Tag Archives: beer

For the love of beer

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Because of the meds I’m on to treat my rheumatoid arthritis, I’ve pretty much backed off drinking completely, although I do still indulge in a beer once in a while. If you’re a regular reader of my blog you already know that Chris and I adore craft beer (have I mentioned he’s working on a project to convert a freezer into his new keg fridge? A story for another post!). We went all the way to Madison Wisconsin last summer to buy kegs of New Glarus Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart to serve at our wedding, for instance. Having to give up beer almost  entirely has not been easy, but its been almost a year and I’m used to it now.

I’ve just started watching this documentary, For the Love of Beer, all about the women of the [American] craft beer world, and it’s quite good. I’m watching it while I work out so I’m not finished it yet, but it’s making me yearn for the good old days when I could drink all I wanted in a sitting. Sigh. (It also makes me want to go back to Portland!) But I guess from a glass-half-full perspective, when I do pour myself a pint, that baby is oh-so-sweet. If anything, I’ve become even more of a snob about my beer, because if I’m going to break the fast, it better be worth it. Enjoy!

Brewing Day, and what to do with spent grain

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Chris has recently taken up brewing again. He used to do it back before I met him, but he stopped because of how much work it is, and especially when you’re bottling it. Now he’s able to brew and keg the beer, and since we have a keg fridge, it’s a lot less headache.

Brewing Day

Our friend Bruce is really the one to get him inspired again — Bruce has been brewing at home ever since he and Youngja moved into their new house last year. Chris gifted a brewing kit to Cass for his best man gift at the wedding last fall, and finally over Family Day weekend they got down to brewing their Pumpkin Spice and Christmas beers (a little out of season but oh well).

Brewing Day

This past weekend they made a witbier, which was a hybrid kit and included brewing with grain (rather than concentrate).

Brewing Day

I had just happened by chance to come across Love and Olive Oil’s post for spent grain applesauce muffins, which led me to Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Spent Grain Chef blog.

Brewing Day

The site has recipes that use the grain while it’s still wet, as well as recipes using the spent grain after it’s been dried. Their spent grain pizza dough recipe looked especially interesting.

Spent Grain, to be dried

So I gave it a try — it was late and I was too lazy to make the pizza dough from scratch so I popped it into my (new!) bread maker and put it on the dough setting (this is the first time I tried this machine’s dough setting). It was overly wet so I had to add extra flour, and I think I should have pulled it from the machine earlier (it was very spongy when I pulled out the machine at the end of the dough cycle, like it had risen too long).

But I divided it up (I’d made a double batch) and wrapped each piece of dough, put one in the fridge and the other in the freezer. On Monday night we had Hawaiian pizza with the dough, and it was awesome!

Spent Grain Pizza

I used some leftover ham I’d frozen from Easter weekend, and while the pizza was a bit salty, I can’t tell whether it was just the ham (which was salty, for sure) or the crust (the recipe seemed like it had too much salt) or both, but regardless, the crust was beautiful. If I make it again I’ll try it from scratch, and try modifying the salt content.

In the meantime, I’ve dried the remaining spent grain and hope to try those muffins soon. If I can’t drink the beer I might as well make use of the byproducts somehow!

Taking it national baby!

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Chris & Sarah's Wedding

Our love of craft beer has made Canada’s national newspaper! We’re featured on the cover of the Life section of today’s Globe and Mail for our (possibly obsessive) beer run to Madison, Wisconsin last summer, to bring home kegs of New Glarus beer (Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart to be exact) for our wedding last fall. Check out the article here!

Chris & Sarah's Wedding

New Glarus Belgian Red, in hand, for the toast

Oh the irony that I can’t indulge these days. I’m feeling the loss even more acutely now that the weather is warming up. Hard to believe that it’s been 5 months since I thoroughly enjoyed a few good beers. I’ve had a partial glass and a few sips now and then, but I’ve stuck pretty closely to my rheumatologist’s orders to avoid alcohol. Not sure how well my resolve will hold as the mercury rises though. (For those of you just tuning in, I’m on some pretty hefty drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis that I was diagnosed with last November, and I have to avoid alcohol due to the stress on my liver).

