So You Want to Carry a Pocket Pistol...

Before I get to far into this...  understand that this is not the typical BloggerBlaster gun nerd post.  A friend just got her first pistol... and I thought I would write up a post for her.

So... there is a big category of concealed carry pistols we call micro-pistols or mouse guns.  Generally speaking these are double-action only hammer fired .380 pistols. Think Ruger LCP, Taurus 738, ect ect ect...  I really hate the term mouse gun because it makes me think of the tiny little .22lrs with flip up barrels.  There is a world of difference between those mouse guns... and these .380s.  Regardless... we're talking about the .380s here.

Normally here I would be berating your choice of caliber but I am not going to today.  The fact is my wife carried a .380 for years and there is just no doubt in my mind she would've been effective with it on a bad day.  This is Dr Who we're talking about... and her little stainless .380 was one of the most accurate sub-compact pistols I've ever played with.  She could make a 3 hole triangle the size of a quarter on your forehead from 20 yards away. 

Here's what I know about the .380...   there are certain typs of ammunition you can use in it that meet my criteria for carry.  Remember I want to dump as much energy as possible into an attacker.  So I want the bullet to stop in the attacker.  That means I need penetration... but not to much penetration.  Now the FBI guidelines for qualifying pistols for agent use were 12 inches of penetration... but not more than 18 inches of penetration in FBI ballistic gel.

Guess what?  .380 federal hydrashoks do just that.  And not just one shot... but every shot.  Even through heavy denim they perform consistently.

So that's my advice.   If you're carrying one of these micro-compact pocket 380s...  go get some federal hydrashoks for your every day carry needs.

Also...

Shoot a lot.   You are going to need to hit center mass if you're using a .380.  That means a shot to the sternum... and within say... 2 to 3 inches to either side of it.   You need to be able to put your shots there consistently.    I would work at very short distances at first then work your way out as you master each distance.  I would start at say 8 feet.  Shoot sets of 3 shots.   When you can go 3 for 3 on center mass hits... 5 times in a row... then move then move the target back a few feet... and start again.

There are lots of shooting aids out there to help you be more accurate and I'm not going into it right now... but the main thing is to get out there and shoot.

So you have your pistol...  what else do you need besides a couple boxes of hydrashoks?   Well hydrashoks are relatively cheap in .380 but that doesn't mean you're gonna want to practice with them.  Get several boxes of cheap FMJ ammo to practice with.  i recommend blazer.  Blazer is good quality new production ammo and its pretty reasonable.  But honestly what ever you find to shoot is good.  I would also suggest you to run a box of hydrashoks through your pistol a few times a year just to keep in mind how your pistol shoots with them.  Different ammo has a different point of impact sometimes.. and it certainly feels different in the weapon when it goes off.

What else?  You need a holster...  and I would suggest at least 3 magazines.  Then you need shooting glasses... electronic ear protection (yes its worth it.  at this point its stupid to use anything else)... and a pistol safe to keep right by your bed.  The pistol safe should be something you can access extremely fast in the dark.

now...  I know what you're thinking.  Nate... dammit... you can't possibly be saying hydrashoks are the only thing that works in .380.

No.  I'm not.  In fact I know hornady XTPs work very well too.   But that's about it.  There are a few small ammo manufacturers out there that have some stuff that is effective.. but the hydrashoks and the XTPs are the only ones that meet the Nate Standard.  Nope... not even your precious bufalo bore... or corbon...  not in .380 anyway.   The vast majority of .380 ammo simply does not expand.  Those high end corbons?  Well... They literally act no different than a cheap FMJ.

Now... Ruger LCP or Taurus 738?  Let the flame war begin!

Personally I like the Taurus better... trigger is way nicer.

GamerGate Motivators...

***begin Sarah Mclachlan song***


Every day a SJW remains employed a mean Eskimo man clubs a cute baby seal.  

Have you gotten a Social Justice Warrior fired today?

Why do you hate the cute baby seals?





***fade out***

Doing Lent Right

I have these friends...  absolutely awesome couple...  with two awesome kids.  Just good... fun... kind people all around.   And.. they are prototypical southrons...  very churchy southrons... but not in a judgemental way.  These aren't gossips or busy bodies.

But they are...  reserved. 

So I was talking to them the other day about Mardi Gras and Lent and all...  and I learned something amazing.

For Lent they have given up their marital inhibitions.

Yep.

Turns out hanging out with us for Mardi Gras reminded them that they it was ok to let loose and have fun sometimes.  They decided they had gotten old and gotten in a rut and it was time to get out of it.

I defy you to name a better vice to give up for Lent.

On Mardi Gras

Holy Crap man....  Mardi Gras...

Let me just say that I am a huge fan of Mardi Gras.  Whoever came up with this idea... is a damned genius.  Why have one holiday dedicated to debauchery?   Why not 40 days of it?   After all... there are 40 days of Lent right? 

When we moved down here I was utterly ignorant about Mardi Gras.  I mean sure... I knew about the debauchery in New Orleans...but the actual holiday season concept was something I knew nothing about.  So... we set out to learn.

We went to parades...  and last night...  we went to our first Mardi Gras Ball.   Now a Mardi Gras Ball is a study in irony. You dress up like this...  and go get totally smashed and while singing Blister in the Sun at the Karaoke booth... or dancing while the band rocks Stevie Ray Vaughn and Alabama tunes.

How much fun did we have?

Well I started an IV for my wife this morning... so that should tell you something.

