Hobby Thread - Sept 28, 2024 [TRex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. By popular demand, a spin of the Ace of Spades wheel of hobbies has come up with a theme of BEER for this week.

We enjoy drinking beer, we enjoy trying different kinds of beer made by different people, we travel to interesting places and events to drink beer, we collect beer, and we collect beer glassware in different shapes. Some homebrew our own beer. Beer is universal. Oktoberfest is in full swing which makes beer a timely topic.

Are you a beer lover? Are you a connoisseur of beer? Are you a beerologist? Do you have stories of finding or discovering good beer? Do you have favorite seasonal beers or Oktoberfest beers? Are you among those that chase limited editions or beer made in low volumes? Have you traveled to drink beer? Do you collect beer or beer-related glassware? Have you brewed your own beer? Have you walked fields of barley or hops? Do you grow your own hops? Lets talk suds.

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to beer. Politics and current events can wait for other threads. Play nice. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls. Use caution when drinking and posting.

Best wishes to those struggling with unpleasant weather. If you are in need and think the horde can help, please ask.

September 28 is National Drink Beer Day. The date commemorates the birthday of Arthur Guinness, the founder of Guinness Brewery. The day also known as Arthurs Day.

National Drink Beer Day should not be confused with National Beer Day on April 7. This day recognizes the day that the Cullen Harrison Act came into force after having been signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 22, 1933 as part of the repeal of prohibition.

Ben Franklin is often credited with observing the universal truth that Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Unfortunately, while true, there is no proof that he actually said it.

The quote is believed to have come from a letter he wrote with this quote - Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, and which incorporates itself with the grapes to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy!

The wonders of God and the rain are the subject rather than wine itself. Franklin also apparently preferred wine over beer. Regardless, Franklin is commonly credited for the quote that has sold a thousand t-shirts.

On April 23, 1516, the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm IV, issued what would only much later come to be called the Reinheitsgebot, or the purity law. It stipulated that beer could be made from only barley, hops, and water. Great debates have revolved around how the edict has been interpreted and applied, how it has been used as a marketing angle, and the impact on German brewing.

When read in full, the original text mostly covers economics and pricing and who could sell beer. The wheat crop needed to supply both brewers and bakers, so the purity law was partially about ensuring enough barley was available to bakers making bread for food.

The final point is the most important of all: The 1516 law applied only to Bavarian breweries. This is not incidental, because the beers brewed there were unique in the world. By the 16th century, Bavarians were already well into lager brewing. That is, making beer with yeast strains that fermented at cool temperatures. Nowhere else in the world was this happening, including in other parts of what we now call Germany. In parts north, brewers made ales that looked like the ones in neighboring Belgium. They were funky, wild, and made with exotica like ashes, tree bark and beans as well as all manner of fruits and spices. It is the same tradition that can be seen in historical remnants like gose and Berliner weisse. Duke Wilhelms original decree that beer be made with only hops, malt and water was appropriate for his charges. It would have been an absurd restriction for a brewer in Berlin or Leipzig. In fact, in a rebuke to the Bavarians, the city of Cologne even banned lager-brewing in 1603. Breweries in the north had their own tradition, and it included brewing with a range of ingredients. The Complex Half Millenium Story of Reinheitsgebot

Q: Why is it better to drink beer from a glass rather than directly from the bottle?

A: Drinking beer from a glass rather than directly from the bottle allows for the beers gas to be released more naturally, preventing your stomach from feeling bloated. It also helps the aromas to volatilize better, enhancing your perception of the flavor of the beer.

Trappist beers are made by Trappist monasteries. The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Catholic religious order of cloistered monastics that branched off from the Cistercians.

For a beer to be officially recognized by the International Trappist Association, it must be brewed inside the walls or in the immediate vicinity of a Trappist monastery under the supervision of monks. Additionally, the beer cannot be brewed for profit but can only be sold to sustain the needs of the monastery, the monks, and the surrounding communities or designated charities.

There are currently 11 Trappist breweries in the world, and they are responsible for creating 12 beers that are legally and legitimately approved to be called Trappist ales. The monasteries are located predominantly in Europe where the Trappist monks rebuilt after the French Revolution with six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Austria, one in Italy, and the only overseas brewery in the United States. Additionally, Mont des Cats in France has partnered with Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont in Belgium, which makes Chimay, to brew Mont des Cats ale offsite at the Scourmont Abbey. Belgium and Beyond: The Trappist Breweries and Beers

Touring Belgium to visit the Trappist breweries is a time-honored tradition of beer enthusiasts. Even aside from beer, the tour is a great way to see a lot of different parts of Belgium. However, if you go, do not expect brewery tours or hanging out with the monks. Most breweries and monasteries are off limits, leaving a nearby cafe for visitors to buy and enjoy liquid refreshment. Each has unique glassware which some people collect.

This tour of Chimay gives a sense and provides some great Chimay history:

When traveling in Europe, we have consistently found that most beer is local and regional. It is always fun to try something from the local brewery (sometimes that is the only option). The downside is the difficulty of finding it elsewhere if you like it. Here are three random examples. Somewhat ironically, Kostritzer (schwarzbier) comes from the former East Germany and is the only one I have seen available in the US.

From Salzburg, Austria:

From Interlaken, Switzerland:

TRex is not a home brewer. By marital edict, TRex is mostly banned from anything in, near or adjacent to the kitchen or production of anything edible or drinkable. Some are born to make. Others are made to consume. I know my place. However, many others are wise in the ways of homebrewing and many professional brewers started off making small batches at home. Are there some among the horde who conjure beer at home (either past or present)? Both success stories and horror stories are welcome. Found these on YT, but feel free to suggest other resources.

The American Homebrewing Association says about 1.2 million people in the United States homebrew. The US is the largest population of homebrewers in the world.

Homebrewing is illegal in Japan (making anything with over one percent alcohol) without a license. From my modest interweb research, it sounds like a rule that is not strictly honored or enforced.

If a wine expert is called a sommelier, what is a beer expert called? Some use the term beer sommelier, but a private company created a formal certification in 2007 called a Cicerone. The term comes from the Webster definition of a guide or one who explains curiosities. The term was added to the dictionary in 2023 as a proper noun with a service mark in the beer context.

Did you miss last week's hobby thread with a Lego theme? The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

One of the best parts of the Hobby Thread is when someone is inspired to try something new or pick up an old interest. If that is you, please share in the comments or send me a note. Our friend PA Dutchman sent this:

Attached is a shot of my finished Tamiya 1/35 Type 97 Chi-Ha. It was a blast to build and the first model I've built in about 35 years. Thanks for the hobby thread for inspiring me to dig the kit out and get it done. The model is based on a tank from the 1st Tank Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army, which took part in the invasion of the Malay Peninsula on December 8, 1941.

First model in 35 years - wow. Thank you!

Notable comments from last week:

Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

Do you need another reminder to join the horde at the TX MoMe? On the fence and not sure? Be not afraid. Get thee to Texas. Contact info in the banner on the left for Ben Had.

If beer or beer-related material is are not your thing and you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, there might be something wrong with you. In that unlikely event, hijack the thread for your hobbying as you see fit. We will feature a different hobby next time around. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Ace of Spades is not responsible for any skunked beer. No Bud Light was utilized in the production of this post. Duffman can never die.

posted by Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

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