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

[Richard Deeble]

Let us know how it is. I have a bottle of Bowmore 12 at the moment which I am loving and would very interested in brewing a beer with a similar smoky/sweet/citrusy character. I'm not sure whether I should try 100% peated malt as a newish homebrewer. I'm thinking about using about 10-20% peated malt to start with in a beer with an OG of 1.080. Mainly pale malt, perhaps a little crystal 40.

[Stu McKinlay]

I'd hold back on any sweet malts with this... the peated malt is really sweet by itself. And definitely hold back on the dark malts as I reckon they'll intensify the smoke too much. If you want to be a pussy (as Mike would say) try 75% Golden Promise and 25% Peated. Where are you? I have a truck load of the stuff if you want to try a kg or two.

Then again, if you want to be a real pussy (like Martin Bridges) go with 97% Golden Promise and 3% Peated. I've already told him I won't get out of bed for anything less than 90% smoked malt. Martin's going to get a hard time in Wellington this weekend ;-) I just hope he doesn't rip the beer to shreds in front of the Regionals crowd.

Go for it Richard.

I really love Bowmore too. and it was that exact same smoky/sweet/citrus thing I had in mind. I've had a wee word with their distiller, who is very interested, and would love to twist his arm into getting a tonne of their malt over here for a batch...

[Martin Bridges]

Meow.

[Soren]

if we don't make it 8 Wired might!

+1. If that stuff is drinkable it must be the beer of the year!

I've been wanting to do a 100% peated for years but never got my act together, always thought it would be a waste of time but it sounds like you've nailed it!

[Dougal]

Just mashed in a re-brew of this rye APA (after spending yesterday taking down the broken brick wall in my brewing area).
Never tried the original but this is one of my favourite beers to date: balanced but complex for a small beer. I vaguely remember someone asking about mixing English and US hops- it totally works in this recipe.

CYBI Terrapin Rye Pale Ale Clone
OG: 1.054 SG
FG: 1.014 SG

(Some malt substitutions)
Gladfield Ale Malt 3.955 kg 72.3 %
Munich Malt 0.554 kg 10.1 %
Flaked Rye 0.554 kg 10.1 %
CaraAmber 0.261 kg 4.8 %
Melanoidin Malt 0.147 kg 2.7 %
CaCl, gypsum to 90ppm total Calcium, and just a smidgeon of masonry dust.

Columbus 14.2 %AA 14 g @ 60
Fuggle 4.2 %AA 14 g @ 30
NZ Goldings 4.8 %AA 14 g @ 20
NZ Goldings 4.8 %AA 14 g @ 10 Min
NZ Cascade 8.0 %AA 17 g @ At turn off
US Amarillo 7.5 %AA 35 g Dry-Hopped

Wyeast 1272@ 19C

[Martin Bridges]

I reckon the masonry dust will bring it just right! That's a recipe I've been meaning to try myself, let me know how it turns out.

[Dougal]

Undershot the gravity a little, but otherwise looks good.
I'm interested to see how much change the 1272 (the one used in genuine Terrapin) makes. The first time I used US-05 but the rye spiciness would suit a fruitier character.
In an extreme act of willpower I've saved the last bottle of batch #1 for a side-by-side.

[jt]

masonry dust

probably the unrepeatable x-factor

[Dougal]

Actually, quite a few of our walls need to be taken down and re-laid thanks to the quake, so I'll have more than enough "x-factor" for anyone else who wants to try it ;-)

[Dougal]

Well, maybe it's the masonry dust talking, but this beer rocks.

Lovely amber colour, malt background and rye flavour balanced with the hops: spicy with a bitter marmalade finish from the Amarillo. Nice fluffy head too. The fruity 1272 @19C adds an extra layer that just wasn't there in the batch I made with US-05.

I made a big batch, but at the rate it's disappearing I'll be re-brewing soon.

[Martin Bridges]

Not brewed for a while, but just been milling (with new barleycrusher!) and prepping for a smoked porter tomorrow, which I just have to call Smoke On The Porter. It's the rules.

I'm not looking for a heavy smoke presence so I've just taken my standard robust porter recipe (which I'm very happy with) and switched out 25% of the base malt for Weyerman smoked malt. Should be noticeable but not overpowering.

I'm also planning to keg my Rochefort 10 clone. It's not quite at R10 strength as I missed my target OG, but it has come down to 1.020 from 1.095 which puts it at 9.7% in my book, so meaty enough. I'm planning to keg and carb it, then forget about it for a while. Might chuck some in a bottle occasionally to get feedback.

[Stu McKinlay]

*puts hand up to be on the evaluation panel*