Priming the Pump and Other Valuable Lessons
14 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in coffee
The original intent of The Liquid Diet was to wax eloquently about all things potable, but more often than not I write about beer, because that’s the most interesting thing, in my opinion, to write about and that seems like what my audience likes. I do drink lots of other fluids, however, coffee being way up on the list.
I hit Broadway Cafe yesterday to pick up some beans for French press and my espresso machine. Broadway has THE BEST espresso I’ve had outside of Italy, so it pleases me to have it right here in Kansas City. While my homemade espresso isn’t quite as good as it is off Broadway’s perfectly set up system, it is DAMN good and as good as most shots you can get in a coffee shop. I’ve compared a LOT, so I know! LOL
I just went to turn on my machine to brew a shot this morning and was shocked to find the water reservoir was bone dry. I gave it a good fill a week ago and haven’t used it since, so maybe the dry air has something to do with it. I always run a little water through the machine when I first turn it on. NOTHING. Loud noise, so I knew the pump was working, but no water, so I freaked out, of course. I got this machine as a refurb from Whole Latte Love back in 2007 when I moved to KC and it seemed like a big investment at the time. I’ve taken pretty good care of it and it has taken pretty good care of me, but parts do break, etc etc, so I immediately thought the pump had kicked the bucket.
I struggled for a while trying to work the black top off the machine so I could peek at its guts. It comes off pretty easily IF you are observant enough to notice that there is a screw holding it down. The screw is at the bottom of the reservoir where you pour water in. Took me a while of struggling to figure it out, so there is lesson #1!
Lesson #2 is that if the pump runs dry, you have to prime it, which I must have forgotten after doing it once when I first bought the machine. Turn the machine on and let it heat up some, open the steam wand all the way, and then turn on the “make espresso” and the “make steam” button at the same time. A bunch of water will pour out the steam wand, so have a cup ready. Let a cup of water blast through and that will fill the pump and get it primed so it can use physics to continue to pump water when you need it.
Lesson #3? Don’t let the reservoir run totally dry or physics won’t work anymore (well, you get the drift).
Lesson #4? Thank God for people who upload user manuals for free use online. Here’s the manual for the Gaggia Espresso.
Hop Ottin’ IPA: Nice Cans Series
28 Dec 2011 2 Comments
in beer Tags: anderson valley, cans, india pale ale, ipa
On my last beer run (which is going to be my last for a LONG time… I have WAAAYYYY too many beers in the “cellar” that need to be drunk before I buy anything more. I know I said the same last year, but this is serious now) I picked up some cans for the “Hey, Babe, Nice Cans!” series and Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s Hop Ottin’ IPA was one I picked up (see my last review for my impression of the canned Summer Solstice).
Again, longtime readers know I am still enamored with the idea of craft beers in cans! LOL Cans are a great medium for beers for many, many reasons, but IPA’s do particularly well in cans because there is no chance of light or air hitting the beer, both of which are bad for high-hopped beers especially.
I’ve had this beer in the bottle, but for some reason have never reviewed it. Hop Ottin’ weighs in at 7% ABV and 80 IBU’s (the measure for bitterness used by brewers). Unfortunately, the AVBC website offers virtually no information about what’s in the beer, so all we know based on the site is that it has “Pacific Northwest hops,” which could be anything since virtually all hops used in production brewing come from the PNW.
If there is one thing that California brewers all have in common is the love of HUGE, ultra-hopped IPA’s. Balance? We don’t need no stinking balance here on the Left Coast!
Hop Ottin’ pours a cloudy dark orange/amber-ish color with a huge, thick shaving cream like head. Head retention is massive on this beer and I even had an island of thick head that floated on the beer and never went away. Big heads come from big hops, generally.
The aroma is hop forward, with that piney, resiny type of hop character loved by many of the West Coast brewers. I didn’t get many floral or citrus notes from the aroma. They were earthy and there was a lot of pine tree in there, too.
