Carl Weaver – We Love DC http://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Mon, 04 Jan 2021 14:42:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Homebrew DC: White House Homebrew http://www.welovedc.com/2012/09/28/homebrew-dc-white-house-homebrew/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/09/28/homebrew-dc-white-house-homebrew/#comments Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:00:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=87656 White House Homebrew! Party on, Mr. President!…

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White House Homebrew! Party on, Mr. President!

I have been avoiding this topic on purpose. First, it’s that ugly political season and this is not a political issue. Partisan politics is good at driving people apart and beer is good at bringing them together. Whatever ills arise between people can often be soothed by a draught of beer and a cup of merriment. In fact, beer is so intertwined into the fabric of our nation that it cannot be neatly undone and cast aside. Beer is part and parcel of the American dream, a beverage whose roots are democratic, thus serving as a microcosm through which to view our nation, preferably while staring through the bottom of an upturned glass.

I have been accosted by a number of people suggesting that I be excited about President Obama being a homebrewer. I nod and smile but rarely share my real thoughts. Here they are, in no particular order:

  • President Obama is not a homebrewer. He has the White House kitchen staff on the task. I am disappointed that he did not take it on himself to do this, at least once, but he has bigger fish to fry, so it is probably better that he leave the beer making to others. I am also happy that he is not engaging other culinary adventures like baking pies or making the perfect salmon mousse. Division of labor is a good thing in this case.
  • This is possibly the first time beer has been made in the White House. Huzzah! Way to go, Barack!
  • Having beer being made in the White House advances what we do by making it more visible. Growing the homebrewing industry benefits us all.
  • They used local honey. Even better, honey from hives in the White House beehives. That’s awesome! (As an aside, it is illegal for DC residents to keep bees, although some do, but I guess certain privileges come with the job of president. Look at John Kennedy – if only he raised bees and made beer instead of knocking boots so darned much. He could have kept the country well oiled for years!)
  • The recipes released were disappointing. This is the White House, for Pete’s sake. They have five-star chefs on staff and the best they could do was use a couple extract recipes. There’s nothing at all wrong with extracts but with that level of competency in the kitchen, you’d think they could figure out an all-grain system, even if it meant Obama himself going down to Home Depot to get a couple coolers. A little bit of research could have gone a long way to ensure they put out a sophisticated-looking recipe.
  • On the other hand, extract brewing is where most people start. This gives a homebrewer or potential homebrewer hope in a simple process. Even a beginning brewer could knock out those recipes pretty easily. That’s cool. With a little work, I can drink the same beer President Obama drinks while cheering on the Redskins or entertaining foreign dignitaries.

That’s pretty much it. Let’s keep it non-political here and all just agree that White House homebrewing is a good thing. I can get behind a guy like that, who wants to experiment with new ideas and do something that has not been done before. Now the gauntlet has been thrown down. What kind of beer would Romney make?

This post first appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: Pants-Optional Pilsner http://www.welovedc.com/2012/06/22/homebrew-dc-pants-optional-pilsner/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/06/22/homebrew-dc-pants-optional-pilsner/#comments Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=85436 Photo courtesy of Tony DeFilippo
T-I-N-Y BUBBLES….
courtesy of Tony DeFilippo

I made this homebrew recipe for Don’s birthday party last Saturday. Don is a big fan of lagers, so I thought I would make something in that vein, or at least close to it. This was also my first try at real lagering, which requires some serious temperature control. It turned out wonderfully. Crisp and tasty with mild bitterness and a light malty flavor. It was perfect for the warm Virginia afternoon party.

The name of the beer comes from my constant half-joking desire to institute pants-optional Fridays at almost every job I have had in the last ten years. Don’s darling wife was sure to remind me, though, that I should be sure to say “yes” to pants anytime I visit their home. I consider it an affront, but it’s the price to pay for friendship, I suppose.

Don loved the beer. In fact, this was his tweet from later in the evening:

@RealHomebrew t’was an excellent beer and well appreciated. A must at any shindig!

The Recipe

9 Pounds American 6-Row Pale Malt
2 Pounds Flaked Maize (you call it corn)
.5 Pound Flaked Oats
1 Ounce Cluster Hops (60 minutes)
1 Ounce Styrian Goldings Hops (15 minutes)
1 Vial White Labs WLP833 German Bock Lager Yeast

Mash the three grains in 12 quarts of 152 degree water for 60 minutes. Sparge with 4 gallons of 168 degree water and start your boil. Add the hops at the prescribed times and use an immersion wort chiller or another device to cool the beer to roughly room temperature. Once the brew is cooled put it in a fermenter and add your yeast. I used a keg fitted it with a special keg cap that included an airlock, and stuck the keg in my keg cooler. I taped the probe of my temperature controller to the keg and set the temperature to 50 degrees. Whatever method you use, try to get a good, cool fermentation temperature. If you do not have the facilities to do that, you can use an ale yeast such as White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast. This will let you make an approximation of the beer at a warmer temperature.