All in all it was the most authentic southern celebration I have ever participated in.  Both rigidly structured (white tie and tails or your ass ain't getting in the door) and totally uninhibited partying (cops were there... but that didn't stop one dude from literally climbing under his wife's dress right in the middle of the dance floor.  and really no one much noticed or cared.) ...  it was bizarrely awesome.

Plus... the whole night I felt like I should be carrying a stainless Walther PPK.

What do you think guys?  micro 1911s for formal events?  or PPKs?

Who says men know nothing about fashion?

Anyway...  if you don't have Mardi Gras where you live...  you're missing out.  Badly.  New Orleans claims Mardi Gras as its own... but in reality the first Mardi Gras was in Mobile Alabama... not New Orleans.  So piss on them coon asses.  Bama had it first.

Destiny: Gaming's Ultimate Christian Allegory

I know I know... this isn't a gaming blog...  but I am most certainly a gamer.  And tonight... I want to write about what I consider to be the greatest game of the 21st century:  Destiny.

For those of you who don't know Destiny is a new style of game.  Its an open world game like so many others where you can go and do whatever you want.  You can play in story mode... or you can just run missions on various planets... or you can go play multi-player PVP...  whatever.   The game world itself is simply huge.  Like World of Warcraft huge.  The graphics... are simply amazing.  Easily on par with say... the latest Assassins Creed.  The mechanics and game play are absolutely fantastic... and the acting in the story mode is off the charts.

All of those things are great reasons to love the game.. but they are not why I love the game.

I love the game because the game is a giant Christian allegory. 

Reading the reviews of the game... that statement may seem odd.  The thing people most consistently criticize Destiny for... is the lack of a coherent storyline.  What I am going to tell you is... for the most part the liberals in the media simply aren't paying attention in some cases... and on others... they are missing it... but are turned off on some subconscious level and they likely don't understand why.  The reason is... because Destiny's story is the Story of Christianity.

Right about now many of you who have in fact played Destiny are going... dude..  what?

So I shall explain.

Destiny is set far in the future... and begins... with your character's resurrection... or... to think of it another way... your rebirth.   And what is responsible for that rebirth?  A Ghost of course.  Now in this case the Ghost is actually a little bit of light surrounded by a box of sorts that does all sorts of things for you.  In fact... all of your powers come from the same light the Ghost is made of. 

The first thing the Ghost tells you is... you've been dead a long time... and a lot is different now... and things aren't going to make a whole lot of sense to you.  You are a Guardian.. and he is your Ghost.

As you go through the first few missions you learn about a thing called the Traveler... which is the source of the light.  You really have no idea what it is.. you just know its good.. and it protected everyone from The Bad Things... and now its sleeping and you and others with the light have to protect it and push back against the forces of darkness.

On the surface this seems like boiler plate stuff.  Light... Dark.. Good.. Bad.. blah blah blah.

Until you learn that the Traveler actually died... it sacrificed itself in the last giant battle with The Bad Guys.  It took parts of itself... little lights... and created the Ghosts...  and the Ghosts serve as special guides and helpers to the Guardians.

The story is extremely in depth and no doubt could fill several epic size novels... but Bungie has chosen to reveal that story in the way the Character is living it.  That's another key to the allegory.  A new Christian knows what he experiences and only that.  The Holy Spirit...  or Holy GHOST... is his only guide in some cases.  If he is to learn more... he must make an effort to do so.  He must read and study and learn.  Destiny is that way.  The story leaks out in the missions but if you really want to know what's going on you have to go read Bungie's Grimnoir Cards... which you unlock with various achievements.  The more you do... the more you learn.

By now the allegory should be obvious as well as the symbolism.  The Ghosts represent the Holy Spirit...  the even serve precisely the same function.  The Traveler is Jesus... and you... a Guardian... are a new Christian.  The opening scene is your rebirth into the church.  It is your baptism... it is you "being saved" as the Baptists would say.

You are reborn into a fallen world....  in it.. but not of it.  And oh yes.. the world is even under control of an enemy named The Fallen.  The last city on human city on earth... Tower... where the Traveler rests... is the small c catholic (meaning whole) church.   And there... we even find different denominations... and different political factions as well.  Everyone different... everyone on the same team.  Even if there is some in-fighting.

There are many obvious references to Halo.. and many people compare Destiny to Halo. But one thing is remarably different.  That thing is the community around the games.  Halo's community is notoriously obnoxious.  Its the worst of the worst in the FPS world...  filled with foul mouthed 9 year olds repeating the curse word they recently learned as often as possible.

Destiny however is possibly the most kind online gaming community I've ever associated myself with.  There are groups that have formed up... like Dads of Destiny that are made of specifically of fathers who love the game but have their priorities in order.   One of the first nights my son was playing the game... a level 32 player lead him all around Earth showing him where the secret gold chests were with special loot.  He had no reason to help my son... he was just a noob right?  They had no voice or chat options open.  He just used hand signals to lead my son around.  This took 45 minutes or so.  But he took the time to do it. 

That's Destiny...  A brilliant Christian allegory.... and the finest artistic creation of the 21st century... in any medium.

Calling Out Texas

Hey!    Texas!   Swagger on over here little sister its time for a come to Jesus meetin'.

Ya know your "Don't Mess with Texas" crap?  I'm sick of it.  You're all hat and no cattle.  How can I say that?  I'm glad you asked.

You have some of the worst gun laws of any red state.  In fact... your gun laws are so bad... they aren't even as good as freaking Ohio.  Open carry is legal in Ohio... and your state is so facist on Conceal Carry...  its not even as good as freaking Minnesota!

