You’ve heard me blab enough, on to the build.

Since your cooler will most likely be different than mine, I am going to tell you how I built mine, and you can take from that and build yours accordingly.

I used 1/2 CPVC fittings and pipe for my build, and a weldless kettle valve. I have a 1/2 slip/MPT to tie the manifold to the valve. My cooler dictated I use a 45* elbow to get to the bottom from the valve. From there I measured to each side making sure to leave about 2 inches from the wall of the cooler to the manifold to try and prevent channeling
. I used 90′s on either side and then went down the length of the cooler bottom. I knew I wanted a third bar in the middle even though by some standards it may be considered too close. I used another T fitting and ran my pipe up the middle to a 90* and then to one side with another T.

Once assembly was finished I used a 5/64 drill bit and drilled a whole lot of holes in the pipe, no the fittings. The whole build took me a total of 20 minutes. When I tested it, I left behind a cup of water. Not bad if I do say so myself.  This mashtun cost me under $25. I got the cooler from Craigslist for fifteen and spent 10on CPVC parts. I also had extra left over. If you include the valve (which I had laying around) it was about $45. That is still a very cheap build for a 17 gallon mashtun.  I have the capability to mash 45 pounds of grain. Thats a lot of grain.

Hope you can glean from this and build your own. Its very simple and very little skill is involved. Its cut pipe, insert pipe. If you can’t handle that, go back to Mr Beer for a while.

Cheers!

11.2oz bottle for $9.00 at Crafty Rooster (I know its pricey, but it is a rare find)

Well, I’ve never had a flemish red and had no clue what to expect. I poured this into snifter glass and it was a beautiful…mahogany color, nice head about a 3/8 of an inch.

The smell was of plastic at first, delving more, you could sense some sweet and sour notes. The taste was a little vinegar like…ok a good balsalmic vinegar with a sweet finish,something of stone fruits perhaps, but the longer it was held on the tongue, you could taste the oakiness.

If you like sours, its a great one to pick up. Next time I feel like spending $10 on a beer, I’ll seek it out again.

CHeers

Our newest beer in the Exponential line, Hop Syndrome Lager, has just landed in the cold cases! It’s the first Hop Syndrome Lager release of 2012 and features a brand new hop all the way from France: Aramis. We used five pounds per 10 barrel batch of whole leaf Aramis in the hopback to impart an earthy, light lemon aroma to the bright tropical flavors of calypso that make this one refreshing summer lager.

via Epic Brewing newsletter.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/ikHQahIKvio/

“We are set to release a similar beer this summer that hopefully will become an annual summer bottle release for us,” Haug said. The tentatively named “Pentagram” will also be 100 percent Brett fermented and aged in red wine barrels. “And either Five or Pentagram will be back in Colorado for GABF.”

via Denver Post.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/EeM0mLz2D1A/

Press Release:

(Portland, OR) – Beginning this week, Omission Beer will start distributing Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale, the first two craft beer offerings from the new brand, nationally. Previously available only in Oregon, the phased rollout will begin on the West Coast and is expected to be available nationwide by mid-June.

Announced in late March by Craft Brew Alliance (CB^A), Omission is the first craft beer brand in the U.S. focused exclusively on brewing great-tasting craft beers with traditional ingredients—including malted barley—that are specially crafted to remove gluten. Brewed by Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Ore., Gluten levels in every batch of Omission beer are measured by the brewery and two independent labs using the R5 Competitive ELISA test to ensure that the beer meets the brewery’s standards. Test results for every batch of Omission beer are available to consumers at:www.omissiontests.com.

“After introducing Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale in Oregon last month, we’re eager to share our great-tasting brews with the rest of the country,” said Terry Michaelson, CEO. “Omission is a testament to the creativity, innovation and dedication of our team. As a celiac, I’m thrilled with the result, and think others in the celiac and craft beer communities will be, too.”

Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale

“We wanted to offer great craft beers to people who aren’t able to fully enjoy the craft beer experience due to gluten intolerance,” said Joe Casey, brewmaster. “Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale are approachable beers and are true expressions of their respective styles. We’re looking forward to sharing both beers with people across the United States.”

Omission Lager is a refreshing and crisp beer, brewed in the traditional lager style. Perfect for a variety of occasions, Omission Lager’s aromatic hop profile offers a unique, easy-drinking beer for those looking for a lighter and approachable beer style. Bold and hoppy, Omission Pale Ale is a hop-forward American pale ale, brewed to showcase the Cascade hop profile. Amber in color, Omission Pale Ale’s floral aroma is complemented by caramel malt body, making for a delicious craft beer.

Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale have a suggested retail price of $9.99 per six-pack and will be available in 12-ounce bottles at retailers and bars throughout the United States.

About Omission Beer

Omission Beer is a new brand of craft beers introduced first in Oregon in early April by Craft Brew Alliance in Portland, Ore. Omission is the first craft beer brand in the U.S. focused exclusively on brewing great-tasting beers with traditional ingredients, including malted barley, specially crafted to remove gluten. Each batch of Omission Beer is tested using the R5 competitive ELISA test to ensure that it contains gluten levels that meet the brewery’s strict standards. Drinking is believing.

About Craft Brew Alliance

Craft Brew Alliance was formed with the merger of leading Pacific Northwest craft brewers Widmer Brothers Brewing and Redhook Ale Brewery in 2008. With an eye toward preserving and growing one-of-a-kind craft beers and brands, CB^A was joined by Kona Brewing Company in 2010. Craft Brew Alliance launched Omission beer in 2012. For more information about CB^A, visit www.craftbrew.com.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/4-xeEAdYZjQ/

By now, you have probably heard of Tallgrass 8-Bit Pale Ale.

Tallgrass’ slick packaging and creative use of a retro video game theme in its branding efforts for 8-Bit have earned it a fair amount of attention here on BeerPulse. Though the sentiment in the craft beer community seems to be that there is some kind of inverse relationship between attention to branding and attention to beer, nothing could be farther from the truth, at least in this case.

According to RateBeer, 8-Bit Pale Ale has a score of 89 out of 100 and is in the 90th percentile for all pale ales. Tallgrass Oasis Ale rates in the 86th percentile among all IPAs and Tallgrass Halcyon Wheat rates in the 91st percentile for all Wheat beers.

Best of all, the beers are all available in cans.

So how does one get a hold of 8-Bit Pale Ale and these others if he or she is outside of Tallgrass’ 12-state area of distribution?

Only one way: ORDER FROM FRANCE 44.

The best part about 8-Bit is that truly is a collector’s item to some people. Single cans with the bottom cut out have gone for several bucks on eBay so it looks like you may be able to get your money back after drinking the beer.

In addition to 8-Bit, Oasis and Halcyon, you can get Velvet Rooster (one of the most affordable Belgian-style Tripels on the market), Buffalo Sweat and the brewery’s other IPA.

Shipping Tips:

Here is a link to the Shipping Policy and list of states to which France 44 can ship beer.

Fill up your cart and then click on “My Cart” in the upper right corner. On the next screen (order screen), punch in your zip code in the Destination Zip Code input field in the lower right part of the order screen and hit enter on the keyboard. It will then calculate your shipping (without having to sign up or enter a credit card).

Shipping increases incrementally with each package you add to the cart (but less each time) and the largest shipping box they have holds 24 items (bottles or cans). It doesn’t make sense to order 25 bottles because you will pay an extra box fee as part of the shipping cost for just that one box.

Order smart! If you don’t want a full case, buy with friends. A case of 24 8-Bit Pale cans shipped to NYC will cost $51 for the beer and $27 for shipping or about $3.25 per can. A single 4-pack would cost $8.49 for the beer and $16.25 or just over $6 per can.