 

Nostalgia… beer drinking socks

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Socks with Pints On

One year after trying to make SpillyJane Knit’s Socks with Pints On for Chris the first time, I  attempted them again, this time with lots of mods to try make the damn things fit Chris’s weirdly wide feet. The pattern is available here. I would deem my effort mostly successful.

Firstly, I increased the needle size from 2.75 to 3.25, and I increased the yarn from fingering weight to sport weight (which explains the colour variation from the previous pair of socks — while both socks were knit with Knit Picks Stroll, they have very different colours available between those weights).

Next, I cast on 76 stitches per sock, instead of the 64. This added an extra pint of beer to each repeat (i.e. added two pints of beer total) of the colourwork chart. The other major modification was to end the colour work chart before the heel, rather than carrying it through the heel, gusset, and instep/sole of the sock. This was where we were experiencing the most challenge getting the sock over Chris’s heel, because colourwork usually tends to not have as much elasticity as regular knitting.

From here the mods get more niggly and I’m not totally thrilled with the resulting looseness of the heel; I don’t think I made the best choices here. I haven’t quite got the hang of modifying socks in a way that maintains the right ratios between heel and instep, so that the sock fits properly. If anyone out there has some kind of trick for this I’m all ears. BTW I hate math.

Anyway, they turned out wearable and Chris is happy. Me, I just wish I could have a beer.

Socks with Pints On

We love Madison!

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A couple weeks ago our friends Cass and Liz and Chris and I all piled into our Jetta wagon and headed on an epic road trip to Madison Wisconsin. Why Madison you say? Well. Wisconsin only has some of the best craft beer in the world. And we had a plan to get our hands on it.

Farmers' Market around the capitol building

Farmers' Market around the capitol building

Gorgeous garlic

Gorgeous garlic

Said beer is from a special brewery that will, for now, go unnamed. That will be saved for another post for in say, a month from now. After a certain wedding takes place. You see, this beer is so famous among true beer geeks that we need to keep it top secret until after the fact. Or risk crashers. Seriously.

Let me also add that our little party of four went through some harrowing experiences to get said beer. And that I’m lucky to be sitting here bragging about it. Again. A story for about a month from now.

Sunflowers for sale

Sunflowers for sale

So back to Madison. Besides it’s amazing beer, it’s also a beautiful city — sitting on an isthmus between two lakes. The city is centred around its stately capitol building, which is itself a thing of beauty. One of the most amazing things we experienced was the Saturday morning farmers’ market, which sets up around the edges of the capital square, with what I estimate was a few hundred vendors — that’s right, a few hundred. There was a lot of repetition among vendors but clearly, they get the business to support it. And everyone walks around the square in the same, clockwise direction, as the sidewalk is pretty tight once you have the vendors in there. This was the most impressive non-permanent farmers’ market I’ve ever seen.

Community veg garden in the square

Community veg garden in the square

I want to find me some of these jars

I want to find me some of these jars

But sadly, we couldn’t really buy much of anything, because we weren’t equipped to cook it. We did have some cheese curds of course though. And we ogled everything! Wisconsin is also known as the cheese state, and we sampled so much cheese. Every restaurant and pub serves local cheese. And beer-battered deep fried cheese curds. Chris even had a burger with them on it (thinking when he ordered it that it was just topped with regular, unfried cheese curds). And also sadly, we cannot bring cheese or produce across the border so we had to leave it all behind. So eat we did, but shop at the farmers’ market we didn’t.

