Anyone have hobbies other than guns/hunting/camping?

[Eurodriver]

http://i47.tinypic.com/n4xu7s.jpg

Just picked up a Waverunner. Tops out close to 50 MPH with two people and gear. I put almost 6 hours on it yesterday alone. Travelling from point to point on the beaches is so much faster when you're going 15 mph above the speed limit on land and you avoid traffic and redlights. :D Seriously, a 20 minute drive is less than 10 minutes by sea.

My only complaint is, and this is a given, there really isn't room to just hang out. With two people I can turn around, use the handlebars as a back rest and conversate with the (ideally hot teenage girl) person on the back, but otherwise you have to find an island to go to (Which, if the person on the back is the person mentioned previously...works out nicely)

Anyway, I paid a little more for this with the trailer and all associated equipment than a Noveske AR15. It kind of put my gun hobby in perspective.

[Moose-Knuckle]

It's get'n to be that time of year isn't? :cool:

My in-laws have a lake house and it is a great place to burn through a week's worth of un-used holiday hours. FIL has a 26' Sea Ray.

[Zhurdan]

My hobbies actually change gears as the summer approaches. Here in Wyoming, the winters can be... uhhhh.. brutal at times. Unless you consider snow removal a hobby, going outside is the last thing on your mind, so as summer approaches, it's go out side and shoot time.

During the winters though, the wife and I read like it's going out to style and I dabble in computer games.

Kinda weird actually... to look at my(our) hobbies and realize that the majority of what we do DOES revolve around shooting/camping.

[JBecker 72]

Riding and racing motocross and mountain biking. I usually take about 3 or 4 good mountain bike rides a week ranging from 8-20 miles each. Haven't been out on the racetrack in a little while though.

[montanadave]

I've recently taken up digging postholes. :bad:

[kwelz]

Besides shooting my only hobbies are Warhammer 40k and a few video games if those count.

I used to do RC Helicopters and Airplanes but I shifted that money too shooting.

[glocktogo]

Just this:

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/Glocktogo/P8130002.jpg

So I can do this:
(This is Oklahoma..in January!)

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/Glocktogo/CIMG0519.jpg

So I can catch this:

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/Glocktogo/CIMG4171.jpg

Wife enjoys it too:

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/Glocktogo/CIMG4172.jpg

[sammage]

Cars, though not quite such a gearhead as when I raced.
Still occasionally rallycross this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/sammage/WRX/IMG_0212_edited.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/sammage/WRX/rallyx300.gif

[DeltaSierra]

I've recently taken up digging postholes. :bad:

Hey, don't feel too badly...

I've noticed my arms are getting thicker by the week...:D

[Suwannee Tim]

If digging post holes is a hobby then remediating some of the stupid things various builders and trades did to the previous owner of my house is a wonderful hobby. Example, the pool deck slopes towards the back door necessitating a 150 foot pipe to drain the water and a 30 foot slot in the concrete to collect the water. Today and the rest of the week I'm doing a termite treatment of my house. Twice I have caught termite applicators cheating on the insecticide dosage so they can sell the liberated bug juice on eBay. Now I do it myself. Normally I and my wife would spend at least a week at spring break on some wilderness trip, usually canoeing. This year I worked around the house trying to catch up on some of the needed work. I would rather hire it out but I have burned so many times I do it myself. Better to do it myself than to pay for it then have to re-do it myself later after discovering the work was not done properly.

[HES]

If you asked me a month ago I would have said fishing, camping, hunting, working on my landscaping and scouting. My new hobby is seeing how many drugs in need to take to counteract the pain caused by the damage to my spine.

[C-grunt]

Cars, though not quite such a gearhead as when I raced.
Still occasionally rallycross this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/sammage/WRX/IMG_0212_edited.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/sammage/WRX/rallyx300.gif

Good looking Bugeye.

My only other real hobby is cars. Soon to be replacing the springs on my G37. First real mod done to the car. Also going to a local exhaust shop to see about a custom cat back.

[montanadave]

Hey, don't feel too badly...

I've noticed my arms are getting thicker by the week...:D

The fellow running the crew constructing my pole barn saw I had a couple of 18-20" diameter logs trimmed and prepped for a large ranch gate and took pity on me last week. As he was leaving the jobsite, he mentioned the he'd left the keys in his bobcat with the auger attached and wouldn't notice if there was a little fuel missing in the morning. When I explained I'd never run one, he took about 10 seconds to point out a couple of controls then walked off yelling over his shoulder, "nothin' to it, it's pretty self explanatory."

Taking a guy whose previous tools of the trade were a spud bar and a post hole digger and turning him loose with that bobcat made for a YouTube worthy moment. It might not have been pretty, but the holes got dug and both the machine and I survived. Had I attempted to dig those 24" wide five foot deep holes by hand I think it would have done me in.

At 53, I'm getting too old for that shit. :laugh:

[M4arc]

http://shop.hockeytutorial.com/images/puck.png

[PaulL]

http://shop.hockeytutorial.com/images/puck.png

What kind of fool contraption is that??!? :confused:

Ours look like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3378570069_05ae8e220e_o.jpg


:jester: My wife and I like watching the Aeros play here. Hockey fans are...special...

[Suwannee Tim]

......Had I attempted to dig those 24" wide five foot deep holes by hand I think it would have done me in.....

Ain't it just amazing how much dirt there is in a little bitty hole? And how much dirt there is in a little bitty pile of the stuff too. A little pile of dirt weighs 500 tons and consists of about 3,000,000 shovels full. I have worked on spreading a pile of dirt then come back to it the next day and some son of a bitch came in the night and added more dirt to the pile. Why would someone do that?

[Eurodriver]

Holy balls guys, I thought my gun hobby was expensive.

I spent $110 on gas and oil today. Just today.

