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Education and Recreation

DanH

Legacy Member
Mentor
Learning to build an airplane often requires new skills. Younger folks quite naturally know nothing, so it's important that old hands help them fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, recent events illustrate serious deficiencies even among mature builders. It has to stop.

Study this picture, a real aviation tragedy if there ever was one:

Wasted%20Beer.jpg


Yes, it's an overflowing gallon bucket of wasted beer

The real horror? There were several of them, gallons and gallons of hops, barley, and wheat, poured on the ground, when so many on this earth are forced to go without.

Monday evening I was standing with a bunch of liars, trying to think of a better lie, when someone walked up to report the taps were "foamy". A few moments of observation told the tale. We have a outrageous number of builders in the Vans community who don't know how to properly tap a beer. I'm talkin' maybe 2 in 10. I suspect it has something to do being the successful types who skipped most of the keggers in college, but gee whiz, they learned to tie their shoes and eat with a fork. You would think they would have picked up a minor social skill like pouring beer somewhere on the road of life.

Nope. They fill a cup with an inch of beer and five inches of foam, then pour out the foam, slosh in more beer, pour out more foam, and complain about the beer vendor. It's like they were getting bad rivets or something. Yeah, it can happen, but 99% of the time, it's just poor technique.

Ok, I'm here to save folks from the embarrassment of bad fiberglass and a cup full of foam. Pay attention.

This is the wrong way:

Wrong.jpg


Any of three serious errors guarantees excess foam. Combine them, and the trifecta of awfulness instantly identifies the cup bearer as a pocket protector geek who was never invited to any good party. Their parties had cupcakes and girls who did not neck.

Here's how to do it the right way:

Correct.jpg


Tap open all the way minimizes pressure drop, so less of the compressed gas bursts into bubbles while still in the spigot. No drop means less velocity, and flowing quietly down the inside of the glass means less turbulence. A skilled bartender tips the glass to upright as it fills, keeping the top of the liquid just below the rim. He might finish with a flourish, allowing a bit of drop right at the end to create an attractive head on the glass. That's optional of course. When there's a waiting line, the goal is a full serving.

So there you have it. Certainly we should train and practice to become better pilots, and that includes the pour skills so vital to describing various flying adventures to others who appreciate the creativeness of your lies. And think about it...unlike hood time on a hot afternoon, pour practice is pleasant, cool, and relaxing. So get out, find a tap, and practice, practice, practice. Come to the next Social and demonstrate some professional skill. After all, a beer is a terrible thing to waste ;)
 
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See one, do one, teach one. LOL

I wish I could’ve been at the RV social - it’s the one thing that I would’ve really liked to go to, but it sure seems like a lot of folks had a great time. I’m gonna try to catch up next year.
 
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This post deserves a sticky for the benefit of future builders who may not have misspent their youth as some of us did.

Thank you Dan.

ds
 
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Keep in mind, to pour a beer with little to no head is also an error. Some pour turbulence is required for proper beer head, which also allows the drink to outgas properly. It is poorly poured beer that gives you that bloated full feel since there is excessive outgas inside the drinker.
 
Yes, it's an overflowing gallon bucket of wasted beer

Actually, I am relieved (no pun intended)....Initially, I thought it was a gallon of beer AFTER it had "been through the consumer".................
 
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Oh my! Thanks Dan for this educational experience! I too noticed the lack of skill by some at the social. I know not everyone had the honor of being in the military where keg parties are almost a daily occurrence and not all are skilled in the engineering arts but to see that alcohol abuse is down right disgusting. LOL

Yes, this thread should be a sticky to educate those that come after us so we can say that we did our best!

Learning to build an airplane often requires new skills. Younger folks quite naturally know nothing, so it's important that old hands help them fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, recent events illustrate serious deficiencies even among mature builders. It has to stop.

After all, a beer is a terrible thing to waste ;)
 
Learning to build an airplane often requires new skills.

….

So there you have it. Certainly we should train and practice to become better pilots, and that includes the pour skills so vital to describing various flying adventures to others who appreciate the creativeness of your lies. And think about it...unlike hood time on a hot afternoon, pour practice is pleasant, cool, and relaxing. So get out, find a tap, and practice, practice, practice. Come to the next Social and demonstrate some professional skill. After all, a beer is a terrible thing to waste ;)

I see a market opportunity for “Dan’s Pour Assistance Center” opening soon. Think of the franchising opportunity, a “Dan’s” on every corner, soon we’ll forget there ever was a barkeep to serve our beer and old-timers will wax nostalgic about the days before self-serve gas, self-checkout, and matched hole kits.
 
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