the sugars that I use to feed my little beasties come from honey. Or at least, that is the plan. When I was getting close to bottling time, I was in my local super walmart and grabbed a little bottle of honey. I'm not that picky about the type of honey, so I just grabbed what was the least expensive per once. Did not really look at it.
When I bottle my beer, I almost always do 2 or 3 liter PET (plastic) bottles and the rest in 12oz recycled glass beer bottles. The nice thing about the PET bottles are that they firm up as the yeasties carbonate the beer, so you know that the process is progressing.
This time, though, my PET bottles were not firming up at all. This has never happened to me. I figured my yeast had gotten lazy, so I sort of shook all the bottles to maybe get the little guys working again. But, after about 10 days, still nothing. I assumed my yeast must have completely died for whatever reason. So, my plan was to prepare a yeast slurry and re-open all the bottles, added a couple of drops per bottle.
For some reason, before I did this, I took a look at the bottle of honey. Right there on the front were the words "Sugar Free Honey". I turned the bottle over, and the nutritional information on the back confirmed: Sugars ... 0 grams.
What!?! Ok ... I probably should have at least looked at the honey before buying it, but sugar free honey? I do not know how a beer keeper teaches his bees to make honey with no sugars in it. I do not want to know. I do not even really know why anyone would want honey with 0 sugars of any type in it. I thought honey was a healthy processed-sugar substitute. Is the really honey? Do bees make this stuff? Again, I do not really want to know.
It is lucky that I looked, because the fix I was going to attempt (more yeast) would not have helped at all. More yeast with nothing to eat will not burp any more CO2 than my existing yeast could with nothing to eat. I ended up opening up all the bottles and added table sugar to each one. My existing yeasties attacked that sugar and when I left for the TRASH reunion, the PET bottles were firming up nicely.
So, I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere. My home-brewing blog-readers will probably check their honey now to make sure it is not sugar-free. I suppose my non-home-brewing blog-readers might also check.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Chelsea Dagger
I listened to this a lot last night... never really paid attention to the words before. Here they are:
Well you must be a girl with shoes like that
She said you know me well
I seen you and little Steven and Joanna
Round the back of my hotel oh yeah
Someone said you was asking after me
But I know you best as a blagger
I said tell me your name is it sweet?
She said my boy it's dagger oh yeah
I was good she was hot
Stealin' everything she got
I was bold she was over the worst of it
Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here
Let her dance with me just for the hell of it
Well you must be a boy with bones like that
She said you got me wrong
I would've sold them to you
If I could've just have kept the last of my clothes on oh yeah
Call me up take me down with you
When you go I could be your regular belle
And I'll dance for little steven and Joanna
Round the back of my hotel oh yeah
I was good she was hot
Stealin everything she got
I was bold she was over the worst of it
Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here
Let her dance with me just for the hell of it
Chelsea Chelsea I believe when your dancing
Slowly sucking your sleeve
The boys get lonely after you leave
It's one for the Dagger and another for the one you believe!
Chelsea I believe when your dancing
Slowly sucking your sleeve
The boys get lonely after you leave
It's one for the Dagger, another for the one you believe!
Well you must be a girl with shoes like that
She said you know me well
I seen you and little Steven and Joanna
Round the back of my hotel oh yeah
Someone said you was asking after me
But I know you best as a blagger
I said tell me your name is it sweet?
She said my boy it's dagger oh yeah
I was good she was hot
Stealin' everything she got
I was bold she was over the worst of it
Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here
Let her dance with me just for the hell of it
Well you must be a boy with bones like that
She said you got me wrong
I would've sold them to you
If I could've just have kept the last of my clothes on oh yeah
Call me up take me down with you
When you go I could be your regular belle
And I'll dance for little steven and Joanna
Round the back of my hotel oh yeah
I was good she was hot
Stealin everything she got
I was bold she was over the worst of it
Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here
Let her dance with me just for the hell of it
Chelsea Chelsea I believe when your dancing
Slowly sucking your sleeve
The boys get lonely after you leave
It's one for the Dagger and another for the one you believe!
Chelsea I believe when your dancing
Slowly sucking your sleeve
The boys get lonely after you leave
It's one for the Dagger, another for the one you believe!
49 years
Until young Mr. Kane scored that goal last night, I had been waiting 49 years to see the Blackhawks win the cup.
Well, I was not born until 1970, so I had only really been waiting 40 years.
Well, I never followed the hawks until Jr. High when my family moved to the far north suburbs of Chicago, so I have only really been waiting 28 years.
Those first few years, you probably could not even say I was a suffering fan, so lets call it 25 years that I have been waiting for the Blackhawks to win. 25 years is a long time, but not nearly as long as the Maple Leaf fans have been waiting (43 years) or even the St. Louis Blues or the L.A. Kings who entered the league in 1967 and never won the cup (I guess that is also 43 years). Wow, I feel sorry for the fans of those teams. It feels good to not have to have the longest drought anymore and be able to feel sorry for the others.
