Beagle,

Quote:

As for the VB Bitter, I can easily obtain a 24 bottle case, but will see if I can find a smaller quantity first, in case it isn't to my liking!



if that is the case, then send the unused ones to me, as the labelling here is insufficient to sell the stuff at my current abode.

That's about what I paid in the 26 floor furniture extravangza at Ap Lei Chau. And I got the discount. As for the boat, neither - it's a beach cat. The gadget goes in a waterproof bag and gets strapped to the trampolene. The beers go in the hull in a cold bag.

Perhaps we should arrange a bring a Cobb and cold tinnies to a remote beach expedition?



Hi BEags, Yep, I'm really miising doing QRA at HMP Mount Pleasant and saulting the flag in near freezing drizzle. Mrs W sends her regards back. Had the 22" black thingy fired up last night to feed some people who who you will remember from old. As for VB. My best advice is don't! It's not bitter, it tastes more like a mild - think Watney's mild from the 1970's and you'll get the picture. My local sells VB on tap to appease the local tamer antipodeans. But it does manage to redeem themselves by also selling an excellent pint of Budowice on tap as well as Maisels Weiss.

BEags,

Throughout four years of being gassed at least weekly in Oz, where I never once came across any charcoal-mates, I was happily weaned onto cold VB (won't tell where I lived as that would cause Howabout to crease himself). Now habitually back on John Smiths (no groaning please) I nevertheless still turn to VB for my barbie tipple, bought in either 6 or 24 pack from my local super. Give it a whirl - but don't be seen doing it, you might be accused of turning (but then I quietly suspect that you did so long ago, Weber or no).

PS: Gas-machine thoroughly minted yesterday, and VB stockpiled in advance of visiting OZ mates' invasion on Saturday. No pi**ing about with coals - waste of good drinkin' time, not to mention that awful pollution and mess.

Shall turn the other cheek to that outrageously libellous insinuation, jinda'! In any case, Her Loveliness would soon disabuse you.

In the interests of scientific research, I shall attempt to obtain some VB locally. After it has been chilled, I will give it a try in camera and report back.

Enjoy blowing the froth with your Oz-mates. From Queensland are they?

jindabyne, while I think that your practices are heathen, and you would well know my opinion of GASSERS, I, nonetheless, feel honoured to be mentioned in your post, given the cred that BEagle ascribes to you. Nonetheless, GAS sucks and always will.

As regards the VB, have you suffered some accident that's affected the taste-buds? Too much time on full oxy the morning after a dining-in maybe? As I mentioned previously, I'm an antipodeon and an avowed republican, but I cannot support the contention that VB is beer - I'm actually trashing an Australian icon ; viz telling the POMS that one of our beers is rubbish; which it is. My son, who has a mind of his own, described it as 'awful P155' first time he tried it. That was 4 years back and he hasn't touched it since.

BEagle, when you buy this stuff and crack the can/bottle make sure that you have a stout bucket near by.

It's late this end, but this thread encouraged me to arc up the Weber this evening and the lamb's just about done. Mrs Howabout decided she wanted to watch the latest James Bond (hussey!) on pay TV, that I could do the 'cooking' and bugger the lateness.

I know that I will pay for this in the morning and I don't have recourse to full oxy.

Kluge

Cobbs cheaper in UK and with free delivery....:ok: Might get one to replace my knackered Smokey Joe.

Sad times, after 18 years my Weber is finally being replaced :(, the kettle is fine but where the leg supports weld to the base they have all rotten away, however have just ordered my new Weber Gold 57", hope that lasts as long:ok:.

I did think about a Gas one but..........................just couldn't do it.

My first was bought near Pope AFB and brought home by the mighty Albert.

c130jtechie,

Thou art truly one of the converted. To replace the revered ORB - a distressing exercise in itself - to consider GAS, and to then reject the idea, says volumes.

The GASSERS can live in their fantasy land, but nothing beats a (VB-free bbq) joint done with the heat-beads (as we call them here). GAS just doesn't cut it.

It's like the difference between Rugby League and Union. The former is the preferred game for the short attention span GASSERS, while the pure form of the game is generally supported by the more cerebral, non-gas, afficianados.

Welcome to the thread. Please let us know how the first feed, from your Mighty non-gas Orb, turns out.

Howabout

Thanks, after 18 years without gas I didn't think I would convert and thank goodness I didn't.

Hurrah!!

And a truly mighty non-gas Orb it would indeed be, at 57". Presumably that's 57 centipedemetres, or 22.5"!!

Enjoy - and congratulations on having shunned the siren allure of the fuel of Satan's bottom!