This is starting to get ridiculous

Bust
Out
Another
Thousand

[J8127]

Cars, I drive a 2001 Trans Am WS6 that I spend too much time and money on.

Skydiving, I have 12 jumps, trying to work on my A license. Weather blows up here though so it's tough to rack up the jumps you need.

Being a nerd, it's a life event when a Final Fantasy or Mass Effect comes out.

[DeltaSierra]

The fellow running the crew constructing my pole barn saw I had a couple of 18-20" diameter logs trimmed and prepped for a large ranch gate and took pity on me last week. As he was leaving the jobsite, he mentioned the he'd left the keys in his bobcat with the auger attached and wouldn't notice if there was a little fuel missing in the morning. When I explained I'd never run one, he took about 10 seconds to point out a couple of controls then walked off yelling over his shoulder, "nothin' to it, it's pretty self explanatory."

Taking a guy whose previous tools of the trade were a spud bar and a post hole digger and turning him loose with that bobcat made for a YouTube worthy moment. It might not have been pretty, but the holes got dug and both the machine and I survived. Had I attempted to dig those 24" wide five foot deep holes by hand I think it would have done me in.

At 53, I'm getting too old for that shit. :laugh:


Haha! :D

I've been getting a few hours in on a skidsteer recently, as well as a Cat D6C... Quite fun to run, once you get the hang of it...!

As a matter of fact, I need to finish up a project tomorrow with the Cat... If my camera wasn't on the blink I could take some interesting video....:lol:

[Jellybean]

http://i47.tinypic.com/n4xu7s.jpg
.

Do you live in FLA? This looks strangely familiar.


Besides shooting my only hobbies are Warhammer 40k and a few video games if those count.


For the Emperor!:p
Sons of Guilliman avatar, right?
Always been an Ultramarines fan myself- yeah a little generic, but it's a long, short story.

Only other things I'm doing is continuing to dabble in playing drums, and doing a LOT of reading.
Oh, ok, and some video games too.
Trying to cut out some other stuff to progress in the gun area. I could kick myself for spending the money I did on certain other hobbies....

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Hobbies? I cant say I have any other hobbies anymore, which is sad. I do enjoy working out and running, and I'll gladly trail run when given the chance. But, staying fit is more of a job requirement than a hobby right now.

I used to ride my dirtbike until I sold it, I used to offroad until I sold my Jeep, I used to play paintball every weekend but I sort of grew out of that. I used to Bass fish in the summers while in Oklahoma, but I havent been there for years now. I suppose playing Xbox is one of my few hobbies now.

I'd really like to get into Scuba diving. Ive snorkeled a few great barrier reefs, Hawaii, Belize, Thailand, and Qatarm but Ive always wanted to Scuba dive and get down there and really see the marine life up close. I'd also really like to get a new dirtbike, but the wife wants a trip to Hawaii to celebrate the end of this deployment, so I figure thats probably a better "long term" investment.

[Eurodriver]

7am ride, made friends with a school of dolphins

Video: http://tinypic.com/r/a3o68m/6



http://i47.tinypic.com/2q34y95.jpg

[Artos]

I spend time in the Lower Laguna Madre going after reds, trout & flounder & some out in the Gulf of Mexico trying to stretch a line...used to ride a lot of enduro before the kids came along and got an itch for one of these.

http://www.ktm.com/enduro/450-exc-eu/highlights.html

[Raven Armament]

I got into homebrewing beer a couple years ago.
http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae88/Raven-Armament/beer.jpg

[montanadave]

I got into homebrewing beer a couple years ago.
http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae88/Raven-Armament/beer.jpg

I was REALLY into home brewing twenty-five years ago. Actually got pretty good at it and turned out some excellent beers. I quickly moved away from the canned malts and got into grinding my own grains, using fresh hops, ordering speciality yeasts, the whole nine yards. It was a blast. At one point, I looked around my basement and had a dozen 5-gallon carboys bubbling away and close to fifty cases of bottled brews stacked against the walls. I cooked up a russian barley wine one time that made Guinness Stout look like Coors Light (I jacked up the ETOH by fermenting it once with an ale yeast and then a second pass with a champagne yeast). That particular brew would knock your socks off. But my favorites were sharply hopped pilsners (ala Pilsner Urquell) and IPAs.

Unfortunately, being an alcoholic and homebrewing proved to be a somewhat volatile mix. A tad too easy to fire back with "Hey! I don't have a drinking problem. I'm just passionate about my hobby!" :haha:

So, alas, when I gave up the booze I had to give up that particular hobby. But it was fun (and tasty) while it lasted! Ah, that euphoric recall is so bittersweet.

[rojocorsa]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/398315_2105958026094_1759851430_1000927_2095731555_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/559599_2052925660318_1759851430_982179_882653196_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/483287_1982275414106_1759851430_958906_1185915305_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/295934_1599004952584_1759851430_816186_1028481102_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/312846_1563018852954_1759851430_789944_1062698775_n.jpg


You get the idea....

I like to fish too, but I don't get to do it enough. I need to get a new spinning reel (medium action) for an Ugly stick I've lying around as well...

[Packman73]

I've been a full-time dad for 2.5yrs with two little ones. Hobbys don't really exist for me other than those excluded in the thread title.

[Alex V]

drag racing, private pilot, photography...

I need to choose cheaper hobbies...

[Raven Armament]

I cooked up a russian barley wine one time that made Guinness Stout look like Coors Light (I jacked up the ETOH by fermenting it once with an ale yeast and then a second pass with a champagne yeast). That particular brew would knock your socks off. But my favorites were sharply hopped pilsners (ala Pilsner Urquell) and IPAs.
Mostly I brew German beer. The beer in the picture is a hefeweizen similar to Paulaner that I brewed. I'm more about the beer than the alcohol, so most of them are 4-5% ABV. I've got a Marzen (ie the Oktoberfest beer) lagering until it's time to celebrate Oktoberfest. That was is 6% ABV. Not really a fan of out balanced beers, like IPAs and such. I like balance between malt and hops. I like hop flavor and aroma, but not bitterness. I like bittering additions to balance the sweet malt flavors, then late additions to accentuate flavor/aroma.

