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

[Tony]

yes, Pacifica is only 4.4% AA, IBU's are good. Plus I think the flavour will complement the beer.

[Martin Bridges]

Oh To Be In Auckland! - English Ordinary bitter which is basically a rebrew of a recent beer, but with some Kiwi hops chucked in late in the boil.

3.4kg Maris Otter
0.2kg Crystal 60L
0.08kg Crystal 120L
0.05kg Torrified wheat
mashed at 67 degrees

10g Target @ 60 mins
20g UK Fuggles @ 30 mins
20g UK Fuggles @ 15 mins
20g Motueka @ 3 mins

Wyeast 1768 PC English Bitter, fermenting at 19 degrees. Must remember to do a good diacetyl rest coz otherwise this thing will be butterscotchy as hell.

First brew in a while, trying to get the stocks up for when my dad arrives from the UK in a couple of weeks.

[Martin Bridges]

Hit my numbers pretty much bang-on - ended up with 22 litres of 1.039 wort into the fermenter. Worst tastes pretty bitter but so did the first brew of this, and it mellowed out nicely.

[Reviled]

Still persisting with the 1768 Martin? Have you tried fermenting a bit warmer? Like 22*c?

[Martin Bridges]

I've got a couple of pitches of the 1768 l;eft. I've not been unhappy with it other than the diacetyl issues. I'll let it warm up at the end.

[Reviled]

Fair enough, it definately does have an awesome character behind the diacetyl, its just so wierd cos ive never got diacetyl out of any of your other beers so it definately has to be strain specific other than your practice!!

[Martin Bridges]

yeah. The Mild was the first beer I brewed with 1768 that wasn't overwhelmed by diacetyl, and I gave that a really good rest. I'll do the same with this one.

[jt]

OK, odds and ends, end of line clear out. Last of my pale and brown, the balance is there to add upto 4kg
2.940 Malturop Pils
0.160 Dark Crystal
0.320 Pale Crystal
0.160 Pale Chocolate
0.080 Chocolate
0.070 Brown
0.050 Black
0.220 Flaked Wheat

Looking at 1.036, SO4 - it's my dark ale yeast for the time being - with 25 IBU of Willamette here there & everywhere
12% Crystals, 7% chocolate and black, 7% Wheat

WTF is it and what, if anything would you change ?

[Martin Bridges]

Looks a lot like a Dark Mild, maybe slightly on the hoppy end. Crystal maybe a tad high, but other than that it looks OK to me. Should get a nice layered malt flavour.

I was only thinking today that I should just brew bitsas, coz the last 2 I've done (including the Belgian Pale that's on tap at the moment) have been gorgeous.

[jt]

Yea, I wasn't sure if I should up the bitterness to avoid a sweet sticky mess

[vdog]

It reminds me a bit of my porter/stout (not sure which it is) but with extra crystal/brown and less chocolate/black. I reckon up the IBUs and it'll be all good - I have an OG:IBU ratio around 1:1 and it's seriously drinkable.

[jt]

Where's your hops in that vdog - all at 60 ?