Beer Man Microbrewery Blog

A monster of a brew company has entered the home brew biz

2008-01-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, a monster of a brew company has entered the home brew biz and its amazing justhow many clubs they have in the fire. After some digging (they hide their whois info and their address) I think I have a firm grasp on just who this monster brew company is. Seems they sell a ton of different things and are a master to none. They sell Men’s ties, flowers, lobsters, cookies, dog treats, Hot Sauce, Coffee, Chocolate, Peanut butter, Ice cream and much much more! They even sell teddy bears! They boast about their 5000 Sq foot warehouse where they stock all the home brew stuff. Please, we buy our Home Brew supplies from the same wholesale company and that company doesn’t even have a 5000 sq foot warehouse. They have a HUGH warehouse because they need it to stock all that other non home brewing stuff they sell! (Did I mention they sell teddy bears!)

Why, you may ask would I point all this out? Good question! I will answer that question with a few questions of my own. Do you think anyone at that huge corporation has even brewed one batch of beer let alone every one of the beer kits they sell? Do you think anyone at that huge complex they boast about has over 20 years of brewing experience? Do you think that if you call that huge company’s switch board with a brewing question or problem that the person they transfer you to has had the same problem or question that you have and knows just what’s happening or a solution to the problem because it has happened to him in the past? I bet not. Big Huge Company’s are fine, we all deal with them everyday.But in the home brew biz, I think this is bad. Fellow brewers, when you call the Beer Man you get the Beer Man. I don’t own a switch board. If I’m not at my desk, Vonage rolls the call to my cell phone and I answer it. I have answered many a Home Brew question while shopping in grocery store or driving my family out to dinner. (can you hear me now?) This Huge Company has done something else that I think is just funny. They have joined a company that pays bloggers to write a short blog about them with a link back to the monster site. What’s funny about that you ask? Well 8 out of the 10 blogs I have read so far have no idea what they are talking about. You can tell these bloggers have never brewed beer and one blogger they paid to post a blog said it was a great place to buy Halloween party stuff! LOL! The Monster is alive!!!

All of My pictures of Memphis in May 2006

2006-06-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

All my pictures of Memphis in May 2006

2006 Memphis In May BBQ Cook Off

2006-05-26T07:55:00.000-05:00

Another Memphis in May has come and gone, and as they say, I need a vacation from my vacation. Again this year the 2006 Super Bowl of Swine, the College of Pig Knowledge, the Granddaddy of Grills stood up to its name with amazing BBQ and great new Friends. Our booth “Shipped Racked #P230” was placed next to “Got Pig #P231” Little did we know our Memphis in May experience had just taken a BIG turn for the better. “Got Pig” has been at Memphis in May for over 7 years and is run by two brothers, Tim and Greg from Mississippi. Tim and Greg are at Memphis in May for the latter part of the two reasons to come to Memphis in May…BBQ and PARTY. The Got Pig Brothers where there to lose the BBQ contest but win at having fun. I knew we were in trouble when on the first night Greg decided his brand new public PA style stereo, at 400 watts per channel, wasn’t loud enough and it needed to be turned back in for a louder one. And true to his word, the next day he showed up with a bigger one. My voice has just returned to normal from all the singing and shouting just to be heard. Bernie, John, Angela and later Helena and I had an amazing time and would like to thank Jeff and Amy for the great accommodations in their loft just south of the park. Take a look at just a bit of the fun below.Our trip started out with a side trip to George Dickel. The second licensed distillery in Tennessee. I should have seen this as an omen of things to come. Of course, the distillery is in a dry county, so no tasting.

I was very surprised at just how small the distillery is. Everyone was so friendly here and of course we bought a few bottles to take home

Then it was on to Memphis on the Big River. The views were great.

A great view from one of the 2 story BBQ booths right on the river. We were lucky enough to be staying at Jeff’s house, the man behind this BBQ station.

Then it was on to Beale Street. If you have never been to Beale St. and you like to have a great time, you really need to put this on your list of places to see. We happened to visit on Thursday and Thursday is bike night. On Beale St. there is live, good music in the bars almost 24/7. From Dr. Feel good and his harmonica in the Rum Boogie café to a strange guy in his pajamas in the bar next door, all the music was GREAT!

We stopped off at BB King’s and had a few Pops. The Bartender, Jennifer, was from North Charleston and we had a great time with her. She even stopped by our BBQ station the next night. It's a small world.

This sign and another one that reads “Big Ass Beer $3.00” that I didn’t get a picture of , completely covers the “feel” of Beal Street

Then we partied. The dancing never stopped. Believe me, Elvis was EVERWHERE in Memphis

And partied (this is Tim)

And partied (This is Greg)

And partied some more.....until (this is Kyle)

We could party no more.