I did about 20 batches of extract then went all grain and now finally changed over to kegging. I'm just a fridge away from having an office kegerator with four taps of beer and one tap for a 2.5 gallon mini keg of root beer for my son.

[rojocorsa]

Excuse my ignorance, but is there more than one type of Paulaner?

I thought Paulaner was just the doppelbock called "Salvator" and the Munich wheat beer was Franziskaner Weissbier?

[Raven Armament]

Excuse my ignorance, but is there more than one type of Paulaner?
Yes, Paulaner makes several styles of beer. In Germany, wheat beer is simply known as weisse-bier. In the Bohemia region and in the US, it's known as hefeweizen (HAY-fe-VITE-zen), yeast wheat, meaning yeast is in suspension and the beer is made with 50% wheat malt. Hacker-Pschorr is another brewery that makes wheat beer, they call it weisse bier as is tradition in Germany. It's labeled as such for sale in the US. Weihenstephan is also another brewery in Germany that makes wheat beer, among others. Their dunkelweizen (dark wheat beer) is an excellent beer using dark wheat malt instead of white wheat malt of a hefeweizen, giving the darker color.


I thought Paulaner was just the doppelbock called "Salvator" and the Munich wheat beer was Franziskaner Weissbier?
Both make several styles of beer including ales and lagers.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/142

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/124

Here's an excellent link to German beer styles and some brewery examples of the styles.
http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/styles.html

[rojocorsa]

Thanks, learn something new everyday.

Would like to try homebrewing some time myself; it would also compliment my interest in cooking.


I want to be a good cook AND a rifleman. :)

[JBecker 72]

Here are some riding pics.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s73/hownowbrowncow_02/Bikes/BuddsCreekSXF1.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s73/hownowbrowncow_02/Bikes/22347_104389359579659_100000257872266_110285_1712383_n.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s73/hownowbrowncow_02/Bikes/16251_103485429670052_100000257872266_87638_7101752_n.jpg

I used to ride sport bikes too, however I haven't owned one in about 3 years. I would like to get another track bike though.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s73/hownowbrowncow_02/Bikes/KIT_4660-1.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s73/hownowbrowncow_02/Bikes/KIT_3864.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s73/hownowbrowncow_02/Bikes/16251_103487963003132_100000257872266_87660_2040045_n.jpg

[M4arc]

Besides hockey here's my other hobby:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/oclvtrek/Harley%20Wide%20Glide/IMG_6130.jpg

[jwfuhrman]

I have way to many hobbies..... some I recently gave up in the last year or 2.

Quit playing in 2009
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/paintballaddict/c174697b.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/paintballaddict/f648ab91.jpg

Current hobbies other than listed in title:

Lots and lots of concerts:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/paintballaddict/5115e2fa.jpg
Jeep:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/paintballaddict/6ef3297f.jpg
Not really a hobby or a job, but I love doing it:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/paintballaddict/1f2da2b1.jpg

[Raven Armament]

Live internet radio and podcasts about home brewing and craft beer. The Sunday Session is their flagship show. Earlier shows have more information on homebrewing and they been getting more into the craft beer side of things lately, but still good information. It's adult humor, so keep the kids away. They have other PG rated shows dealing with technical aspects of brewing. Also a podcast of the Home Brew Chef about using beer with cooking.

www.thebrewingnetwork.com

These are homebrew supply shops located in CA. I recommend all of them. They are good companies that know their stuff.

www.morebeer.com

www.williamsbrewing.com

www.hoptech.com

The one book you need is How to Brew by John Palmer. Covers everything and is as technical as you want to get. Brewing in it's simplest form is soaking cracked malted grain in hot water for an hour, rinsing the sugar from it, boiling it with hops for an hour, then pitching yeast to ferment, then bottle.

Homebrewing is rewarding by itself, but when I started using beer with cooking it opened up a whole new world for me. Traditionally "beer can" chicken uses the tasteless light American lagers, like Coors and Miller. Save an empty can and fill it with a craft IPA (you've got great choices in California) instead. Adds a citrus/grapefruit flavor to the chicken that's so moist it's unbelievable.

Beer and food go together better than wine can ever imagine. Much more flavors in beer than in wine.

[ASH556]

Man, I swear I have too many hobbies (my wife is very patient, but agrees with the "too many" part.)

The problem I have is trying to be good at all of them. I'm not content to be mediocre at anything, but I'm afraid I have so many that I end up being mediocre at everything. I'm actually trying to figure out how to streamline and drop a few, but I can't decide what to drop. I've been struggling with this for a few years now actually. Here's a brief pictorial overview of what I do:

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/IMG_8135-1.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/10222011275.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/IMG_5908.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/07182011198.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/IMG_5690.jpg

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/Image022.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/Image021.jpg

The shooting and hunting kind of go together, but then there's archery/bowhunting. I play the drums semi-professionally (I get paid and do some studio session work, but my full-time job is as a valve automation engineer.) The aquarium was a gift and is as much of a home decor item as it is a hobby. Fishing is just plain relaxing. Oh, and I have to maintain some semblance of a golf game to hang out with friends/family that do that...geez, no wonder I don't have any money for ammo!

[Raven Armament]

I used to be into aquariums a few years ago. I was big into brackish tanks. I had a tank with yellow perch in it took. Those are neat to watch.

