Beer Culture – Beer Infusion at Home (Made Easy)

Okay, imagine this scenario; you happen to stumble into Great Lakes Brew Pub on a Thursday night. You happen to over-hear talk of some type of Firkin thingy being tapped downstairs. What the Firkin? You seem to remember some  mention of a merkin in high school while reading  Shakespeare’s  Henry V.  [ Lewis the Dauphin: I tell thee, constable, my mistress wears his own hair.] But no is no way beer is being consumed through one of those. You decide to chance it and stroll apprehensively  downstairs.

Well…you are relieved…no merkins in sight. This Firkin thing seems to be just some wooden cask holding beer. Wait…not just any beer but one of your favorites…Edmund Fitzgerald Porter…and this batch is infused with RASPBERRIES!!! You love it and vow to return to every GLBC Firkin Thursday. Except, as fate would have it your work hours change. You are now working 3-11 on Thursday.

Is all lost? I SAY NAY!!!! 

Ladies and gentlemen I give to you the bEEr infusEEr.

So here’s all you need to make your own. One Tervis 24oz. water bottle (you can also buy this at Bed Bath & Beyond with $5 off coupon) and one 2.75 inch diameter stainless steel sink strainer (also available at BBB for $2.99.) That’s it sport! Nothing more to do…no fabricating…no customization….just pop that screen in and go to it!

Currently Dogfish Head Beer is selling a crappy Chinese tea infuser rebadged as the “Randall Jr” for $20. STAY AWAY FROM IT!!! I reviewed one and returned it. It is pure junk. Let me show you why the bEEr EE-fuser is a much better option:

• The lid is airtight and spill proof. As a bonus it has a grab handle. The Dogfish version’s top leaks and is NOT spill proof. [pic 2]
• The top snaps close tightly and is hinged. [pic 3]
• The is a view with the top open. The top’s hinge is tight so when you tip it to pour it doesn’t fall down. Notice the grey rubber membrane on the top of the lid? This ensures it is airtight so your beer doesn’t lose any carbonation during infusion. The Dogfish Head Randall let’s carbonation escape through the glass window on the lid because it lacks a rubber gasket. [pic 4]
• The Randall 2.0 has a drip-free pour spout. Doghead’s version? Nope. Their’s is like trying to pour a liquid from a jar. I don’t have to remove the lid in order to pour the infused beer. The Dogfish Randall? Twist that lid and remove! [pic 5]
• This is the biggest advantage my Randall 2.0 has over the cheap tea infuser…the rustproof stainless steel strainer. Because of the concave shape of the strainer, my Randall 2.0 offers more than twice the surface area of their flat screen. And people have already reported rusting on the Dogfish Head Randall. [pic 6]
• See how nicely the stainless steel strainer sits inside the lip of the device. The lid holds it tightly down. And because of this fact, you don’t need a handle to pry it out. The Dogfish Head Randall has a very poor fit and a flimsy handle on the basket that breaks off constantly. [pic 7]
• This stainless steel strainer is so effective it even strained tiny raspberry seeds. I get absolutely zero sediment in my final beer.[pic 8]
• Detailed view of the stainless steel strainer through the pour spout.Because of the greater surface area, nothing interferes and blocks the pouring of beer. Dogfish Randall lacks a spout and can become blocked. [pic 9 & 10]
• What other advantages does the Randall 2.0 have over the Dogfish tea infuser? Costs less, all the parts are made in the U.S.A. (vs. China,) the body of the device is constructed of a high-quality polymer. This polymer is over 10 times more impact-resistant than other plastics, making it virtually indestructible! The Dogfish Randall? It’s made of a very fragile and thin glass. Mine is dishwasher safe…theirs? Nope no dishwasher. In fact Dogfish Head’s store website warns against even letting their Randall soak in water. My tumbler carries a LIFETIME WARRANTY. Dogfish offers nothing of the sort. I can purchase replacement parts if the lid or strainer breaks. Dogfish would like you to spend another $20 on a complete Randall. [pic 11]