MINNESOTA!!!!   You know?  Those morons that elected freakin' Al Franken and sent him to the Senate?   They have better carry laws than you do.

Freedom?  Rugged independence?

Shut the hell up.

You're like the Illinois of the Southwest.  You're like freakin' New York.  You have carry laws but they suck so bad they may as well not exist.

So screw you Texas.



I don't want to hear shit from you until you get your crap together.


Call me when you grow a pair of balls.


Oh... one more thing...  You suck at college football too.

Pro-Vaccine Racists

Here... is a quote from that flakey rag...  the Washington Post:

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association — Pediatrics last year found that 88 percent of measles cases in the country “were internationally imported or epidemiologically or virologically linked to importation.”

The story of vaccines is less about and health... and more about the haves and have-nots.  It is a class stuggle and always has been.

The fact is the vast majority of the problem is not caused by Jenny McCarthy or by very educated white people that happen to be vaccine skeptics.  The problem is lots of immigrants arrive at our shores looking or a better life and they often come from places where infectious diseases like measles are a real problem.

So... my dear pro-vaccination fanatics....   stop ranting about Jenny McCarthy and say what you really mean.  Your problem isn't with rich well-educated white people.

You're not upset about Rand Paul delaying his kid not getting a Hepatitis C vaccination.

You're upset about these dirty diseased brown and yellow people.   "Those" people.

You're not pro-science or pro-health.


You're just another bigot.

Super Bowl Predictions!

I hope the Seahawks win.   I hate Brady.  I hate the stupid Hoodie.  I hate the patriots.  I hate boston.  Hell I hate that whole region.

But I don't think the Seahawks can win it.  The Seahawks D is vastly over rated.  They are undersized up the middle and teams with big offensive lines simply push them off the ball and run all over them.  Dallas pounded them badly this year that way. 

The Patriots have a big nasty oline... and Blount is a physical running back with great vision. 

The Patriots are going to win this thing by pounding them straight up the middle. 

I hope the Seahawks prove me wrong.

Recover Grips Rail Test

Ok well I mounted a cheap light to the rail on my 92F and put a box of rounds through it.   It held up just fine.  The light mount is flimsy and cheap so if it failed I have no idea what I would've blamed for it.. the light or the rail... but it didn't fail so I'm out ok I suppose.  I wanted a cheap piece on it because I figured if a cheap one didn't fail then your good stuff isn't likely to fail either.

Like I say it doesn't lock up tight... but its a flashlight so it doesn't have to. 

I can't say it changed the way the weapon ran.  I blasted away with reckless abandon trying to make it let go and it never did.

So there ya go... if you are looking to add a rail to a pistol of yours... this is a real option.

And you can get them off amazon.

NateMail: 357 Sig?

Stilicho asks... "Anyone own a .357 Sig? Thoughts?"

 

There is a big difference between 357 sig and 9mm...  and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  Even the hot +p loads don't compare to the 357 sig.  But... where does the hype stop and the truth begin?  A lot of folks claim you get 357 magnum performance out of this round... and that's just not the case.

 

A 125 grain 357 magnum with a 5 inch barrel is rolling at over 1600 fps.  A 125 grain 357 sig is closer to 1450... which is still rolling... but its 150 fps down from the wheel gun.  In terms of energy... the magnum is beating the sig by right around 100 foot pounds.

 

All across the board on all sizes of bullets the magnum is significantly out performing the sig.  

 

But... if you don't have a 5 inch barrel...  well then its a different story.

 

This is what I can tell ya...   357 sig is expensive...  there is a ton of blast... and it is not for the recoil sensitive.  That said if you don't like it you're a barrel swap away from a .40.  So what have you got to lose?

I personally have only shot 357 sig out of large pistols...  full sized beefy things.  Its fun.  its a lot of fun. If I were carrying it for defense... I would have some high end defense rounds on the larger end of the scale.  Hornady makes a couple good options... 135 grain critical duty and 147 custom XTP hollow points.  

That's a philosophical thing though.  I want a heavier slower bullet.  I want penetration but I don't want over penetration.  I would prefer the bullet to stop inside you... because that would mean you took every ounce of the energy.... and that means you're more likely to be on your ass.  And that's what the 357 sig gives you over the 9mm... a chance to carry heavier bullets.

I would stay away from the 115 lasers....   they are liable to cauterize the hole on the way through. No thanks. 

 

My Name is Nate...

and I may be developing a problem....

As you can see I have been playing with the 92F quite a bit.  Once it came back from the factory I put a couple boxes of ammo through it... and something struck me.

This thing is damn fun to shoot.  I mean damn fun.  9mm feels like 22lr coming out of a single six.  I mean there is no recoil at all.   How do people complain about this thing? 

Sure.. the double action pull is a mile long.. and its a heavy pull.  But so what?  Cock the damned thing.  How is cocking the hammer on this different than sweeping the safety down on a 1911?

For the life of me I can't think of a bad thing to say about this weapon other than its a 9mm...   but ya know what?   9mm is cheap!  and unlike 22lr... I can actually find 9mm.  So instead of plinking with 22lr... I'm plinking with 9mm.  Because why not?

Now does this mean when TSHTF I'm gonna grab this Beretta?  Oh hell no.  My opinions on the viability of 9mm haven't changed at all.  I'll grab the Steyr... or one of my 1911s... or one of the 357s...  or maybe even my old Taurus PT101.  But if its a sunny day and I just want to ring some steel or punch some holes in paper?  You can bet the Beretta is gonna be coming along for the ride.