Not surprisingly, the flavor was the same. Earthy, resiny, piney notes from beginning to end, and a lot of hop bitterness. The first 25% of the taste has pretty good balance with the malts, but then the hops wave comes crashing in and carries into a long, bitter aftertaste. There is nice carbonation in this beer and it’s quite an easy drinker despite the high bitterness. At this alcohol level and bitterness level trying to take down a 6-pack of this at a party or during a game would be a bad idea and would quickly lead to palate fatigue, but this is a good, solid, enjoyable IPA. After my disappointment with Summer Solstice, my love of AVBC has been restored! A great beer, probably tough to drink in volume, but sprinkling some cans in among the lighter fare for a day at the pool or camping would be a top notch idea.
Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Summer Solstice
22 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer Tags: anderson valley, cans, cerveza, crema, seasonal, summer
Photo courtesy of http://boozedancing.wordpress.com/.
What? A summer beer on a cloudy, crappy 35° day in Kansas City? Sure, why not? I went to Lukas and decided to build a sixer from cans, as part of my “Hey, Babe, Nice Cans!” series. LOL I enjoy most of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company beers I’ve had, so I thought I’d give this one a shot since I’d not had it before.
AVBC bills this summer beer as a “cerveza crema” or, presumably, a cream ale. The can says it has natural flavors added, but I could find no info about adjuncts on the website or anywhere else, nor detect any in the flavor, so I’m not sure what that was all about.
Cream ales are malt-forward, American “lawnmower beers.” They typically contain adjuncts of as much as 20% glucose or corn, so maybe one of those is added to Summer Solstice? There is a definite corny aftertaste with this beer, and it’s relatively sweet.
Summer Solstice pours a cloudy copper color with an off-white, bubbly head, as you can see in the photo (courtesy of boozedancing.wordpress.com). There isn’t much aroma to speak of, but what little there is seems sweet and malty.
The carbonation on this beer is relatively high and it has a full mouthfeel. The flavor is malt-forward with a little hops balance. The aftertaste is slightly bitter, but without much actual hop character, and there is a DMS (cooked vegetable) and corn-heavy aftertaste, for sure. While it is malt-forward in flavor it isn’t cloying and there is enough hops hidden in there somewhere to give it some balance.
This isn’t a bad beer, but for a summer, lawnmower, thirst-quenching type of beer there are a lot of things I would go to before this. There isn’t anything wrong with this beer, per se, but it seems a little heavy for what it’s intended to be, and the low hops makes it a little less refreshing than I’d like. I really enjoy everything I’ve had by AVBC, but this one is lacking compared to their other beers I’ve had.
Ska Brewing Steel Toe Stout
20 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer Tags: lactose, milk stout, ska brewing
I’m a sucker for stouts, but sometimes I’m in the mood for the sweeter side of things, which is where milk stouts come into play! Ska Brewing Co.’s Steel Toe Stout is a “traditional cream stout” that weighs in at an easy 5.4%ABV and 29 IBU’s.
Contrary to popular belief, milk stouts, also sometimes referred to as “sweet stouts,” do not contain milk. Lactose (aka “milk sugar” because it is the predominant sugar in dairy) is added during the brewing process. Lactose is a non-fermentable sugar. In other words, the critters in beer that convert sugar to alcohol don’t eat it (and then poop out alcohol… lovely, no?), so when lactose is added to beer it will raise the sweetness level without contributing to the alcohol content.
The classic, benchmark milk stout and one of my all-time favorites is Left Hand’s Milk Stout, which I reviewed in January, 2010. Another favorite milk stout (which is also a coffee stout and an oatmeal stout!) is the aptly named Breakfast Stout from Founder’s (reviewed April 2011).
Unlike their roastier, darker, drier-finishing cousins in the “regular” stout world, milk stouts are expected to be sweeter and generally have a nice body and mouthfeel due to the lactose addition. True to form, Ska’s version has a great aroma of roasty components with a sweet overtone that makes me think of chocolate (although the aroma is not chocolatey, per se). It pours black with about a 1/2″ tan head. While this is certainly an opaque glass of beer, it has a fair amount of amber/tea colored highlights in the corners of the glass.
