Disclaimer - Kat the Malicious is not very happy that Clay the Corrupter and I happen to like cider a little more so then beer.

So some of us here at Nerds With Beer decided to experiment making beer and cider. We got a "Beer Kit" from a website called MrBeer.com .

The traditional brewer’s kit consists of:

(1) Brew Keg, Lid & Tap (8.5quarts)

(1) Standard Brew Pack (Beer Mixers, Booster, Sanitizer, Yeast, Instructions)

(12) Reusable Plastic Caps (For bottles I don’t have)

(1) Brewing with Mr.Beer® - Book

(1) Easy to Follow Instructions

We also purchased Glass 16oz swing top bottles, and "Archer's Orchard Hard Cider" (condensed apple juice, yeast, and sanitizer)

We decided to make the cider the first time around. Now this isn’t a particularly hard process, just long. You take this can of, what looked to me to be light colored molasses, "Concentrated Apple Juice" and boil it with some water and some sugar (we added grenadine for good measure), then add a gallon of water to this nifty plastic barrel they provide, pour the hot stuff in, add more water, add some yeast and let it sit for about 5 minutes to get the yeast awake and alive. Then "Stir Vigorously" (shake da shit outa it), and let it ferment in a cool dark place for 5 days (68-78 degrees F). Then you bottle the stuff!!! You have 2 options: still cider, or carbonated cider. Well some people have places they can go to get carbonated or sometimes even own the right equipment. For other this requires more sugar. You add about a half a teaspoon of sugar to each (16oz) bottle, and let it sit in the same temperature for about 5 weeks. This new batch of sugar reacts rather slowly with particles of yeast still living in your brew and ferments a little more, producing gasses that, when sealed, can’t go anywhere, CARBONATION!! This past Saturday we had our first of (hopefully) many cider/bear tasting parties.

So here's what I thought.....

So I recently took a trip up to PA to meet some long lost family. The Plan was to fly in, hang out in the airport and grab a bite to eat with my aunt and cousin, while waiting for my dad's flight to arrive... 

So I got off the plane, met my family, and we went to a bar and grill in the airport. We promptly started drinking. Oh, Family. My dad and his girlfriend get off their flight about an hour later and we form a plan. Part ways, do a few things with my cousin and meet the rest of the family back at my aunt’s house in a few hours. To the bar! More drinks. We met up with my dad and aunt and a few of their friends at my aunt’s house for some food and, of course, more drinks. 

A few hours later I’m on my way to my hotel. As I’m walking to my room I pass the hotel bar. More drinks! 

The next day had a little less drinking but there was still some later that night.

So you can see the theme of this trip. Anyway, let’s talk about this bar that my cousin works at.

"McGrogans" 

Spacious, karaoke on Tuesdays, awesome bartenders, nice look and feel, 200 BEERS! Yes, I said it, 200 beers. They have four 6' tall coolers in the back with about 200 different types of beers. I WAS IN HEAVEN! My girlfriend had given me some snacks, a notebook, and a crossword book to take on the plane with me. This came greatly in handy when I started drinking. 

The following will be the beers that I tried, well, at least the ones I was sober enough to write about….

Buffalo Bills Brewery - Orange Blossom Cream Ale

It has a pale orangey color, almost flat golden and it is a pretty clear ale. 

It has the aroma of a toned down life saver, with a hint of beer back ground. And some orange peel in there somewhere. 

Its kind of a sweet ale, it tastes pretty nice. It has a little bit of sour in the back of the mouth but not too much. It tastes like orange peel-cream, with a sweet-bitter niceness. It doesn’t actually have the thickness of a cream at all, but has the flavor a little.

It’s like a Hop had sex with an orange, and I think we know where the cream came from. It’s a little harsh with carbonation though, which can be annoying but it's ok for now. Overall I would say this one is pretty good.