I used, and highly recommend, a yeast starter. This will help your yeast propagate to the point you need them to be for proper fermentation.

After the brew day was done I disposed of the spent grain by spreading it on my garden.

The beer fermented for two weeks before I transferred it to a secondary fermenter. I returned it to the cooler, kegged the final product the following week, and brought it to the birthday party that afternoon. I recommend two weeks of secondary fermentation but in my case I did not have time to do that because of the timing of the party. I had three weeks to make it. Like I said, it turned out great. It could have benefited from another week of clarifying, although it looked pretty darned good already. This homebrew recipe is a keeper!

This post originally appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: One of the Easiest Homebrew Recipes Ever http://www.welovedc.com/2012/06/08/homebrew-dc-one-of-the-easiest-homebrew-recipes-ever/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/06/08/homebrew-dc-one-of-the-easiest-homebrew-recipes-ever/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:00:59 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=85123 Photo courtesy of Kevin H.
Beer at Lyon Hall
courtesy of Kevin H.

A while back I wrote about the easiest homebrew recipe I had ever heard of. It turned out okay but not great. Drinkable but not exciting. I was at the homebrew shop a few weeks ago and saw a can of Mountmellick Brown Ale. Similar story here – pour the syrup in a sanitized fermenter, add a kilo of dry malt extract, and add boiling water. Bada bing, bada boom, you have wort to ferment. It was only $20. How could I go wrong, I wondered.

I just kegged and force-carbonated the brown ale not too long ago and it turned out surprisingly well. It is smooth, has a pleasant mouthfeel, and does not have a lot of hoppy bitterness. Very nice indeed. The hops could be a bit stronger, but overall it is fine as-is and very drinkable. I highly recommend doing this if you want a basic brown ale to sip while your more complex brews are bubbling away. This is also a great way to try your hand at brewing if you are interested in making something easy and good right from the start.

Mountmellick Brown AleThere’s a problem with this product, though. Note the condition of the can at left. The recipe for the beer, not that there is much of a recipe, is on the back of the label. I tried cutting along the “cut here” line, but found that the entire label was glued on, or at least appeared to be, around the whole of the can, not just where the label overlapped itself. I soaked the can in soapy water for quite a long time but the glue never released its hold on the label, and when I tried to gently peel it, the paper more or less disintegrated. The label never really came off, certainly not in one piece, so I did not get to read the directions. Oh well.

Here is the recipe I used:

  • One can of Mountmellick’s Brown Ale pre-hopped malt extract
  • Two pounds or one kilo of dried light malt extract
  • The package of yeast that came with the can

Two days before making the beer, I made a yeast starter with the little packet of yeast. In this case, it was mostly because I do not trust those little packets that come with these kits. Making a starter is the best way to ensure the yeast are, in fact, alive, and help them prosper.

Pour the syrup and DME into a sanitized fermenter and boil two gallons of water in your brew pot. Pour the boiling water into the fermenter and mix it until the DME lumps are all out of the mixture. Be sure to splash a lot to get oxygen back into the liquid you just boiled. Fill the fermenter the rest of the way with water, let it cool to room temperature, and pour in your yeast slurry.

A best practice would be to let it ferment for a week or two, then transfer it to a secondary fermenter for clarifying. I skipped the secondary fermentation and kegged it after two weeks in the primary. It turned out fine. Again, I highly recommend this beer if you want something quick and easy.

This post originally appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: Imperial Stout http://www.welovedc.com/2012/06/01/homebrew-dc-imperial-stout/ Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:00:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=84873 Photo courtesy of keith_and_kasia
Grandfather Raven Imperial Stout
courtesy of keith_and_kasia

The British are not the only ones to fall in love with the Stout. The Russians went crazy for the black British brew as well.  The problem, as the Czarists soon realized, was that the dark beer didn’t travel well.  Luckily for the Russians, the British had experienced this problem before, in shipping ale to quench the growing British population in India.  The British discovered that in order to allow ale to survive the long journey to India, the solution was to increase the preservative qualities of the alcohol and hop content of the ale, thus creating the Indian Pale Ale style.  The British applied this same technique to satisfy the growing Stout fan base in Russia.  The result was a thicker, hoppier, more potent style of Stout referred to as Imperial Stout, or Russian Stout.

In general, Stouts (particularly Dry Stouts) possess dark color and a light body with low alcohol content and hop presence.  To help the Stout endure the voyage from London to Moscow, British brewers capitalized on the bacteria-killing characteristics of alcohol and hops.  To achieve this, the quantities of malt and hops were increased from the standard Stout recipe to raise the amount of fermentable sugars and hop presence in the final product.  The Alcohol By Volume (ABV) of Imperial Stouts can range between 8% and 12% as compared to 4% to 5% ABV of the average Dry Stout.  The increased specific gravity from the additional malt gives the Imperial Stout a thicker mouthfeel.  Hop flavor and aroma, which is often barely detectable in Dry Stouts, has a relatively high presence in an Imperial Stout.

