Holy heatwave, Batperson! Northeast Ohio is suddenly embroiled in the steamy temperatures more commonly found in August, with highs the 70s and 80s and humidity in the "oh Godzilla, I feel awful" range. That means it's time to make sure you take in your fluids.
I know, such a hassle. Isn't it enough that we have to watch out for terrorists blowing up bridges across our favorite running areas? Well, you don't want to end up parched like I was during last Sunday's equestrian long run. While the Most Interesting Man in the World advocates that you "stay thirsty, my friends," being thirsty out in the middle of nowhere without any water could spell disaster.
On certain days, it's not enough to drink your required eight cups of water before heading out for a run. You need to hydrate before, during and after your activities.
At work, I keep a 32-ounce bottle of water at my desk and strive to drink two full containers throughout the day, whether I'm running or not. I'm terrible at hydrating at home, unless there's beer in the fridge.
There are some who say beer isn't good for hydration, but I still hold true what Jim Fixx said about beer and running. He said beer helps prevent kidney stones because "it goes more directly to the kidneys." However, I think beer works best as a post-run beverage than as a primer.
While pre-run hydration is important, it's during a run that I believe is a key factor in staying quenched. Some people find success by planning their routes around the availability of water fountains, but this approach neglects the possibility of needing a swig of water before you run across the next facility. And frankly, it takes too much thinking. Just carry water with you.
There are many options to turn yourself into a mobile fluid station, but my preference is the handheld water bottle. You also have the waterfilled backpack and the hydration belts and other such items, but I find them too cumbersome. Your preference may vary.
[Drunkard's note: Damn it, I just realized I forgot my handheld at home when I packed my post-work running gearbag.]
An ancillary benefit of the handheld bottle is that it gives your arms a bit of a workout while you're on the run. Regardless of your chosen methodology, carrying your own water leaves nothing to chance. It's the ol' "better safe than sorry" adage.
Whether you're going short or long, having water available on these hot days will keep you running strong and safe. And when you get home, that cold beer will taste so good.
Lately, I've been enjoying some "black IPA," in the form of Heavy Seas Black Cannon, which tastes like a hoppy porter, with a less bitter aftertaste than traditional IPAs. Sadly, I finished the sixpack last night. Cheers!
Showing posts with label porter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label porter. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, November 29, 2010
Nobody Even Got Sick
So far everyone is still alive. The list of potential victims would be long. Last week, the Enthusiast and I unveiled our as yet unnamed homebrewed porter. For now, let's call it "Patient Zero" -- just in case.
Our friends were first to try it on Tuesday, a few days shy of being bottle conditioned for the recommended four weeks. Then Thursday we infected our families. Everyone has been kind in telling us that it's good.
I've noticed a tendency for our beer to foam a bit more than I'd like, but otherwise would agree with the "good" assessment. However, I'm disappointed with how quickly our stash has dwindled in one quick week. Three six packs were gone -- p00f! -- just like that.
For good measure, please remember the number 1 (800) 222-1222 in case of emergency.
Down and Out Weekend
Aside from the beer, many other friends and foes went down this weekend. Here's a recap:
Our friends were first to try it on Tuesday, a few days shy of being bottle conditioned for the recommended four weeks. Then Thursday we infected our families. Everyone has been kind in telling us that it's good.
I've noticed a tendency for our beer to foam a bit more than I'd like, but otherwise would agree with the "good" assessment. However, I'm disappointed with how quickly our stash has dwindled in one quick week. Three six packs were gone -- p00f! -- just like that.
For good measure, please remember the number 1 (800) 222-1222 in case of emergency.
Down and Out Weekend
Aside from the beer, many other friends and foes went down this weekend. Here's a recap:
- First of all, there was Ohio State's yearly trouncing of Michigan. Bye, Rich Rod.
- Then the Cavs managed to pull off another win without LeBron.
- And then the Browns carefully avoided another loss on Sunday.
