Ah, two excellent crafts in one home. I've always envied those who can make up a batch of their own beer. Building your own layout while quaffing a cold mug of home-brew is quite an accomplishment, and I give you a tip of the hat.
A number of years ago, I was at Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts. That's a historical re-creation village, where the staff members, or "actors" as they call themselves, take on the identity of real colonists from the 1600's. They'll engage you in conversation as if they had no knowledge of any "history" after their own time. I sat down next to one stout fellow with a pewter mug, and asked what he was drinking that day. I was a bit surprised to hear the answer: "Water. Pure, clean water." All the colonists, even the children, were used to drinking beer on the voyage and after arrival, because it was known to be free of bacteria. At that time, it was considered a "health drink," while most water was suspect. One of the prime reasons that the original Pilgrims stayed in Plymouth was the discovery of a high-quality spring that could serve the colony.
We'd all love to see pictures of your beer reefers. Post away!
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Hey KenL, Fergie, and Inch....
What are you guys doing over here out of the CS? LOL
I won't tell Chloe if you don't tell!
So, speaking of the Beer Barn, we are going to a wine tasting this weekend at the Biltmore Estate Winery. I will make sure to take notes.... and report back to you on my educated palate...
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
Evening all,, CFO is gone again, county fair board meeting tonight, so another cold one here. I agree nothing like trains, barley pops, and freinds for a good evening.
KENL,,, good to hear from you, been a long dry spell, hope things are going ok there.
Colvin backshop,,I've got a freind that home brews, he makes some really good stuff, of course I help him sample it some times, just to make sure.
Ryan,, I know you won't tell Cleo, unless you want explain how you knew. Set aspell and we'll tell stories and lies and the laughter of days of old.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
SilverSpike wrote:Sorry to hear that you were sick Squeaky, BTW, what the heck is a "Valley Fever", anyway?
Inch,.... thats a deal then, mumms the word! Speaking of barley pop, I think I will have another....
Squeaky, wow, that don't sound good atall... hope it dies off before reaching the mighty Mississip... Kinda hard to cross over water, ya think?
Afternoon, seen we're back to page 2, bump. Been doin outside chores and sure ready for a cold one, hows bout an Old Style, thanks
Ryan,, I'll not say a word, don't think Fergie will either. Don't think we have to worry much bout Valley Fever here. I remember reading some thing or seeing some thing on tv bout it. Seems it didn't survive well in wetter climates [ if mermories correct ????].
Squeaky,,, if it's any thing like the lung infection I got from rotted grain, that comes back all time time. Then I feel for you, not fun at all, makes ya feel like your being smuthered, even though you can still breath.
Best get back to it
colvinbackshop wrote: MR. B,,, great to hear the test came out ok! I've had that done twice now and hope to have many more! Just got home from work, popped a cold Grain Belt Premium (poured over a wedge of lemon), checked out the forum...And low and behold, one of my favorite topics. I'm doing "August Meininger Brewing" on my pike and the billboards are running free. If I can figure out how to post a pic...I'll do so some day, as I'm pretty proud of my reefers! I am also a home brewer and love to dig into the history (before Bud, and others, could make a gazillion gallons a minute) of the old brewing processes. It's really a lot of fun to try new styles of ale. GUB, don't get discouraged...It takes some time to get a MRR together (not all of us have the time, money or circle of friends to help us build, or build it for us, that some of the boys on the pages of MR and RMC do) and it's part of the fun. I've been at it for ten years or better and only have one small diorama partly completed and only about 75" of track down. I do, however have a 24' x 16' Trainroom that is complete from top to bottom and even have most all of the benchwork in place. As winter approaches....I'm really looking forward to getting those track crews working! Also, regarding a fridge. in the attic.....And for what ever it may be worth...In the adjoining room where my staging will be some day, I have a 1950 International Harvester refrigerator with a tap through the door for dispensing my Home-Brew Ales that I put up in Cornelius kegs!! Life is Good.
Thanks for the encouragement. Speaking of International Harvester Fridges ... I grew up with one in our kitchen when I was back home in Chatham. It later got moved downstairs for my Dad to use as a beer fridge. It was a grate old fridge. I lost track of it after we moved my dad into a apartment quite a few years ago. I think Dad must have sold it with the house. Not sure why I didn't take it when I had the chance. Oh well...
GUB
colvinbackshop wrote:Just read Bergie's "How to post photos"....I think I might be able to do that. But, I also just came from Photobucket and it seems I no longer have an account (or what ever they call it) so I'll have to jump a few hoops to get that photo of the reefer on here....I'm not that great with computer stuff, but sooner or later, I'll make a picture happen. In the mean time, I'm once again home from work and having a cold one. GUB, yup, those old IH fridges. are great! This one, as mentioned, is an old timer. It is truly a 1950 according to the manufacturers plate and I know for a fact that it was newly "plugged in" in 1952, which is the year my Grandparents first got electricity...I'm the second owner! Knock on wood....the thing just keeps on a-goin'. Nothing to report regarding progress on the railway...But I did finish the harvest of all my herbs from the garden today and they are now hung and drying! Squeaky: Hop you're feeling better! We have a thing up here that we call "Blasto" (North Amrican Blasto Mycosis) that is a soil born fungus. Really bad stuff, that people can die from if not treated...and even when treated at times! Stay well..
