My blog n'at

One thing that I’m bad at is remembering the year. I kept thinking it was 2010 for some reason and have no idea why 2012 doesn’t seem far fetched. Maybe I have a thing against years with odd numbers? This past year was eventful personally but when it came to blogging it was kinda meh. Either way here’s a quick recap so my kids don’t have to sift through archives.

January 2011
Year started off great with the Winter Classic (even though Pens lost) and spending the first 2 weeks home with my new baby. I also decided that I would attempt to go a full year without drinking a Bud/Miller/Coors product. Not to be some elite prick but to see for myself how tough it would be. With the amount of picnics we attended and moments of weakness for going cheap I’m proud to say I’ve made it a full year and some days.

February 2011
Kept the busy pace with a quick trip to Baltimore to pick up the first of what would be many awards for a website I made. Even thought it was winter I was falling in love with the city. I will be going back soon. I also hit my mid 30′s while only suffering a minor “oh shit, I’m getting old” moment and Teaspoon got his first haircut while hitting the terrible 2.

March 2011
2 things happened, we got sick and I ate a lot of fish.

April 2011
My mom wanted to know why I didn’t invent Facebook, the internet or cure cancer. I had some views on the sale of Iron City which turned out to piss off a bunch of yinzers and Pittsburgh purists. Eh, it happens.

May 2011
Should I Drink That turned 5 years old on the 5th and we had a whirlwind bash in Boardman, Ohio as we took over the Big Tap In after party. We cracked open a 101 oz bottle of Double Arrogant Bastard that we have been sitting on for 4-5 years. It came with a padlock. Nuff said. I figured out how you can take a trip with Megabus to Erie (or Pittsburgh from there) and have a very low cost time. I celebrated national Craft Beer Week and if you haven’t heard me talk about it yet, am on the planning group for Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week coming in 2012. This month also was record breaking numbers as we raised money for March of Dimes which helps preemies such as my boys.

June 2011
After many years of hard work I graduated cum laude from college. It was incredibly stressful when I threw work and the family into the mix but the support was fantastic! I’ll probably have my student loan bills paid off when Teaspoon is starting school.

Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of my dad passing so I decided to take a drive up to Erie and toast the old man. What better way to salute the man who taught me hard work, discipline and dedication will take you places, not handouts and whining.

Usually at this time in Erie there would have already been a couple feet of snow but thanks to our friend Global Warming it was in the 40′s and raining. Mom and I drove up to the cemetery and as we got to dad’s grave I sat down a bag and pulled out a bottle with 2 glasses. Mom, looking really confused, asked me what I was doing. I smiled, opened, poured and said “celebrating dad of course!”

It was with him that I shared my first bottle of my first homebrew.

I don’t know where this hobby may take me but I couldn’t think of any better way to christen it than with the man who’s inspired me most.

Cheers pops!

Well there it is, the first batch. This was actually bottled last Wednesday but its taken forever for me to get back online.

The process for doing this was amazing because it couldn’t have been done without video conferenceing. I called sickpuppy over Skype and angled my laptop camera so he could show me what was what and what I had to do. He’s been homebrewing for almost 20 years so having someone with that experience at my disposal was a HUGE help.

The biggest pain of the process was the sanitation. It took what felt like forever to sanitize each of the bottles for a few minutes and then the instruments I would be using. I found out previously that I was going to be short on bottles so I picked up a case of empty 12oz for $11.99 at South Hills Brewing Supply (which is my new frequent stop).

The auto-siphon and bottle filler amused me constantly and while talking to sickpuppy and already I’m thinking how I can upgrade some equipment to make it faster. One thing that puppy had stressed to me was practice practice practice so I can learn my kitchen and my setup to see what works best and most effective. This is where Skype played a key roll also, he was able to see my setup and suggest what to move around.

The final count was 36 12oz bottles and 4 22oz. Stated the whole brewing process at 5 gallons and ended at 4.5 so I’m pretty happy about that. Still no name for the beer and since this batch should be done carbonating next week at the earliest I’ll know then what I may call it.

Saturday was an absolutely amazing day!  Started with heading down to the Strip District to check out a few beer places, pick up some ingredients, people watch the crazy Steelers yinzers, and partake in East End Brewing offerings from their growler shop in the Pittsburgh Public Market. It was there we met Kris and Andi who were in town to do their own craft beer tour of Pittsburgh. One is from Washington DC and the other Ann Arbor, MI which makes the Burgh the midway point. Good thing to know eh?  Being craft beer cheerleaders for our beloved city we gave them a list of places to go and had a couple beers with them. Amazing ladies and I hope they enjoyed their time!

