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I’m really proud of Susanna (age 12, about to be 13). We’ve been moving between one house and another this past week and half, and as I was putting books on a shelf, Susanna asked me which were my favorites. I couldn’t choose a favorite, so I picked my favorites from different regions and time periods around the world. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment was one of my recommendations, and she has been devouring it. I’ve also been asking her where she is in the book and am really enjoying having my memory jogged.

Susanna reading

From wikipedia, “Crime and Punishment is a novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky that was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments in 1866. It was later published in a single volume. It is the second of Dostoevsky’s full-length novels after he returned from his exile in Siberia, and the first great novel of his mature period. Crime and Punishment focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, an impoverished St. Petersburg ex-student who formulates and executes a plan to kill a hated, unscrupulous pawnbroker seemingly for her money, thereby solving his financial problems and at the same time, he argues, ridding the world of an evil worthless parasite.”

Everyone has their own opinion, yada, yada, yada…. I write this to express mine.

Papazian’s Joy of Homebrewing book is a history book.

Everyone appreciates the Godfather. He did a tremendous amount for the hobby in the 70s and continues somewhat today, although his focus is now primarily commercial, it seems. Feel free to stick with the Joy of Homebrewing… and Sonny and Cher, the Carpenters and Electric Light Orchestra, etc.

In a few weeks, it will be 2008. If you’re realtively new to brewing and you’re hitting the big homebrew message boards everyday, buying the most recently published books, listening to brewing podcasts, you are getting the benefit of over 30 years of exponential growth in homebrewing knkowledge and practice.

With all due respect Godfather, make way for the Pope.

I got Jamil’s book in the mail today, and one of the first things I did was to compare what Jamil says about liquid smoke extract with what Papazian says. I was just curious because the topic of smoked beers came up a few weeks ago among friends. I knew what Papazian had to say, but I had a nagging suspicion that Jamil would say don’t use it under any circumstances. I opened the book right up to that chapter and my suspicions were confirmed.

Papazian says “You may also … use ‘liquid smoke.’ There are various brands of liquid smoke available in the barbeque section of most supermarkets… One teaspoon per 5 gallons will give well-perceived smoke flavor.”

But the Pope unambiguously contradicts, “The worst smoked beers I have ever had were all made with smoke flavoring. Smoke flavoring in beer tastes like flavoring: bad bacon, an ashtray, charcoal, or worse. Don’t do it, no matter how tempted you might be.”

I do respect Papzian. I just wish, for his 4th edition, he’d let someone go through and rewrite the bad advice. Too many new brewers pick up his book… because it was highly recomended by the local homebrew shop owner, who happened to be listening to the Carpenters at the time.

Daisey tried to read Radical Brewing and Farmhouse Ales.

But since she doesn’t know how to read, chewing them up was ok. My immediate reaction when I saw them was that I had to get some new ones.

But as I looked down at Daisey wagging her tail and looking at me with those sad eyes, droopy ears and big nose, I decided that she had actually added a little character to the books and that I needed to keep them the way they are.

Notes from Jeff Sparrow, WildBrews: Beer Beyond the Influence of Brewer’s Yeast (2005)

• Lambic, the traditional beer of Brussels, is spontaneously fermented by the particular combination of microorganisms residing near the valley of the tiny Senne River and aged in wooden barrels.
• You can spontaneously ferment beer anywhere in the world. You must develop a taste for your own local lambic.
• The wort is transferred to wooden barrels where fermentation may last up to three years.
• The best lambics have some acidity, a bit like white wine, but not much more. According to Frank Boon, lambic brewers desire the character of Chardonnay.
• Lambic of less than two years old is “beer in progress” – still undergoing fermentation. Young lambic of five to six months old has a combination of the sweetness of the unfermented sugars and some bitterness from both hops and from yeast still in suspension.

Read more…

Many homebrewing related articles and books mistakenly claim that, President Jimmy Carter legalized homebrewing in 1978. In fact, the U.S. Congress passed an Act in 1978 exempting a certain amount of beer brewed for personal or family use from federal taxation. President Carter signed the Act, which addressed other issues as well, in 1979. States remain free to restrict, or even prohibit, the manufacture of beer, mead, hard cider, wine and other alcoholic beverages at home. Indded, several states, including Alabama, prohibit the manufacture of beer without a state license, which can be quite difficult to obtain, involving state inspections, building code compliance, tedious paperwork requirements and such.

The Federal Taxation Exemption
26 USCS § 5051(a)(1) provides for the imposition and rate of federal taxation on beer in the United States:

(a) Rate of tax. (1) In general. A tax is hereby imposed on all beer brewed or produced, and removed for consumption or sale, within the United States, or imported into the United States.

26 USCS § 5053(e) provides exemptions from federal taxation for beer brewed for personal use:

(e) Beer for personal or family use. Subject to regulation prescribed by the Secretary, any adult may, without payment of tax, produce beer for personal or family use and not for sale. The aggregate amount of beer exempt from tax under this subsection with respect to any household shall not exceed (1) 200 gallons per calendar year if there are 2 or more adults in such household, or (2) 100 gallons per calendar year if there is only 1 adult in such household.

Read more…

I’ve always said that Homer Simpson represents mankind…. today anyway. One of my favorite Simpson scenes involves Bart being held hostage on the top floor of a building. All of Springfield has gathered in to oooo and aaahhh. The police chief, unsuccessful in his hostage negotiations, hands the bullhorn to Homer. Homer looks up with a frightened and anxious look on his face… lifts the bullhorn to his mouth… “Baaaarrrt?” he asks almost mournfully. “Yeah…” calls down Bart. Homer, looking sad and dumbfounded, asks “Do you know where the remote is?”

We spent over 8 years without a television, spring of 1992 to fall of 2000. 1991 to 1992 was my first year of law school, and the television severely interfered with my ability to study. It was difficult to overcome the addiction, but once we finally broke free from the mind-numbing control of the boob-tube, we began to think clearly, engage in long conversations, and to read. I read 5x more classic literature in those 8 years than I ever did in high-school and college…. and I appreciated it.

Earlier this week, I read about a report issued by the University of Wisconsin concerning America’s Most (and least) Literate Cities. 79 of the largest cities in the U.S. were studied in terms of the literacy behaviors of their citizens. (i.e. buying newspapers, buying books, checking materials out of libraries, etc.) I was surprised and disappointed to see that 5 of the 10 cities at the very bottom of the list were in Texas. El Paso came in dead last.

So now here’s my dilemma. I read contracts, memos, law reviews, emails, and other documents all day long at work. For the past few years, I’ve enjoyed coming home and vegging out. But I’m setting a bad example for my kids, and they’d be so much smarter if I could pull out of this “ignorance is bliss” tailspin I’m in. I know what I need to do…. I need to buy a good book, stay away from the computer, get comfortable on the couch in the den, make sure no one turns on the TV, and read for a change.