What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[jt]

Honey - sounds 'pleasant' What temps do you get that at ?

Wondering if I should just go the straight pale extract if that's the case.

[Kempicus]

i go at around 24-25ish i reckon you need a few more hops in that bad boy though....

last one i brewed (after i chatted to Luke) was 15L volume with this hop profile...;0)

20g Challenger 60mins
30g Cascade 15 mins
30g Cascade 10 mins
30g Cascade 5 mins
100g Cascade Dry hop

[jt]

24-25C - really - I thought people only fermented Belgians at that temp ?
(How to make Tintin sweat eh ?)

So what was the OG of that sucker Kempy ?
I've only got 1.050 here and only 90gm of hops so it' s a pretty sad attempt I admit
It's my first foray into pale american hopped beers so I'm starting at the bottom & working up.
If it doesn't show potential I won't have invested too much time & effort

[Kempicus]

1064....ended up at 7.1%
Was thinking of entering it into the NHC but it tastes so damn good i didn't want to give two bottles away! ;0)

[jt]

That's an FG around 12 and 80%+ attenuation ?
Sounds like great yeast

[Stu McKinlay]

80% attenuation seems too much to me but I've never met a homebrewer's hydrometer that I really believe. I certainly don't trust mine - every beer I've ever made ends at 1.008-1.010.

[jt]

Tasted good from the pot in the kitchen. Went the straight LME, figured it would probably finish sweet enough by itself.
Rehydrated the yeast and pitched it @ 18C and I've got a loverly little krausen this morning @ 15C. No doubt it'll bring itself up a few degrees as it gets going and I'm sure the Tropic Of Welly will assist with a degree or two as well
But that's still a long way off the temps described for honey and I'm not sure I'm overly fussed about a breakfast spread in my pint
If it's a better dried yeast experience than previous I may consider it again. I wasn't impressed when I used it in a light american amber / brown earlier in the year.

[jt]

Took a hydrometer tasting. The temps risen slowly over the week from 15 to 20C and the sample was more orange shandy than honey, but pleasant and highly drinkable. 1.050 down to 1.012. I'll let it warm up a bit more and then rack it waiting for a keg to come free, may even dry hop with 20g cascade.

[jt]

OK, given the discussion on Doublehoppy's thread, been fermenting from 15C at the start to 18C now and after 10 days dropped 1.050 to a steady 1.012 what would you do ?
Add dry hops and leave a week (?) - rack and dry hop - just keg it ?

[jt]

OK, fearing the unknown, I followed tradition and racked it onto 20gm of cascade pellets.
It only dropped a smidge - maybe 1/2 a point - between last Thursday and last night.
So being impatient and needing a fresh quaffer for Labour weekend, I kegged it and force carbed as best I could at 16C
I poured a pint and it was pretty good. A little sweet and resinous by the end of the warm pint, hopefully it conditions up well in the fridge,
but I can imagine being able to knock a couple back at a time.

[MrC]

Is that a big thumbs up on the US-05?

[jt]

US-05 ?
Yes, my most pleasant experience with dried yeast for a long time.
My ferment was lower than the suggestions above for that honey taste and I came out very cascade citrus - so far anyway. Ferment started at 15C and worked up slowly over about 10 days to 20C, never got to the 22+ discussed above.
It's a bit sweet at this stage, but some fridge time and gas may sort that out. Didn't seem to want to go much below 1.012.
I'll certainly give this a go as a grain beer with US-05 soon to compare, but it scores heavily now as an easy to brew (and hopefully drink) beer when time doesn't allow for a mash