Great Dane taps

Great Dane taps

Great Dane casks

Great Dane casks

Taps at Brasserie V

Taps at Brasserie V

And maybe because there is so much cheese (and so much good beer?) the city is full of very active people. Runners, walkers, and cyclists. Toronto could learn a thing or two about being a bike friendly city from Madison. They had just gotten their own version of the bike rental system (like Toronto and Montreal’s Bixi system), only launched a few days before we got there but already well in use. So many streets have bike-only lanes. Everyone bikes everywhere.

At Brasserie V; I don't even remember what this was (it had been a long full day of drinking by then) and I don't think the name on the glass is right, but it was divine.

At Brasserie V; I don't even remember what this was (it had been a long full day of drinking by then) and I don't think the name on the glass is right, but it was divine.

Chris with his sampler at Great Dane

Chris with his sampler at Great Dane

Now Madison wasn’t all perfect — there is a lot of labour unrest in Wisconsin and there were a few protests, all very polite, going on. And a lot of homeless people sleeping in the very well-manicured gardens and on benches all around the capitol building. It was often disturbing to happen across groups of homeless (mostly men) lying about in places that I think in Toronto they would have been run out of. I’m used to seeing homeless people — Toronto has plenty — but it was as if there were no shelters for them to go to at night in Madison. In Toronto at night, I think homeless people tend to either find a shelter or go to rough encampments or other places that tend to be out of sight. I don’t really know for sure but it seemed different somehow, and it made me sad to see.

Succulents for sale at the market

Succulents for sale at the market

We did a lot of drinking of course, checking out places like The Old Fashioned, Great Dane Brewpub, Brasserie V (where the bartender was unbelievably kind, buying us drinks after waiting 20 mins in the sweltering heat for a cab — just a note that cabs are not easy to obtain in Madison, likely because most people bike!), Alchemy, Brickhouse BBQ, and The Cooper’s Tavern. We had great food at most of these places, as well as at Graze, which specializes in locally produced food. I didn’t find their atmosphere terribly spectacular but their menu was incredible. I know Cass is planning a full review for either Free Our Beer or The Bar Towel, so I’ll let him tell the story of the beer and rate the pubs. I liked them all.

Inside the capitol building

Inside the capitol building

Inside the capitol building

Inside the capitol building

It was blisteringly hot there, as much as it was here, and I was about ready to die of dehydration when we happened upon a street festival late on the Saturday, where — yes — they had a mobile beer trailer serving right from the side of the vehicle. By this point however I opted for a water break.

We also did some driving in the countryside, but this is where I have to leave the story and tell the rest of the tale another time. In the meantime, enjoy some photos (there are some hints in the photos of the story yet to be told)!

Sick puppy and some knitting FAIL (and success)

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After an epic holiday party on Saturday night at the home of Ecoholic with great friends, great food and great tunes, Chris and I expected to get down to business on Sunday and get this attic insulated already. All the weather reports suggested the conditions would be precipitation-free, but we woke up, hungover, to discover that it was snowing. Steadily. All day. So that was FAIL #1.

FAIL #2: In my attempt to trim Luna’s toenails, I inadvertently got one of them too short (damn black toes!) and she bled like a stuck pig, off and on all day. We tried sealing it up with Crazy Glue (a trick every good survivalist ought to have in his/her back pocket) but she just chewed it off. I finally ran out to get some styptic powder, which helped, but the trick was to keep her from licking at it. You see, she freezes in a kind of panic attack if you put a buster collar on her (one of those cone-head things) so that isn’t really an option. We wrapped it up, we doused it in bitter apple. It was a day-long affair trying to manage her bleeding toe. And I think it caused Monday’s EPIC FAIL (more on this shortly).

Christmas Luna, sporting one of her many new bandannas

Christmas Luna, sporting one of her many new bandannas

FAIL #3: My second batch of French macarons this holiday weren’t exactly an epic fail, but they were yet again missing the proper ‘foot’ and just not the right texture at all. This was after following David Lebovitz’s recipe, in which he chronicled his seven attempts to get them right. They are tasty, yes, and I guess that counts for something. I don’t know if I’ll get another batch going in time for the holidays, even though I swore I would master those suckers this year, and likely I ought to give my poor pancreas a break before I end up in a sugar coma.

