I will not mention the page where this happened, but I had a tag line up next to my name which read “Je suis devenu la mort, le destructeur des mondes” which translates into English as “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”. This is a famous quote from Oppenheimer referring to the first test of the atomic bomb. I was asked by a moderator (in private which I appreciated) to replace it with something more related to radio. I pointed out the origin and how it was transmitted over the radio and he said that he was aware of this but it might bring complaints from some users. I did take it down as we were conversing and I asked him if someone had complained. He said no but that they have received complaints in the past about some of my tag lines. Ok. Some little thin-skinned snowflake whined to the moderators rather than having the courtesy to say something to me directly. That is so like a grade school kid running to the teacher because someone said something that offended them. When did this world come to this? If I have a problem with someone I address the issue to them rather than whining to an authority figure. If there is no resolution reached then I bring in an outside person. Oh well, the world has turned.
beer
Un-royal Nonesuch
Wow. Been busy and tired. We have a person out on vacation and my work partner and I have been filling in. It makes for a long work week and I still have 4 more days to go. Enough of that. I just came in from beating Satan’s Putting Green into submission. It seems that this is the first opportunity I have had to attack it as the weather has not been co-operating. So far this month, we have had 25.40 mm of rain and last month we had over 78 mm. The weather report calls for rain tomorrow and Saturday so the mowing had to be done.
As soon as I have the time, I have a few projects to work on. I need to do some planting and then to cut some brush. After that I need to re-hang one of my antennae and finally, I have the ingredients for a batch of beer ready for brewing. I am not sure how I am going to prioritize all this.
I will leave with a parting observation: people in this country need to learn that “freedom of speech” does not mean “freedom from responsibility”. You can say anything you want but don’t whine when there are consequences to your bloviation. As always, Namaste!
Ads
Gotta love the ads you get online: wildforkfoods.com/products/fully-cooked-octopus-tentacles
Extrospective Poem
Since the election
Everybody is in a tizzy
No one seems to focus
Depending on rumors
Needing no verification
Using social media
Defaming others opinions
Ending all true conversation
Seems like the end of civility
Some Thoughts
Here are some thoughts: It pays to be prepared. You might laugh at people who prep but what if they are right and you are wrong? Would it hurt for you to have some basic skills and supplies? Skills to include knowing how to sharpen a knife, how to fire a gun, how to forage for food, how to identify which local plants are edible, how to preserve and can food, how to live without electricity. This is by far an incomplete list. There are a lot of good books and resources online to help. Never be afraid to learn. Another useful skill is map reading to include land navigation. Some good things to have: a high-quality knife or 2, canning supplies, battery and solar powered radios, “survival” food, gardening supplies, a rifle and a hand gun, bow and arrows, fishing supplies, water filters, a good quality backpack, good quality walking/hiking shoes. Again, not a comprehensive list, just some things to get your brain engaged. It would also be useful to have some ham radio gear and a license so that you would know how to operate this gear. You could even go as far as to learn basic radio repair. I am sure you could come up with some method of producing electricity to supply modest needs such as solar panels, wind turbines and or water turbines. An additional skill that could be valuable is producing alcohol. Learn to make beer and wine as these would make great trading commodities.
Style
A very wise person once said “It is comforting to know that although the moon is much smaller than the Earth, it is also much further away!”
Today I am gonna talk a bit about style. Not a spectacle of anorexic stick-figures strutting down a runway showing off clothes that no one can afford. I am going to make some comments on styles of beer. Beers are categorized by styles as a way to describe characteristics and to provide a map of what to expect for taste, color, thickness, etc. For example, the other day, I kegged a batch of “American Style Brown Ale”. This is an ale, brown in color with a malty backbone and an elevated bitterness. The BJCP defines it as:
19C. American Brown Ale
Overall Impression: A malty but hoppy standard-strength
American ale frequently with chocolate and caramel flavors.
The hop flavor and aroma complement and enhance the malt
rather than clashing with it.
Aroma: Moderate malty-sweet to malty-rich aroma with
chocolate, caramel, nutty, or toasty qualities. Hop aroma is
typically low to moderate, of almost any type that complements
the malt. Some interpretations of the style may optionally
feature a stronger hop aroma, an American or New World hop
character (citrusy, fruity, tropical, etc.), or a dry-hopped
aroma. Fruity esters are moderate to very low. The dark malt
character is more robust than other brown ales, yet stops short
of being overly Porter-like.
