Hootie and Train

Got to see a little Hootie and the Blowfish as well as Train this weekend and Jubilee Cityfest in Montgomery. Saturday night Hootie was okay. My favorite part of the concert is when Darius (lead singer) said that "I Go Blind" was about a guy who when he broke up with his girlfriend couldn't even stand the sight of her;) and all this time everyone thought it was a love song. See lyrics. The beer flowed like H2O and the entertainment and company were great.

Ever Wonder If..

Vermillion was just "A bright red mercuric sulfide used as a pigment"? Well it isn't. This was another beauty pulled up by Caleb D. and the only one able to be kept of its kind. So someone got a bag of specialty meat to themselves;(

Another Species From The Trip

The Gag Grouper was a huge beast pulled aboard weighing out at about 12-14lbs, the fishing hole was so hot at the time we couldn't stop to weigh it!! Poor Rusty had one that may have gone about 30 or so pounds snag his Pogy and back right back into the wreck he shot out from.

Brew Batch #2

How about some nice American Amber?? Well that's what was brewed tonight without a hitch or single hint of a boil-over. Since I finally got that lb. of Amber DME in from ass-head at mariettahomebrew, I have been itching to use it and finally cut ties with that dry, impatient prick. So here's to you, Chris, and your limited means of communication and 3 failures at getting things right on only 8 orders!! Tried allowing the wort to cool over night so that I would have that perfect pitch (actually pitched on 5/26/04). It was sealed by the 3-piece airlock anyway and worked very well. Will also try the ice-batch for the lautertun next time to see if it cuts the cooling time and then pour over an ice batch/ice alone.
OG 1.042+0.002@74F

What's Red, Slimy When Dead and Great to Eat?

It was a great time this year on the trip. We caught a nice load of fish and have all been officially named into the Mozambique Mafia. We stayed at a hotel close to the marina this year and it was awesome for only $20 a peep. With the inlet just behind in the backyard and the Gazelles running through the common area (where we wore a $3.50 frisbee from Old Navy out, nice buy Rusty), we were more than entertained. Looked a bit "ghetto" from the outside but I felt a little embarrassed about saying anything to the woman at the desk when we actually got inside. For the next few posts I'll try to highlight the fish we caught because we really raked in the species this year. And of course the Red Snapper were plentiful..

T minus 40 hours and counting..

TnDC DeepSea 2004 is almost upon us and final preparations are being made. Got a great deal at The Gulf Breeze/Harbor Lights Hotels for all of us. Talks are still in the works for another trip for the end of August. Guess we could make some TnDC 2.5 t-shirts up;)And for those of us who want to buff up on their salt water fishing identification check this out: BIG FISHES

Our Tastes-- Amstel Light

This is a great light Lager but not necessarily my forte. The first brick for the brewery was laid on June 11, 1870, in Amsterdam. Even though there were 559 other breweries in Holland at the time this was one of only 2 that did things Bavarian-style. By 1886, the Amstel brewery was the city's largest brewer of lager beer. In 1883 Amstel started exporting beer to the U.K. and to the Dutch colonies in the Far East. Many years later, in 1980, Amstel Light was born. It is now the #1 imported light beer in the United States. Characteristic of this beer is a unique selection of raw materials and an intensive fermenting process. The result is a special light beer containing only 3.5% alcohol and approximately 35% fewer calories than regular lager beer. Which means Amstel Light is a lot like drinking spring water with a kick. I do however enjoy being able to empty the bottles for use in the upcoming American Amber batch.
To my enlightenment they also make these types of beers:Lager, Light, 1870, Gold, Malt, Lente Bock, Oud Bruin, Bock, Herfst Bock

Preakness Stakes

Well I thought Rock Hard Ten was going to pull it out, but alas Smarty Jones ruled the day. The only other to do it has been Seattle Slew and he went on to win the Triple Crown. I would have won money by picking Rock Hard Ten and Smarty Jones but I love how that big black demon started in almost dead last, didn't want to go in the gate and kicked for a couple of minutes, his jockey had to dismount and closed in on Smarty for the easy 2nd place finish. Can't help but wonder what he'll do at Belmont. However, as personalities go let us not forget Tapit, who fed daily on a honey, oats, and Guinness enriched diet!!

Smarty Jones' Prize

The Woodburn Vase is 2nd only to The Stanley Cup in value and is the 2nd oldest prize at 143 years old in the world with The America's Cup being first at 153 years old. The Woodburn Vase was buried during The Civil War to prevent it from being melted down. It was later dug up at the end of the war in 1876. Quite a prize!

1st TnDC of the Summer

Celebrated in true-TnDC-style with a ballgame, a brat and a lot of beer tonight! The Biscuits lost one of their finest a couple of days ago, B.J. Upton short-stop to the Durham Bulls AAA, with an almost promise of MLB action by the end of the year. But have a new shining star in the form of a Sooner Jace Brewer (coincidence?) from Norman, OK. (A bit jittery at the bat). I missed brewing but have fixed that problem with better prices, results and skills!! Yahhhhoooo!

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Had some Sam Adams Boston Lager and even after trying it several times on separate occasions is still not for me (nor my dogs Barnie and Indiana). It had a heavy brown color and carbonation-injection head with a monstrous after taste. However, the price was right for the case (thanks mom) and these bottles may soon house some of the most anticipated TnDc homebrew yet --The Russian Imperial Stout (more to come). So it wasn't an entire waste;)

Special Announcements

We are closing in on TnDC Deepsea 2004 and have narrowed down the accommodations. Also the blog is getting a new home hopefully real soon with loads of options and easy-to-use pic posting abilities!!

2 Minutes That Could Last A Lifetime

Rock Hard Ten was scratched from today's 130th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, but Imperialism and The Cliff's Edge made a run for it. Lionheart led for the most of the race but The Cliff's Edge and Smarty Jones (6 for 6 going in) who stay tied for 16th and 17th place brought up the rear. Finally Smarty Jones finished it with the big win from behind and goes down in history as being one of only 2 undefeated horses to go into The Derby. The other was Seattle Slew and he won the Triple Crown. Here are the dates for the following races:
Kentucky Derby - May 1, Churchill Downs Lexington, KY 1mi
Preakness Stakes - May 15, Pimlico Downs Baltimore, MD 1&1/4mi
Belmont Stakes - June 5, Belmont Park Elmont, NY 1&1/2mi

Big Brew 2004!!!

Today is National Homebrew Day and happens every 1st Saturday of May as dedicated by Congress. I chose a Sooner State site to link to. However, due to a slight scheduling conflict (final exams) we will celebrate by brewing a batch on the 8th. I am sure Congress will understand and its the spirit of things that matters. Until then Cheers and hug a homebrewer.