Gingerbreads -- success!

Gingerbreads -- success!

FAIL #4: Sock with Pints On fails to fit boyfriend as planned — also nearly fails to fit me. After I finished the sock up to about halfway along the foot section, I decided to ask Chris to try it on, so I could see how much length I needed to give his foot. I haven’t knit socks in ages, but I’ve put in my sock time and I am no novice. What I haven’t done before is colourwork socks, socks with multiple strands of colour carried along to create a design. For the uninitiated, it takes some practice to get the hang of carrying your yarn along at such a tension as to avoid puckering of the fabric and to ensure the fabric has the stretch it needs. Stretch being an important factor for socks. Well. I could barely get this sock over my own heel, let alone Chris’s. I’ve blocked it, but I need the boy to bring his feet home from work so we can see where we stand.

Sock with Pints On

Sock with Pints On

This was perhaps the most stunning fail of Sunday, and the one that really was the last straw for me. For weeks I’d just accepted that Chris’s Christmas present was going to be late, but then I got started and things were going swimmingly, much faster than I’d hoped. I saw light at the end of the tunnel — I had a whole week to get a second sock done! Plenty of time! But alas. This sock is likely not made for walking (…in…by Chris). So perhaps I’ll be the proud new owners of Socks with Pints On.

I do have a plan of attack to start over. I have what appears to be plenty of yarn. I will try, try again, but I plan to expand the pint chart, and I plan to just do the pints on the sock cuff — not the foot. This will mean that the heel, gusset, instep and toes will have lots of stretch because I won’t be carrying along extra colours that could cause more fail. This is my plan, once Chris brings those clunkers home so I can test the lonely singleton sock and see if the blocking made any difference.

I thought perhaps our fail streak had come to an end but alas, we were due for an explosion of fail last night. Luna had experienced some runny poops Monday morning but this isn’t entirely unusual for her. We opted to crate her for the day in case she got that toe bleeding again, at least so the blood could be contained to one place in the house. Chris got home early, felt sorry for the pup and let her out while he dealt with his own bodily needs before taking her out. Those 5 minutes proved to be fatal. An explosion of canine diarrhea like we’ve never seen before found it’s way into nearly every part of the house. I was out enjoying a beer with a friend when I finally noticed the frantic texts. Poor Chris was running multiple batches of laundry on the sanitary setting, had bathed Luna twice, washed the floors three times and cleaned the rug as best he could, all before I got home, but the house still wreaked of poo. FAIL #5.

While he ran out for a meeting I continued to clean the house, the rug at the front door, the towels, re-washed the floor and tried in vein to make the place smell better, simmering some cinnamon sticks on the stove. I was still shampooing the carpet by about midnight. Luna had several messes in her crate despite our getting up in the wee hours to take her out. This morning things were getting much worse and so a trip to the vet ensued. So far as we know it’s purely a stress reaction; we suspect the bleeding toe nightmare might be the cause (so I guess that makes it my fault). Results of a poop sample are pending. She’s had a shot and some pills and some super high-fibre food that should help but as of 3:30 this afternoon she is still needing frequent trips outside to take care of business. Poor girl. She’s all locked up in her crate until we can be sure there won’t be any accidents. Happy start to my holidays!

All this to say that if things really do come in threes like they say, we’re all stocked up, thanks.

But it hasn’t all been fail. I also ended up with quite a nice beret and matching scarf set for my Grama for Christmas. That’s something.

Beret and scarf for Grama

Beret and scarf for Grama

The beret is from More Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson, and the pattern is super easy and quite quick. I never thought I was a fan of berets but after trying this on, I just might have to make one for me. The scarf is a free pattern from Ravelry called Openwork Eyelet Scarf by Jennifer Pace. It was also super easy and the texture is lovely.