Appearance: Light to very dark brown color. Clear. Low to
moderate off-white to light tan head.
Flavor: Medium to moderately-high malty-sweet or maltyrich flavor with chocolate, caramel, nutty, or toasty malt
complexity, with medium to medium-high bitterness. Medium
to medium-dry finish with an aftertaste of both malt and hops.
Light to moderate hop flavor, sometimes citrusy, fruity, or
tropical, although any hop flavor that complements the malt is
acceptable. Very low to moderate fruity esters. The malt and
hops are generally equal in intensity, but the balance can vary
in either direction. Should not have a roasted character
suggestive of a Porter or Stout.
Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full body. More bitter
versions may have a dry, resiny impression. Moderate to
moderately-high carbonation. Stronger versions may be lightly
warming.
Comments: Most commercial American Browns are not as
aggressive as the original homebrewed versions, and some
modern craft-brewed examples. This style reflects the current
commercial offerings typically marketed as American Brown
Ales rather than the hoppier, stronger homebrew versions from
the early days of homebrewing. These IPA-strength brown ales
should be entered as 21B Specialty IPA: Brown IPA.
History: An American style from the early modern craft beer
era. Derived from English Brown Ales, but with more hops.
Pete’s Wicked Ale (1986) defined the style, which was first
judged at the Great American Beer Festival in 1992.
Characteristic Ingredients: Pale malt, plus crystal and
darker malts (typically chocolate). American hops are typical,
but continental or New World hops can also be used.
Style Comparison: More chocolate and caramel flavors than
American Pale or Amber Ales, typically with less prominent
bitterness in the balance. Less bitterness, alcohol, and hop
character than Brown IPAs. More bitter and generally hoppier
than English Brown Ales, with a richer malt presence, usually
higher alcohol, and American or New World hop character.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.045 – 1.060
IBUs: 20 – 30 FG: 1.010 – 1.016
SRM: 18 – 35 ABV: 4.3 – 6.2%
Commercial Examples: Avery Ellie’s Brown Ale, Big Sky
Moose Drool Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Bell’s Best
Brown, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, Telluride Face Down
Brown
Tags: standard-strength, dark-color, top-fermented, northamerica, craft-style, brown-ale-family, balanced, hoppy
WHEW! Quite a lot to think about there. The way I think about it is : A dark beer for sipping on while passing a pleasant evening interacting with my cats and reading a good book or watching a series. It has the taste of comfort and good feelings.
I know my definition is vague and very subjective but that is the way I think. Brewing beer is an art form. I make what I think will taste good and worry about classifying it after it is done, if ever. If I want something based on science and pure methods, I will turn on my ham radio (also very enjoyable).
As always, namaste!
Brewing up some trouble
Today is Boxing Day which has nothing to do with this post. I am brewing up a batch of American Style Brown Ale. I am taking the time while it reaches a full boil to write this. Here is my basic recipe: 8 lbs Pale Malt, 2 lbs Munich Malt, 1 lb Dark Wheat Malt, 8 oz Chocolate Malt and 8 oz Crystal Malt (40L). For Hops I am using 1 oz Galena for 60 minutes and 1 oz Galena for 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of the boil I will add 1 tablespoon of Irish Moss and when the boil is done I will add 1 lb of Turbinado. For yeast I am using the Hornendahl strain. I mashed for 1 hour at 152F and collected 6.5 Gallons. My projected OG is 1.065. We will see. I will post my results later. Okay it is later. My OG is 1.056, a bit off them mark but not too bad. 🙂
non timetis messor
A wise person once said: “Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana”. Does time really exist or is it just a subjective way for us to delineate our lives? My cats are not concerned with the passage of time. They eat, sleep, and play on no set schedule. When I make beer I am aware of times such as boiling for at least 60 minutes, fermenting for about 2 or 3 weeks, a week or 2 to carbonate, but is that anything near reality? To the yeast, fermentation is done when it is done. The beer will only carbonate as fast as conditions such as ambient temperature allow. There is no hurry, no sense of necessity. With ham radio, I keep track of time as a reference. I note down what time my contact started and what time it finished. I do no worry about how long it takes to establish a contact. I just call until someone answers. Maybe that is why I am not into contests … too much pressure of time involved, trying to make as many contacts as possible during a limited timeframe.
Oh well, enough for now. I am going to go back to frittering my life away harmlessly. Namaste, y’all.
Nature, Radio, and Me 