dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

monday, october 29, 2007
fred piscop / will shortz

difficulty factor: this one was pretty much a walk in the park

theme: a slightly different parsing on common "-ation" words

• 17A GENE RATION
• 10D FORE STATION
• 56A REV ELATION
• 25D CARBO NATION

==================================

oh, boy! almost an entire posting about one of my favorite subjects... 29D PIXIES

well, no... as interesting as pixies are, that's not gonna do it... how about 9D TAN LINES?!

that could almost do it, but... no... how 'bout... somethin' a tad closer t' me heart?

while beer is purportedly the beverage second only to water both in age and popularity, and the production of beer uses many varying ingredients, methods and traditions, all beer goes through a brewing process. which style of brewing discipline distinguishes the two major types: ale and 1D LAGER.

a starchy grain (typically barley, rice, wheat or corn - although others are used in different localities) is first "steeped" in water. enzymes are then added with flavoring agents (most typically hops, fruits, and herbs). at this stage the sugary concoction is called "wort". finally, the addition of yeast causes fermentation - the anaerobic conversion of sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol - to occur.

ale is fermented "fast and high" (the ale yeast resides at or near the top of the vat under temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees fahrenheit for about a week) typically producing flavoring by-products called aromatic esters, which are described by aficionados as "grassy", "woody" and "fruity" among others. major ales include: bitter, amber ale, brown ale, pale ale, porter, stout, and wheat beer [doesn't that last term add an element of confusion?!]

lager - derived from the german word for "store" - on the other hand is brewed "low and slow" (the lager yeast resides at or near the bottom of the vat at temps ranging from 40 to 55 degrees fahrenheit for, in some cases, up to two weeks.) during the second phase of the lagering process, lasting one to three additional weeks, it is stored at temps just above freezing allowing it to clear some and mellow. the prolonged cooler conditions reduce the production of aromatic esters and other flavoring byproducts (allowing the bold hops flavor to be more apparent), and increase the carbonation, resulting in a more standardized "crisper" tasting beverage. while there are other (mostly germanic) lager styles, pilsner is by far the most widely produced, especially in america. bock, vienna, märzen and pale lagers also hold a measure of lager popularity.

although there are exceptions, typically ales and lagers are restricted by taxation laws (!) to containing between 3% and 6% alcohol by volume (abv).

i'm thirsty! (and... it's five o'clock somewhere!)

keep on keepin' on...

dann

all elements of the puzzle (grid layout, clues, and answers), NYT, NY Times, and The New York Times logo are ©2007 The New York Times
1. started a cigarette 6. sail supporter 10. rooters14. left one's seat15. gumbo vegetable16. track shape17. allotment of heredity units?19. parks who pioneered in civil rights20. our language: abbr.21. took the blue ribbon22. room to maneuver24. nuclear power apparatus27. top 10 tunes28. hole-punching tool29. slender cigar 33. prefix with -hedron36. is false to the world37. get from _____ (progress slightly)38. battle of the _____ (men vs. women)39. stadium section40. studied primarily, at college42. holder of 88 keys43. caveman's era44. vintage automotive inits.45. tennis great arthur46. mediums' meetings 50. stewed to the gills53. king kong, e.g.54. lacto-_____-vegetarian55. sitarist shankar56. preacher's sky-high feeling?60. twistable cookie61. turn at roulette62. decaf brand63. give an alert64. direction of sunup65. sticky problem1. hearty brew2. jim carrey comedy "me, myself & _____"3. kingdom east of fiji4. milk for all its worth5. pay-_____-view6. travel by car7. closely related (to)8. sign at a sellout9. bikini wearers' markings10. tv channel for golfers?11. state frankly12. shuttle-launching org.13. murder18. delinquent g.i.23. greek h's25. pasta-and-potato-loving country?26. former rival of pan am27. safe place29. mischievous sprite30. director kazan31. claim on property32. prefix with dynamic33. scots' caps34. coup d'_____35. japanese p.m. during w.w. ii36. mantel38. equine-looking fish41. take a siesta42. split _ soup 44. fishing line winder46. paid out47. nickels and dimes48. call to mind49. sunken ship finder50. furrowed part of the head51. dr. zhivago's love52. 1964 dave clark five song "glad all _____'53. hertz rival57. mileage rating org.58. cleopatra's biter59. eastern "way"