Hey now, I like this BeerBarn place.
well its just now getting cool enough here in Maine for me to make a new batch of homebrew, until then I guess I'll just have to have a nice cold Molson.
and while that is bubbling away maybe I can finish the benchwork for my return loop and staging yard.
Here's something pretty funny for you all to enjoy.
bill
One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm.Here's how it went:
"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
inch53 wrote:Afternoon all, I'll have a cold Mister Brewl here and a bag of chips. Raining here, so it's been inside honey-do's. Helps keep the boss in a better mood. No MRR time till tonight, then it's my time. One of our grandsons [Mac] is going to spend a night our, so he's 10, and some good help at times Darn that was good think I'll have another. Squeaky,, I remember the old Phico frig with the handle in the middle. My great grandpa hand one that he keep wine and such in. Good old frig, don't know how old it was, but it was still working fine when he sold the farm and moved to town in 64. I have to take purrty good care of my wife also. Since I can't drive anymore, and she's my wheels. Most the time she enjoys a little rail fanning, the swap meets and such, but doesn't help with the layout any, even though I've tried to get interested in that part Best get back to it inch
roadrat wrote:Hey now, I like this BeerBarn place. well its just now getting cool enough here in Maine for me to make a new batch of homebrew, until then I guess I'll just have to have a nice cold Molson. and while that is bubbling away maybe I can finish the benchwork for my return loop and staging yard.
Hi Bill,
I made home brew one time- 5 gallons, brewed, and bottled- but I just didn't like the wheat taste- it just wasn't my Budweiser, so I never went through the trouble of making any more. Some people have great results, and enjoy what they come up with.
roadrat wrote: Here's something pretty funny for you all to enjoy. bill One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm.Here's how it went: "Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
Road Rat, where are ya up in Maine? We ski a lot at Sunday River, and we just love the whole state.
I'm working on the corner of my layout devoted to Motley Fuels, currently a coal distributer, but Mr. Motley is looking for a nice horizontal oil tank so the company can branch out, and I can have an excuse to switch a tanker up there every now and then. I've got a string of old Mantua bottom-drop operating clamshell hopper cars, and I can fill them with coal and actually dump them over a bin at Motley's place. Later, I'll get the loader building on the other side of the layout working, and then I can load up the cars, too.
Dinner at Chili's tonight, with a couple of Harpoon IPA's to quench the fire of fajitas. Harpoon is a microbrew based in Boston. Lots of flavor, without all the embarrassing gas I get from a Sam or two. It's my "house beer," so I keep a case out in the cool garage and replenish the cellar fridge as needed. I still think of that beer fridge as kind of new, but now I realize that it's seen its first quarter-century.
Hello Mr.Beasley I live in Lewiston, as for skiing I use to go to Mt.Abrams and Sunday river back when I was younger but havent gone in quite a while (my wife broke her ankle and has never been able to ski since) my son is 4 and I expect I'll be going again soon.
Squeakywheel
As for homebrewing the one big problem I have found is the amount of priming sugar (the sugar added just before bottling) called for by most recipes and kits is way to high, this gives you a beer that is too carbonated cut the amount in half or one third, also the longer you let your beer age the better, you can and I do drink it about 2 weeks after bottling but 4 to 6 weeks is really ideal.
Well it's time I retured to the basement.
bye all
colvinbackshop wrote: Also, Mr. Beasley: Where is Bedford? Once again....I had my atlas out, only to find that for what ever reason....I don't have a map of Mass.
Evening all Cold one here,
Thought I'd post pics of some of my beer car, got some more in boxes but no place to put them till I get the layout done.
You guys keep talking bout home brewing, I may have to get set up for some and try it.
MR Beasley,,,,Thanks for the link on Bedford Depot. Some interesting reading there there.
In between grandkids, watching foot ball and naps, have managed to work on my layout some. Den- NE games on now, so back to the train room
Maybe, maybe not, but you won't notice the flaws as much.
Brad
EMD - Every Model Different
ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil
CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts
Ah, a chance to show off my own collection...
The Pabst car is ancient, and came from a yard sale box-o-trains my Mom found for me back in the 1960's. The Mule Beer and Harvard Ale cars are Greenway products, and the last car, well, it's not beer, but rather haggis, that fine Scottish delicacy made from the entrails of a sheep. I made the car from an Athearn BB kit, using decals by Fritz Milhaupt. See http://www.wyomingyard.com/haggiscar/ for details and downloads.