Then it was time to cook, and we actually got serious about it.

All of the cooking at Memphis in May starts VERY early in the morning. This is really a wonderful time in the park. All of the stereos are turned off, the party’s are over, the people are all gone and the cooks are lighting the grills. It's quiet, cool and smells great

And this is the goal. It eluded us again this year.

This is great picture of John in the turn in line for the Hot wings competition pictured below.

It looked so great, but we still lost.

But we still had fun

And a great BIG hug to Jeff and Amy for allowing us to stay it their wonderful loft within walking distance from the park. You two are GREAT!

The Beer Bill of Rights

2006-05-02T07:22:00.001-05:00

The Beer Bill of Rights

Miller beer to be first to use (Cold Can) Technology

2006-05-02T07:22:00.000-05:00

Miller beer to be first to use (Cold Can) Technology

Welcome to Jeff Lebo's "House of Beer Cans"

2006-05-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Jeff Lebo's "House of Beer Cans"

What exactly is in your beer?

2006-05-02T07:19:00.000-05:00

What exactly is in your beer?

Guinness ice cream. Brilliant!

2006-01-21T18:17:00.000-05:00

Makes 1 quart

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Guinness stout
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, scrape in the vanilla bean seeds. Add the
pod, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the
heat, cover the pan, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk
together the stout and molasses. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and vanilla
extract. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture, then
slowly whisk in another 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the remaining cream
in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into
the saucepan.

4. Stir the beer mixture into the cream mixture. Cook the custard over
medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or
until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.

5. Strain the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
or overnight. Process the custard in an ice cream maker according to
the manufacturer's instructions.

Cheers

2005-12-21T15:26:00.000-05:00

SAM: What's new, Normie?
NORM: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach and they're
demanding beer.-- Cheers

SAM: What'd you like, Normie?
NORM: A reason to live. Give me another beer.-- Cheers

SAM: What'll you have Normie?
NORM: Well, I'm in a gambling mood, Sammy. I'll take a glass of
whatever comes out of that tap.
SAM: Looks like beer, Norm.
NORM: Call me Mister Lucky.-- Cheers

WOODY: What's the story, Mr. Peterson?
NORM: The Bobbsey twins go to the brewery. Let's cut to the happy
ending.-- Cheers

WOODY: Hey, Mr. Peterson, there's a cold one waiting for you.
NORM: I know. If she calls, I'm not here.-- Cheers

WOODY: How's it going, Mr. Peterson?
NORM: Poor.
WOODY: I'm sorry to hear that.
NORM: No, I mean pour.-- Cheers

WOODY: Pour you a beer, Mr. Peterson?
NORM: All right, but stop me at one. Make that one-thirty.-- Cheers

WOODY: What's going on, Mr. Peterson?
NORM: The question is what's going in Mr. Peterson? A beer please,
Woody.-- Cheers

WOODY: How would a beer feel, Mr. Peterson?
NORM: Pretty nervous if I was in the room.-- Cheers

WOODY: Hey, Mr. Peterson, what's up?
NORM: The warranty on my liver.-- Cheers

SAM: What do you say, Norm?
NORM: Any cheap, tawdry thing that'll get me a beer.-- Cheers

COACH: What would you say to a beer, Normie?
NORM: Daddy wuvs you.-- Cheers

SAM: What do you know there, Norm?
NORM: How to sit. How to drink. Want to quiz me?-- Cheers

COACH: Can I draw you a beer, Norm?
NORM: No, I know what they look like. Just pour me one.-- Cheers

CLIFF: Hey, Norm, What's up?
NORM: My blood-alcohol level.-- Cheers

Ten most fattening cocktails. The top two have more calories than a Big Mac

2005-11-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

Ten most fattening cocktails. The top two have more calories than a Big Mac

Beer is healthy, maybe

2005-11-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

Some Types Of Beer May Have Beneficial Health Effects

Lets go drink some beer!!!

2005-10-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

Lets go drink some beer!!!

Norm!!!

2005-10-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move
as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the
slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This
natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general
speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular
killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain
can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake
of alcohol,as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks
the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular
consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the
brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel
smarter after a few beers."

Bootie aims to shake up beer market

2005-10-04T13:09:00.000-05:00

Is there anything beer can't do?
I give you "Bootie Beer"
This week in Boston, beer drinkers can choose between a Bud or some
Bootie, I not making this up! This stuff almost writes itself.

From the article..
"Bootie plans to sell its beer everywhere other major brands are
carried, Unless the store owner is offended by the name.''

Check it out yourself

Worms

2005-09-20T15:40:00.000-05:00

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to
his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.

