Calibrate Those Thermometers!

 Thermometers should be calibrated whenever the they are dropped, before first used, and when going from one temperature extreme to another.  Sanitize thermometers before using and in between using.  

Ice Point Method

►Fill an insulated  cup with crushed ice and water.
►The cup  must have enough crushed ice  to provide an environment of 32°F, so you may need to pack more ice into the cup  during the process.
► When the mixture of the water has stabilized in about four or five minutes, insert the thermometer to be calibrated to the appropriate immersion depth.
►Be sure to hold the stem of the instrument away from the bottom and sides of the container (preferably one inch) to avoid error.
► If your thermometer is not accurate within +/- 2°F of 32°F., adjust the thermometer accordingly. The ice point method permits calibration to within 0.1°F.

 


Boiling Point Method
►  Place distilled water in a container and heat.
►  After the water in the container has reached a complete “rolling” boil, insert the instrument to the appropriate immersion depth.
►  Be sure there is at least a two-inch clearance between the stem or sensing element and the bottom and sides of the container.
►  If your thermometer is not accurate within +/- 2°F of 212°F., adjust thermometer accordingly. The boiling point method permits calibration to within 1.0°F.

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Fat Tire, New Belgium Brewing to break into Michigan this summer!

By John Liberty FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- One of the best-known craft beer brands and one of the country's biggest breweries will be busting into Michigan this summer.

 New Belgium Brewing Co., ranked No. 3 on a recent list of top U.S. craft breweries by Beer Marketer's Insights, has signed a distribution deal with a network of 22 distributors across the state, the Fort Collins, Colo.-based brewery announced today. It will begin shipping 22-ounce bottles in late August, according to a press release. Draft and 12-ounce offerings will follow.
 New Belgium's most popular beer is the Fat Tire Amber Ale. The brewery sold 713,000 barrels in 2011.
 For Michigan craft beer drinkers, Fat Tire similar in popularity to Bell's Brewery Inc.'s Oberon Ale, the seasonal wheat ale from the Kalamazoo brewery. Oberon will be released on March 26. Bell's came in at No. 8 on the same list with 180,000 barrels in 2011.
 New Belgium also said in the press release, it plans to collaborate on beers with Michigan breweries.
 “We’re incredibly excited to start shipping beer to Michigan,” said New Belgium spokesman, Bryan Simpson in a press release. “It’s a craft savvy state with a strong tradition of producing creative and innovative beers. We look forward to joining that community and helping to grow the fan base for craft beer.”
 New Belgium Brewing Company began operations in 1991. It produces nine year-round beers: Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Belgo IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases.

Founders vows to triple future KBS after beer lovers leave empty-handed

By Garret Ellison Founders Brewing Co. apologized on its website this weekend for not being able to sell enough of its sought-after Kentucky Breakfast Stout to beer lovers who lined up as early as 12 hours before Saturday’s limited release event.

The popularity of KBS, which was named the No. 2 beer of 2011 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, meant there were close to 1,000 people in line for the release when the Grand Rapids brewery’s taproom on Grandville Ave. SW opened at 11 a.m.
The turnout took the brewery staff by surprise and they decided to limit the purchase amount to a half-case per person instead of the advertised full case. The brewery had 315 cases to sell at $114 apiece. With the allocation cut in half, 634 people walked away with beer and the last 362 people were out of luck, the company said.

New iced-tea-flavored Coors Light

It sounds like a beverage tailor-made for the South. Coors is introducing an iced-tea-flavored version of its popular light beer in April.
“Coors Light is the world’s most refreshing beer,” Molson Coors CEO Peter Swinburn told analysts this week, according to CNNMoney. “Iced tea is the world’s most refreshing non-alcoholic drink.”  The company intends to launch the new alcoholic drink in Canada first, evaluating its performance north of the 48th parallel before deciding whether or not to expand it into the United States.
Keep your fingers crossed!