Beer; It's whats for Dinner

I-What is Beer?
1. An alcoholic beverage usually made from malted cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and brewed by slow fermentation
2. A carbonated nonalcoholic or a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage with flavoring from roots or other plants
3. Fermented mash
4. a drink of beerII-How Beer is made?1. Barley is malted by dampening to encourage it to sprout then dried and roasted. The sprout causes the starch to turn to sugar.2. Barley is steeped in very hot water just below boiling point. Similar to tea. This extracts the fermentable sugars. The barley is strained away and what is left is called wort.
3. The wort is then boiled. Then hops are added. The amount depends on what kind of beer it is and what flavor profile the brewer is trying to achieve.
4. The mixture is transferred to fermentation tanks where yeast is pitched or added to convert the sugars to alcohol. After the beer has aged the approximate time it is bottled.

III-GermansThe Germans considered drinking beer a sacrifice to the gods. One example of how much the culture loved beer was a written in a poetic saga where the author wrote 400 versus about beer and only 200 about the creation of earth. In 1500, Hamburg had over 600 breweries.

IV-Middle AgesIn the middle ages brewing was taken over by the monasteries. The beverage was widely drank during the periods of fasting because of its high nutrient content. Monks were allowed to drink 5 liters of beer a day.V-Present day GermansGermans today follow the 1516 Beer purity law that was started by Wilhelm IV Duke of Bavaria. It said that only hops, barley and pure water could be used to make beer. In 1493, the Duke of Bayers-Landshut Stated:
"Herewith shall beer brewers and others not use anything other than malt, hops and water. These same brewers also shall not add anything when serving or otherwise handling beer, upon penalty to body and chattels."It was not until the EU was founded and a law passed allowing beer to enter Germany that did not conform to the 1516 purity law.VI-Ingredients1. Malted Barley-Barley seed that has sprouted and dried. The darkness of the barley roast depends on the type of beer the brewer plans to make. A pale roast is used to make pilsners and a dark roast to make stouts. Flavor: Gives the beer its mouth feel and sweetness.2. Hops-A member of the cannabis family. Flavor: Gives the beer a floral nose and bitterness. Bitterness is measured in IBU (International Bitterness Units) Greally the hopper the beer the more intense the bitter flavor. There are many varieties of hops which all add a unique flavor to the beer.3. Water-Water plays a major rule in the brewing process. The mineral content can change the flavor of the beer. Soft water gives a softwer character while hard water gives beer a more aggressive character.4. Yeast-The agent that converts the sugar into alcohol. Also the producer of carbonation. Yeasts plays a major role in flavor. Every brewery has a house strain of yeast that they guard because it adds the unique flavor to their beer. The one exception is Lambics. A fruity beer that is spontaneously fermented with airbore yeast.
5. Other Ingredients: Oats, Ginger, Coriander, Orange peel, Pumpkin, Apples, Raspberries, Lemons and many other frutis, spices and vegetables.
VII-Types of Beer

1. Ales-Top fermented
2. Lagers-Bottom fermented--Ales--
Trappist Ale
Pale Ale
TrippleStrong Ale
Flemish Red Ale
GueuzeFruit LambicAntwerpen/Brabant AleSaison
Spiced Ale
English Pale Ale
India Pale Ale
American Pale AleAmerican Amber Ale
English BittersScottish Heavy
White/Wit
English Brown Ale
American Brown AleGerman Style Alt Bier
German Berliner Weisse
Hefe Weiss BierDunkel Weiss Bier
Weixenbock
Buckwheat
Porter
Dry Stout
Sweet Stout
Imperial Stout
Scottish Export
Old
Barleywine AleRussian Imperial Stout

--Lagers--

Pilsner
American Pilsner
Helles
American Light Lager
American Amber Lager
Munchener DunkelSteam Beer
German Dark Lager
American Dark Lager
Bock
Triple Bock

Beer has been integrated into our society for thousands of years and has many other uses than just getting drunk and is not just for the roid raged jock. Beer has come along way since it was first brewed and is now more refined. Beer is a wonderful drink. It is something different for everyone. It can be a luxury of flavor and good times or a vice to another person. Beer has four main ingredients; water, yeast, barley and hops. But now anything goes. A brewer can be creative just like any other art and add their own touch. There are many types of beer so start drinking and try to enjoy them all.

Remember now matter where you are you can find a local brewery that has a beer with more character and taste than all the nationally produced beers.

Unhappy Tymes Fun Center

Who doesn't love a beautiful summer evening playing mini-golf. This is one of America's favorite summer activities. I have always dreamed about designing my own mini golf course. It seems so easy to make a great course. I spent entire summer one year doing a mini golf circuit and playing a new course every few days. If I remember correctly we made it to at least a dozen. Considering the proximity of mini golf courses in a non resort area this is a rather large number. I feel this has given me the experience to be considered a novice critic of the game including quality and course layout.

My recent excursion to a local family fun center that had a course on site was a complete disaster. This place takes the cake for the most pathetic and downright crappiest course I have ever played. I would even venture to say this could be the worst course in North America. My friend and colleague made the comment that he would rather be standing in line at the DMV than playing the course. My impression is they put some Astroturf and holes on a gravel flea market lot. Hole 1 all the way through 18 were viratually the same. No obstatcles other than a few gravel pits and hills. No windmills or animals. Pretty much nothing but the Astroturf, gravel sandtraps lined with red bricks they were missing or loose. The course had not trash cans which lead to litter on every hole and not a single bench to sit on when waiting for the family of 17 in front to finish the hole.

A bunch of retarded drunks could have constructed a better course in a weekend than this one. It is in need of major repair, both of us almost sprained an ankle stepping on one of the numberous loose bordering bricks. I even overheard a young child complaining to his parents that the course "sucked" and he wanted to go to a real mini golf course. The one major component that seemed to be missing was the flea market stalls. I keep expecting to turn around and have someone offer me a used vaccuum cleaner or a stamp collection. There was a number of beautiful water attractions (see photo above) the only problem was they were missing water. I guess water isn't needed for a pond or stream, maybe it's the new "GREEN" mini golf course where they use imaginary water to have save the environment. The company doesn't go cheap when it comes to advertising. They have the money to put the fun center logo on a car but they can't find the money to fill the baren concrete pits with water. What a joke! Don't waste your time at this one, find a real course!