Imperial Stouts are essentially Dry Stouts with an increased specific gravity and more hops.  Similar to Dry Stout brewing, when creating your own batch of Imperial Stout from extract it is best to use light malt extract and focus on the specialty grains to give the brew its dark color and roasty flavor.  Use around nine pounds of malt extract as the base.  This increase in fermentable sugars will yield the higher ABV percentage.  The specialty grains are similar to those used other Stout varieties such as the dark varieties of crystal and caramel malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, and black malt.  These specialty grains will produce a nice opaque, dark color and add roasty flavor.

The use of hops in Imperial Stouts requires some consideration due to the style’s high specific gravity.  A high specific gravity inhibits the ability of the wort to absorb the bittering, flavoring, and aroma characteristics of the hops.  What this means is a lot of hops are needed to achieve the right level of bitterness and flavor.  The amount of hops in a typical Imperial Stout recipe often exceeds the amount needed for an American IPA recipe, and the American IPA is a very hop-filled style of ale.  Three or four ounces of hops with a high Alpha content (10 to 14 AAU), such as Chinook, Nugget, or Eroica, will work as bittering hops.  Two ounces of hop varieties with lower Alpha content (4 to 8 AAU), such as Cascade, Fuggles, Kent Goldings or Mount Hood can work well as flavoring hops when added with 30 minutes left in the boil, and the same amount and varieties can be added as finishing hops in the last ten minutes of the boil.

One of the desired outcomes when making an Imperial Stout is a high ABV percentage.  For this reason, I recommend making a large yeast starter using regular high-gravity ale yeast, such as Wyeast British Ale #1098 or White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale.  Allowing a little extra fermentation time than the average Stout style is also a good idea.  A primary fermentation of 14 days and a secondary fermentation for about a month will yield good results.

Here is a basic Imperial Stout homebrew recipe for a five-gallon batch size.  You can get these ingredients at any homebrew store.  Substitute specialty grain and hops varieties and quantities to meet your taste.

Base Malt:

  • 9 pounds Light Malt Extract

Specialty Grain:

  • 1 pound 90L Crystal Malt
  • 1 pound Chocolate Malt
  • 1 pound Roasted Barley

Bittering Hops:

  • 2 ounces Nugget (pellets) 60 minutes
  • 1 ounce Chinook (pellets) 60 minutes

Flavoring Hops:

  • 1 ounce Kent Goldings (pellets) 30 minutes
  • 1 ounce Fuggles (pellets) 30 minutes

Finishing hops:

  • 1 ounce Kent Goldings (pellets) 10 minutes
  • 1 ounce Fuggles (pellets) 10 minutes

Yeast:

  • 2 packages of liquid yeast or a yeast starter
  • Dry champagne yeast will also work in a pinch

Fermentation:

  • Primary: 14 days
  • Secondary: 30 days

This article first appeared on RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: Classic American Pilsner http://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/25/homebrew-dc-classic-american-pilsner/ Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:37 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=84757 Photo courtesy of Tony DeFilippo
T-I-N-Y BUBBLES….
courtesy of Tony DeFilippo

My homebrewing club  at Kena Shriners was asked to make a batch of beer for another club, and was given little direction on what type of homebrew recipe I should use. We did a little reconnaissance work and learned that this other club loves light lagers such as Bud Light, so I decided to make something similar enough that they would be familiar with it, but also different enough that it would be a bit more interesting than their usual brews.

I got this recipe from Brew Your Own, which labeled it “Your Father’s Mustache.” I have adapted the recipe a bit to accommodate for my timeframe and equipment. Specifically, I am using an ale yeast because I need the beer to be done and in a keg in a little more than a month. Making a true pilsner takes a bit longer than an ale because it requires a lager yeast, which ferments slowly, and at a low temperature.

I will be serving this beer on Monday at a Memorial Day cookout. If you go to the Falls Church Memorial Day Parade and see those guys in the little cars, they are the ones who requested this special brew. They will have it after the parade, mind you, so go enjoy all your fine fezzed friends driving their precision patterns.

Specialty Grains: 1 lb 9 oz 6-row malt 6.5 oz flaked maize (you call it corn)

Malt Base: 3 lb 11 oz. light dried malt extract

Other Ingredients:

  • 15 oz corn sugar
  • 1.0 oz Cluster hops – 60 min
  • 1.0 oz Styrian Goldings hops – 15 min
  • Wyeast 1272 American Ale II or White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast

Recipe: Steep the specialty grain in 155-degree water for 60 minutes. Remove the grains, add the male extract and corn sugar, and bring the wort to a boil. Add water to reach 3.5 gallons. Add the hops at the specified schedule. Cool to room temperature, add the yeast, and let it bubble away. If doing a single-stage fermentation, bottle it after 10-14 days. If doing two-stage fermentation, let it bubble in the primary for two weeks and then in a secondary fermenter for two weeks, and then bottle or keg.