[theblackknight]

Past hobbies
MTX
BMX


Current hobbies

IDPA/Production
MTBING
Skateboarding
Snowboarding when I can make it
finding new IPA's and drinking them.more ABV/IBU's,the better.


Hobbies I'd like to add
Surfing or SUPing
saltwater kayak



Shooting being the least dangerous of them all. I cant atribute 1 fake tooth or broken anything to USPSA.

[sandsunsurf]

I'm pretty into scuba, and the traveling associated with it :)

I've been very lucky, and have been several places: Hawaii, Cozumel, Akumal MX, Bonaire, Turks & Caicos, Channel Islands and Panama (both coasts).

I also started bass fishing a couple years ago.

http://img.tapatalk.com/a6cd890b-40b8-6e91.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/a6cd890b-4282-deef.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/a6cd890b-42b6-f617.jpg

[Watrdawg]

Scuba Diving and working on my GMC diesel truck. I just finished up some upgrade to my truck and it's scary fast. Between the upgrades and tuning I'm pushing about 550 rear wheel HP which is about 700hp at the crank. This is actually pretty tame compared to what is possible. However, without rebuilding the engine to handle any more power I could easily lose it. That will be my next project. It'll be a while though before I can swing that.

[6933]

Changing diapers.

[montanadave]

Changing diapers.

Suddenly those post holes are lookin' pretty good! :laugh:

[chadbag]

Changing diapers.

Luckily we are now past that a year.

My son is 9 and getting interested in my stuff I have laying around the basement. RC planes, shooting, etc...

I like to cook, but don't do it enough to call it a hobby.

[Kfgk14]

No overlanders? I'm starting down that path, growing out of my Honda pilot for the purpose though. Ground tents, crappy off-road ability, and no aftermarket support is lame fast. I need a JK/Land Cruiser/4Runner, or maybe a Pinzgauer...fun off-road, and great bug out vehicles too!

[rojocorsa]

Live internet radio and podcasts about home brewing and craft beer. The Sunday Session is their flagship show. Earlier shows have more information on homebrewing and they been getting more into the craft beer side of things lately, but still good information. It's adult humor, so keep the kids away. They have other PG rated shows dealing with technical aspects of brewing. Also a podcast of the Home Brew Chef about using beer with cooking.

www.thebrewingnetwork.com

These are homebrew supply shops located in CA. I recommend all of them. They are good companies that know their stuff.

www.morebeer.com

www.williamsbrewing.com

www.hoptech.com

The one book you need is How to Brew by John Palmer. Covers everything and is as technical as you want to get. Brewing in it's simplest form is soaking cracked malted grain in hot water for an hour, rinsing the sugar from it, boiling it with hops for an hour, then pitching yeast to ferment, then bottle.

Homebrewing is rewarding by itself, but when I started using beer with cooking it opened up a whole new world for me. Traditionally "beer can" chicken uses the tasteless light American lagers, like Coors and Miller. Save an empty can and fill it with a craft IPA (you've got great choices in California) instead. Adds a citrus/grapefruit flavor to the chicken that's so moist it's unbelievable.

Beer and food go together better than wine can ever imagine. Much more flavors in beer than in wine.

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I'll be a happy man when I learn how to make Imperial stouts. I love stouts and the doppelbock really grew on me too. Right now, I really want to try the Franziskaner Weissbier.
I have heard of beer-can chicken, but I'm not specifically familiar with it. I will add this to my list of things to fix now.

Not familiar with India Pale Ales, other than I read how they are extra-hopsy so they would keep better on ships. Which easily found and decent brand would you recommend to try?

Thanks again.




Regarding all the large-mouth bass pics, this is the great American gamefish I've always wanted to go after but have never had a chance.

[dennisuello]

Four wheeling. I have a Jeep for family wheeling and trail riding.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_nWJGyG_5BA/T3nI9Lx3Y5I/AAAAAAAAAEI/EbCDOn8K3uU/s800/DSCN0202.JPG

And a single-seater buggy for competitions and hard core trails.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0tczvThjOY4/T3nI90k0oOI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/dHqASehdMNU/s800/OL016352.JPG


And last month my Jeep made the cover of Four Wheeler magazine. :D

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--wbKuRMplGM/T0h1_XaTBAI/AAAAAAAAADA/3QqQYpRlEc0/s800/IMG_0044.PNG

[Moose-Knuckle]

And last month my Jeep made the cover of Four Wheeler magazine. :D

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--wbKuRMplGM/T0h1_XaTBAI/AAAAAAAAADA/3QqQYpRlEc0/s800/IMG_0044.PNG

That's pretty slick, congrats! :cool:

[longball]

Scuba Diving and working on my GMC diesel truck. I just finished up some upgrade to my truck and it's scary fast. Between the upgrades and tuning I'm pushing about 550 rear wheel HP which is about 700hp at the crank. This is actually pretty tame compared to what is possible. However, without rebuilding the engine to handle any more power I could easily lose it. That will be my next project. It'll be a while though before I can swing that.

Its amazing what one can get out of a modern diesel motor. I drive a LB7 that is in factory condition with the exception of a Hypertech programmer (can't justify going the EFI Live or similar route for my uses). I've been searching for a forum that is to diesel motors what M4C is to the gun world. I am starting to look into exhaust, intakes, and other mods but would like to do some no nonsense reading first. Any suggestions?

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n498/jamesguilliams/Vehicles/ffefff63.jpg

[Watrdawg]

Its amazing what one can get out of a modern diesel motor. I drive a LB7 that is in factory condition with the exception of a Hypertech programmer (can't justify going the EFI Live or similar route for my uses). I've been searching for a forum that is to diesel motors what M4C is to the gun world. I am starting to look into exhaust, intakes, and other mods but would like to do some no nonsense reading first. Any suggestions?