- However, food was the biggest item downed, which will require me to get back out there and do what the primary theme of this blog suggests I do: run, maybe?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
First Taste
If you've ever siphoned gasoline from your neighbor's gas tank, you know that you inevitably get a taste of fine, refined petroleum in the process. Well, that's how I got a taste of the porter last night while the Enthusiast and I racked the beer into the carboy to clarify.
I kind of winced as I pulled the filthylooking wort through the tube, not knowing what to expect. The liquid swirled in my mouth while I decided whether to let myself taste it or not. The Enthusiast held the racking tube inside the primary fermenter as I snaked the vinyl tube into the carboy. The wort started to fill the new container, and then I realized that this dark and murky liquid tasted surprisingly like beer -- real beer.
It was a bit boozy yet, but the flavor was strong and good. The recipe is supposed to be similar to Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, but in its current state the beer tastes a little like the stronger Thirsty Dog Siberian Night, which is a 9 percent ABV imperial stout. The beer should be ready for bottling this coming weekend, and then another two-week wait before we can really drink it down.
I'm looking forward to pairing the porter with Thanksgiving dinners.
I kind of winced as I pulled the filthylooking wort through the tube, not knowing what to expect. The liquid swirled in my mouth while I decided whether to let myself taste it or not. The Enthusiast held the racking tube inside the primary fermenter as I snaked the vinyl tube into the carboy. The wort started to fill the new container, and then I realized that this dark and murky liquid tasted surprisingly like beer -- real beer.
It was a bit boozy yet, but the flavor was strong and good. The recipe is supposed to be similar to Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald, but in its current state the beer tastes a little like the stronger Thirsty Dog Siberian Night, which is a 9 percent ABV imperial stout. The beer should be ready for bottling this coming weekend, and then another two-week wait before we can really drink it down.
I'm looking forward to pairing the porter with Thanksgiving dinners.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
We Have Bubbles
Gurgle. The sound reached my ears as soon as the door opened into the room where the bucket of wort sits. Then I saw the bubbles. Those beautiful bubbles meant that the yeast is consuming the malt, releasing carbon dioxide as it creates alcohol. Glory, glory, hallelujah -- we have fermentation!
The whole process started in June, when I used my birthday funds to purchase a two-stage brewing kit and a porter recipe from Grape and Granary, a beer and wine brewing store in Akron.
However, after reading the brewing handbook that came with the kit, I realized the high summer temperatures were not ideal for making beer.
We shelved the project until last Saturday night. The Enthusiast and I were excited to begin making our first batch of beer. We had no idea what were getting into.
We got started at around 6 p.m., sanitizing our tools and beginning to heat two gallons of non-chlorinated water in the brewkettle. The instructions said to bring the water up to 150-160 degrees F, and then add the grain in two mesh socks, which looked like gonads when filled.
After bringing the water to a boil (212 F) like a moron, we let the water cool to the proper temperature before adding the grain to start the wort (or pre-beer, as I prefer to call it). We had to keep the pre-beer concoction between 150 and 160 F for 20 minutes, stirring the whole time.
After steeping this dark tea-looking liquid, we removed the gonads of grain and brought the mixture to a boil. Then we removed the heat to add the malt and bittering hops. From there, we began a 45-minute boil.
With 15 minutes left in the boil, we added flavoring hops. With two minutes left, we added the aroma hops. And then the annoying part began.
The next eternity was spent waiting for the wort to cool to proper temperatures. We placed the brewkettle in our kitchen sink and circulated cold water around it until it was 120 F or so.
At that point, we transferred the wort into the primary fermenter and put it back in the sink, adding refrigerated water until the bucket was 4.5 gallons full.
But wait, we're supposed to have five gallons. I ran out to the grocery store for an extra gallon of water. The wort was supposed to cool to 60 to 70 degrees before we could add the yeast, according to the directions that came with the recipe. We waited. And waited.