Back at SIDT Studio B the brewing started to take shape. The fun thing for me was finally understanding the basics of the brewing process happening in front of me. Thankfully I did have someone with me because sickpuppy found an error with the instructions that were sent with the brewing kit and a quick call to Northern Brewer had it resolved. Thumps up for great customer service especially on a Saturday!

The whole process, including running out to find a thermometer which WASN’T included with the kit, took about 4 hours which was perfect. We wrapped up just as the sun set and it was time to transfer to the bucket.

There has been some serious bubble action going on the last few days and I’m looking forward to a gravity reading this weekend to see where we are. One thing the instructions didnt factor in was the need for more priming sugar so I made a run for that last night.

I like where this can end up going as a hobby. I don’t get to drink that much at home so expect to get some as gifts just so I can make a new batch.

We did also record a show when we were done so you can be expecting that soon. Until then I have a lot of reading to do and look into subscriptions

This Saturday I’m doing something completely new and it may surprise you to find out.  I’m brewing my first batch of beer!

A couple months ago I decided that I needed to find a hobby that would be something I could do at home and be relatively inexpensive. Free time to leave the house is hard to come by these days and if I could do it while the kids were sleeping (wait, that sounds shady) that would be perfect. Enter… homebrewing.

A few things have played into why I haven’t brewed before; from the lack of space and time to the kids. Arriving as a housewarming gift, my partner in craft beer adventures, sickpuppy, bought me a starter kit from Northern Brewer. Next my good friend Phil said “You can’t just do it to do it, you’ll know when it feels right.” and he’s absolutely correct. I have that passion to learn now and both of those guys are fantastic brewers.

This Saturday also happens to be national “Learn to Homebrew Day“. Honestly I didn’t even know such a beast existed until sickpuppy told me about it. Since I’ve never done it before I haven’t really paid much attention to homebrewing news.  I checked around the Pittsburgh area but didn’t see anything scheduled (really shocked at this) but I did find out that the guys at Erie Brewing will host an event on Saturday from 9am-5pm at their brewery. For more information you can contact them at info@eriebrewingco.com or (814)459-7741.

So what will I be brewing? I picked up the Innkeeper kit and will be adding in some additional hops. The thing that is attracting me most to home brewing is that, like cooking, you can make any recipe your own plus I can can focus on making what I consider the perfect beer. This batch should be ready by Thanksgiving so I’ll have a treat to look forward to and maybe some gifts for family to try out. A name has been chosen (which is why we’re using additional hops) and I can’t wait to work on a label. You’ll find out soon enough what it will be called.

If you’re in Pittsburgh and maybe this weekend is too soon (or not) to get started here are some local resources that you can use.

Supply stores – This is where you can pick up your starter brewing kits and then the packaged ingredients to get started

• South Hills Brewing Supply (South Hills)
• Country Wines (North Hills)
• Porter House Brew Shop (North of Cranberry)

Homebrewing clubs – Groups of friendly people making great beer and always willing to help out the newbies. Everyone has an acronym too.

• Three Rivers Underground Brewers or T.R.U.B.
• Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers (T.R.A.S.H.)

The 3 day mini series from Ken Burns documenting the story of Prohibition just ended and I have some thoughts on it. I was questioning how to write this since it could lead to a nasty political pissing contest and that’s the last thing I want.

First off, if you haven’t seen the series I HIGHLY suggest you do. Its been running for free on an ipod/ipad or you can also watch it at http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/ Honestly I may buy the Blu-ray dvd and book because, as I found out, the history of the Amendment has too many parallels with our society today. Plus its something that I want to teach my kids about someday.

OK my thoughts.

1) The fact that this ever passed absolutely amazed me. Scare tactics with flat out lying pushed kids to believing that alcohol is an absolute evil and even one drop would ruin your life. Looking back on my own childhood my parents would make shit up all the time but most of it was harmless.

2) The majority of the public didn’t want something that was passed and forced upon them. Sounds familiar.

3) I never knew that organized crime was influenced to the extent that it was because Prohibition happened. Now I want to know more about the Chicago Beer Wars. Not exactly something that you learn about in school.

4) As much as I despise Budweiser if it wasn’t for them who knows where we would be now. Knowing what they’ve become I’m thankful that Americans have demanded more out of beer than stale yellow fizzy drink.

5) Over and over again it was said that alcohol is not a crutch but an easy go-to scapegoat when you need to push your agenda. This I agree on. Just like everything else its about moderation and without it boroughs such as Bellevue will continue to blame everyone and everything but themselves as to why people and businesses leave. Just like why Prohibition failed, you need to learn to give a little. The out-pouring of support for Artoberfest may be the boost they needed.