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n498/jamesguilliams/ffefff63.jpg

A great forum to go to is www.dieselplace.com It is dedicated solely to Duramax diesel engines. Has most everything broken down by engine year. Even has a great DIY section. As far as comparing it to M4C I would say it is easily has as much diesel info but is somewhere in between ARFCOM and M4C as far as being hard core no nonsense.

Good looking truck by the way

[Raven Armament]

I have heard of beer-can chicken, but I'm not specifically familiar with it. I will add this to my list of things to fix now.
Basically grilling a whole chicken with a can of beer shoved up its ass. Adds moisture and flavor. That's the cliff notes. You can play around with different beer flavors.


Not familiar with India Pale Ales, other than I read how they are extra-hopsy so they would keep better on ships. Which easily found and decent brand would you recommend to try?
You're in CA, which is craft beer mecca. Stone Brewing, Lagunitas, Russian River, Ale Smith, Downtown Joe's Brewpub, Firestone Walker. Sierra Nevada's Celebration is a good IPA to start with if you're new to the style. So is Sam Adam's Latitude 48. Those two are approachable beers. If you had Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale, their Celebration IPA is a bit more spirited. Their Torpedo Extra IPA is like divorce in a bottle (very bitter).

[Zhurdan]

Basically grilling a whole chicken with an OPEN can of beer shoved up its ass. Adds moisture and flavor. That's the cliff notes. You can play around with different beer flavors.



Small correction so someone doesn't end up with an exploding chicken. :D

[rojocorsa]

Noted. Thanks gents.



And well, at least there is something nice to say about this state... :cool:

[JBecker 72]

You're in CA, which is craft beer mecca. Stone Brewing, Lagunitas, Russian River, Ale Smith, Downtown Joe's Brewpub, Firestone Walker. Sierra Nevada's Celebration is a good IPA to start with if you're new to the style. So is Sam Adam's Latitude 48. Those two are approachable beers. If you had Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale, their Celebration IPA is a bit more spirited. Their Torpedo Extra IPA is like divorce in a bottle (very bitter).

I work 1 mile from Russian River Brewing co, they have some amazing beer. Not a huge fan of Sierra Nevada, or Lagunitas really. Bear Republic's Racer 5 is a pretty good IPA, but I still prefer RRB's Pliney and Blind Pig.

[sl4mdaddy]

...being a horrible golfer but hey, I go for the beer and stogies.

[kaiservontexas]

I am getting back into freshwater fishing. I got my license yesterday, and some tackle.

I also sketch, video games, reading, and I hike about my area (suburban) and note deer tracks and other animals. It makes walking more fun.

[Packman73]

The only hobby I have time for anymore is porn. Sad.

[mattjmcd]

Marriage and kids will do that, I suppose. I don't do much flying, scuba diving, or surfing anymore.

These days I am into collecting mechanical watches, and following F1. That's about it, really. Oddly enough, I see a few guys from this board on the watch fora, too, so I guess it's a common interest among shooters..?

[Canonshooter]

Cars, though not quite such a gearhead as when I raced.
Still occasionally rallycross this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/sammage/WRX/IMG_0212_edited.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/sammage/WRX/rallyx300.gif

My other long-time hobbies include go-fast cars (Subaru!), photography and 2-channel audio.

The '07 Forester below - which I purchased new - has run the 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds at 106 MPH (and it's an automatic).

http://www.canonshooter.com/photos2/fxt-20.jpg

[glocktogo]

My other long-time hobbies include go-fast cars (Subaru!), photography and 2-channel audio.

The '07 Forester below - which I purchased new - has run the 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds at 106 MPH (and it's an automatic).

http://www.canonshooter.com/photos2/fxt-20.jpg

That looks sweet! Care to share some more pics and the mod list?

[theblackknight]

You're in CA, which is craft beer mecca. Stone Brewing, Lagunitas, Russian River, Ale Smith, Downtown Joe's Brewpub, Firestone Walker. Sierra Nevada's Celebration is a good IPA to start with if you're new to the style. So is Sam Adam's Latitude 48. Those two are approachable beers. If you had Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale, their Celebration IPA is a bit more spirited. Their Torpedo Extra IPA is like divorce in a bottle (very bitter).



Hell yeah! Lagunitas has a good "gateway" IPA, comes in a 22oz bottle if you can find them! SN Celebration is seasonal(????), and I think starts before thanksgiving and goes till mid Jan. I have 2 waiting in my fridge when I'm conus that I saved from thanksgiving,its my traditional with-meal beer.Very toasty with a lot of woodiness. Torpedo is great. Also try anything from DogFish Head, the real gateway IPA. Thier 90m is 9abv,and has great midnotes and nuttyness. Once you get used to those, reach for a Imperial IPA, which usually come in 4s because the IBU count is 120-160 and the abv is always above 10%. I have yet to try DFH's 120m IPA,which clocks in at 18% abv, because SC,NC,and VA have abv caps.

Seattle seems to be a craft beer heaven with all the hipsters over there.

http://homeiswherethebrewis.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/hop-head.jpg

[OldState]

Funny how "birds of a feather flock together". I see a lot of similar interests.

My college home-brewing hobby in the mid 90's turned into working for the 1st three year out of school as a brewer for a brew pub chain called John Harvards. We actually won a few medal at the GABF and some smaller venues. Cool job but the pay was pitiful.

I haven't gotten back into home-brewing and probably never will.

[Raven Armament]

Small correction so someone doesn't end up with an exploding chicken. :D
I figured members here have common sense, thus why I omitted that detail.


I work 1 mile from Russian River Brewing co, they have some amazing beer. Not a huge fan of Sierra Nevada, or Lagunitas really. Bear Republic's Racer 5 is a pretty good IPA, but I still prefer RRB's Pliney and Blind Pig.
Never had RR or Lagunitas, just going off what the podcast I linked to says. They don't distribute in MI. SN is a good gateway to craft beer.

I'm not an IPA fan nor drinker so I'm the last guy to ask about that style. I've got enough bitterness in my marriage, I don't need it in my beer.:dance3:


Hell yeah! Lagunitas has a good "gateway" IPA, comes in a 22oz bottle if you can find them! SN Celebration is seasonal(????), and I think starts before thanksgiving and goes till mid Jan. I have 2 waiting in my fridge when I'm conus that I saved from thanksgiving,its my traditional with-meal beer.Very toasty with a lot of woodiness. Torpedo is great. Also try anything from DogFish Head, the real gateway IPA. Thier 90m is 9abv,and has great midnotes and nuttyness. Once you get used to those, reach for a Imperial IPA, which usually come in 4s because the IBU count is 120-160 and the abv is always above 10%. I have yet to try DFH's 120m IPA,which clocks in at 18% abv, because SC,NC,and VA have abv caps.
DFH turns me off. I'm not interested in any of their beers. A beer at 18% ABV? Nope.

I like my IBUs 15-40 with malt balance.


Seattle seems to be a craft beer heaven with all the hipsters over there.
Seattle is good, Portland is better.

[Raven Armament]

And well, at least there is something nice to say about this state... :cool:
There are precisely three things about California I will hump air like Ace Ventura about:

1. Legal to split lanes on a motorcycle.
2. The weather.
3. The craft beer scene.

[theblackknight]

I figured members here have common sense, thus why I omitted that detail.


Never had RR or Lagunitas, just going off what the podcast I linked to says. They don't distribute in MI. SN is a good gateway to craft beer.

I'm not an IPA fan nor drinker so I'm the last guy to ask about that style. I've got enough bitterness in my marriage, I don't need it in my beer.:dance3:


DFH turns me off. I'm not interested in any of their beers. A beer at 18% ABV? Nope.

I like my IBUs 15-40 with malt balance.


Seattle is good, Portland is better.

I think I meant Portland. One day I'd like to try Brewdog's Sink the Bismark which is a quadruple IPA and comes in at 41% abv, highest in the world. I think its like 90$ a bottle tho and super limited.

The only sad thing about IPA is it ruins all other beers for you. I used to love SA's octoberfest. Now it tastes like water.

I would encourage everybody reading this to go watch Beer Wars on hulu for free. Seems as tho the big 3's boring ass beers are driving people to the smaller crafts and reginals. Which is good. We need more Yuengling's,SN,SA, New Belgiums and Dogfish Head's out there.

[rojocorsa]

Tried Franziskaner Weissbier today for the first time.

I only had one bottle and my initial impression was that it is just so different than what I'm used to. It almost gave me this neutral taste since it wasnt too malty or too hopsy. The subtleties seemed interesting because it wasn't empty like some gay light beer.

That's my impression of it thus far.

Trying IPA and Belgian Ale are on the list next.

[rob_s]

My other long-time hobbies include go-fast cars (Subaru!), photography and 2-channel audio.

The '07 Forester below - which I purchased new - has run the 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds at 106 MPH (and it's an automatic).

http://www.canonshooter.com/photos2/fxt-20.jpg

I'd like to hear/see more about this. Especially mods/cost info if you wouldn't mind sharing.

[yellowfin]

My non-gun related hobbies are fishing, cooking, wine collecting, and travel.

[Raven Armament]

Tried Franziskaner Weissbier today for the first time.

I only had one bottle and my initial impression was that it is just so different than what I'm used to. It almost gave me this neutral taste since it wasnt too malty or too hopsy. The subtleties seemed interesting because it wasn't empty like some gay light beer.

That's my impression of it thus far.
That's the balance with hops and malt I'm referring to. The German wheat beer style is one that isn't showcasing malt or hops, but yeast profile. The flavor is derived from the yeast and the hops and malt are very neutral. It does have a body left behind from the malt, but that's why it doesn't have the mouthfeel like light lagers. There are American wheat beers which are similar but use a neutral yeast strain that doesn't give the banana, clove, bubblegum, type flavor and esters that the German yeast strains do. Fermentation temperature determines the flavor profile with that yeast strain.

[Wiggity]

I actually have several other hobbies


Snowboarding/skiing in the winter

Downhill mountain biking in the summer

Cooking with the girl

Grilling every night in the summer

Battlefield 3 late at night

Exploring the ocean of micro breweries up here

Travel, don't get to do as much of this as I'd like to but went to Italy and Costa Rica last year


Having fun is pretty much my favorite thing to do.

[rojocorsa]

That's the balance with hops and malt I'm referring to. The German wheat beer style is one that isn't showcasing malt or hops, but yeast profile. The flavor is derived from the yeast and the hops and malt are very neutral. It does have a body left behind from the malt, but that's why it doesn't have the mouthfeel like light lagers. There are American wheat beers which are similar but use a neutral yeast strain that doesn't give the banana, clove, bubblegum, type flavor and esters that the German yeast strains do. Fermentation temperature determines the flavor profile with that yeast strain.


Interesting.

Is this a good time to ask why the yeast makes the beer cloudy instead of clear like on lagers?

[telecustom]

I'm into building Warhammer 40k models and semi-retired musician.

[TehLlama]

Scottish Bagpipe Band Side Drumming.

the family does Sprint Car racing (ASCS).


Raven - your taste is spot on. 10-40 IBU with balanced malt FTW. Odd that Albuquerque has three impressive craft microbreweries.

[OldState]

Interesting.

Is this a good time to ask why the yeast makes the beer cloudy instead of clear like on lagers?