We kept refilling the sink with cold water and added ice, but our sink wasn't deep enough to really cover the bucket. I stuck it outside, where it was 40-some degrees, and we waited some more. By 11 p.m., the wort was still 80 degrees, which is where it was an hour before. Finally, I consulted another source, which said to add the yeast after it was below 90 F.
Yadda, yadda, yadda, we got the fermenter sealed by 11:39 p.m., with a starting gravity of 1060. Tomorrow, we transfer the wort to the secondary fermenter (or carboy, for those of you who like brewing jargon), where it will sit for another week before bottling.
 |
| Gonads of grain. |
However, after reading the brewing handbook that came with the kit, I realized the high summer temperatures were not ideal for making beer.
We shelved the project until last Saturday night. The Enthusiast and I were excited to begin making our first batch of beer. We had no idea what were getting into.
 |
| Brewing the wort. |
After bringing the water to a boil (212 F) like a moron, we let the water cool to the proper temperature before adding the grain to start the wort (or pre-beer, as I prefer to call it). We had to keep the pre-beer concoction between 150 and 160 F for 20 minutes, stirring the whole time.
After steeping this dark tea-looking liquid, we removed the gonads of grain and brought the mixture to a boil. Then we removed the heat to add the malt and bittering hops. From there, we began a 45-minute boil.
 |
| Malt makes wort look nasty. |
The next eternity was spent waiting for the wort to cool to proper temperatures. We placed the brewkettle in our kitchen sink and circulated cold water around it until it was 120 F or so.
At that point, we transferred the wort into the primary fermenter and put it back in the sink, adding refrigerated water until the bucket was 4.5 gallons full.
But wait, we're supposed to have five gallons. I ran out to the grocery store for an extra gallon of water. The wort was supposed to cool to 60 to 70 degrees before we could add the yeast, according to the directions that came with the recipe. We waited. And waited.
We kept refilling the sink with cold water and added ice, but our sink wasn't deep enough to really cover the bucket. I stuck it outside, where it was 40-some degrees, and we waited some more. By 11 p.m., the wort was still 80 degrees, which is where it was an hour before. Finally, I consulted another source, which said to add the yeast after it was below 90 F.
Yadda, yadda, yadda, we got the fermenter sealed by 11:39 p.m., with a starting gravity of 1060. Tomorrow, we transfer the wort to the secondary fermenter (or carboy, for those of you who like brewing jargon), where it will sit for another week before bottling.
 |
| Tiny bubbles of joy. |
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday Tasting: Future Flavors
I don't have a new beer tasting for you today. However, I present you with what is to come. Behold: the future!
Two-stage brewing kit and porter recipe
With my remaining Flag Day funds, I stopped by the Grape and Granary and picked up my latest DIY project, a home brewing kit.
The kit includes a primary and secondary fermenting container, tubing, gaskets, whoseits, whatnots, thermometer, hydrometer, cleaning supplies, brewing manual, a bottle capper and caps. The store also sells its own prepackaged beer recipes, so I chose a porter for my first beer. The only thing I still need to buy is a brewing kettle (a five-gallon stainless steel pot).
I've already read through the brewing manual--some sections twice--which is more than I can say for this poor backburner'd book. In the coming weeks, I'll be updating on you on this latest experiment at Chez Enthusiastic-Viper.
I'm pretty sure nothing will explode. But I can't guarantee that the apartment won't have a foul odor while the wort transforms into delicious (I hope it's not poison) dark beer. Cheers!
For those of you who brew your own, feel free to impart your wisdom to a couple of first-timers.
Two-stage brewing kit and porter recipeWith my remaining Flag Day funds, I stopped by the Grape and Granary and picked up my latest DIY project, a home brewing kit.
The kit includes a primary and secondary fermenting container, tubing, gaskets, whoseits, whatnots, thermometer, hydrometer, cleaning supplies, brewing manual, a bottle capper and caps. The store also sells its own prepackaged beer recipes, so I chose a porter for my first beer. The only thing I still need to buy is a brewing kettle (a five-gallon stainless steel pot).