6) You can have no desire for something until you’re told you can’t have it — its human nature. Being passionate about craft beer is a tough thing in my life. I have family whom think that if you enjoy wine you are elite but if you enjoy good beer you’re a drunk or alcoholic. Even though I was told more than 1 beer was too much because others may think you have a problem but yet it’s fine for everyone else to have 5-6. No one ever taught me about respect and appreciation because no one had it themselves. It was the tired old “well that’s what my dad drank. its just what you do”.

Honestly I’m amazed that I ever got into craft beer and I can thank my friends for opening my eyes to something better. I went from being a stubborn twenty something drinking to get loaded to becoming someone who drinks significantly less amount but more flavor and giving me higher standards. Its a right of passage though, you need to drink the crap before you can have the craft. Its kinda like you need to drive a beater to appreciate a quality ride. Never forget where you came from because you should always be moving forward.

I told my family last week that I was going to start brewing at home. Not because I want to drink all of the time but because I really want to learn more about craft beer, how its made and why the chemistry works the way it does. To me its like creating a piece of art. My brother was psyched (probably because he knows he’s getting free beer out of it) but my mom was all confused as to why I would do such a thing. She has no problem when others do it but surely not her kid.  One of my new goals now, make a beer for someone who likes “beer flavored beer”.

The series is worth a watch and I suggest you have a drink while you do. Prohibition was a dark time in our history and one that we should learn from. Not because alcohol was involved but because if we don’t pay attention we’re doomed to repeat its impact.

The latest issue of Craft Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh’s ONLY publication dealing with craft beer) has been making its rounds and while I could tell you that this is a must read (which it is) or how you won’t find some snobbish pricks writing (which you won’t) and that the staff is filled with people you would gladly have a beer with (which you should) there is something that I want you to see with this issue.

Take a look at page 10 (page 6 of the pdf).  Don’t have the issue? no problem, its a pdf online also available here.

So scroll down and check out those 2 handsome young men. OK, I’m young, sickpuppy is old as shit or so I like to tell him.

Things to note about this picture:

1) At most major beer fests we have a lot of pictures taken of us. Of those at The Big Tap In THIS is the one the makes the magazine. The one where the finger is involved. Come to think of it every picture of us has it somewhere either by us or a fan.

2) It looks like I have puppy bent over the barrel. Actually wait, I may have.

3) I absolutely love this picture and it sums up why I’ve loved doing Should I Drink That for over 5 years. We have fun at every show, our fans are absolutely amazing, I get to talk about something I’m passionate about and I get to do stuff like this.

If you’re in the Pittsburgh area I highly suggest getting this magazine. I’ve spoken to the main man Tim many times and words cant describe his passion for craft beer and making Pittsburgh aware of the kickass things going on around here.

It’s free, you have no excuse not to get it if you live locally. Go to Bocktown or your favorite beer store and pick it up.

1999 was the last time I recall drinking Franzia. It was a common to come home from work and find Griff sitting on my porch with a box of Franzia for us to drink while coding or playing Playstation.

To add to our classy style the box Chillable Red was pronounced “shay-aw-blay” and you drink it out of whatever is handy.

I don’t know what made me want to buy it after 12 years. I’m a snob about beer but when it comes to wine I really could care less. I know that Franzia is considered ghetto because its in a box but hey, craft beer comes in cans now too.

Earlier this summer when Ginny asked me if I would introduce her to craft beer I thought maybe she was setting me up for one of those prank shows. Since the day we met its been like a brother and sister bickering when it came to the best fermented beverage. She loves Zima and me… well you know. A conversation wouldn’t last more than a few minutes before she’d get me fired up over her love for the now extinct clear malt beverage (well here in the states at least. you can still buy it overseas). Even if she never said it I know she would shoot me looks saying “Hey Doug, this beer has lime and salt in it. YUM!”

We finally found time in our crazy parental schedules to meet up at Bocktown and let the lessons begin. How’d it go? Well you can either read “PittGirl Discovers Craft Beertopia” online or pick up the August issue of Pittsburgh Magazine which is now available on newsstands.

I don’t think what I did was anything more than what most craft beer fans would do. I absolutely love talking about craft beer and seeing the look in someone’s face when they have that “ah ha” moment. As advocates for craft beer it is up to us to sit down and talk to people less familiar with our favorite beverages and talk them through the beer. What do you smell? taste? breathe in when you drink and see if that changes the flavor.