Because its damned fun. 

And that is one of the best reasons I can think of.

The Science Behind the Taste of Boubon

What follows is a guest post by none other than our very own Cheddarman.  If you've ever wondered how bourbon is made... and what makes it taste the way it does...  well... here's is your PhD level dissertation on the matter.  Fair warning...  if you hate chemistry this is going to make your head explode.  If you like chemistry... you'll love it.

Now... if I can only get him to explain, in scientific terms, why scotch sucks...

Bourbon flavor and its development: some artisanal and industrial considerations

In honor of Nate and his friends and blog followers, Rebels, Copperheads and Yankees, and even any anonymous Ohio State University sports fans or dedicated pink Hello Kitty Glock users that hang out at the ATF blog, I have put together a little “review” of bourbon flavor formation. Specifically, I will cover a number of the factors involved in the development of bourbon flavor, beginning with the raw ingredients, and following the process through to the end. I have not been able to find any published scientific articles on the science and craft of making Bourbon. However, I have a 20+ year career as a practitioner of flavor chemistry, and can draw on my experience in that area that includes extensive reading of the scientific literature as well as working on a number of flavor related projects in industrial and academic settings. Finally, for what it is worth, I could be considered a world class expert in the flavor of chemistry of ripened cheeses, and this gives me some unique insight into the development of bourbon flavor. All these credentials and 50$ will get me a good bottle of bourbon (it never got me anything else, nudge nudge, wink wink). There are also a number of excellent sites on the world wide web devoted to making bourbon from an artisanal approach that were helpful in putting this review together. I hope you enjoy it. If you want to better understand Bourbon, here is your chance to dig deep.

“Artisanal” versus “Industrial” Bourbon

As one looks at the types of bourbon available on the market, there appears to be 2 separate schools of thought in how to make it, clever marketing tactics aside. One is the artisanal school (I use that term because these distillers are practicing an art), where bourbon is made the old fashioned way, in small batches, using pre-industrial techniques. Whereas artisanal producers specialize in making more expensive, more intensely flavored, or more “interesting” bourbons, the “industrial” bourbon makeruses modern methods of production to make a more affordable product that is generally more consistent from batch to batch, and has a wider over all appeal due to its relatively milder flavor profile. We will cover aspects of both approaches below.

Ingredients

Water

One way to make bad bourbon is to start with low quality ingredients. High quality water is very important to bourbon. Traditionally, water from limestone springs is used to make the malted barley and the mash. Some writes have said that the calcium dissolved in the water somehow contributes to high quality bourbon flavor. I doubt that is true, for a couple of reasons: 1) Calcium carbonate from limestone filtered water has little if any flavor. 2) The fermentation micro-organisms need some calcium for growth, but they can obtain it from the grains. There a number of reasons why the use of limestone filtered water was a common historical practice. This water is filtered by slow passage through limestone, and is generally free of off-flavors, chlorine and iron. This is very important, as iron or chlorine in the water can cause the formation of off some very potent undesirable flavors. Iron will help oxidize oils present in the grains, and causes a variety of “green” off flavors, like including freshly cut grass, metallic flavors (imagine a penny on your tongue), drying oil based paint, and fishy. Chlorine can react with phenols that are produced during barley malting, the sour mash fermentation or charring of barrels. These chloro-phenols have very potent “saltwater fishy” aromas. They can ruin otherwise good bourbon. Enough said. The industrial producer uses a number of steps to clean up their brewing water. These may include ion exchange resins to remove iron and other mineral,, as well as sand filters, activated carbon, UV light and Ozone to remove all traces of taste or aroma from the water. As a result, the industrial distiller can have water of even higher quality than that coming out of a natural limestone formation.

Grains, Malt and Enzymes

By U.S. law, Bourbon must contain at least 51% corn as well as barley, rye and wheat. The primary purpose of the grain is to provide glucose for the yeasts to ferment into alcohol. The grains should be high in starch, and low in vegetable oils. The oil can be a source of “oxidized fat” off flavors. The grains are ground to improve the conversion of starch into glucose and other sugars. If the grains get too hot during milling, it will damage the starch and protein, and they can’t be broken down by enzymes. Also, high amounts of heat building up in the grains during milling can oxidize the vegetable oil.

The artisanal distiller generally uses malted barley. In the malting process, dry barley is soaked in water to activate enzymes in the grain. Wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria grow on the surface of the grains during the malting process. The slow drying of the malt “hardens” these micro-organisms, so they can survive the mash boiling step and ferment the mash. These “wild” micro-organisms can be a source of the batch to batch flavor variation seen with artisanal distilled bourbon.

The enzymes activated by the malting process are needed to break down starches and proteins in the other grains. Without these enzymes being active in the mash, the fermentation process would be slow and difficult to control. Glucose and other sugars are produced from the breakdown of starches by a set of enzymes called amylases; proteins are broken down into amino acids by protease enzymes. The activity of these enzymes on starch and protein helps set the stage for rapid growth of yeast and lactic acid bacteria during the sour mash fermentation. Glucose and amino acids are also a converted into flavor compounds by the yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

The industrial producer may choose not to use malted barley, and instead use a commercial mixture of “microbial” amylase and protease enzymes produced by food grade bacteria or fungi. It is faster and cheaper than using malted barley, and can help keep “wild” yeast and lactic acid bacteria out of your mash fermentation.