The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.

The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.

The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following
results:

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.

The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.

Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.

Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this
demonstration?

A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said,
"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

Media, Good, Bad and Plan Down Stupid

2005-09-15T08:37:00.000-05:00

The Good
Looks like my blog(this blog)hit the big time. Woo Hoo! The News and
Observer newspaper out of Raleigh Durham did a piece called " Ophelia
Hits the Blogosphere" and this blog was one of the quotes. The author,
Matt, called my piece "The roof, the roof, the roof is not there" If
you click on the link to the right for the News and Observer and
scroll down you can see the post. My 15 minutes are about over.

The Bad
Got a e-mail from my Mom this morning. Seem she has been soaking up
all the major news channels can feed her about Katrina (I had to turn
it off long ago, too much pain and suffering, bickering and finger
pointing for me, but that's another post) and its giving her night
mares. The most recent horror story from a NO nursing home pushed
horrible images about our family into her REM sleep. I remember after
9/11 there were people telling folks to turn off the TV coverage if it
was getting to you. I haven't seen this yet with Katrina. Is it being
done? Mom, Turn off the TV.

The Plan down stupid
The LA power outage coverage was probably the stupidest 3 to 4 hours
of news coverage I have seen in years on the major news channels. It
just seemed to go on and on. They had helicopters flying around for
hours showing people trying to drive with out traffic signals. They
zoomed in on anything that might be the cause. They interviewed people
and asked them the stupidest questions any reporter has asked to date.
They smelled doom and gloom and were just waiting for ANYTHING to
happen. It didn't. It was a cut cable for goodness sake. The sparks go
out around here with any good storm and we never make it on CNN. I
know some noob from al Qaeda had threatened LA and Melbourne the day before, but still. it was just plan stupid. As they say on fark.com,
The terrorist have won.

Wil

Hurricane Ophelia, My roof, and Becks Premier Light Beer

2005-09-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

Looks like Ophelia will brush the coast just north of Mt.Pleasant and the Beer Man Microbrewey. The skies are very gray, cloudy and moving fast to the south. We are getting light rain, however the radar says that will change soon. It gets worse. This is the week my roof is being replaced. It's only 3/4 done with only tar paper in places. There are nails and shingles all around my house on the ground. The guys/company that is replacing the roof have now been placed on my fecal roster. Yesterdays I had to call and almost threaten them to get them to come back and secure my roof and grounds. I fear the worst.

I have been on weight watchers for 2 weeks now and lost 13 pounds! One
saving grace in this diet has been Becks Premier Light Beer. Now, I
really dislike lite beer, No, I hate the stuff. However, it's this
beer or no beer, so I drink it. The best thing about it is its only
ONE POINT on weight watchers. That means I can drink a LOT of it if I
wish and still loose weight. Yahoo!!! I really can't recommend it if
your not on a diet but if you are, it's the cat meow. It tastes like
they took a nice regular Becks and added water (they probably did
exactly that). I drink it in a nice tall, frosted pilsner glass and
its really easy to drink. Not much alcohol in it so you only get a
light buzz. So if dieting and you want beer, try it.

Wil

Octoberfest

2005-09-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

Octoberfest has always been on of my favorite times of the year. Not because of the big party that starts around Sept 17th each year in Germany. No, its because of all the great new Octoberfest beers that hit the store shelves. All the big and small breweries alike put out an octoberfest beer, and each year I look forward to trying them all. Each year it seems that I find a new favorite. That's because they all seem to be slightly different from year to year. Last year my favorite was Spaten Oktoberfest. It was great. A nice malty orange fest beer. I look forward to sampling all the German brewed Oktoberfest beers as well as the US brewed Oktoberfest beers. Give them a taste. bet you will find a favorite.

Wil

Beer Bottles

2005-09-10T08:13:00.000-05:00

I have to admit I am becoming very frustrated with my bottle supplier.I have had problems receiving bottles from him for the last month. Even after he told me I would have them on such and such date, they don't show up. I'm looking for a different supplier as we speak and I am thinking of changing to 16 oz bottles from the one liter size. Do you guys have a preferences?

Looks like Tropical Storm Ophelia is heading for Charleston SC. That would be bad. Ever since Hugo folks in this part of the states run when they tell us to run. So I'll keep an eye on it and hope we don't have to leave the friendly confines of the Beer Man microbrewey.

Wil

Getting started

2005-09-10T07:58:00.000-05:00

Hello Beer Drinkers
I have started this blog to communicate with my customers, family and friends alike. I have left the comments open so anyone can post but I will reserve the right to edit or delete ANYTHING I see fit.
Sorry guys, but these days folks that the way it is.

Thanks
Wil The Beer Man