Did someone say Beer! Yo ho Yo ho a pirates life for me!

[hydrargyrum]

Bell's Two Hearted ale.
Stone Brewing Co. Double Bastard
Fuller's London Porter
Left Hand Brewing Saw tooth Ale
Hop Juice Double India Pale Ale
 
Oh these are a few of my favorite things . . .
 
(Message edited by hydrargyrum on August 09, 2009)

[john_judge]

There's a good story here, so read on mates, I have a method I use, getting it started first takes the most time, I combine charcoal and wood to build my fire underneath but then I keep a low wood burning fire inside in the back of the oven at all times to help maintain the heat/temp and just before I cook I place a stainless steel pan I have of water approx. holds 4 cups and carefully slide it in the oven to the side about half and hour before I cook to push a little steam and moisture in the air, which helps to make a beautiful crust on Pizza and bread .
 
 As far as doing loaves of bread goes, I have to either do it before the oven reaches too high or when it is dying down, preferable between 350-400 degreesI, Theres a probe thermometer  built in the top dome and I double rise my loaves first using King Arthor flour high gluten  and I use spring water not as hard, so I get a lot of nice air bubbles in the crust.
 
 I have had a passion for making Pizza and bread since I was a kid, I use to sneak out of my house when I was 12 years old and with my friend at 4am every saturday morning we would take this row boat and row 4 miles in the Atlantic ocean with a flashlight taped to our heads on a hat while one rowed and the other bailed the dingy out with a coffee can, from spring till november in 40 degree water temps, was a crazy thing to do, our clothes would be wet and we would sneak into a window of the bakery and strip to our underwear so our clothes would dry and sleep on the 50lb bags of flour till the baker would arrive.
 
 Mad at us and because we were there, he would punish us and make us work, which was really what we wanted and pay us with four loaves of bread, the best italian bread till these day I have ever tasted .Joe Joe the baker may he RIP..we eat one for breakfast hot with a stick of butter and go up to the Deli on our lunch break and get fresh meats and make a killer sandwich and take two home for our families for dinner..thus was the saturday ritual till I was 18, when we were sixteen though we realized how stupid and dangerous it was rowing a half sinking dingy in the Atlantic so we started to ride bicycles and then drove cars for 8 loaves, got a pay raise LOL! those were the days.. John
P.S. this has been a wonderful thread and thanks to everyone hear with input of all the wonderful flavors that have been added, it's still nice to know that around a bunch of us that a Pint a mug  a can or a glass can still keep the peace and put a smile on our face..I lift my glass and make a toast to all of you. .Cheers!

[john_judge]

Question to you Terry, is there any Beer or Ale still Brewed today that you know of that might be close to the creamy taste of Watney'.s that might be available as an import to the States , for me to try thanks so much.

[elwoodblue]

mmmmm...toast  : )
 
Great story John, baking bread has to be one of the most energetic jobs I've had, for   mind and body and soul.  
 
 There was a small group of people that would swing by around midnight when the first loaves were coming out of the oven.

[mike1762]

Luke warm Pabst Blue Ribbon with a cigarette butt floating around in it... mmmmmmmm good.

[gyonnii]

Theres a beer I had in Gatlinburg,Tenn on tap at a Restaurant called Brown Bear ale very smooth and tasty

[terryc]

John..will look into that for you in the next couple of days

[bracheen]

John I haven't had Watney's but Boddingtons Pub Ale is creamy.
 
(Message edited by bracheen on August 10, 2009)

[lowlife]

My research shows that in here the Province of Quebec there are 21 microbreweries and another 16 brew pubs (most with 45 minutes of Montreal)  Some of the names of the brews are (IMHO) priceless.  MAUDITE (dammed), LA FIN DU MONDE (the end of the world), DON DE DIEU (gift of G_D).  Since I don't drink it's impossible for me to describe them with any respect, but suffice to say that there are many northern U.S. neighbors who are regular customers.

[xlrogue6]

There's a new place here in Santa Rosa that has Lefe' Belgian Ale on draft.  According to them, Lefe is the oldest brewery in Belgium, in operation since 1300-something.  Wonderful stuff--probably (unsurprisingly, I guess) the best Belgian style brew I've ever tried.

[hydrargyrum]

I've had Maudite and Fin Du Monde (and I'm in missouri).  I found them a little sweet for my taste, and if I recall, rather strong.  Good beers all in all.

[john_judge]

Had me a pint of Boddingtons Pub Ale tonight and I must say, tis Creamy, slight bitersweet taste at the end and 41 degrees is best temp. I also the other day found that Fat Tire taste much better when brought up slightly in temp rather then cold, Has a much better flavor, both are not quite the taste I am looking for but we are getting closer, Watneys had a creamy little amber with a hit of carmel flavor and smooth of course, anyone else I am up for suggestions.

[pauldo]

John - a sampler of New Glarus brews might find your liking.
 
A couple favorites (served best at the low to mid 40 degree temp):
IPA is very hoppy
Road Slush Stout (seasonal) is thick and rich
Fat Squirrel is nutty good
 
Sadly Spotted Cow seems to be their best known brew and I find it very 'middle of the roadish'- kinda like a Pabst Blue Ribbon.
 
I also am a closet Blatz drinker - sometimes there is nothing better than an icy cold Blatz in a can.

[cozmik_cowboy]

...is there any Beer or Ale still Brewed today....
 Pardon my pendantry, but ale is beer (not all beer, however, is ale); ale is beer made with top-fermenting yeast, ferments in the general range of 60-70?F, and is ready to drink as soon as carbonated.  Lager uses bottom-fermenting yeast, ferments at ~40-50?F, and is cold-stored (lager is German for to store or some thing close to that) for a month or more.  Ale dates to prehistory, lager was developed (or maybe became common) ~150 years back.  There are a few oddities like lambic that don't quite fit into that, but for all practical purposes, beer is one or the other.  
Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox (beer case?) now.
 
Peter

[john_judge]

Heres a recipe I found for anyone to try, but if you make it be sure to have a 5 gallon keg ready at the Chicago gathering next year...if someone makes it please let me know
 
Pirate Ale
Recipe Type: Extract    
Yeast: Nottingham    
Batch Size (Gallons): 5 Gallon    
Original Gravity: 1.06    
Final Gravity: 1.01?    
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60    
Color: Dark    
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 / 70    
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 / 60    
 
7 ?# Dark LME
?# Roasted Barley grain
3/4# Black Patent Malt
?# Crystal Malt
?# Torified Wheat
1 1/2 oz Northern Boiling Hops
1 package of ale yeast.
 
Steep Grains to 165, Then remove and add LME, Bring to Boil. Add Hops for 60 minutes, cool and pitch yeast.
Rack onto 3 cups grated Confectioners Coconut, and let it sit for 10 days. Be carefull to avoid the oil that will be on top of the beer when racking to bottle bucket.
Bottle with 5 oz Priming sugar and 1 1/2 Litre of Rum.
 
Thanks Paul for the suggestions I was fixing to try IPA I got a
bottle of it here somewhere....oh here it is!..
 
(Message edited by john judge on August 11, 2009)
 
(Message edited by john judge on August 12, 2009)