By varying different amounts of the 4 grains, one can change some of the flavor profile of the bourbon. Each grain has some unique flavor components that can be released during the fermentation. Wheat, as an example, is supposed to have a mellowing effect upon the bourbon. Consider the differences in flavor between a sour dough wheat, rye barley, or corn bread; these differences in flavors can be partly attributed to the interaction of the yeasts and bacteria with the individual grains. The yeasts and lactic acid bacteria have special enzymes that will release specific classes of flavor compounds from the grains. The different grains will have varying levels of these flavor compounds. These flavor compounds are often attached to a sugar molecule or other non-volatile molecule; by the cutting the chemical bond, the glucose can be harvested, and the flavor molecule is released into the mash.

Mashing

The mixture of grains and water is called mash. The mash is heated to help dissolve the starch and protein in the grains. This also has the effect of killing off some of the wild yeast and other bacteria that could be present on the grains. If we use microbial enzymes instead of malted barley, we can cook the mash at higher temperatures for a longer time. This will, again, kill off more wild microorganisms naturally present on the grains, and help us have a more consistent product over time. The microbial enzymes are more heat stable that the enzymes from malted barley and are active at relatively high temperatures, and can be added when the boiled mash is still hot.

Fermentation/ or making Sour mash

If you mom, sister, girl friend or wife has ever made sour dough bread, she has come pretty close to making a sour mash and is a stones’ throw from hooch, if I am using that term correctly. But that is the difference between us and them. They will walk up to the line and not cross it (No offense, Miss Susan, I know you are reading this). We will, because BOURBON, DAMMIT!!!

Fermentation is any process where micro-organisms are grown. In a sour mash fermentation, Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts grow up together for their and our mutual benefit. The Lactic acid bacteria grow faster than the yeast, and quickly produce lactic acid. They also use up the oxygen. This is important, as yeast makes carbon dioxide and water if it has oxygen. Nate is not pleased if good grain sugar for a bourbon sour mash is being converted to CO₂! Without oxygen, the yeasts make ethanol, and Nate is happy! (Note to self: unhappy Alphas are not much fun, and it is probably dangerous to laugh at them) This cooperation between the two inhibits their competitors, and allows the Lactic Acid Bacteria and yeast to dominate the process, and keep the potential spoilage bacteria from growing. You could perhaps explain this cooperation to the simple minded as something like tag team professional wrestling, but on a very small scale with a whole lot of tag teams.

The lactic acid bacteria can and do make a number of other flavor compounds, in addition to producing lactic acid. They actually produce two types of lactic acid, the “d” (Latin abbreviation for right) and “l” (Latin for left) forms. The lactic acid can and does react with the ethanol, to produce esters. The “d” and “l” esters have different aromas. You probably already know this, but Lactic acid bacteria also ripen cheese and other fermented dairy products, transforming relatively bland milk into pure Cheese awesomeness. (Sorry my Southron friends, but no one makes a great Cheddar Cheese like New England Yankees, and I say that as an Ohioan who believes the South was right and who did 1 year hard time in Vermont workin’ at a cheese plant). The take home message is that the yeast and Lactic acid bacteria can contribute a lot more to the Bourbon flavor that acid and alcohol.

Europeans and Lactic acid bacteria have a few things in common. For instance, they have a peculiar habit of trying to kill each other off every so often. Some species of Lactic acid bacteria make chemicals called bacteriocins that can inhibit the growth of closely related Lactic Acid Bacteria species. This would be like my Scotts-Irish cousins many generations removed, developing a superweapon to completely dominate my Irish Catholic cousins, many generations removed. The lactic acid bacteria can also be attacked by viruses called “bacteriophage.” Bacteriophage can wipe out a specific strain of lactic acid bacteria that dominates fermentation, and allow another strain to grow up and dominate. Some strains of lactic acid bacteria actually have bacteriophage hidden in their DNA just waiting for the right moment to pop out of hiding and take out a competing strain.

Yeasts also have ways of competing with each other, although I am not familiar with these mechanisms of competition. A dominant yeast strain can also be killed off by a virus. The take home point in all this is that if you have a favorite artisanal bourbon, and the flavor changes over time, it could be due to a formerly dominant strain of Lactic Acid bacteria or yeast being wiped out by a virus or other form of competition, and replaced by a competitor.

Distillers normally save some of the previous batch of sour mash, and use it to introduce yeast and lactic acid bacteria into a mash after it has been boiled, and cooled. There are a number of simple techniques an artisanal distiller can use to preserve their mash, such as using good manufacturing practice borrowed from the dairy industry for starter culture preservation, freezing and storing portions of the mash, and having different mashes that they use on a rotating schedule.

An industrial distiller would have a number of practices in place to protect the integrity of their sour mash. As an example, they may have what is known as a mother culture. The mother culture is used to grow up a “starter culture” in a small closed tank, from there it can be pumped it into the mash fermentation vat. External sources of contamination like airborne dust containing dehydrated wild yeast of lactic acid bacteria, are controlled through careful plant design, good manufacturing practices and air filtration.

A home brewer could make their own sour mash from scratch, using a process similar to making a sour dough starter culture.

We want the sour mash fermentation to stop before the yeasts and LABs run out of glucose. If they run out of glucose and the ethanol concentration is not high enough to make them go dormant, the micro-organisms will start breaking down amino acids or fibers from the grains for energy. This is not good, and can lead to off-flavor formation (Think cowy, cow barn, piggy, fecal, rotten egg, skunk, tomcat urine).