The original recipe also had an all-grain version, using 9.0 pounds of 6-row pale malt and 2.25 pounds of brewer’s grits instead of the extract fermentables. Someday, when I have more time, I mean to make this all-grain homebrew recipe. If making this as a real pilsner, use White Labs WLP833 or Wyeast 2487 yeast and lager according to the yeast’s specifications.

This post first appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: $12 (or so) Cream Ale http://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/18/homebrew-dc-12-or-so-cream-ale/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/18/homebrew-dc-12-or-so-cream-ale/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:01 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=84557 Photo courtesy of timomcd
Brewing Cream Ale
courtesy of timomcd

This is an

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Photo courtesy of timomcd
Brewing Cream Ale
courtesy of timomcd

This is another in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

I wrote about cream ale before. It is a good beer for the coming summer, light and refreshing, not too bitter, and easy-drinking – a perfect companion to while away the time with as you enjoy the evening whir of insects or traffic, whichever is more pervasive in your neighborhood.

The American Homebrewers Association recently had what they call $12 Cream Ale as a homebrew recipe of the week. I just about howled at the moon, I was so excited. $12 for a whole batch of beer? Sign me up! It sounded almost too good to be true. I looked at the recipe, and I am sure it would produce a fine brew, but the only way this is a $12 recipe is if you get half the stuff for free. The grain alone, 11 pounds of it, will cost nearly $2 per pound at Northern Brewer. Even if you buy a giant sack of it at 50 Pound Sack, it is slightly more than $1 per pound. That’s almost $12 right there.

Maybe if you are buying in bulk at wholesale prices, you can get down to almost $12. I priced it at my local-ish homebrew store (yes, they ship too, and have great prices, as does Derek at My Local Homebrew Shop) and it is a little more than $30 before tax. Northern Brewer could get me everything for more than $40. Even if I malted my own regular supermarket barley, that is $1 per pound at the cheapest. No way this whole brew is $12.

In short, unless you rob someone, I have no idea how you can make this homebrew recipe for $12. All the same, it looks like a good recipe. Nothing complicated, just good, honest beer. I bet it tastes great. It won an award, so I am guessing the judges know what they are talking about. Honestly, I can’t wait to try this.

Here is the recipe, copied from the AHA website. Do you know how to make this for the amount in the title? Please share the secret if you do.

11.0 lb (4.99 kg) Briess two-row malt
0.75 oz (21 g) Willamette pellet hops, 4.7% a.a. (60 min)
0.5 oz (14 g) Willamette pellet hops, 4.7% a.a. (30 min)
0.25 oz (7 g) Willamette pellet hops, 4.7% a.a. (0 min)
White Labs WLP051 California Ale V yeast
2.6 volumes forced CO2 to carbonate

Directions
Mash grains at 154° F (68° C) for 60 minutes. Mash out at 168° F (76° C) for 10 minutes.

I recommend a 60-minute boil, following the hop schedule. If you are not force-carbonating the brew, use about 5 ounces of priming sugar at bottling time.

As my friend Reggie would say, “Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” I am not sure exactly what that refers to, but this is not a complicated recipe. Sometimes the simple ones produce the best results, though. Let me know what you think when you try this.

This post first appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: Dry Stout Recipe http://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/11/homebrew-dc-dry-stout-recipe/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/11/homebrew-dc-dry-stout-recipe/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:05 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=84118 Photo courtesy of Bernt Rostad
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
courtesy of Bernt Rostad

This is another in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

If you are like me and are a big Guinness fan, you may have toyed with the idea of trying to craft your own black brew. If you have, then good news: stouts are easy! This homebrew recipe is exactly what you are looking for.

Stouts are mostly associated with England and Ireland and are offshoots of Porters. As Porter styles evolved, the thicker and more robust Porters began to be referred to as “Stout Porters.” Eventually, the Stout developed into its own style and gained a devoted following.

In general, Stouts are very dark to black in color and have a roasty flavor. The hop flavor and aroma are minimal, though there are a few style exceptions with a pronounced hop presence such as the Imperial or Russian Stout. Stout styles can range from dry to sweet, relatively low to high alcohol content, vary from light to heavy bodied, and may have a hint of fruity esters.

Stouts, being the spawn of Porters, share many of the same simple techniques and fermenting characteristics. Most Stout styles contain a minimal amount of ingredients, are top-fermented, and have short fermentation periods (10 to 21 days). The largest difference between the Porter and Stout styles is in the characteristics of the dark specialty grains which give the Stout its color and roasty flavor.

The most commercially popular style of Stout is the Dry Stout, or Irish Stout made famous by brewers such as Guinness and Murphy’s. Dry Stouts are light-bodied with low hop presence and low alcohol content (~4% ABV). The black color of the Dry Stout is derived more from the use of specialty grains such as roasted barley, chocolate malt, or black malt rather than the darkness of the base malt.