As I was pouring this beer it seemed like it was a little on the thin side, but the mouthfeel is pretty good. Very little carbonation on this beer, but I did type the whole intro to this review as it sat in the glass. I’m guessing I’m drinking this beer in the mid-50°’s range.
The flavor is pretty surprising. There is some roasty, classic stout type of flavor on the front end, tempered by the sweetness of the lactose, but that is quickly taken over and dominated by hops. I haven’t had too many hoppy stouts, so this is unique for me. The finish and aftertaste are definitely hop-forward. It’s hard to get the components of the hops (i.e. resiny, piney, floral), but the bitterness is definitely there.
Interestingly, the sweetness is there, but this is not a “milkshake” like Left Hand Milk Stout. Steel Toe Stout actually has a rather dry finish and that hoppiness takes away from the drinkability compared to Left Hand’s.
This is an interesting beer. I expected more “sweet” and a lot less hops, so it came out about opposite of what I was thinking it would taste like. It’s interesting from the perspective that I haven’t had too many hoppy stouts, and all the components of this beer work well, but it’s not as balanced as I would like. For my money, Left Hand is still the reigning king of the Milk Stouts. When I reach for a “sweet stout” I do so for the sweetness, so a milk stout that is hoppier than it is sweet leaves me wanting. Overall, a pretty good beer, though!
I’ve also reviewed Ska Brewing’s True Blonde Ale here.
Iowa Beer Run: Great River Brewery Roller Dam Red Ale
11 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer
When I was in Iowa City a couple weeks ago I picked up some beers, and most readers know I’m a sucker for cans, so I couldn’t pass up Great River Brewery’s offerings! I think I picked up one each of four different beers from this Quad City-based brewery and Roller Dam Red Ale is the first I’ve tried.
I usually avoid the “amber” or “red” style because it’s such a generic catch-all and you just never know what you’re going to get. Ambers tend to be boring to me, and I just never gravitate toward them, but for a couple bucks for an Iowa craft beer in a 16 ounce tallboy can… what could possibly happen?
I drank this beer from the usual plastic hotel cup. Poured a dark amber color, color, with a fluffy off-white head. Had a biscuity aroma that smelled great. The first sip blew me away. This is a really biscuity, malty beer, but there are plenty of hops to balance the malt so it’s not cloying.
Great River markets this beer as an Irish Red with 5.3%ABV and 30.6 IBU’s. The hops seemed more noticeable than that to me, but this is by no stretch a “hoppy” beer. This is all about the malts, but it has a nice balance to it. I would consider this a “calibration” beer for what people mean when they say a beer tastes “biscuity.” This is it! Once you taste this beer from the can you’ll say, “Aha! THAT’S what biscuity means!” The biscuit malt character carries all the way through to the aftertaste, which I thought has a slightly raisin character. I saw a couple of other reviews of this beer that said the aftertaste had some lemon character, so there is something in the flavor that has a bit of sweet-tart character that is also a nice part of the flavor profile.
I really enjoyed this beer a lot. My only regret is that I only bought one can and not a couple of 4-packs, which I will definitely do next time I find it. Maybe this will end my irrational fear of amber ales!
Iowa Beer Run: John’s Grocery
28 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer
Well, John’s Grocery was as good as Ratebeer promised. Awesome selection crammed into a tiny area. The prices were awfully high on some of the beers I’m used to seeing, but I managed to pick up two mixed six packs of all local Iowa beers for about $25. Still high, but hey, whatever.
Iowa Beer Run
28 Oct 2011 3 Comments
in beer
I travel about 10-15 times per year for work, but most of the time I’m on a plane and don’t get a chance to come home with any beer. I’ll be in Iowa City this weekend, though, and like most great college towns it has to have at least one great beer store. As luck would have it, John’s Grocery is half a mile from my hotel, and I’m driving because the trip is shorter in the car than by plane, when factoring in all the changes, etc etc. So, I will be coming home with a bunch of beers you can’t find in Kansas City (I know it can be a little frustrating to readers who are in KC). Can’t wait!