And we are not even going to mention the Cubs.
Before this year, the closest the Blackhawks came during my 25 years as a suffering fan, was in 1992 when the Evil Pittsburgh Penguins just destroyed the Mighty Blackhawks in a sweep. I just looked back at the scores, and they were much closer than I had thought, but I am pretty sure I am remembering correctly that although there were a couple of one goal games in that series, the Blackhawks were not really close to winning any of those games. That was really painful. And, a few years later, the Blackhawks virtually disappeared for over a decade. They were just so bad that it was almost impossible to follow them here in Colorado. But, somehow recently, the front office got smart about signing great young talent and putting the right pieces in place to give the team a chance.
Last night they did it. I'm very happy that it finally happened.
Well, I was not born until 1970, so I had only really been waiting 40 years.
Well, I never followed the hawks until Jr. High when my family moved to the far north suburbs of Chicago, so I have only really been waiting 28 years.
Those first few years, you probably could not even say I was a suffering fan, so lets call it 25 years that I have been waiting for the Blackhawks to win. 25 years is a long time, but not nearly as long as the Maple Leaf fans have been waiting (43 years) or even the St. Louis Blues or the L.A. Kings who entered the league in 1967 and never won the cup (I guess that is also 43 years). Wow, I feel sorry for the fans of those teams. It feels good to not have to have the longest drought anymore and be able to feel sorry for the others.
And we are not even going to mention the Cubs.
Before this year, the closest the Blackhawks came during my 25 years as a suffering fan, was in 1992 when the Evil Pittsburgh Penguins just destroyed the Mighty Blackhawks in a sweep. I just looked back at the scores, and they were much closer than I had thought, but I am pretty sure I am remembering correctly that although there were a couple of one goal games in that series, the Blackhawks were not really close to winning any of those games. That was really painful. And, a few years later, the Blackhawks virtually disappeared for over a decade. They were just so bad that it was almost impossible to follow them here in Colorado. But, somehow recently, the front office got smart about signing great young talent and putting the right pieces in place to give the team a chance.
Last night they did it. I'm very happy that it finally happened.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Feedback
I gave my friend, Woody, a 6 pack of Sheppy Brew for his birthday. Actually, I guess technically, you would call him more of a boss, so you could say I was brown-nosing.
But, he gave me some very nice feedback on my beer.
The beers I gave him (in the order he ranked them) were:
Considering how wide of a range there is in those beers, I am pretty pleased with 4 out of 6 greats or good. Wits and Imperial Stouts certainly are not for everyone, so the fact that he didn't like them doesn't mean they are not good beers. Tweedle Beetle Stout in particular is intense in the hops and dark roasted malts, and it is certainly not for the average beer drinker.
And, of course, if he is like me ... beer preference depends a bunch on what you feel like having. Sometimes I feel like drinking ridiculously hoppy beers. Sometimes I want a nice light blonde. Sometimes I feel more like having a nice average amber. I think most beer drinkers are like that.
Anyway, thanks to Mr. Woody for the feedback.
But, he gave me some very nice feedback on my beer.
The beers I gave him (in the order he ranked them) were:
- Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale
- Phat & Tyred Ale -- actually he called 2 and 3 a tie.
- Tommy Hawk APA -- actually he called 2 and 3 a tie.
- Blackhawk Black Ale
- Monkish Wit
- Tweedle Beetle Stout
Considering how wide of a range there is in those beers, I am pretty pleased with 4 out of 6 greats or good. Wits and Imperial Stouts certainly are not for everyone, so the fact that he didn't like them doesn't mean they are not good beers. Tweedle Beetle Stout in particular is intense in the hops and dark roasted malts, and it is certainly not for the average beer drinker.
And, of course, if he is like me ... beer preference depends a bunch on what you feel like having. Sometimes I feel like drinking ridiculously hoppy beers. Sometimes I want a nice light blonde. Sometimes I feel more like having a nice average amber. I think most beer drinkers are like that.
Anyway, thanks to Mr. Woody for the feedback.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Lost Generation
This is better a bit bigger than it displays in my blog. So, full screen it.
Those of you who read my blog via facebook can go to http://blog.ericshepard.com/2010/05/lost-generation.html
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale
Recently (well .. relatively recently) I brewed Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale. My wife picked out a recipe from Jamil Zainasheff's and John Palmer's book Brewing Classic Styles called "Antwerp Afternoon", and I scaled it down and modified it a bit based on some ingredient / process preferences I have developed.
In my humble opinion, the beer turned out great. My wife says it is her favorite beer, so apparently she thinks it is pretty good as well. It is a nicely balanced, clean tasting beer with a nice biscuit malt background. I call it a little brother of my Phat & Tyred Ale. It is very tasty.