Distillation process:

Another advantage to stopping the fermentation before the glucose is exhausted it that free glucose will react with amino acids and other substances produced by the fermentations when we start heating the Bourbon beer for the distillation step. These reactions produce a number of “sweet” (think of yourself at a county fair and walking past the cotton candy stand) and “brown” (soy sauce-like) flavor notes. A similar reaction is used industrially to make cocoa and a multitude of manufactured flavors that go into processed foods.

We now have a soup that is rich in flavor compounds, most likely smells similar to beer, and has a lot of chemicals that can react with each other upon distillation heating to create other flavors. The distillers sometimes refer to it as the Bourbon beer. At this point, the distiller uses a selective process called distillation, where the bourbon beer is carefully heated to remove the ethanol. The distillation process changes the flavor profile into something that starts to resemble bourbon. (If at this point, for some unknown reason, Nate told the distiller to make some Vodka-like distilled spirits for his fellow Alpha buddy Vladimir Putin, the distiller would install an series of activated filters in the still to remove most of the flavor chemicals, we would indeed have a Vodka-like product)

A lot of things happen during distillation: 1) we reduce the concentration of the low boiling flavor compounds that are responsible for the “top notes” of the beer flavor. The heat of distillation can also cause some of these chemicals to form other, more complex aromas 2) We concentrate the alcohol 3) We reduce the concentration of the high boiling compounds from the Bourbon beer.

The actual concentration of the high boiling and low boiling compounds in the distilled ethanol depends on the design of the still. Generally, a higher distillation column will be more selective than a shorter column; it will more effectively separate the low boiling and high boiling chemicals from the ethanol. The industrial distiller might perform a “quick” distillation to strip of the alcohol, and then do a second, slower distillation to remove more of the low boiling and high boiling flavors. Obviously, by controlling the relative amounts of the low boiling and high boiling flavor compounds in the distilled ethanol, we control some of the flavor that is present in the final product.

The distillation process does one more thing that never gets any press; it introduces copper into the distilled ethanol and remaining flavors. Acids and sulfur chemicals from the beer distillation will attack the copper in the distillation column, and leach some copper into the distilled ethanol. More on what this does in the next section.

Barrel Charring and Aging

Most of you already know that bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels. Here is a little more information on how this affects the flavor. There are three natural polymers present in wood: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The barrel heating and charring affects each one differently, in terms of the bourbon flavor.

Heating lignin releases the chemical vanillin (Think artificial vanilla flavor, cake batter vanilla flavor, or Ben and Jerries’ chocolate chip cookie dough vanilla flavor) and smoky flavors. It also produces most of the color. (Vanillin is a little different in odor than the vanilla flavor extracted from fermented vanilla beans). The reaction can also produce phenol, which sort of dulls the tongue, and eugenol, a chemical in black pepper and other spices, and several other potential flavor chemicals.

Heating the cellulose and hemicellulose causes the sugar molecules in them to break down. This can form another class of compounds including and related to the cotton candy flavor we talked about earlier. These chemicals include sotolone and furaneol. These chemicals also occur in aged cheeses with dry rinds, and give them a “sweet” flavor.

The heating process also does something else that never gets any press, it converts the inside of the oak barrel into a large catalytic surface. The carbon surface inside the barrel, along with the copper from the distillation column or still, most likely catalyze a number of chemical reactions that inactivate sulfur compounds, and catalyze the formation of some other flavor compounds. (As an example, methyl glyoxal, and hydroxy acetone, two chemicals formed from cellulose and hemicellulose heating, can react to form the furaneol cotton candy flavor chemical) Some individuals claim that the aging process allows a lot of the low boiling off flavors to evaporate slowly through the wood. I think that much of the mellowing is due to the process I just described.

Obviously, an artisanal distiller may have a significant variation in charring for the barrels used to age their bourbon, and this will affect the flavor. The industrial distiller will probably use barrels for aging that are made with relatively tight quality control practices, leading to less flavor variability, and fewer surprises.

Tasting Wheel

I would like for Nate to write a section on Bourbon tasting. He is the expert on that. I would, however, suggest that if you really want to train yourself to pick out some of the complexities of Bourbon flavor, Google “bourbon flavor wheel” or “whiskey flavor wheel”, and print it out or save it to your phone of wheel. Look at the wheel when you enjoy your next glass of bourbon, and see what you can pick out.

God Bless ya’

Cheddarman

EDC Gear 2015

Ok guys... when you walk out of the house... there are some things that you always take with you.  What does that gear look like?  Have you ever made a list of those things that you really like to have and have you ever thought about that?

EDC.  Every.  Day.  Carry.

If you had seen me out and about on some random day in 2014... what would I have had on my person at that time?

- Wallet:  We all carry wallets.  Mine is a little more awesome than yours.. because it says Bad Mother Fucker on it.

- Comms: Samsung Galaxy Note 4.   I never go anywhere without this thing.  I need to do a  whole write up on it because it is that cool.  Don't get me wrong... there are things that the Z10 was much better at...but I simply cannot over state the value of the S-Pen.

- Watch: In 2014 it would've been a seiko chronograph but its been thoroughly replaced now with a Samsung Gear 2 Neo.  Love the Gear 2.  slick touch screen... you can actually answer calls through it... and its battery lasts for days.