Try this homebrew recipe for a basic Dry Stout:

  • Base Malt: 6.6 lbs of light or amber malt extract
  • Specialty Grains:
    • 0.5 lbs black malt (cracked)
    • 0.5 lbs 60-L Crystal Malt (cracked)
    • 0.5 lbs roasted barley (cracked)
  • Bittering hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade pellets (60 minutes)
  • Finishing hops: 1.0 ounce Fuggles pellets (10 minutes)
  • Yeast: 1 pkg freeze dried Ale Yeast

Primary Fermentation: 14 days

Steep the specialty grains in two gallons of 155-degree water for about 20 minutes. Strain and pour the tea into the brew kettle, ensuring none of the husks get into the brew pot. Add one gallon of water to the brew kettle and begin to heat. As the brew kettle is heating, add the 6.6 pounds of base malt extract and stir until dissolved. Once the wort is at a boil, add the 2 ounces of Cascade pellets. Stir regularly. After brewing for 50 minutes, add the 1 ounce of Fuggles pellets for the last 10 minutes of the brew. After 60 minutes total brewing time, remove from heat and pour it into your sanitized fermenter and top up to five gallons with cool spring water. Allow the wort to cool. Once it reaches room temperature, prepare the yeast according to the instructions. Pitch the yeast, allow to ferment for 14 days, then bottle or keg, prime, and enjoy!

For a darker color and a little more malty flavor, try adding 4 to 5 ounces of chocolate malt to the specialty grains.

This post first appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: Coffee Porter http://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/04/homebrew-dc-coffee-porter/ Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:55 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83889 Photo courtesy of the little white box
Pause
courtesy of the little white box

Some people associate dark, rich beers with the winter months, but I think this recipe produces a beer that is just as good in the heat of the summer. It’s about 50 shades darker than a cream ale, but still as thirst-quenching and refreshing.

My friend Andy sent me this homebrew recipe after bringing a coffee porter to our homebrewing club. I lost the recipe for a couple months but just discovered it again, thank goodness. It is a dark, rich porter, very malty and with minimal bitterness, as you can see from the half ounce of bittering hops, boiled for only 45 minutes. The two-minute addition of Northern Brewer hops will impart a floral scent and the dry-hopping process will intensify this.

I am going to make this homebrew recipe soon but will deviate from Andy’s version below. I plan to use different coffee pods. Andy used a French style fine-ground coffee. It tasted great, but my coffee preferences lean toward a Vietnamese brand called Trung Nguyen, which you can find at your local Southeast Asian supermarket. The deep, rich flavor of this coffee will work well with the malty character of the porter. I might try another batch with something a little less refined, like coffee with chicory. You can try any coffee you like a lot and think will give you a good flavor.

This is our first recipe at RealHombrew.com that refers to dry hopping. This is the process of adding hops into the secondary fermenter to impart an interesting floral scent. The process is simple. First, let the beer completely ferment, and transfer it to a secondary fermenter. Then add your hops for dry-hopping. It might take a few days to a week to really get the hoppy flavor in there. People sometimes ask how you know when it’s done dry-hopping. I say, use a wine thief or pipette to draw out a sample and take a taste. If you want more hoppiness, let it stand a bit longer. If you think it is all right, your brew is done. Take out the hops and bottle or keg it.

Ingredients:

Specialty grain:
1 lb Caramel Malt
5 oz Chocolate Malt

Extract:
6.6 lbs Amber Malt Extract

Hops:
0.5 oz Northern Brewer 45 min
0.25 oz Northern Brewer 2 min
Dry hop 0.25 oz Cascade and 0.5 oz Hallertaur

4 oz fine ground French roast grounds.  Added to boil for last 15 minutes.

Standard ale yeast, such as Nottingham Ale Yeast

Directions:

Steep the cracked specialty grains in two gallons of 155-degree water for 45 minutes. Remove the grain and rinse it with a gallon of water at 160 degrees, reserving the liquid. Discard or plan to reuse the grain. Turn up the heat and add the amber malt extract. Bring it to a boil. Boil this for 60 minutes, but don’t add the hops until 15 minutes into the boil. Follow the schedule above for all the additions. Ferment for two weeks and then dry-hop for a week. Bottle or keg, and you have a great beer to bring to the next party you attend.

This post first appeared on RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: American Cream Ale http://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/27/homebrew-dc-american-cream-ale/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/27/homebrew-dc-american-cream-ale/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:00:59 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83638 Photo courtesy of Kevin H.
Liquid Light and Gold
courtesy of Kevin H.

This is another in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

I recently decided to try a homebrew recipe for American cream ale. It reminded me of a guy I worked with who would walk from desk to desk in the office every afternoon and say, “It’s almost Genny time,” humorously referring to Genesee Cream Ale. Bob was fun to drink with. He was an older guy and naturally charming to everyone he met. He also had a penchant for drinking out of ten-ounce glasses, which I found interesting, if odd. “Give me a shorty,” he would tell the bartender.

