Stolen: 400 kegs of Guinness!

This sounds like something out of a Strange Brew movie! LOL!

POLICE HUNT FOR STOLEN GUINESS!

posted Friday, 30 November 2007
By Diarmaid Fleming – BBC NI Dublin correspondent.

Gardai in Dublin are on the lookout for 36,000 pints of beer stolen from the Guinness brewery.

More than 400 kegs were stolen in what is likely to be the largest carry-out of drink this Christmas.

A man drove a truck into the yard on Wednesday, and left with a trailer containing 180 Guinness kegs, 180 Budweiser kegs, and 90 Carslberg kegs. Police estimated the haul to be worth at least 64,000 euros (£46,000), at wholesale prices.

However, this figure would be considerably more if Dublin pub prices were charged. The robbery occurred the same day as a special Garda operation known as Freeflow was launched to ease traffic congestion and combat drink-driving over Christmas.

BBC NEWS REPORT.

Freeflow officers manning many checkpoints across the city are expected now also to be on the look out for any large quantity of stolen drink flowing through Dublin’s traffic.

The stolen trailer has since been found at Slane Hill in County Meath. It was empty.

BBC NEWS REPORT.

Canadian beer fridges cause global warming?

Found this article on FoxNews.com.

Study: Canadian Beer DrinkersThreaten Planet
Thursday , November 29, 2007

 

Scientists have found a new threat to the planet: Canadian beer drinkers.

The government-commissioned study says the old, inefficient “beer fridges” that one in three Canadian households use to store their Molson and Labatt’s contribute significantly to global warming by guzzling gas- and coal-fired electricity.

“People need to understand the impact of their lifestyles,” British environmental consultant Joanna Yarrow tells New Scientist magazine. “Clearly the environmental implications of having a frivolous luxury like a beer fridge are not hitting home. This research helps inform people — let’s hope it has an effect.”

The problem is that the beer fridges are mostly decades-old machines that began their second careers as beverage dispensers when Canadians upgraded to more energy-efficient models to store whatever Canadians eat besides doughnuts and poutine.

University of Alberta researcher Denise Young, who led the study, suggests that provincial authorities hold beer-fridge buy-backs or round-ups to eliminate the threat — methods that Americans use to get guns off the streets.

Pure Madness

My miniscule Freshops order came today. I’m not quite sure which aspect is more insane:

• The alpha acids on my WHOLE LEAF Summit hops are 16.5%
• I only ordered 2.5 pounds this year, compared to 8+ last year
• It cost me $75 to order 2.5 lbs, which is about as much as I spent last year.

This is probably the last order for me for quite a while. My plan is to use the store of hops in my freezer until it runs out, or I can’t take it anymore and break down again. I am bummed that there were no Columbus or Simcoe hops to be had this year – at least not when I ordered. Now it looks like Freshops has some surplus 2006 inventory of Simcoe they are selling, but still no Columbus.

But why am I whining. I haven’t brewed in over a month, and the next one may be the last of the year.

Split Rock

My friend Brian and I got 2nd Place in American Brown Ale Category for the brown ale we brewed 20 gallons of some months back. I thought it was a very well formulated beer that had tons of flavor, and we did formulate it to fit the ABA style guidelines, so I am pleased and not entirely suprised that it placed.

I am trying to remember if Brian and I placed for any of our other beers other than the Gnarleywine (3rd place at Malt Madness) this year – I think the IPA could easily do well if we can get some carbonated in the bottles – which may have to wait until I put the second 5 gallons on tap next year. It will most likely taste a little different since we used the Safale S56 American Ale Dry yeast instead of WLP001, but based on prior experience I don’t expect it to be too different.

It has been a decent year for competitions – Those 2 joint prizes, and 2 other second places for my belgians (Abbey Brown and TnT), and a first place for the Choking Sun Stout – Not a bad year at all!