- multitool:  Leatherman MUT.  Yes... its bigger and heavier than most folks prefer but I love the thing.  another all-time favorite is the Leatherman Wave.  I carry it a lot too.  and toward the end of the year I found myself carrying an old school swiss army knife... I think its the tinkerer model.   No... its not what the cool kids carry and it has not even a hint of tacticool to it... but it is handy as hell. And that counts a lot.

- Sunglasses: I always have a pair of sunglasses.  Always.  I have trouble keeping up with them so I am loathe to spend a ton of money on them though.  So I get the nice stuff for DrWho and I tend to pick up whatever I can find in a pinch that's cheap.  Usually I head straight to the fishing department of a sporting goods store and grab the first pair I can find.  I don't care about color or anything like that.  I wear these things for protection not style... and since they always do double duty as shooting glasses they be the blade style lenses. 


- knife: in 2014 it was definitely the SOG Aegis.  It went everywhere with me.  This Christmas though a Spyderco Delica4 showed up... and I have to admit I have the koolaid poured and am ready to drink.  we'll see.  I love the Aegis... but the Spyderco is finding its way into my pocket more and more.

- CCW:  Steyr M40A1.  Yes... more often than not its still the Steyr on my hip.  Someday my springfield V10 1911 may replace it... but for now I haven't found a holster for it that I am happy with.  Until I do... the Steyr is just to comfortable.  Also there is an extra mag... always have an extra mag.

So that's what I carried last year...  what could change for this year?

Wallet: As much as I love the BMF wallet its just not working for me.  Its to big.  So its probably gonna be moved to a vice cabinet display piece.  I am looking at Maxpedition's CMC... and the SpecOps T.H.E wallets.  I like the SpecOps because there is no velcro.  I hate velcro wallets.

Multitool: I started carrying the swiss army knife just on a lark.. but I really like it.  So now I am probably going to put more thought into exactly which model would work best for me.  So I may keep it or I may replace it with a different model.  We'll see.

Sunglasses: I need to suck it up and put more into these.  I wear them all the time and use them for all kinds of activities.  I am open to suggestions here.  I have been looking at the 5.11 glasses.

Things I am thinking about adding:

- EDC flashlight:  I use the flashlight on my phone all the time.... multiple times per day.  it was fast and easy with the z10 but its a lot more of a pain on the Note 4... so I need to really look at one.  Suggestions are welcome here.  The Thrunight Ti3 is appealing because it uses AAA batteries.  Not a must but something I would prefer.

- Cotton Bandana:  Honeslty there are a thousand things you can use a bandana for... I used to wear one on my wrist every second of the day and I am not gonna lie.. I miss having it.  That said... an 40+ year old man doesn't wear a bandana on is wrist.    Still... nothing says I can't stick on in my pocket.  Its not like they take up any room.

- Pen.   I need some kind of pen. Writing on your phone is nice... but sometimes its about more than just taking a note or leaving a message.  Can't write a check on my phone. 


So that's where I am right now on my EDC gear.   I should say... there are a few things I carry all the time that I have left off this list... because... well...  we all have our secrets.  But this is a good list as far as it goes.

How about you?

Yes... It Was a Merry Christmas

Is this over the top?   I don't think this is over the top...



DrWho said she wanted a "Mommy Doom Buggie".  I decided that what she meant was... she wanted a Polaris RZR 570.

And what did I get?



Oh... only 6 different bottles of the rarest bourbons and whiskeys imaginable...  from Wild Turkey Diamond Anniversary to Sazerac Rye (2 bottles of that!).

I may have to fire the ATF Show back up for some reviews.

A Guantlet Thrown

Cheddarman.

You have thrise challenged me to a bet on the Bama vs Ohio State playoff game.   Out of christian mercy I have ignored this... but at last I have decided to grant you your wish.

If OSU wins.. I will purchase an Ohio State hat... and I will post a photo of myself with it here.

If Bama wins... you will purchase an Alabama hat... and you will email me a self photo wearing it and I will post it here.

What say you?

2014 VPFL Champion

It was a rough season.  It was tight all year with 7 teams fighting for 4 playoff spots.   Going into week 12 we were facing Jartstar's Chili Eaters and it looked he had them beat.  Monday night though they came roaring back and he ended up beating me 85 to 73.  In a league this tight... losses hurt a lot.  That loss dropped me all the way to 5th place... out of the playoffs entirely.

but I won out the rest of the way... and found myself facing WhiteBufalo's Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.  They'd been in first or second the whole year.  It was a tough matchup but I scratched out a 54 to 50 win when Denver decided to go run heavy and Peyton Manning turned in a mere 10 points.

And that setup today's matchup with Jartstar and his dread Chili Eaters...  I believe the only team I had lost to twice in the regular season.

To make matters worse.. my RB2 matchup was horrible.  My normal RB2 Matthews was hurt... and his backup was... Chris Ivory... A New York Jet of all things.   So I went out to the waiver wire and grabbed a viking RB named Asiata... plugged him in... and low and behold... he scored 2TDs and got a 2 pt conversion.  I also picked up DeSean Jackson off waivers and he plugged in a served very nicely as a WR3 for me.

And now its almost done.   All of the Chili Eater starters are done.  And I still have two guys to play tonight... and I'm up around 30 points.

I didn't just beat my nemesis.  I totally destroyed him when it mattered most.

Now...

Now I have a cigar to smoke...  and a ring to design.

And to those who play this foolish game as well... I hope your season was as satisfying.



And oh look...  my bench outscored his starters.  

92F Kaboom: Final

So I just got off the phone with the fine men at Beretta.  The 92F will arrive today.  Its been repaired and tested and it is functioning like new.  They did this at no charge.  Did I mention this particular 92F was made in 1990?