Bob drank Genesee quite often and I drank it with him on occasion, so this beer kit I bought is more about reminiscing than it is about the particular style. Even if it is not my favorite, Genesee is an American original.

This style is light and slightly malty, not very bitter at all. It is an easy-drinking beer but has a good amount of alcohol, measuring in probably between five and six percent. That is a little high for what you might call a session beer, but not terribly so. I can imagine knocking out a couple of these with Hank Hill and the boys. A slight sweetness comes from the corn sugar, but the sugar is really there to boost the alcohol, so you get to taste what the hungry yeast cells never got to before they gave up the ghost.

Here is the recipe for an American classic, good enough to bottle and call Genny, but even better because you made it. There’s no bacon in it but it is a good brew all the same.

Ingredients:

3.3 Pounds Extra Light Liquid Malt Extract
2.0 Pounds Pilsen Dry Malt Extract- add 15 minutes before end of boil
1.0 Pound Corn Sugar – add 15 minutes before end of boil
1.25 oz. Willamette Hops – 60 min – bittering
1.0 oz. Willamette Hops – 10 min – aroma
Nottingham Ale Yeast by Lallemand

Cook it all in about two and a half gallons of water. Add the liquid malt extract as the water is heating and once it starts boiling, you will cook it for an hour, adding the ingredients as directed. This is a recipe for a five-gallon batch, so you will have to dilute the brew with water to get it to that quantity. Once it is room temperature, pitch the yeast in, following the instructions on the package. Have questions or need assistance? Let me know and I will do my best to help, especially after it is bottled!

This post first appeared on RealHomebrew.com

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Homebrew DC: Bacon Beer, a Stout Lover’s Breakfast http://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/13/homebrew-dc-bacon-beer-a-stout-lovers-breakfast/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/13/homebrew-dc-bacon-beer-a-stout-lovers-breakfast/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:00:19 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83308 Photo courtesy of Samer Farha
Black Thai
courtesy of Samer Farha

This is anoth

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Photo courtesy of Samer Farha
Black Thai
courtesy of Samer Farha

This is another in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

Not so long ago, @brew_thusiast tweeted his disappointment with a particular homebrew bacon beer, saying that it was a decent enough brown ale but lacked the bacon flavor that would make it the draw it should have been. This got me thinking about bacon beer. Is it really good or too good to be true? The promise is great – a smoky, meaty, maybe salty brew that could be a good accompaniment for your eggs, rashers, and black pudding, or whatever you like to have for breakfast. You do like black pudding, don’t you?

It would have to be a stout or porter, is my guess. Bacon is a heavy meat, and most pairing guides suggest putting rich drinks with rich foods. A heavy beer would be best, for sure.

I searched online and finally arrived at this homebrew recipe, from That’s Nerdalicious. Apparently bacon beer is nerdy. Who knew? Here are his ingredients for a 90-minute boil:

7 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt – 60L (60.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)
2.9 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
(To Taste) Bacon (Secondary)
20.00 oz Coffee (Bottling)
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084 / a starter was used)

According to the author, the bacon was added using a dry-hopping method. He used 3/4 of a pound in total, adding a little at a time, tasting it along the way.

One thing to note is that you need to get rid of as much fat as possible. You can do this by buying lean bacon and trimming fat off before cooking. In addition, use paper towels to soak up the grease. Do whatever you can to get rid of that fat. Excess fat (even yummy bacon fat) can reduce the ability to have a head on your beer. Likely there are other reasons to remove the fat too.

I am going to try this. Beautiful Girlfriend said this is a disgusting idea. Maybe so, but that won’t stop me from making a one-gallon test batch. I think I will skip the coffee because that strong flavor, while rich and complex, will probably compete with the smokiness and bacon-y goodness. All of life is an experiment. I will return and report.

Have you found a good homebrew recipe for bacon beer? Let me know how it turned out.

This post first appeared on RealHomebrew.com

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Homebrew DC: Uniquely American http://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/06/homebrew-dc-a-uniquely-american-ale/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/06/homebrew-dc-a-uniquely-american-ale/#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:00:55 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83106 Photo courtesy of Poncho Equihua
Hops and Yeast, lupulos & levaduras
courtesy of Poncho Equihua

This is another in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

America’s biggest contribution to the beer world, at least in my opinion, is a very good jumping-off point for homebrew: the American ale. It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another. Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of this uniquely American style.

American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV). A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales. Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.

Let’s get brewing! All the below basic recipes are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets. Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts, therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart. Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales. Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule. Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet your personal taste or hops availability. You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation. For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.

The American ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular homebrew tastes. The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers. For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American pale ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermenter for a nice strawberry ale. Enjoy your own personal style of American ale!


American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.


American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.


American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt
Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.


American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermenter for an additional two weeks.

This post first appeared on RealHomebrew.com.