The Rant Against Super Limited Releases
11 Oct 2011 2 Comments
in beer
At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, I’m going on record to say I dislike the trend of super limited release beers and the people who go nuts to collect them or stockpile/resell them. I was reading the KC Beer Blog about Founder’s CBS release and it required being on a list, going out of town to buy it, etc. People are mad because others were buying full cases (for example, it seems the entire city of Columbia only got three cases of the beer to begin with) and it sells out in a matter of minutes most places. It’s ridiculous. Between these releases and bars tapping stuff to a waiting crowd of throngs of beer geeks who will drain the keg in a matter of minutes, I really wonder what sort of “life” a lot of our KC beer geeks really have? Does anyone work, have families or non-alcohol related hobbies anymore? It would be more than a full-time job to stay up on all this crap and yet here they all are. I am making a stand. Who is with me? If I stumble across something special like this, I’ll pick it up, but there are thousands of great beers that are offered all the time… life is too short to make beer the focus of the whole thing.
Ayala’s Herbal Water: Cinnamon Orange Peel
01 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
I was at Cost Plus World Market in Westport the other day and as I was waiting at the checkout I spied something in the cooler that caught my eye. Gee, ever wonder why they put those things right by the cash register? LOL Anyway, I walked out with a bottle of Ayala’s Herbal Water in the Cinnamon Orange Peel flavor.
The company appears to have been around since 2005 and this is their only product I have tried. It is clear and colorless and packaged in a relatively widemouth clear, colorless plastic bottle. There were several flavors to choose from, but the Cinnamon Orange Peel attracted me the most. The product is USDA certified organic and uses only natural flavorings.
The water has a faint citrusy aroma and a warm, earthy orange flavor with a cinnamon finish. It tastes decent but has a somewhat synthetic character to me, immediately bringing up an image of bubblegum in my mind. There is no sugar or sweetener in the water, but it has a slightly sweet character all the same. I don’t know what was in it that made me think “cheap bubblegum” but that was the only thing I could picture as I drank this water. It must’ve had something to do with the cinnamon, and even though the bottle listed “natural flavorings” I wonder if they weren’t extracts that are also used in the making of, well, bubblegum, too!
I’d have to try some more of their products before rendering judgement, but I probably won’t have Cinnamon Orange Peel again. It wasn’t bad, but I’d just as soon drink some good ol’ Kansas City tap water, honestly.
Weston Brew Labs #2: Hot Pepper Ale
14 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in beer Tags: chile, jalapeno, pepper, serrano, weston brewing
I’ve had this bomber of Weston Brewing Co.’s “Weston Brew Labs #2″ (Hot Pepper Ale) in my fridge for close to a year now, so I finally decided to drink it. This is my first chile beer so it should be exciting! The bomber was purchased at Lukas Liquors for $3.99. I think they still stock it if I’m not mistaken.
The beer is of unknown ABV. The brewery lists the original gravity as 1.047, but you need to know final gravity in order to calculate ABV. Each batch is made with 60 pounds of jalapeno and serrano peppers!
The beer pours a clear dark gold color with a thin head that disappears immediately. The aroma is 100% peppers with maybe a little corn in the background. Imagine you just cooked up a big pot of corn with chiles, that’s about what it smells like. Looking at BeerAdvocate, this beer is supposed to be really hot, so we’ll see if I can drink all 22 oz. or not!
WOW! It is HOT! No joke! Flavor is pretty much 100% peppers with sort of a corny/malty macro beer like flavor in the background. One sip had the heat level in my mouth up to about what I would expect after eating a single slice of jalapeno, so this is very hot and I doubt I’ll make it through more than one glass.
The flavor is one-dimensional: hot peppers. I would have liked to see this about 30% as hot as it is, which would probably make it somewhat enjoyable to me. As it is, this is something I’d take a couple sips of to say, “OK, I’ve had a chile beer…” and then probably never drink it again.