Most beers are filtered which is why they are clear. In addition to the yeast, Wheat beers are cloudy because they are unfiltered and the proteins from the wheat remain suspended to a greater extent to which malted barley solids do. That being said, in a wheat beer there is usually a large proportion of the mash that is malted barely.

The yeasts traditionally used in German wheat beers and Belgian white ales have some funky flavors that are inherent in the strain.

When I worked for John Harvards we made a white ale for the GABF and had a specific yeast shipped to us. This freaked out the other brewer I worked with because he though the brewery would get "infected" :).

We sprayed everything down with the iodophor/phosphoric acid solution we kept on hand. We never brought a "foreign" yeast in the brew house again.

[Eurodriver]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ne4lRLw1dk&feature=channel&list=UL

[Raven Armament]

Interesting.

Is this a good time to ask why the yeast makes the beer cloudy instead of clear like on lagers?
A German style wheat beer is unfiltered. The reason it's called a hefeweizen, meaning "yeast wheat", is the yeast is suspended in the beer and gives a cloudy appearance. That's what the style is. It's harder to see in a dunkelweizen (dark wheat) because of the color. A hefeweizen and dunkelweizen are identical except in color.

Different yeast strains flocculate (drop out of suspension and collect on the bottom of the fermenter) more or less than others. The hefeweizen yeast is a low flocculation yeast, meaning a majority of the yeast cells will stay in suspension. A different ale yeast strain, such as the common WLP001 used by Sierra Nevada for their Pale Ale beer, is a high flocculation yeast and will leave very little yeast in suspension.

Proteins from the wheat malt produce some haze, but the vast majority is due to the yeast strain. Same thing in a wit style beer.

Macro lagers from BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors and their subsidaries) are all filtered to produce a visually clean product. The real reason for this is storage and shelf life. Without yeast, it's less prone to spoil and get a skunky flavor. This is why most bottles are amber and not clear like Corona or Newcastle. Ever have a skunky tasting Corona? The reason is because it's lightstruck, or the yeast has been exposed to light and the yeast has given an off flavor while in the bottle. To prevent that, beer is filtered and/or packaged in amber colored bottles, or even better yet, cans.

Temperature swings can also have a similar effect on yeast and off flavors when bottled and unfiltered. I never buy beer that's not in a cooler. Temperature swings cause yeast to do things you don't want it to do. This doesn't matter with BMC lagers because they are filtered. You can take a Budweiser (can or bottle) keep it at 100 degrees for a year, then chill it to serving temperature and it will taste no different than if it was cold for an entire year and then consumed. You can pretty much beat the shit out of a macro lager and it won't matter. Craft beer is different.

[Packman73]

This is/was a hobby of mine until I ran out of time and money.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/data/500/MothersDay2010.jpg (http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/81404/cat/500)

Does waiting for football season to start count as a hobby?:sarcastic:

[JBecker 72]

Does waiting for football season to start count as a hobby?:sarcastic:

Yes it does! :D

[sammage]

My other long-time hobbies include go-fast cars (Subaru!), photography and 2-channel audio.

The '07 Forester below - which I purchased new - has run the 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds at 106 MPH (and it's an automatic).

http://www.canonshooter.com/photos2/fxt-20.jpg

Nice FXT there. My buddy is getting ready to have IPT work over the auto out of his wife's. My WRX managed to spin a bearing this weekend, so now I get to figure out what to replace the motor with.

Looking to pick up a Crown Vic Police Interceptor tonight for cheap too for a daily that I might flip.

[OldState]

The reason is because it's lightstruck, or the yeast has been exposed to light and the yeast has given an off flavor while in the bottle. To prevent that, beer is filtered and/or packaged in amber colored bottles, or even better yet, cans.



"Skunkyness" is caused by the the interaction of ultraviolet light and hop oils. ;)

http://www.benchfly.com/blog/the-chemistry-of-skunky-beer/

[rojocorsa]

Man Raven, you really know your stuff!

I'm going to see if I can swing getting a starter home brew kit this summer and maybe try my hand at it. In fact it was this thread that put the thought in my head.

Why the hell not?

[chadbag]

Quick question on beer and storage. I am not a drinker. But I occasionally buy alcoholic beverages for cooking purposes. I am not worried about liquor (my bottle of tequila lasts a good many years), but was wondering what the shelf life is of a can or bottle of commercially packed beer.

If I buy a few cans of whatever beer, how long should I be able to store it on my shelf before use? I'd rather not have to drive to the state liquor store every time I get the urge to try a recipe that calls for beer.


thanks


--

[Raven Armament]

Quick question on beer and storage. I am not a drinker. But I occasionally buy alcoholic beverages for cooking purposes. I am not worried about liquor (my bottle of tequila lasts a good many years), but was wondering what the shelf life is of a can or bottle of commercially packed beer.

If I buy a few cans of whatever beer, how long should I be able to store it on my shelf before use? I'd rather not have to drive to the state liquor store every time I get the urge to try a recipe that calls for beer.


thanks


--
Cans store better than bottles as there is less chance of oxidation during packaging and storage. The bottle cap is not as tight as the crimped seal on the can.

Beer should be fine for several months if unopened and stored cool and dry, say 50-60 degrees. The fresher the better, even with cooking, of course.

[chadbag]

Cans store better than bottles as there is less chance of oxidation during packaging and storage. The bottle cap is not as tight as the crimped seal on the can.

Beer should be fine for several months if unopened and stored cool and dry, say 50-60 degrees. The fresher the better, even with cooking, of course.

Cool, thanks. What about opened wine bottles? Say a red? (not the bags of cheap table wine). Does it need to be refrigerated and how long will it last?