Let’s hope it only goes up from here.

Our next beer pilgrimage: New Glarus

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On our way back from Wabakimi this year Chris and I took the long route home via the south shore of Lake Superior, specifically so we could hit the northern tip of Wisconsin and score some Belgian Red, what Chris calls the best beer he has ever had. It was a marathon drive with really no other destination, so I hoped it was worth my very sore, numb butt. And when I tried it, I swear a chorus of angles sang hallelujah.

We also had picked up a case of their Raspberry Tart, also a fabulous brew. Our friends have suddenly become really close, sidling up for another tasting whenever they get the chance. Supplies are already running low.

So the boys are already planning a road trip for the Thanksgiving weekend. A road trip, because you cannot get this beer outside of Wisconsin and you can bet they will want to load up the trunk for the trip home.

Check out another couple beer worshipers’ recent pilgrimage and you can see what we’re talking about, below. And if you ever get the chance, this alone makes Wisconsin a worthy destination.

Brewing TV – Episode 18: New Glarus Brewing Co. from Brewing TV on Vimeo.

Keg fridges: not just for frat boys

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Last weekend we had a group of friends up to the cottage to welcome the first weekend of spring. No cottage weekend is complete without beer, and Chris used the opportunity to do a little upgrading.

Rigging up the kegs

Rigged up kegs

A couple of years ago we came into possession of a keg fridge for our home. Cass, one of Chris’s friends and his business partner told us he’d ordered it, and it was going to be delivered to our place, because he didn’t have room at his. “It’s for the cottage,” he said. Well… several years later, and it never made it to the cottage. It’s sitting here in my living room. I wasn’t a huge fan at first, because well, nothing screams “frat house” louder than a keg fridge in your living room.

Rigging up the kegs

Mill Street microbrew

But I’ll admit, I’m now a total convert. Why you ask? Well beyond the constant availability of fresh draft on tap (a good enough reason alone), having a keg of beer means we don’t have a constant, towering pile of empties gathering dust and Zeus hair in the corner of the kitchen. Chris and Cass, and all of the guys we’re friends with actually, are micro brew fanatics. You can’t imagine how bad the empty situation can get. And ever since The Beer Store started accepting bottle returns for both products they sell and products sold at the LCBO stores, and since The Beer Store redesigned their purchasing system so that you return your bottles and buy your beer from the same cashier, well, I don’t have three hours to stand in line. Do you?

First pour

The first pour

Not to mention that buying beer in 30 litre kegs is much cheaper than by the bottle. Yes, you have to make a keg deposit, but that’s negligible. Mill Street’s Brew Pub in the Distillery district sells kegs of most of their beers through their store to individuals, and so we generally just buy from them, because it’s easy, and well, they make excellent beer. We picked up a few growlers recently as well, so we can fill up from home and take to friends’ places when visiting.

Kegs are also a greener choice, since they’re reused indefinitely. And because we’re buying from a local micro-brewery, we’re supporting a local business and the product doesn’t go through any shipping, aside from the drive from the brewery to our home.

The upgrade I was talking about however refers to us going from having one tap to two. Chris used the cottage gathering as an opportunity to visit a bar equipment specialty shop and get a new tower for the keg fridge that has two tap feeds. The only problem we were having with the fridge before was constant foamy head. You had to pour off a pitcher and let it settle before drinking it. We suspected the problem was that the lines were getting too warm in the tower, and so Chris added extra bubble wrap insulation to it, but the problem persisted. Since the fridge can just barely hold two 30 L kegs, he opted to try getting a higher quality pouring system, and that seems to have done the trick. And it was useful for having the two kegs tapped at the cottage. The month of March by the way, makes for excellent, natural refrigeration.

The next thing for us to do, to help lower the not-so-green energy usage of the fridge, is to put it on a timer. After all, we don’t generally need cold beer first thing in the morning.