My investigations today led me to discover that neither Waitrose nor Sainsburys here in British West Oxfordshire stock Victoria Bitter. We don't have a Cohen's, so I've no idea whether they sell it.

And so it was that I set forth this afternoon to a bulk booze place in Summertown, whence I purchased a case of 24 stubbies. 2 of which are now rapidly cooling in the freezer, ready for an 1800 tasting.

Jinda', I'm trusting you on this, despite your libellous comment earlier!

BEagle,

VB :hmm:

http://www.crackedkettle.com/store/i...ria_Bitter.jpg

Green stubbies are OK at the cricket (or footy), but a bit hard core for barbies.

Even MB (red stubbies) aren't much better:

http://www.fosters.com.au/enjoy/imag...urnebitter.jpg

Anyone who uses the barbie on a regular basis will cook with gas, and inevitably have a decent glass of CabSav these days, or maybe a Blonde or a Crownie if it's hot (>35C qualifies :p).

Heat beads/coals are:

1) a PITA
2) a fire hazard on Total Fire Ban days



QED: our nice little balcony barbie :ok:

http://www.barbequesgalore.com.au/me...1-lrg.1317.jpg

Thats Cruel John-----it is 100 Degrees here Today, and I can only Look at the VB..!

and BTW, the Crownies are EXACTLY the same beer... to VB - just priced higher to trick you into thinking it is better.

Jindabyne and John Eacott - you are speaking from experience sirs.

And especially if you are on a boat. However BBQs on boats in UK would be unthinkable, the tidal range is too wide :8

"Heat beads" sound like a hippy name for "briquettes" - very foo foo. :suspect:



Dan - "beach cat" eh. Super fun. :ok:

Contrary to the idea that pussies don't like getting wet. :E

I'd have to stay off the beach as I draw 6ft. However beach forays are possible via the 3m RIB tender. And we do have onboard fridge/freezer/ice boxes for super cold Little Brown Bottles or Carlsybags and other assorted entertainments permitting overnight and extended blue water operations. Could be a plan in the making. Sounds like you live in "The Truman Show". I'm south side in between aquarium-on-the-mountain and the jockistani-named-zoo-town, not a million miles away from where you sourced your Cobb.

I too have a beautiful black 22" weber that's the pinnacle in cooking excellence. You cannot beat the orb when it comes to turkey or a pork rack.
Gas truly is for poofters. VB is more suited to gas users, to those followers of a strange form of football where they get dressed up in multi coloured singlet tops and their little sister's pants. I much prefer a Becks, Spaten or sometimes a good Barossa red.:ok:

BEagle

You are truly correct, amazing how we exagerate size sometimes :), I just wish I could have bought it in the US and transported it home like the last one I bought in the finest transporter of all time.

Well, the VB tasting result.....

1. The first stubby was over-chilled, as was the beer glass. So the beer turned into a muddy slush over a couple of inches of flat amber liquid. It went down the sink.

2. The second stubby had been taken out of the freezer and put into the beer fridge earlier. It was then poured into a glass which hadn't been chilled (is using a glass considered gay by Oz-mate standards?).

It tasted fine, nothing unpleasant at all. Better than the rather tasteless Fosters so common in the UK, certainly. And infinitely better than American Budweiser or that soft drink termed 'Coors Lite' which I saw in Sainsburys.

So, I'm with Jindabyne on this (but not with his gas) - fine as a barbi' beer. This will be confirmed when I try the next one straight from the bottle, whilst having a barbi', in the sunshine and whilst listening to Jono & Dano on WSFM 101.7* to make the beer feel at home.

*http://208.96.14.149/wsfm

A rather non-commital reply BEagle. Fosters was ditched by Australians years ago and, as for American brews, Coors and Bud are dead-set P155. The best American beer that I have tasted, and it's still below par, is Samuel Adams.

Notwithstanding, I dips my lid to you for taking on the challenge. And, to avoid thread drift, get one of those Heineken (self-pressure) kegs I referred to earlier. The keg and the non-GAS Weber are natural partners. Beautiful food and real draught beer.

BEags

See - m'thinks there might be just a hint of turning there? Tell me you didn't put your VB in the freezer though! Mates not from 'Queens'land - but that place twixt Sydney 'n Melbun, where Howabout and most other Ozzies who've never lived there would say too much gassing is done. And where coals/heat beads are disallowed for much of spring/summer. Hence my gas persuasion and conversion to thereof.

Welcome to this mad thread Eacott RN - clearly a man with a sense of reality, and a fishhead t'boot. Personally, I deploy my stubbies during the cooking phase, and follow up with your own preference of CabSav (Wolf Blass or McGuigans) during noshtime. Nice website - have a peep at mine.

Rule # 1 - Don't Freeze your Beer. - School boy error mate!