I have something in mind that needs beer for Mother's Day cooking, and will probably by 2, maybe 3 cans, as I can probably find something else this summer to use it with ;)

The state liquor store (where you have to go to buy non 3.2 watered down beer, as well as real wine and liquor) is not that close, and it is a depressing place to go in to so I try and not go there very often (it seems of the 10 people in line, 1-2 have nice stuff they are buying, the rest are buying 3$ bottles of cheap vodka or something and the checkout person knows them by name, and vice versa, and, being a state run monopoly, they put 0 effort into making the place look nice and inviting, and it is rather industrial looking)

Thanks

[Raven Armament]

Cool, thanks. What about opened wine bottles? Say a red? (not the bags of cheap table wine). Does it need to be refrigerated and how long will it last?
Wine will last for years unopened. Once opened, it will oxidize in less than two weeks and will take on a cardboard flavor. Quality of the wine is of no consequence. Oxidation is oxidation. Once you pop that cork, the clock starts. If you really want to make partial bottles last, purge the air out with nitrogen. It won't dissolve into the wine and will push the air out of the bottle and have a blanken of nitrogen in the headspace of the bottle. No oxygen, no oxidation.

Nondrinkers that cook with wine will usually give away the bottle to their guest to drink or serve it to those during that course of the meal in which the wine was used. This brings out the subtleties of the flavors that may be masked by something in the cooking process or in the food itself.

When I have beer dinners, I serve the beer with the course that it was used in. I have them take a bite of food and swallow. Then take another bite, but this time after they swallow, take a drink of the beer. It's amazing how much your palate lights up with flavor doing that. I love doing that with beer brined turkey for Thanksgiving.

Also if you reduce a beer over low heat over a few hours and use it as a sauce, it's amazing! For brines or reductions, use a malty beer like a porter, stout, German bock, or Oktoberfest. One of my favorite beers to reduce is Sierra Nevada Tumbler brown ale. Reduce it to a bit more runny than a syrup and drizzle it over pork chops.

For something more interesting, put hops and cheese in the same Tupperware container for several days. The cheese will absorb the aroma of the hops. Adds a different dimension to sandwiches.


I have something in mind that needs beer for Mother's Day cooking, and will probably by 2, maybe 3 cans, as I can probably find something else this summer to use it with ;)
With cans, you should be fine doing that. I wouldn't worry over it.


The state liquor store (where you have to go to buy non 3.2 watered down beer, as well as real wine and liquor) is not that close, and it is a depressing place to go in to so I try and not go there very often (it seems of the 10 people in line, 1-2 have nice stuff they are buying, the rest are buying 3$ bottles of cheap vodka or something and the checkout person knows them by name, and vice versa, and, being a state run monopoly, they put 0 effort into making the place look nice and inviting, and it is rather industrial looking)

Thanks
I'm aware of UT's problems, to say the least. :D It sucks you have to go through stuff like that. Here in Michigan, the only stupid purchasing law is a no alcohol before noon on Sundays state law. You can apply for a Sunday license to be able to sell before noon on Sunday, but it's separate from your standard retailer license.

[Raven Armament]

"Skunkyness" is caused by the the interaction of ultraviolet light and hop oils. ;)

http://www.benchfly.com/blog/the-chemistry-of-skunky-beer/
Yes and it can also make yeast off-gas similar compounds, especially at higher temperatures.

[chadbag]

Thanks for the info.

I did a bunch of "red wine cooking" searching and found some cooking sites. They were quoting a NYT test article where the quality of the wine being used did not matter to the taste of the food, as well as quoted some tests some wine place did on frozen wine. Several people mentioned they froze their wine they earmarked for cooking if they did not use it all, so tonight, I bought an inexpensive bottle and will freeze left over in freezer bags (1/2 cup allotments) and try and use it up this summer. It is just cooking so should be OK (and any guests we might have probably are not drinkers either)

I also ended up with 4 various lager type beers in bottles (they had very few cans). They are in our dark and cool and dry basement. One I will use this weekend (beef in beer and mustard gravy) and the rest in the next few months.

Thanks for the input.



Wine will last for years unopened. Once opened, it will oxidize in less than two weeks and will take on a cardboard flavor. Quality of the wine is of no consequence. Oxidation is oxidation. Once you pop that cork, the clock starts. If you really want to make partial bottles last, purge the air out with nitrogen. It won't dissolve into the wine and will push the air out of the bottle and have a blanken of nitrogen in the headspace of the bottle. No oxygen, no oxidation.

Nondrinkers that cook with wine will usually give away the bottle to their guest to drink or serve it to those during that course of the meal in which the wine was used. This brings out the subtleties of the flavors that may be masked by something in the cooking process or in the food itself.

When I have beer dinners, I serve the beer with the course that it was used in. I have them take a bite of food and swallow. Then take another bite, but this time after they swallow, take a drink of the beer. It's amazing how much your palate lights up with flavor doing that. I love doing that with beer brined turkey for Thanksgiving.

Also if you reduce a beer over low heat over a few hours and use it as a sauce, it's amazing! For brines or reductions, use a malty beer like a porter, stout, German bock, or Oktoberfest. One of my favorite beers to reduce is Sierra Nevada Tumbler brown ale. Reduce it to a bit more runny than a syrup and drizzle it over pork chops.

For something more interesting, put hops and cheese in the same Tupperware container for several days. The cheese will absorb the aroma of the hops. Adds a different dimension to sandwiches.


With cans, you should be fine doing that. I wouldn't worry over it.


I'm aware of UT's problems, to say the least. :D It sucks you have to go through stuff like that. Here in Michigan, the only stupid purchasing law is a no alcohol before noon on Sundays state law. You can apply for a Sunday license to be able to sell before noon on Sunday, but it's separate from your standard retailer license.

[sandsunsurf]

Euro inspired me to link a video... This is fishing in panama. Two of my other hobbies, traveling and fishing! It's short, so even though it starts off slow, you should watch the whole thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6KN47PedHE&feature=youtube_gdata_player