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

[Mike Neilson]

Realy what US hops you got? I got all the kiwi hops a man could every need!!

[jt]

Oh Mr M, whatever next !
your timing is impeccable as usual, I was just contemplating an NZ Hops order, can't wait to see what's on offer from the local

[Tony]

Just a thought, but you already have one yeast strain in there (S05), you are then going to add in another. Now, by dropping the temperature, will not kill off the previous yeast, it will only suspend it. So my thought is, you may well cause a conflict between the different yeast cultures? I don't really know, I am not a yeast expert, just my observations, on what I have encountered. Previously, when I have had a failed yeast, I have reboiled the brew, to kill off any rogue cells, before I have repitched it.

[Mike Neilson]

Yeah im hoping buy cold crashing I will drop enough of the yeast out of the wort to a level where the High dosage of Trappist will just take of and leave the S05 for dead. I am only hopping though!

[Martin Bridges]

I had a bit of a surprise yesterday when my keg of Best Bitter unexpectedly blew dry. It has been tasting exceptionally nice and drinkable but still, I didn't expect it to run out so soon. This leaves me in the terrible position of only having one keg on the go (Donkey Oatie stout) and nothing ready to go into one - I've got a Bohemian Pilsner on the go but it won't be ready until the end of May.

Sooooo, emergency brew session required. I'm trying a post-work brew for the first time tomorrow night. I'll be no-chilling but hopefully it'll be ok. The beer will be my Irish Red for the WBC competition, promoted up the order a couple of weeks. Recipe will be posted in the WBC group.

This leaves me with a vacancy in my brewing schedule. The Best Bitter that was going to be in early May will now get brewed on the 25th April, so I have a slot open in early May. Thinking about maybe a mild for May, or perhaps an American Brown (given that I've just crippled my credit card with a monster purchase from Craftbrewer).

Any other suggestions?

[Martin Bridges]

Brewed the Irish Red last night. All went smoothly, with the exception of my efficiency being a bit low so I missed my OG target by 5 points. The wort looks beautiful though, a gorgeous russet colour.

Pitched US-05 at ambient this morning.

[jt]

Pitched US-05 at ambient this morning

Any chilling involved here Martin or just relying on it to cool down overnight - in the fermenter, cube or kettle ?

[Martin Bridges]

No-chilled overnight in the kettle. Followed the Reviled approach - i.e. Glad Wrapping the lid on the kettle and spraying the s**t out of it with StarSan!

Was still a little bit warm this morning (about 25) but the fermenter is on a concrete floor in an understairs cupboard so it should stabilise at around 19 pretty quickly.

[Reviled]

lol beats going out and spending $15 on ice aye Martin ;o)

[Martin Bridges]

Was happy to go with the no-chill on this one as there was no late hopping. Just NZ Styrians at 60 mins, and I figured that it would all have isomerized by the end of the boil.

[JoKing]

Yeah... and where is the photo...?

[Martin Bridges]

I did take one this morning but didn't have time to download it. Will do so over the weekend if I get chance. Looked f***ing gorgeous, so it did!