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Homebrew DC: Kölsch, Springtime’s True Delight http://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/30/homebrew-dc-kolsch-springtimes-true-delight/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/30/homebrew-dc-kolsch-springtimes-true-delight/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:00:57 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=82621 Photo courtesy of ilovebutter
Adding the hops
courtesy of ilovebutter

This is the second in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

Now that springtime is upon us, it’s time to start drinking like it. I brought this beer to fellow We Love DC authors Tom and Tiff’s house recently for a barbecue and it was met with a standing ovation. Well, most people were standing anyway, and truthfully there was no real ovation, but people expressed their desire to have more by, well, having more. Another almost-empty keg…

A Kölsch is an ale that is light, crisp, and great to drink. I think of a kölsch as a great springtime drink, cool and refreshing, clear, malty, and with a definite but not overpowering hoppy flavor. This is a pretty simple homebrew recipe, using some grains, but relying mostly on malt extracts. It’ll make you the popular house on the block on those warm spring nights.

Ingredients:
Malt Extract:
3.3 pounds pilsen malt extract and 2.0 pounds wheat dry malt extract
Specialty Grain: 12 oz. Carapils
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Hallertau (60 minutes)
Aroma Hops: 1.0 ounces Hallertau (10 minutes)

Directions:
Steep 12 ounces milled Carapils malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If the grains are boiled they can leach tannins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain somehow. I recommend making something else from it or composting it.

Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.

Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Hallertau hops in the wort for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, add the two pounds of dry malt extract. Stir thoroughly so the dry powder is mixed well into the wort. You may have to stir rapidly with a whisk to get the lumps out of the liquid.

Return to a boil for 5 minutes.

Add 1.0 ounces Hallertau hops for flavoring and boil ten minutes more.

Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.

Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.

This article first appeared at RealHomebrew.com.

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The Environmental Impact of Kegging vs. Bottling http://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/16/the-environmental-impact-of-kegging-vs-bottling/ http://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/16/the-environmental-impact-of-kegging-vs-bottling/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:12:47 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=82223 Vessels
Vessels by AdamLogan

This is the first in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

I read on treehugger.com that a life cycle assessment study was done that showed that the environmental impact of kegged beer was 68% lower than that of bottled beer. Most of the impact is due to packaging differences and how people get their beer.

Kegging has much less environmental waste than bottling. Bottling beer requires heavy glass containers that only sometimes are returned for refill, bottle caps that are useless once removed, and lots of gas spent transporting everything both to the store and then to your home. Kegged beer has a lighter package per volume, which means less gas cost, and the keg is always returned for reuse. Really – when have you bought a keg of beer and decided to throw it away after it was empty? Bars and restaurants are the same way. They return those empty buggers to get their deposits back.

This study only looked at a commercially produced beer, and in part of Europe where people likely have more draft beer at bars than Americans tend to, with all of our bottled choices at the bars we frequent. While the disparity in environmental impact is likely still great here in the States, the differences in how we consume beer might have to be examined.

The environmental impact for kegged beer is probably pretty close to bottled beer for homebrewers, I would guess. We are almost fanatical about collecting and reusing bottles. It’s not that we are all tree huggers, but that bottles are expensive if you have to buy them. They are still heavier than kegs by volume, and require crown caps, which get discarded, but I suspect the difference in impact between the two methods is minimal for homebrewers.

On the other hand, if kegging is more environmentally friendly, maybe that is a good argument to invest in a kegging system. Do you like the beers you make? They will taste even better off the tap. Trust me – once you go keg, you never go back. First thing first, though — start brewing, then eventually work your way to a keg. Big Daddy will help you do it.

Originally published at RealHomebrew.com.

Beer Bottles by AdamLogan.

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Mystery Object Found in Shirlington http://www.welovedc.com/2010/07/01/mystery-object-found-in-shirlington/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/07/01/mystery-object-found-in-shirlington/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:00:30 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=41121 Shirlington Mystery Object

I was waiting on a friend in Shirlington the othe…

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Shirlington Mystery Object

I was waiting on a friend in Shirlington the other day when I saw this contraption. Anybody have an idea what it is? It is rather reminiscent of things I remember from history class, like stocks and pillories. In fact, the first thing I thought when I saw it was a photo I recalled from the Boxer Rebellion. No joke.

Anyway, hopefully this is some sort of useful device under construction, and not a form of public humiliation for lawbreakers, although honestly I don’t think that would be so bad. Any thoughts?

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Don’t Crap Your Snow in the Street http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/21/don%e2%80%99t-crap-your-snow-in-the-street/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/21/don%e2%80%99t-crap-your-snow-in-the-street/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:40:30 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/21/don%e2%80%99t-crap-your-snow-in-the-street/
My neighbor crapped his snow into the street
Ori

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My neighbor crapped his snow into the street
Originally uploaded by carlweaver

My neighbor decided that the snow-clearing job at his house was not good enough, so he crapped some into the street for good measure. Because that’s where it belongs or something, I guess. I don’t know why. It’s just plain annoying.

