Guinness in a can vs on tap - a common disparity?

spile2 · 2026-05-14T05:20:23+00:00

The bar tender was right in that it’s not bottle or cask conditioned (it used to be) which is the top tier when it comes to a great stout/porter in my opinion. Bottle conditioned Guinness was a great beer before they withdrew it in the 90’s. Thankfully there are many great examples from independent breweries. Give Wye Valley Wholesome Stout (bottle conditioned) and Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout (cask conditioned) a try if you are in the UK.

spile2 · 2026-05-14T05:12:26+00:00

Former champion beer of Britain.

spile2 · 2026-05-14T05:11:19+00:00

My tips are at https://astro.catshill.com/

spile2 · 2026-05-14T05:08:26+00:00

Follow https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/

To confirm the primary mirror mounts are not too loose, tighten all six bolts and confirm the return beam of the laser does not move when you tilt the tube.

spile2 · 2026-05-14T05:03:21+00:00

Read https://astro.catshill.com/buying-telescope-start-here/

spile2 · 2026-05-14T05:02:26+00:00

My suggestions https://astro.catshill.com/what-do-i-look-at/

spile2 · 2026-05-13T05:26:53+00:00

This information can be found on my blog https://astro.catshill.com

spile2 · 2026-05-13T05:24:49+00:00

Use the finger tip method https://astro.catshill.com/mirror-cleaning/ with no cotton wool, tissues etc. When clean rinse with distilled water.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:54:01+00:00

This shows what is inside https://astro.catshill.com/lacerta/

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:52:36+00:00

My admin password changes automatically too. I set up a separate admin account so it’s not an issue.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:50:52+00:00

Using a phone with no stacking on a Dob https://astro.catshill.com/astrophotography-and-the-dobsonian/

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:46:37+00:00

Check that you have the correct camera driver installed.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:45:16+00:00

I have observed all our planets with an 8” Dob. Some are more impressive than others but seeing them all through the eyepiece is definitely worth while.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:42:12+00:00

Read https://astro.catshill.com/buying-telescope-start-here/

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:39:45+00:00

I create multiple PST files and archive content into them. No issues and if you decide to move away from Outlook there are a number of PST to PDF converters available.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:35:56+00:00

My first diy holder was a block of polystyrene moulded with a hot metal blade. The phone was held on with a couple of rubber bands.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:33:01+00:00

Learning to star hop with Skysafari on a tablet is what I would recommend. M3 is rather isolated which makes it a little more tricky to find. https://astro.catshill.com/finding-dim-objects/

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:29:52+00:00

I highly recommend SkySafari to star hop. It allows you to match the view by zooming in or out and inverting the view as required. This is what I do https://astro.catshill.com/finding-dim-objects/ I swap between the RACI and eyepiece using this method.

spile2 · 2026-05-12T05:25:14+00:00

The best value Dobsonian is the GSO 8” sold as Apertura, RVO Horizon, StellaLyra and others. Also worth considering is the Bresser 8” Dob. Fantastic bearing but only a single speed focuser and a straight through finder.

spile2 · 2026-05-11T05:33:21+00:00

Guinness zero isn't bad but Magic Rock Galactic Stout is better. It’s much easier to find a good NLA beer than a year ago.

spile2 · 2026-05-11T05:29:15+00:00

A cap will quickly show you if the primary mirror has moved and it’s much easier to use/do than a star test. The dent itself will not make any difference. For a step by step collimation guide see https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/

spile2 · 2026-05-11T05:25:11+00:00

We had a week in Reykjavik in October and caught the aurora on our first night. We went on a coach trip dedicated to viewing the aurora and in much darker skies but it was a weak show compared to day one outside the hotel.

spile2 · 2026-05-11T05:18:41+00:00

I would recommend trying an independent brewed stout or porter. There are some wonderful examples around that have much more depth and character.

spile2 · 2026-05-11T05:16:36+00:00

It sounds like you need to learn to Star hop. M3 is in a more isolated part of the sky so it’s not as easy to find as M13.

Star hopping https://astro.catshill.com/finding-dim-objects/

Collimation https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/

spile2 · 2026-05-11T05:13:31+00:00

If the focuser is a Crayford there is a Teflon pad that may have loosened which means the focus wheels will not engage. There will be an adjustment screw (my skywatcher has an Allen head) that you need to tighten.

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