Smartie's Bar & Grill #73

The Marines, I think.

 

I believe it is just that.However with a twist.It's very easy to catch
and afflicts a certain group.Definatley No EBOLA or Plague.
But the MSM is making it sur President has been placed
in a Damn if he does and Damn if he doesn't position.
I heard that Texas hasn't issued those type Executive orders
in 100 years.I heard a couple doctors now say the best way to
boost one's Immune system is to make sure and get enough sleep.
Our Immune system works best when our bodies have enough rest.
Plus don't over due it with Vitamin C.Too much can actually overwhelm
the correct way our Immune system works and may cause a delay in
the way our Immune system builds up.I used to take a daily Ester C
tab.But have started cutting down the last couple years.Because they are
too difficult to swallow.I cut them in half { 500 mg. }.
Years ago I placed one them Ester C 500 mg. tabs outside on my
Kitchen window sill.It never really broke down.
I will still take Ester C a few times a week.Michael Savage swears by
mega doses of Vitamin C.Saying he has the best vitamin C one can get.
Never said what.Most Vitamin C is manufactured in China.Ester C is All
American made.Yeah,but where did the ingredients come from.

 

Hey kids, it's another episode of Home Brew Show & Tell Time!



This is a pic I shot several weeks ago of the last brew I made using malt extract. It's an American Wheat Ale and it came out real nice. The esters in the yeast gave it a somewhat fruity flavor that is typical of a lot of Belgian white ales.

A couple of weeks ago I finally made the jump to all-grain and brewed my first Maibock:

WHAT THE HELL IS A MAIBOCK?



The basic Bock style is of 13th century, Germanic origin and a stronger style of ale (6.3 to 7.2% ABV – some as high as 12% in Germany), though one or two generally won’t rip your face off. First brewed in the central town of Einbeck, it became awfully popular in Bavaria, where their wacky dialect causes them to pronounce the town “ein Bock,” meaning “Billy Goat” in German – hence the common appearance of a goat on labels. No, it’s not just a scary flashback to your odd college years…

Bock beers have traditionally been brewed for special occasions, aka “this time let’s REALLY get f*cked up.” They’ve also been brewed to coincide with the fasting of Bavarian monks, which may explain why many Bocks, especially Maibocks, are released during the Christian season of Lent. The Maibock style is an update of the style to conform to the popularity of Pilsner/Lager beers in the mid- to late-1800s, or a stronger version of the German Helles or “light-colored” beer (aka Heller Bock).

The Maibock is lighter in color, less malty, and presents a drier finish with its larger hop profile. What separates the Maibock from other light beers is its balance, toasty malts, and a spicy or peppery taste coming from the hops. They generally feature Pils and/or Vienna malt, with Munich malt, Noble hops, and lager yeast...

https://www.americancraftbeer.com/what-the-hell-is-a-maibock/

My Maibock's probably going to end up around 6% ABV.

Tomorrow morning it's supposed to rain, so I'm going to be brewing a batch of Irish Red Ale and moving the Maibock into secondary fermentation for about three months. Next week I'm going to bottle the Märzenbier I brewed during the Holidays, so we'll be celebrating Oktoberfest early again this year.

In the meantime I'm going to be working my last case of that Wheat Ale...

 

I thought so. I remembered the pic you posted of the medic in your son's squad helping a little Iraqi girl who had fallen into a fire.

Touching photo. It kinda reminded me of the cover of Michael Yon's Moment of Truth In Iraq but with a happy ending.

Amazing young men.

 

More pictures of beer! in my Bambi glass, which an old departed friend of mine gave me...



Is it 5 o'clock yet?

 

Poor but happy is a condition some folks refuse to believe exists. I know it does because I lived it. Been there, done that... can do it again if necessary.

 

I've seen Michael Yon's work before.

Yes, they are amazing young men.

 

Your beers look delicious!

 

Well, as the ancient saying goes,
A beer a day keeps the covid away.
So bottoms up.

 

I'm goin' with that, too.

Cheers.

