Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.

We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.

Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!

Search found 1664 matches

by markaberrant
Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:59 pm
Forum: Local and Imported Beer Reviews
Topic: Saaz Republic Pilz
Replies: 7
Views: 2719

I do enjoy fresh Urquell, but the Pivo Pils really blew me away, way better than the highly touted Victory Prima Pils.
by markaberrant
Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:45 pm
Forum: General Beer Discussion & Random Talk
Topic: Mediocre Beer
Replies: 163
Views: 33111

Keep advocating great, local, fresh beer. There is no need for negativity in a local scene. The good honest breweries and the good honest beers always rise to the top. The pretenders ultimately fall by the wayside. I do agree that in a young and growing scene, it can be difficult to tell the differe...
by markaberrant
Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:37 pm
Forum: Local and Imported Beer Reviews
Topic: Saaz Republic Pilz
Replies: 7
Views: 2719

I did sample a Firestone Walker Pivo Pils yesterday. Wow, hands down the best craft brewed pilsner I have ever tasted, and maybe the best period. Many hoppy craft pils have a bit of "raw" hop taste with an inordinate amount of fruitiness, but not this one. Refined and complex all the way, ...
by markaberrant
Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:17 pm
Forum: Local and Imported Beer Reviews
Topic: Saaz Republic Pilz
Replies: 7
Views: 2719

I tried this about 6 months ago, and all I recall is the typical Big Rock house yeast character, which I cant stand. It was otherwise forgettable for me.
by markaberrant
Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:48 pm
Forum: LCBO, Beer Stores, Grocery & Indie Stores
Topic: Garrison Imperial IPA
Replies: 6
Views: 3073

Garrison seems to use a very loose and poorly flocculating yeast strain. It is hit and miss with them as to whether you get lots of floaties or not. The bottom line is, filtered or not, there is no reason to have that much junk in a beer. It speaks to poor brewhouse process, and based on how this be...
by markaberrant
Sat Feb 08, 2014 9:04 am
Forum: LCBO, Beer Stores, Grocery & Indie Stores
Topic: Garrison Imperial IPA
Replies: 6
Views: 3073

zaireeka wrote:It's just yeast/protein that has settled out. The beer is not filter so there is no way around floates other then drinking it when fresh.
Uh, no.
by markaberrant
Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:22 pm
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What're you brewing right now?
Replies: 1139
Views: 340325

atomeyes wrote: part of the golden rules of kombucha is to never let the mother ferment in anything metal or to touch it with anything metal. no idea why.
Well, I ferment in a plastic bucket. Most of the crap you read about kombucha sounds like it came out of a homebrewing book from the 70s or 80s.
by markaberrant
Fri Jan 31, 2014 8:26 pm
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What're you brewing right now?
Replies: 1139
Views: 340325

atomeyes wrote:wait...you keg it and dispense it from your kegerator?
thought there was an issue of keeping kombucha in metal. or is that just the mother?
Sure, why not? No more acidic than a lambic.

I have been to lots of places in Denver and Austin that serve kombucha from a keg.
by markaberrant
Fri Jan 31, 2014 11:33 am
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What're you brewing right now?
Replies: 1139
Views: 340325

my first batch is ready this sunday. i assume the 1st is a dumper. we're starting plain and then adding fruit. kind of excited. Yeah, it takes awhile to build up a healthy culture, no different than brewing beer really. I used an entire 500ml bottle of Budda's Brew plain kombucha from Austin, TX as...
by markaberrant
Fri Jan 31, 2014 8:41 am
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What're you brewing right now?
Replies: 1139
Views: 340325

Just finished up another batch of kombucha. This one has raspberries and mango.
by markaberrant
Fri Jan 31, 2014 8:39 am
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What're you brewing right now?
Replies: 1139
Views: 340325

2 beans in the secondary of a 5 gallon batch. It had to stand up to 8 oz. chocolate nibs and three cups of coffee. I did the coffee by cold brewing it and only dumping the extract, not the grounds, into the secondary. If I were to do it again I would want more coffee. Best way to add coffee is to c...
by markaberrant
Thu Jan 30, 2014 12:00 am
Forum: Local and Imported Beer Reviews
Topic: Liefman Goudenband
Replies: 12
Views: 3714

It is nowhere near as sweet as Duchesse, but nowhere near as acidic as Rodenbach, let alone a true gueze like say Cantillon. Either way, it is a quality drink.
by markaberrant
Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:03 pm
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What're you brewing right now?
Replies: 1139
Views: 340325

Got 2 batches of mead going last week. 1.070 and 1.140.

Picked up some local sour cherries today, 1lb/gallon in the light mead, 2lb/gallon in the sack mead.

Also kegged up a batch of kombucha with guava, pineapple, blueberries and cranberries. Holy shit it tastes good!
by markaberrant
Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:48 pm
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: local spruce tips
Replies: 8
Views: 8243

Re: local spruce tips

blakee wrote:hoping to do a brew with spruce tips but all the leads online ship from the US. does anyone local have access to or know where i could source about 1lb? thanks!!
What type of beer are you planning to ruin? :)

Sorry, cant help you, but i am full of witty retorts...
by markaberrant
Sun Jan 05, 2014 10:29 am
Forum: Homebrewing Recipes and Tips
Topic: What HOMEBREW are you drinking right now?
Replies: 223
Views: 149366

Really enjoying the "American Tripel" I brewed last May. 2-row and 20% sugar, 9% abv, 40 ibu, a good bit of Simcoe and Citra at flameout, and 3787 yeast. Basically a Westmalle Tripel clone with American hop flavor. The hops and yeast integrate really nicely, can't tell which is which, glad...