I've already read through the brewing manual--some sections twice--which is more than I can say for this poor backburner'd book. In the coming weeks, I'll be updating on you on this latest experiment at Chez Enthusiastic-Viper.
I'm pretty sure nothing will explode. But I can't guarantee that the apartment won't have a foul odor while the wort transforms into delicious (I hope it's not poison) dark beer. Cheers!
For those of you who brew your own, feel free to impart your wisdom to a couple of first-timers.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday Tasting: Great Lakes Brewing
Big Black Smoke
When I'm not busy drinking all the Belgian beers I can get my hands on, I'm slurping down porters at an enviable pace. Big Black Smoke is a Great Lakes Brewing Co. pub exclusive, which means you can only get the stuff if you get your ass up to Ohio City to the brewpup on Market Avenue. That's exactly what the Enthusiast and I did this past Saturday afternoon.
We had Big Black Smoke for the first time last year and were happy to see it again on the draught board. We sat at the bar and ordered two from the pleasantly nonchalant British barkeep. Then we sat there sipping our beers as we stared at the growler jugs directly in front of us. Beer to go? Why, yes, please. We'll take the big one!
Two local institutions, Great Lakes Brewing and Swensons.
If you could read the other glass, you would know THE PLACE to drink in my hometown.
Big Black Smoke is a 6.2 percent ABV porter with -- now, this might shock you -- a smoky malted flavor. See Billy, sometimes there is something in a name. This beer has big smoked flavor up front, but its sweet undertones balance it well.
The head is thick and frothy, but not as dark brown as you might expect from a porter with an emphasis on its roasted flavor. (For instance, the head is not as dark as Great Lakes regular Edmund Fitzgerald, which has more chocolate and coffee flavoring.)
The Enthusiast and I paired this with some barbecued chicken kabobs and boy-howdy was it good!
A Note on Growlers: You have to drink the whole thing once you open it, or the beer will go flat. I was hoping to get two days out of this one, but by the second day nary a head formed. Sad, but I drank it anyway.
Booze Hounds Beer Rating: 4.4 Hiccups
[Drunkard's note: The Booze Hounds Beer Rating scale (0-5 Hiccups) is based on a complex mathematical formula that would be impossible to explain to such a dunderheaded audience. Let's just say the higher the score, the more likely I am to drink it again. Natty Light would get a zero.]
We had Big Black Smoke for the first time last year and were happy to see it again on the draught board. We sat at the bar and ordered two from the pleasantly nonchalant British barkeep. Then we sat there sipping our beers as we stared at the growler jugs directly in front of us. Beer to go? Why, yes, please. We'll take the big one!
Two local institutions, Great Lakes Brewing and Swensons.If you could read the other glass, you would know THE PLACE to drink in my hometown.
Big Black Smoke is a 6.2 percent ABV porter with -- now, this might shock you -- a smoky malted flavor. See Billy, sometimes there is something in a name. This beer has big smoked flavor up front, but its sweet undertones balance it well.
The head is thick and frothy, but not as dark brown as you might expect from a porter with an emphasis on its roasted flavor. (For instance, the head is not as dark as Great Lakes regular Edmund Fitzgerald, which has more chocolate and coffee flavoring.)
The Enthusiast and I paired this with some barbecued chicken kabobs and boy-howdy was it good!
A Note on Growlers: You have to drink the whole thing once you open it, or the beer will go flat. I was hoping to get two days out of this one, but by the second day nary a head formed. Sad, but I drank it anyway.
Booze Hounds Beer Rating: 4.4 Hiccups
[Drunkard's note: The Booze Hounds Beer Rating scale (0-5 Hiccups) is based on a complex mathematical formula that would be impossible to explain to such a dunderheaded audience. Let's just say the higher the score, the more likely I am to drink it again. Natty Light would get a zero.]
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