 

Have you gone out to see them? They are gorgeous. Lady Bird did Texas proud when she encouraged people to plant and appreciate the wildflowers.

 

Thanks, they are pretty good. I think I've finally gotten a hang on this.

When I made the jump to all-grain brewing I was surprised that it wasn't as difficult as I first thought it would be. Granted, I didn't challenge myself very hard and get really technical with things but aside from a couple minor beginners mistakes that I've already learned from the process went smoothly. Hopefully, by this time next year I'll have brewed enough batches to feel confident enough to start making my own custom recipes.

 

I see them on the side of highways around town, but haven't made a trip to the country this year. Pics of the area between Fredericksburg & Llano are spectacular. Have to see if I can find one.

And yes, Lady Bird Johnson left us a wonderful gift. Her legacy lives on at the LBJ Wildflower Center in Austin. https://g.co/kgs/EAuvvV

 

Love it... have driven this hwy before, but not with the wildflowers blooming. #1 thing to watch out for are deer crossing the road. Keeps one alert!

 

One of The best Quotes by Hud in the movie is when Lonnie
is walking off the Farm down the dusty driveway.Lonnie had enough
of Hud especially when Homer died and Alma {housekeeper} took off via bus.
Hud pulls up alongside Lonnie in his Big Fat Caddy and acts
kinda interested as in where ya goin.Ya ever comin' back.How long
you figger to be gone.Lonnie acted forlorn and didn't really know,just that
he had to leave.
Hud then tells Lonnie about the time Homer gave him advice when
heading off to the army.
" I was about yer age when I went in the army.
Yer Granddaddy bought me a Mars candy bar down the
station.He said to me ... Character's the only thing
I got to give you ... Be a Man ." - Hud

" Well I guess he was kinda worried.Yer tryin'
so hard to get out of the draft an all. " Lonnie's reply

 

Well how nice of you to say Deer.
I mean ... Dearie.

 

That sounds almost Political.Yer kin weren't the typical Yellow
Dog Democrat type.Like Kentucky { My Old Kentucky Home }.
Which ain't a gettin' any younger.

 

Every now and then I'll pick up Yon's book to remind myself just how precarious things were prior to the Surge. One of the things I liked about Yon was that he understood - as did al Qaeda's leadership - that the war AQ was fighting in the media was even more important than the war it was waging on the ground.

 

I watch it every year.But I watch movies based on the weather.
If it's Hot and dusty dry I like Movies where that kind of backdrop
{ setting } is used/Some westerns,some Battle movies.For example
- Bad Day at Black Rock - { 1955 }. I could never watch that during a
winter snowstorm.
I like Hammer Films in the Fall around Halloween,because of the
setting.Hardly any sun,cool temperate climate { fog etc. }
and the sun { what there is of } goes down kinda early.
I prefer the mood of a movie based on the setting.
Like right now I like - Knives Out - { 2019 } because that Mansion
is really awesome.It makes a statement all it's own.
Plus Christopher Plummer has done his best work the last
few years.From Playing J.Paul Getty in - All the Money in the World - {2017}
to - Remember - { 2015 } a slow but dynamic movie.Great ending.

 

After you mentioned Paul Newman's performance in Hud it got me to thinking about how some of the best performances I've ever seen were made by actors who did such a great job of playing a despicable schmuck that you wind up feeling a visceral hatred for the character. I'm not talking about the cartoonish villain types, either. There have been a lot of good ones over the years, but since Paul Newman's "Hud" I think my favorite is Tom Hardy's "John Fitzgerald" in The Revenant.



Hardy did such a great job of portraying that character as the worthless excuse for a human being that he was that you practically cheer when he gets killed at the end of the film. It takes a lot of talent to effectively play a horrible character like that.

 

Bruce Dern played a lot of "worthless excuse" roles very convincingly.

 

That looks like a lot of roads that we have been on when we were in Texas. Seeing the bluebonnets this year is off the table for me.

 

Yeah, he did. He probably deserves a lifetime achievement award for all those roles.

 

Safeway had toilet paper. I bought a four roll pack of their store brand.