People, if you need to do a bit more shoveling to clean things up a little, throw the snow somewhere it makes sense, like into a yard or onto another snow pile. Heck – I’d even pile it by one of the many cars that still has not been extricated from its parking spot.

Don’t throw it in the street. That’s just dumb. We want it to be out of the street, remember?

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Fire Escapes Need Shovel Love Too http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/17/fire-escapes-need-shovel-love-too/ Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:20:17 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/17/fire-escapes-need-shovel-love-too/
Fire exit? Really?
Originally uploaded by carl

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Fire exit? Really?
Originally uploaded by carlweaver

I saw this while walking to lunch yesterday. A building at Thomas Jefferson St. NW and the Canal in Georgetown has a set of stairs marked from the outside “Fire Exit. Not an Entrance.” Good idea. People in the basement need to get out when there’s a fire, right? Well, the problem is that the fire escape stairs are still covered in snow, which has probably hardened to a nice slick surface by now.

So if you work in the basement of that building, just pray there is no fire because you will be pretty well boned if you need to evacuate quickly.

If you see something like this at your home or office, advise your building manager to take care of it ASAP before you call the fire marshal. Needless deaths can be avoided by simply doing some easy things.

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Yes, I want a $250 ticket http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/15/yes-i-want-a-250-ticket/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/15/yes-i-want-a-250-ticket/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:41:23 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/15/yes-i-want-a-250-ticket/
Parking in the snow route
Originally uploaded b

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Parking in the snow route
Originally uploaded by carlweaver

Okay, people. It says “snow route” on the sign and the radio stations are warning people that there’s a snow emergency in the District. Even our very own lovable Tom Bridge warned us that parking here could lead to some heavy fines. Is $250 worth the cost of a parking space? It is Georgetown and parking is pricey, but for $250 I could park for a month here.

The good news is that these cars do not yet have tickets on them. The bad news is that soon they will. Go move you cars if one of them is yours. With all that saved money, you could buy about ten lunches at any Georgetown restaurant, or maybe about 50 of those fancy cupcakes everyone thinks are the cat’s pajamas.

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Thanks, Mollytics, for renewing my faith in DC http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/13/thanks-mollytics-for-renewing-my-faith-in-dc/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/13/thanks-mollytics-for-renewing-my-faith-in-dc/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:30:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/13/thanks-mollytics-for-renewing-my-faith-in-dc/
Love Heart by Photos8.com
Originally uploaded

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Love Heart by Photos8.com
Originally uploaded by Photos8.com

Molly of Mollytics just renewed my faith in DC’s humankind. Yes, even amid rants and warnings about how you are about to die, my heart is warmed by this tweet:

mollytics http://twitpic.com/131ufa – Know who is amazing? @WillBlog4FoodDC b/c he shoveled out my car & let me pay him w/ high fives.

It warms the cockles of my heart, whatever the heck those are.

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Top Five Ways to Get Killed After a Craptacular Snow Storm http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/12/top-five-ways-to-get-killed-after-a-craptacular-snow-storm/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/12/top-five-ways-to-get-killed-after-a-craptacular-snow-storm/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:30:10 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=28189 Snowy Bike

  1. Walk in the street.
  2. Walk in the street two abreas
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Snowy Bike

  1. Walk in the street.
  2. Walk in the street two abreast.
  3. Drive too fast on slick roads.
  4. Ride your bike like a jackass in these conditions.
  5. Cross the street against the light.

Let’s be careful out there, folks. Safety is a shared responsibility. I have seen blatantly stupid behavior out there. If you are driving, slow down and accept that traveling will take a little longer for a while. If you are walking, be smart. Walk against traffic, on the sidewalk if you can, and single file. If you are biking, simply try your darndest to follow traffic rules. Those cars you are used to barely not hitting you are going to have a harder time braking in the slush and snow, so don’t bike like a d-bag.

Snowy Bike by dmolsen.

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Drive like an ass, just like this guy http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/11/drive-like-an-ass-just-like-this-guy/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/11/drive-like-an-ass-just-like-this-guy/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:00:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=28061 Don't be this guy

Notice how all that snow is piled on top of this pe…

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Don't be this guy

Notice how all that snow is piled on top of this person’s car? Don’t be like that. When you can get out and drive, be sure to clean the snow off your entire car. Two things can result from this type of halfway done snow removal. First, big chunks of ice and snow can fall from your car and into traffic. Annoying, to be sure, and likely to make someone swerve. Maybe not the best reaction, but certainly an understandable one.

Second, if the snow is loose and powdery, it can blow off in traffic and blind other drivers. That’s generally bad too.

On top of this, you will just look like an idiot driving around like that. You are right, it’s not as bad as the even bigger idiots who neglect to clean the snow from all their windows (yes, the back one is important too, people), but still – are people really that lazy? A coworker made the excuse to me that she could not reach the top of her car. I told her she had a size of car to size of body ratio imbalance. If you can’t clean the car off, you shouldn’t be allowed to drive it.

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