Where to drink in Ottawa

If you find yourself in the Nation's Capital and thirty, check out Pub Italia:

http://www.pubitalia.ca/

Never mind the Shamrock / Italian Flag combo - it is all about the beer selection

World's strongest/ weirdest beer

Thanks to iRob for this one:

http://www.asylum.com/2010/07/22/its-the-worlds-strongest-most-expensive-beer-inside-a-squi/

Batch #3

Bottled the chocolate porter tonight. I will let you know how it is in 2-3 weeks

Cheap Beer Craptacular!

Today's entry: Thunder Bolt Extra Strong Beer. Imported by Mountain Crest Brewing Co.

When I first tried this beer, I was fairly certain it was the worst beer I had ever had. However, upon giving it a second chance, I now think it is merely amongst the worst beers I have ever had.

Cheap Beer Craptacular!

Today's entry: Hite Beer - Hite Brewery, Korea

My first beer from Korea? Could be. The Hite bottle describes it as "cool & fresh" and "clean, crisp and fresh!". It also has a handy dandy mark shaped like a bottle opener that turns blue when it is at "optimal tasting temperature".

Aside from all that, this beer has essentially the same colour (light yellow) and flavour (none) as Coors' lite. Nothing really much to this beer one way or the other.

Home brew batch #3 - Chocolate Porter

This brew was more about being able to make something with the supplies on hand than anything else. I had 2 cans of dark malt extract and a variety of hops. I picked up some additional grains from the Vineyard and set to work. I found the recipe online. I omitted one of the grain varieties, and had to substitute the bitter hops as I did not have what the recipe called for (it called for Galena and EKG). I also had a load of swiss chocolate than Nicolas and Simone gave us, so the Chocolate Porter seemed the obvious choice. Without further ado:

Chocolate porter

8oz 70/80 L Crystal Malt (Crushed)

8oz Special Roast Malt (Crushed) (omitted)

12oz Chocolate Malt (Crushed)
4oz Black Patent Malt (Crushed)
4oz Roasted Barley (Crushed)

Steeped for 30 minutes at 150 F

Hops – 60 min: Centenial (9.2 alpha) x 1.5 oz

30 mins – Centenial and what I had left of my fuggles (5.1%) – this will result in a less bitter beer than the recipe called for, but what are you gonna do? Total = .5 oz

Aroma:

Willamette - .5 oz at 10 mins and .5 oz at 1 min

After taking it off heat – 6 oz. Lindt 60% cacao “L’Infini Fondant” and a few pieces of Lindt dark

Yeast = 2/3 Coopers, 1/3 Nottingham

Sparged the grains. Placed in in the carbuoy adding water to eq 5 gallons. (Though I would try a one stage fermentation this time)

Tasting notes batch #2 (Bitter)

Well, for my first ingredient, as opposed to kit based batch, I think not bad at all! The hop substitutions give it a slightly more earthy taste than I think it is supposed to have, but all in all a fine bitter. At least I don't have to cross the pond for this one!