There is a serious problem right now with, as sickpuppy and I like to call them, “Beer Snob Bitches”. This isn’t the beer geek that has a cellar full of homebrewing gear and aging bottles. I’m talking about the jerks whom belittle you because you’re not “at their level”. They’re all over the place and quite frankly give the rest of us a bad name. So what if you can pick out the yeast strain or all 7 of the hops used? No one cares but you. The elitism in a lot of circles is getting out of hand and it needs to end.

Craft beer is for celebration. Its for the appreciation of hard work, passion and craftsmanship. Craft beer is meant for YOU to enjoy and not for others to tell you what you should or shouldn’t like. There is a handful of new breweries opening in the Pittsburgh region this year and next. This area is a hotbed for incredible homebrewers and now they’re taking the jump from passion into career.

On the flip side I see a lot of reverse asshattery from the macro drinkers. Those who are hardcore Bud/Miller/Coors drinkers who put down craft beer fans because we like a higher quality beverage. They’re usually the ones saying you’re drinking a chick beer or “oohhh you’re all fancy” because they don’t understand craft beer and use the high school thug attitude of what they don’t know must be stupid.

Craft beer is genderless. There are plenty of great craft brewers who are women and in fact when this country was founded who do you think it was making the beer? Take a look at “Put the ‘ale’ back in female.” and read about a view of brewing you may not have considered before.

Will Ginny become a homebrewer? Eh could happen but for now chalk one up for the birth of a new fan. We’re not going to win over the entire beer drinking population but we can chip away at it one at a time.

cheers!

Its day 2 of craft beer week and I issued a challenge on Twitter/facebook in which response has been pretty cool so I’m making the same challenge here. I want you to go out and drink at least ONE craft beer this week. I’d prefer it was someone local to you but in some cases you don’t have much choice. Come back here or go to Facebook and post what you thought of it.

Here are some random beer facts.

• On average I drink 1-2 beers a week and its usually to write a review (with 2 kids aged 2yr and 4mo my time is limited so I make it count)
• I haven’t had a macro beer since December 25th
• My first beer was Golden Anniversary (I still have the bottle) that I swiped from my parents when i was 15.
• My first craft beer was Erie Railbender
• My first night in Pittsburgh my brother took me to Valhalla. It was my first time in a place that made beer and I asked for a Rolling Rock. I was also 22. suck it.
• Favorite beer is Southern Tier Unfiltered Gemini
• Favorite style is a double IPA
• Most expensive bottle I ever drank was $475 (original bottle of Sam Adams Utopias MMII) and of course that was on You Tube
• I have 20 bottles of beer I’m currently aging with the average at 2yrs.
• I once owned a beer fridge but it met an untimely end. Another will be purchased.
• I own a homebrewing kit but have yet to use it. I’m waiting for the rain to stop and Lushie to go away for a weekend because apparently it smells.
• I have ideas/partial storyboards on 3 different documentaries I’d like to film someday. All dealing with beer in Western PA. I fear that Sebak may hunt me down though.

Today kicks off American Craft Beer Week in Pittsburgh and for nothing more than shameless self promotion here is a quick piece I wrote on it.

Pittsburgh is in a unique position. We have 8 breweries in Western PA with most being located in SWPA and there are smaller breweries starting up it seems monthly. Starting a brewery isn’t a fad and takes a considerable investment so each time you hear of one popping up take into consideration that this person believes 100% in the art and craft that they make. Its like any other business, you have a passion for something you think may work and wont invest your future in a halfassed plan. Well you could and if you have that money lets talk because i can help spend it.

Pittsburgh is still warming up to the idea of craft beer in mainstream market. I know Penn has been around for 20 years and blah blah blah but hear me out on this. 5 years ago when I helped launch Should I Drink That it was almost impossible to find a decent craft beer in a bar that wasn’t specifically made for that business. There were bars on the South Side who would stock a few bottles but now we’re seeing craft beer at ballparks and most of your restaurants are at least carrying Victory or some local offering from Penn, Churchbrew or Rivertowne.

This week I ask that you get out and visit some of these breweries or when you’re out to eat give a craft beer a try. If you’re not sure what you might like feel free to ask me either here or on twitter. Join our community on facebook and you’ll really get some good suggestions for fans. There are douchebags out there who will look down on you for what you may currently drink so screw them. This is what YOU like. I can offer suggestions on what you may enjoy drinking but I won’t think anything less of you for not liking it. No matter what you do there are elitist jagoffs who think they’re above everyone else. These are also the miserable pricks who have lost the understanding of craft beer. Drink it and enjoy however you want.

Cheers Pittsburgh! Lets make this a great week.

I’ll make more posts about Pittsburgh and craft beer this week. I’m geeked to talk of how great this city really is when it comes to kickass beer.