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

[JoKing]

It'll be wicked - infact, I'd use more! It'll increase the percieved hoppyness of the beer. Like EKG - is good - nice earthyness and herb character... Styrian has the spice and orange... Motueka will really round the characters out with its Citrus and Spice.

I'd go hard with it - traditional IPA with a NZ twist. NZ brewing attitude.

[Mike Neilson]

I'll se how I go on Friday probably will up it, Hopefully I feel like brewing as I have a long night of Case swap beers planned!! Only because I got no full kegs!!

[jt]

Well it's a rare event, but I'm going to borrow and tweak someones recipe - Stu's homebrewed version of Kid Chocolate
I've not tried either the original or commercial versions, which do appear to be quite different, but having sampled a couple of Stu's beers I trust his ability to put a good recipe together. And I think I'd rather go with the bigger version than the Mild

1.040 and 25 IBU is pretty much where I like a brown to be, quaffable gravity. Probably a bigger hit of bitterness at 60 than I usually brew as I'd traditionally move some of that to 30 minutes.

I haven't used Brown malt for a few years. I did some Northern Browns and I got a good "Newkie Brown" flavour from it. I'm thinking that the Pale Chocolate and bit of Black is going to tone that back a bit though.

Likewise I haven't usd Black for awhile either, but seems that any good porter or mild has a handfull in
So a couple of tweaks for ingredient availability - don't stock pale crystal so mixing some medium and caramalt, no Fuggles or Goldings so subbing Willamette and Styrians.

And just just in case the Yeasties have been down to IPONZ - I'll change the name - Pukehuia 655

[Stu McKinlay]

Sounds good JT.

So that's why i got the third degree last night? As I said, somewhere between the trial and the final product is quite possibley a perfect beer (but I loved both of them so I'm happy).

I like the idea of that hop combo, and your cara/crystal blend will be fine too. Try a little at 15min, it'll blend in nicely with your esters. Mash fairly high and don't let it get too dark. Let the darker malts dry it out rather than dominate.

What yeast and base malt?

[jt]

Apologies if you consider yourself grilled Mr M !

In all fairness, maybe there's no reason to compare the two beers - but I was interested in the differences between them

For authenticity I'm going with '04. Haven't used it for yonks, didn't like it when I did, but a zillion happy users can't be wrong can they ?
Not sure what attenuation I'll get. '05 has been pretty consistant 77-80% but with a higher proportion of base grain than this.
Getting below 1.010 is going to sharpen up the perceived bitterness - probably too far for a Mild, maybe just right for the Brown that I think I like.
Any suggestion on temperature here Stu ?

And out of sheer laziness I'm using the ADM Pils that I've got in stock.
My standard mash is 68'ish and I'm anticipating the gravity will be up slightly to 1.041 or 2 which may help compensate for the MO vs ADM difference.
Not sure if I'll leave it there or dilute back to 1.040 though

The Willamette goes in at 60 and the Styrians at 15
Roughly 70% and 30% of IBU respectively so there should be enough character from the 15 minute to keep me happy.

I've brewed a standard 6% Crystal 3% chocolate Brown - or slight variations - until I'm in need of a change - and this looks a pretty good start point for a fresh direction

[jt]

"Not sure if I'll leave it there or dilute back to 1.040 though"

Ooops, went a bit further back than I intended, back to 1.037.
Never mind, at least there'll be plenty of it.

Not a hint of the brown malt (as I recall it) in the mash, boil or fermenter, just a nice mild coffee with a hint of (pale) chocolate. usually I find I need some regular choc along with the pale, otherwise it's a bit lacklustre, we'll see how this goes, the brown & black might carry it along.

rehydrated the '04 and pitched at midday and I have clumps of yeast visible through the fermenter walls now.

cheers, jt

[JoKing]

jt... I reckon that Pale Chocolate is the absolute dogs bollox. It doesn't carrry any of the astringency that chocolate malt does, nor the burned coffe. Just chewy textured milk chocolate. Nums nums..... I need to get some!

[jt]

You're right - but in our case it's the Bunnie's Bitz.

I usually use 1/3 of my chocolate as pale chocolate and 2/3 as regular

Now carafa Specials are suposed to be the best for smooooth aren't they ?
Nearly bought some last time round, but went the known path of chocolates instead (well it is Easter isn't it ???)

[jt]

This's been about 17 - 18 C since pitching on Sunday and spitting fluid from the airlock until I arrived home tonight. Took a peek and found the fluff has all but gone, nice ring round the outside, thinking I'm tempted to take a hydrometer
tasting reading tomorrow. Is S04 really this quick, is 17-18 really that good for it ?

[JoKing]

This lot of S-04 seems to be uber quick. A mate of in in A land just did his Irish Red and it took 2.5 days to attenuate.

I'm thinking of getting some for a G2B experiment.

[jt]

Appears I have a G2B underway here - will hydro tomorrow tp see where it's at.

Does S04 appreciate any conditioning time in primary - could be a question there for Stu as it's pretty much his recipe ?

[Barry]

Definitely appreciates conditioning time in primary after terminal. Diacetal, acetalaledehyde, all clears up after a couple of days at 24ish.