I never had a Belgium Pale Ale before I tried mine. But, since then, I have tried two beers that call themselves Belgium Pale Ales. One is made by the Blue Moon Brewing company called Pale Moon. The other was a seasonal brew at a local brew pub called C.B. & Potts. Neither of these beers taste like mine. They do not really taste like each other, either. The Pale Moon tastes like maybe they included coriander and/or orange peel like a regular Blue Moon does. The BPA at C.B. & Potts tasted like it had a similar grain bill and hop flavoring to mine, but it also had the funky yeasty flavor that I associate with Belgium wheat beers and / or Rye beers. I think this is called a "Phenolic" taste. If you have ever had a Mothership Wit from New Belgium Brewery, you probably know the taste I am talking about. It is a taste I do not care for. Apparently some people like it, because it comes through in lots of commercial beers I've had. The BPA at C.B. & Potts had just a touch of it, not nearly as bad as many I've had, but I could detect it. My wife's cousin (who was the one who actually ordered the beer) could detect it too (and liked it even less than I do).
So, I'm wondering ... since my Belgium Pale Ale tastes nothing like either of the commercial BPA's that I have had, is my BPA not really a BPA? Of course, the two commercial examples I have had taste nothing like each other either.
I suppose it doesn't really matter since I like the beer, and my wife likes the beer. It is a beer that will not last very long. I think what I am going to do is brew a double batch of Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale. I'll split it into two fermenters. In one, I'll use the same yeast I used for my first batch. For the other, I'll use a more traditional Belgium-like yeast. The key will be to make sure I keep the fermentation cold over the first couple days so that the phenolics don't come through too strong.
Not sure when I'll get a chance to try this. My next batch will be a Whisky Wife Wheat II and then I need to brew up Quarter Life Crisis and Stone Soup IDA again. Maybe after those three brews I'll have an opening for the great BPA experiment.
In my humble opinion, the beer turned out great. My wife says it is her favorite beer, so apparently she thinks it is pretty good as well. It is a nicely balanced, clean tasting beer with a nice biscuit malt background. I call it a little brother of my Phat & Tyred Ale. It is very tasty.
I never had a Belgium Pale Ale before I tried mine. But, since then, I have tried two beers that call themselves Belgium Pale Ales. One is made by the Blue Moon Brewing company called Pale Moon. The other was a seasonal brew at a local brew pub called C.B. & Potts. Neither of these beers taste like mine. They do not really taste like each other, either. The Pale Moon tastes like maybe they included coriander and/or orange peel like a regular Blue Moon does. The BPA at C.B. & Potts tasted like it had a similar grain bill and hop flavoring to mine, but it also had the funky yeasty flavor that I associate with Belgium wheat beers and / or Rye beers. I think this is called a "Phenolic" taste. If you have ever had a Mothership Wit from New Belgium Brewery, you probably know the taste I am talking about. It is a taste I do not care for. Apparently some people like it, because it comes through in lots of commercial beers I've had. The BPA at C.B. & Potts had just a touch of it, not nearly as bad as many I've had, but I could detect it. My wife's cousin (who was the one who actually ordered the beer) could detect it too (and liked it even less than I do).
So, I'm wondering ... since my Belgium Pale Ale tastes nothing like either of the commercial BPA's that I have had, is my BPA not really a BPA? Of course, the two commercial examples I have had taste nothing like each other either.
I suppose it doesn't really matter since I like the beer, and my wife likes the beer. It is a beer that will not last very long. I think what I am going to do is brew a double batch of Buckwheat's Belgium Pale Ale. I'll split it into two fermenters. In one, I'll use the same yeast I used for my first batch. For the other, I'll use a more traditional Belgium-like yeast. The key will be to make sure I keep the fermentation cold over the first couple days so that the phenolics don't come through too strong.
Not sure when I'll get a chance to try this. My next batch will be a Whisky Wife Wheat II and then I need to brew up Quarter Life Crisis and Stone Soup IDA again. Maybe after those three brews I'll have an opening for the great BPA experiment.
Monday, May 10, 2010
1961
The Chicago Blackhawks have not won the Stanley cup since 1961. I was not alive in 1961. All but 6 teams in the NHL did not exist last time the Hawks won the cup. The fact that a team can go almost 50 years without winning is baffling to me. I'm sick of it. Its about time for them to get it done.
Of course, before they won it in 1997, the Red Wings had gone from 1955 without winning. The New York Rangers went from 1940 to 1994 without winning the cup. The Boston Bruins have not won since 1972.
I wonder what it is about the American members of the original 6 and their long droughts.
I am really hoping the Hawks make it to the finals and win it finally. If not, I hope they can win it before the Bruins.
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