40 replies to this topic

[djinkc]

Over the past weekend I was back in Chicago and someone asked me how do I know how much alcohol is in my beer...I started answering the question and the others laughed at me...bastards

Explanations seem to come off better sober.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

At what point do you use the still when making beer? Aren't you worried about going blind? How about selling it, why don't you do that?

Like a record...

[Big Nake]

I love these conversations. Someone said to me, "Lagers are always pale-colored, right?" and further into the conversation said, "Ales are always stronger than lagers, right?" I was like... "Where do you get your information from?". I was at a party about a year ago and there was a new brewer there and he was talking about making beer and someone said, "If you make beer, can you easily make wine too?" and he said, "No. Completely different" and someone asked about it and he said, "Well, one thing... you don't use yeast to make wine". I just stared at him. I don't make wine, but this was just pure bad information all the way around. A lot of people don't understand where the alcohol comes from and I could see someone thinking it was from hops if they didn't know any better. I've had people ask, "When do you add the alcohol and where do you get it?" I've also had people ask me if I could make some beer for a party they're having... tomorrow. Um, no.

[DaBearSox]

Explanations seem to come off better sober.

I was sober well maybe 1 beer in...they said I sounded like a nerdy scientist

[RommelMagic]

I was sober well maybe 1 beer in...they said I sounded like a nerdy scientist

One of my favorite ways of explaining it is to say that the yeast eat the sugar and fart CO2 and pee alcohol. I had posted this on the other board a while ago but... I was talking to a guy who said he was like a sommelier at a country club (I think he is just the bar manager or something, but i digress). He asked about making dark beers and how they scrape the barrels, yada yada. I corrected him in the nicest way I could. I already had a few so I'm not sure how tactful I was.

[jammer]

I guess you are right. The truth is that I don't relish correcting and embarrassing someone in front of a group of people he is trying to impress. If he had asked what hoppy meant I would have gladly explained it to him, in a manner that isn't condescending. But to correct him without embarrassing him would probably require more tact than I am capable of.

Hand him a few hops to chew on. He'll figure it out. Maybe.

[Malzig]

Oh I do understand where you are coming from completely on that. It's difficult situation to be in, but as you said it can be done in a way that is not condescending.

But it's hard not to be condescending when people are idiots.

[Noontime]

I think it's important to remember that you are seeing it from a different perspective...a knowledgeable one (notice I did not include myself in that category...yet). Most people have not put any thought into what beer is or how it's made. Just like they don't know how a microwave oven works, a car's transmission works, or even how a toilet works. Just because someone doesn't know how beer is made, or how to drive a car, or use a computer does not make them dumb...just uninformed. But we can certainly enjoy among peers the comedy of someone who says beer is just wine with hops or something like that...especially when they say it with authority. This was certainly an entertaining thread.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I think it's important to remember that you are seeing it from a different perspective...a knowledgeable one (notice I did not include myself in that category...yet). Most people have not put any thought into what beer is or how it's made. Just like they don't know how a microwave oven works, a car's transmission works, or even how a toilet works. Just because someone doesn't know how beer is made, or how to drive a car, or use a computer does not make them dumb...just uninformed. But we can certainly enjoy among peers the comedy of someone who says beer is just wine with hops or something like that...especially when they say it with authority. This was certainly an entertaining thread.

What makes them dumb is not realizing what they are and are not informed about and then shooting their mouth off about it.

[Noontime]

What makes them dumb is not realizing what they are and are not informed about and then shooting their mouth off about it.

I'm with you...you see that a lot with wine, people trying to sound like connoisseurs by parroting something they've heard.Just yesterday I was having a conversation with someone and I mentioned I'm trying to make my own beer. They said they were somewhere that had an educational bit about beer and how the different beer types were made by roasting the hops. I asked if he meant roasting the grains and he said no, roasting the hops. Not knowing for sure if hops are ever roasted I just said "huh...that's interesting" and left it at that.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I'm with you...you see that a lot with wine, people trying to sound like connoisseurs by parroting something they've heard.Just yesterday I was having a conversation with someone and I mentioned I'm trying to make my own beer. They said they were somewhere that had an educational bit about beer and how the different beer types were made by roasting the hops. I asked if he meant roasting the grains and he said no, roasting the hops. Not knowing for sure if hops are ever roasted I just said "huh...that's interesting" and left it at that.

For future reference - I think the answer is no.

[davelew]

I think you could make a case that the hops were oasted, but calling them roasted would be a stretch.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I have shared my beers with friends and family for many years now. Its really funny they seem to make me feel like I am some sorta magician. Maybe in a way I am or we all are, its brew magic look out!!

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I think you could make a case that the hops were oasted, but calling them roasted would be a stretch.

Assuming you meant to type toasted - I don't see how this is the case either. I wouldn't call the drying process toasting, especially since hops can be dried at room temp

[RommelMagic]

Assuming you meant to type toasted - I don't see how this is the case either. I wouldn't call the drying process toasting, especially since hops can be dried at room temp

I believe he means oasted. An oast is the thing used to dry hops after harvesting.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I believe he means oasted. An oast is the thing used to dry hops after harvesting.

A new term for me!

[Deerslyr]

A new term for me!

Not to worry... I learned of the "oast" and had actually thought about building one using CPU fans. Brewing has a lot of "wierd" terms that are too complicated to explain to the uninterested beer drinker. I mean really... wort???

[chuck_d]

Brewing has a lot of "wierd" terms that are too complicated to explain to the uninterested beer drinker. I mean really... wort???

Not to mention wort is pronounced different than its vernacular heteronym.

[davelew]

A new term for me!

Yeah I only found out about that word when it was used in a crossword puzzle, not from brewing.

[RommelMagic]

Not to mention wort is pronounced different than its vernacular heteronym.

Chuck throwing out those technical terms again! Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!