The firearm is old enough to buy its own bourbon...  it only came with a 1 year warranty to start with... and I'm not even the original owner.  They repaired it for free. 

How badass is that?

So what all did they do?  Well... they reassembled it... fired a mag through it... inspected it... and called it good.

See...  apparently the 92F was actually designed to deal with overpressure.  How effective is that design?

Apparently in Falujah a soldier was firing his and it popped just like mine from over-pressure.  He was under fire... so he took cover...jerked the trigger back forward and everything just popped back into place. He reloaded... and went right back to fighting.

Now the gunsmith said that in those circumstances the springs inside wouldn't have been properly aligned so it wouldn't be ideal... but the weapon would function.

I don't know why... but the idea that a weapon and effectively go kaboom...  and you just force the trigger forward load a new mag... work the slide... and go right back to fighting... really impresses me.

I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't already know this about this weapon considering how much I have carried its Taurus brother.   I guess I've never had a failure before so I had no reason to look into stuff like this.  The Taurus functions so perfectly under so many horrible conditions that failure just never occurred to me.

Anyway... we learned something.  If you have a beretta 92F and it damned near explodes in your hand...  just take off the slide and the grip... pull the trigger back forward and realign the springs... put it back together and you're good to go.

I think its high time we re-evaluate the 92F on our scale of badass weapons.   Yes... its a 9 and 9s suck... but this thing is a freakin' tank. 

At this point.. I can... without equivocation recommend you buy a 92F.  Or.. if you prefer... a 96... which is the 40 cal version. 

Its Time to Put the Old Girl Down

Today... there is a good chance I am gonna hurt your feelings.  I'm gonna tell you something that most are just to nice to say.  See familiarity is something that's very comforting to us...  and comfort breeds confidence which often breeds success.  At some point though we're clinging simply to that comfort.  We get lazy.  We get stuck in a rut and before you know it you've missed the present and the future is about to hit you with a hay-maker.

But its time we faced reality people.  Its time to put your 30-30 away.  Its time to put your 303 enfield away...  and yes...  its time to put your 30-06 away.

These are outdated curiosities.  They are not proper modern hunting cartridges.  There is literally nothing the 30-06 does that a 7mm mag doesn't do significantly better. 

I'm not saying you should throw out your old guns.  I'm not saying you should throw out your newer guns that are chambered in these.  I'm saying you shouldn't be buying additional weapons in these, when there are better options available.

Compare a 7mm mag to a 30-06.  Velocity wise you're looking at 200fps difference for common north american game sized bullets. At least in factory loads.  And the 300 win mag?  Well its not even close.  I mean its a whole different sport practically.  A 30-06 is pushing a 150 grain bullet around... oh... 2900 fps.  A 7mm mag pushes that same bullet about 3100 fps.   A 300 win mag throws a 165 grain bullet out at over 3200 fps.

Oh but it isn't fair says you!   Those are magnums! 

So what?  The 30-06 is a long action round.  Its practically the same size in terms of length as the 300 win mag.  Sit them side by side and you would think they are extremely similar.  But they aren't.  Because one was designed in 1906... and the other was designed in 1963.

But that isn't even the most damning comparison.  No... the absolute proof that the 30-06 is obsolete... is the 308.

30-06 performance... out a short action?

Why would you bother with a long action throw?  Why does the 30-06 do so little... with so much case capacity?

Well... because it was designed in 1906.  That's why.

Now... I know you're going to be upset... and you're going to come up with all kinds of reasons why your beloved 30-06 is still just as good as it ever was.  Hey the 30-30 killed dear for over 100 years!  and I know I know... most shots are taken from under 200 yards right?  Its ok.  Let it out.

Tell ya what...  Keep your 30-06... and enjoy shooting it.

Just don't buy more.

They don't have 30-06 in cowboy action shooting.  So I suppose you'll have to come up with some other excuse to live in the past.

92F Kaboom Part 2

Ok... What did we learn?

I just got off the phone with the Ammo Manufacturer.  This was Ultramax remanufactured ammunition.  I spoke with their customer service rep today.  He believes it was a case failure due to age.  It happens from time to time but they have never been able to recreate it.  He has offered to replace all of my ultramax ammo with newly made stuff. 

As for the Beretta...

Turns out the 92f has a bit of a safety feature designed in just for this kind of failure.  Several of the internals pop out and nothing breaks.  According to ammo guys... reassembly is all that is required.  They still told me to ship it to beretta and have them fix it, and told me to either have beretta bill them or if beretta refused they would reimburse me for the costs.

Can't complain.

I'm on hold with Beretta right now.  We'll see what they say.  So far I am impressed with Ultramax's service... and if what they say is true... I'm impressed with the 92f as well.

92F goes Kaboom

Well that sucked.

Let me tell ya...  that is not how you want to start your day.  This particular 92fs could've been sold as NIB in a heartbeat.  Now its wrecked. 

Looks like catastrophic case failure from a possible double powder charge.

All things considered I should be happy I still have my hand.   In case you can't tell the case is actually impaled on the firing pin.  I had to pry it off.  There is a big gash in the side of the case visible in the picture to the left.














And imagine my surprise when I dropped the mag and saw this:



Anyway...  No one got hurt.  The 92f is pretty wrecked though.  Basically my hand stung like hell and I felt like someone shot me in the face with 410 bird shot from about 50 feet.

Wear your shooting glasses kids.