No international shipping.

A Quick Word:

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. As with all of the businesses I feature here, supporting them is a great way to support BeerPulse (in this case, while even getting yourself some beer in the process). Carin and the rest of the crew are big on delivering great service so give them a try if you haven’t already. Got questions about ordering? Ask for Carin when dialing 612.278.4416. Or send Carin an email at [email protected]

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/-IET6beCMxg/

The timing is critical for Avery Brewing, which will hit the 5763 Arapahoe Ave.’s 55,000-barrel production ceiling this summer and next summer, Avery said. The craft brewer already has pulled out of some markets and limited its distribution because of capacity barriers, he said. The new facility would have an initial capacity of 100,000 barrels. That capacity could grow to as much as 350,000 barrels if Avery Brewing chooses to expand on the 5.6-acre site north of Twin Lakes.

via Boulder Daily Camera.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/5Uw22m35mYU/

Among the multiple activities in which Moylan’s Brewery Restaurant will be participating, one garnering the most “buzz” is a collaboration brew effort between Moylan’s Brewery and 2010 AIBA champs Nøgne Ø’s with Brewmaster Kjetil Jikiun to create the inaugural beer for Good Beer Week during the sold-out Masterclass of Champions. This is the first collaboration effort in Moylan’s 17 year history and it will have beer lovers the world over clamoring for a taste.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/GRhb1T9toao/

Press Release:

(Alexandria, VA) – Bill Butcher, founder of Port City Brewing Company located at 3950 Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, VA, is pleased to announce the release of their summer seasonal beer, Downright Pilsner, available this June.

Crafted by Head Brewer Jonathan Reeves, this hand-crafted lager will be produced in the traditional Pilsner style, using authentic Pilsner malt and noble Saaz hops. The limited production Downright Pilsner is the fourth seasonal beer produced by Port City Brewing Company. Downright Pilsner will be sold at select retail, restaurants and bars in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina starting June 10, 2012. This beer will be in limited supply as Port City Brewing Company is only producing two 90-barrel batches with a suggested retail price for a six-pack of $11.99.

The 11,000 square-foot craft brewery is dedicated to bringing great quality, innovative, handmade craft beers to the DC and Mid Atlantic market. Port City produces world-class quality beer, brewing four year-round beers along with a rotating seasonal selection. The Downright Pilsner is a crisp, refreshing, and modern version of a traditional Pilsner, which will delight all summer long. This beer has 4.8% alcohol by volume and boasts a deep golden color and is medium bodied with a soft round malt profile and crisp, spicy, hop character on the finish. Downright Pilsner gets its carbonation completely naturally as its kept in the formation tanks for up to six weeks. A unique twist on this beer is the dry hop addition of Saaz hops during fermentation. This extra infusion of hops gives the beer a refreshing bite on the finish.

Named by Washingtonian magazine as Washington, DC’s best brewery tour, Port City Brewing Company is located two miles from the King Street Metro at 3950 Wheeler Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304. For more information please call (703) 797-2739 or visit www.portcitybrewing.com.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/bYrD9-s6E6I/

—

Through my years of experience doing life cycle assessments, I know that virgin aluminum is more toxic and requires more energy to produce than glass. Luckily recycled aluminum has a much lower impact than virgin and our cans typically contain 68% recycled content. For this and all of the other reasons that we have in the sustainability section on this website (aluminum is more often recycled, the economic value of recycling aluminum subsidizes the recycling costs of all other materials, cans have more recycled content in them than glass bottles, cans protect beer from light, etc.), plus the fact that Michigan is a high recreation state where unbreakable is desirable, and the fact that the canning line we purchased requires less manpower to operate than a bottling line, we chose cans over bottles and it was the right choice for our brewery and one I am satisfied with.

via Brewery Vivant.

SOURCE: http://feeds.beernews.org/~r/beerpulse/~3/QHExkBboLGI/