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dick · Journeyman Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 3134

I haven't even seen that advertised. SA is always coming out with new styles (new to them obviously). It sounds like a nice lighter brew that most beer drinkers would enjoy. Noble hops aren't known for their bitterness, so I'm guessing its going to taste like a bigger Miller Lite... only way better because thats how Jim Koch does it.
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Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

Its rated pretty highly on BA. Might have to try it. I've seen it around, but haven't had one yet.
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dick · Journeyman Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 3134

Its slow at work, so I recently reread "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. It really got my juices flowing to brew again. Yesterday after work, I drove over to the South Hills Brewing Supply (despite the name, they have a location in Mo'ville). I purchased a new brew kit, plus couple extra primary and secondary fermenters... so that I can have more than one batch going at a time. My only experience as a brewer has been with malt extract brew kits, which is a syrup or powder concentrate malt extract, hop pellets, and yeast... very basic. I've decided to step it up to the intermediate level. So, I avoided the kits, and went with an IPA recipe from the intermediate section of the book. I'm excited to crack, and in this recipe, toast my own barley. The bitterness of this IPA is listed at 50 IBUs, so (of course you have to tweak the recipes to make them your own) I purchased some Nugget and Magnum hop pellets. Both are very high in alpha acid (bitterness) content.

Brewing on Sunday... but won't be able to enjoy for three weeks. I'm sure I'll crack one open in two weeks just to check it out. Very Happy

Yeah, I'm excited!!!!!
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Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

Good luck! Let us know how it goes. I still have a batch of IPA extract to brew. Just need to do it.
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dick · Journeyman Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 3134

Thanks Cy. Believe me, I will let you know how it goes. Since I'm not drinking in case I have to drive the wife to give birth, I have to get my beer fix somehow.
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Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

I am experiencing the BORIS the Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout and my god, what a treat this is. Beautiful ink black imperial stout with a wicked abv just shy of 10. Tastes like coffee, vanilla, roasted chocolate and brown sugar sprinkled over oats. Just everything an imperial stout should be, but on the sweeter side because of the oats. Its kind of rich for everyday drinking; think of it as a dessert beer. Absolute must try, though. Got this at the GIANT eagle for like 9 bucks I think. Worth every penny.
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Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

Well, you inspired me to finally brew this last batch of no-boil malts I've been sitting on. Its an IPA. Much less complex than doing it from scratch, which I will try next time, but I may see what happens if I use a little honey with my recipe.
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Brant · Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:28 pm Post subject:

How many ounces do you get for the nine bucks. Just curious. I checked out the beer selection at THE Giant Eagle for the first time the other day. Not bad. They're raping you, price-wise, but the selection was pretty nice.
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Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

This one was a 22 ounce bottle. Considering the abv, I felt like it was a fair price. The Lagunitas barley wine which I'll be trying soon is the same size, over 10 abv, and was less than 5 bucks. Unless its total crap, it was a steal.
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dick · Journeyman Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 3134

I screwed up and only bought one pound of extract. The recipe calls for five, so we're gonna have to wait until next weekend to brew. All of the supply shops are closed on Sunday.
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Brant · Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:16 pm Post subject:

No Boris the Crusher at THE Giant Eagle. Guess I'll have to try the GIANT Eagle.
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Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

Yeah, I wondered if the selections were identical between the various eagles that were selling. Guess that answers my question.

My homebrew is officially fermenting as we speak.
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Brant · Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:36 pm Post subject:

After my first visit, I thought the selection at THE Giant Eagle was pretty good. They had a lot of individual bottles for sale. But when I looked more closely today, I saw that they didn't really have as many as I thought, and there were four or five or even six beers from the same makers, so the variety was less than it might seem.
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dick · Journeyman Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 3134

Cylinsier · Master Joined: 29 Sep 2008 Posts: 13229 Location: Oh shi-

The GIANT Eagles has a slightly more respectable selection, especially among the singles. A lot of big Belgians I've never seen anywhere else, this state or otherwise, although many of them are table beers (3-5% abv) so I'm not sure if they're really going to be worth the asking price until I try one. They do seem to regularly have the Lindemans Cuvee Gueze, which is one I'd have a couple bottles of at any time if I had a beer cellar. They always have some Chimay and some Aflligem too, and a fairly respectable selection of domestic stuff in the singles. Its not fantastic but its worthwhile.

With the six packs, I'm seeing what you guys are seeing. At first, it looks like Christmas, but when you get close, everything is Great Lakes, Sam Adams, or Heavy Seas. Not that I'm complaining about those breweries, but some Weyerbacher or something else would be nice.

That said, I've noticed that within the handful of brands they carry, the GIANT Eagle tends to rotate a bit and represent as many styles as possible, so there's that.
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