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October 31, 2005
SNCA is at a beer store near you
The 2005 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is in stores. I still have a few bottles from 2004, carefully husbanded through the past year.
Look for Brooklyn Chocolate and Victory Storm King, two excellent seasonals.
Posted by aquacura.com at 08:47 PM | Comments (2)
October 23, 2005
Biofuels: Two opinions
I am choosing to present the opinions of two well-known energy professionals regarding the prospect of biofuels -- which I will define as liquid fuels derived from organic material -- replacing liquid fuels derived from petroleum.
On the optimistic end of the spectrum is Amory Lovins at the Rocky Mountain Institute. Pretty far in the other direction is Vaclav Smil at the University of Manitoba.
The RMI article, from the Fall 2005 newsletter, is actually authored by Nathan Glasgow and Lena Hansen, but it presents points that Dr. Lovins has made over the years. The authors suggest that cellulosic feedstocks could be derived from waste streams, and that crops that can be fermented directly to produce ethanol can be grown on marginal land not suited for food production, or on some of the 17 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program land that is currently not cultivated.
Dr. Smil suggests a more pessimistic situation in his recent Energy at the Crossroads, stating pretty firmly that the U.S. does not have sufficient land to grow food and liquid fuel feedstock.
I believe the RMI assertions might be a little too optimistic, for several reasons. First, although I believe we will eventually develop commercially viable processes to break down cellulose for ethanol fermentation, the processes that are currently used do not seem to be scalable economically. And I believe the simple assertion that marginal land or currently reserved, arable land could be committed to ethanol feedstock (or, for that matter, to oil seed production for biodiesel) is too facile. Marginal lands are marginal because they are steeply sloped, prone to erosion, wet, etc. We would have to be thoughtful about turning these lands to crop production. And we may need the 17 million acres of arable land to grow food if synthetic fertilizer becomes scarce or costly due to petroleum depletion.
I also think Smil's findings (which do not seem to be better supported by analysis than the RMI assertions) might be too grim.
So, once again, we come to what seems to be a reasonable conclusion: we will figure out how to produce liquid fuel from organic feedstocks, but we will not be able to supply such alternate fuels at the rate our society currently consumes liquid petroleum fuel. That is my point: not that we will have to abandon internal combustion engines, jet engines, etc, but that we will have to cut back significantly on the miles travelled with such engines.
Posted by aquacura.com at 07:23 PM | Comments (1)
October 08, 2005
Make that four centuries
Tammy had other plans. As last week progressed, I watched the weather forecast as it first called out the potential effects of Stan. Stan went south to wreak havoc in Mexico and Guatemala. So for a day or so, it looked like we would see the sun on Saturday.
But it was not to be.
By about Thursday, the forecasts were all settling in on rain through the weekend, and even into next week. I rode in rain on the Seagull in 2003, showers overtaking us in the afternoon, so I continued to think we might get this ride in.
Friday brought steady rain, punctuated by downpours, in central PA. Salisbury was getting spritzed, but the forecast called for steady rain on Saturday. By late Friday afternoon, the rain had started in Salisbury. So I modified my plan to camp out near the university and set my alarm at home for 3 am.
I woke up at 3 to hear -- probably imagine -- that the rain was not as heavy as it had been through the night. As I passed Lancaster and headed south toward Delaware the rainfall intensity increased, and a few miles north of Newark I decided that the trip would be futile. I was having trouble seeing the lines on the road, and I still had about two hours to get to Salisbury. I stopped at a Dunkin Donut and killed some time until the sky started to lighten, and then headed home.
It looks like the storm might be about over here, and I might get out to ride tomorrow. I still might get a fifth century in this year. Either repeat one that I have done already or freelance.
We have had a good string of long rides this year, the weather being pretty cooperative on weekends. The Seagull has also been pretty free of bad weather over the years. 2003 was the only on of about 7 that has seen rain (although I believe 2002, which I missed, was rainy).
Posted by aquacura.com at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2005
About stouts
Phil, my beer mentor, has met the challenge I made in yesterday's posting: ten best stouts.
His list of stouts and porters is:
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (a seasonal)
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Guinness
Sierra Nevada Stout
Boulevard Dry Stout (from a Kansas City microbrewery)
Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout (Freeport microbrewery)
Yuengling Porter (a real beer value)
Clipper City Peg Leg Stout
Weyerbacher Heresy (Easton brew)
Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout
He gives honorable mention to Anchor Porter and Sierra Nevada Porter.
I have to note a glaring absence: Victory Storm King (Downingtown). It's a seasonal and it is a tremendous brew.
The Brooklyn and Young's at the top of the list are hard to argue. I think I might nudge the Weyerbacher out to give space to the Victory.
Speaking of Yuengling, Chesterfield Ale is a great ale value. It compares reasonably well to more expensive pale ales, and the price is surprisingly low. A good starter ale.
Posted by aquacura.com at 08:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 04, 2005
Ten good ales
My beer mentor, Phil, has produced the following list of good ales.
Let me know if you agree, if you've tried them, and if you think others deserve a top ten ranking (and which one gets knocked out to make room)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (and the seasonal Celebration: what can we say?)
Blue Pointe Hoptical Illusion
Yards IPA
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Anchor Liberty
Dogfish Head 60 Minute (has anyone tried the 90 Minute?)
Pyramid IPA
Tuppers Hop Pocket Ale
Victory Hopfest
Bridgeport IPA
I've tried most of them, and I can't disagree with any of the choices. Troegs, a Harrisburg brew, is a fine pale ale, though. It may be heresy, but I think SNPA might be vulnerable. No doubt, it is a magnificent feat of brewmastery to make a beer in such quantities that is so good. Maybe it's the comparison to Celebration, which occupies the highest point on my personal beer pyramid (small p).
OK, have at it. Who wants to list stouts?
Posted by aquacura.com at 09:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Five Centuries
We'll lighten things up a little, then we'll get back to depleting petroleum supplies.
With the main part of bicycling season nearing an end (we'll bike through the winter, on the roads when we can and in the woods when the roads are too cold, but snow stops us), I count five US centuries and a couple of metrics tossed in. A good biking season.
In July we did 100 miles on the first day of the Gettysburg MS ride.
On Labor Day, the Hanover Century.
A couple of weeks later, Harrisburg's Three Creeks Century, with no hurricane this year.
This past Sunday, the Gap Gallop from Allentown to the Delaware Water Gap and back.
And this Saturday, the venerable Seagull Century. The first century for me, back in about 1995 +/-.
And three metrics: the PA State Police, the second day of the MS, and the Civil War Century (I avoided the fourth mountain climb)
Posted by aquacura.com at 09:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack