CS6 - Test Subject Pale Ale

[vdog]

Based on a fairly standard grist, but trying out Biscuit malt to see what that'd contribute, and trying the combination of Cascade and Fuggles as the late hops.

So for a 65L batch it was:
11kg Golden Promise
3kg Maris Otter
1.35kg Medium Crystal
800g Dingeman's Biscuit malt
60g Pacific Jade @ 60min
100g NZ Cascade @ 10min
60g NZ Fuggles @ 10min
100g NZ Cascade @ 0min
60g NZ Fuggles @ 0min
US-05 fermented at 20C.

Vital stats 1.053 OG, FG 1.009, about 46 IBU.

Bottled from keg, so shouldn't be any need to be careful about sediment etc.

EDIT: Except for the one bottle that IS bottle-conditioned due to running out from the keg...

[vdog]

Thanks Crabbey. Due to a bit of a lack of planning you guys got almost all we had left of this - think I've still got a couple of litres in the keg but that won't last long... Glad you enjoyed it, we did too.

[Stu H]

This beer personally reminded me of Crouchers Pale Ale quite a lot. Great clear, amber appearance. Around the table we detect honey in the mouth, definitely. Great hop aroma, the fuggles/cascade combo is a nice change to the usual Amarillo late hop. Lingering aftertaste. Great carbonation for the style. Served around 10 degrees as well, which I thought was perfect.

[Stu McKinlay]

I got a bottle of this out of the fridge after a solid set of hill reps on my pushbike this evening... Dropped the little bastard and now I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Fuck it!

[JoKing]

Good clarity, and a nice colour. Pours well with a little white head. Mild beery aroma with some alcohol evident. Grainy palate with a reasonably dry finish. I'm sorta sitting on the fance with this one: probably the biscuit malt wasn't floating my boat on the night. My fault more than anything I think - just wasn't i nthe mood I spose.

I think it's definately well brewed - the biscuit flavour is quite dominant so you have acheived what you set out to. I reckon it's pretty well fermented too - so good work mate.

Cheers.

[Stu McKinlay]

Drunk this in two sittings... one was early Saturday evening before heading out to do some shopping and the next was in the sun at lunch on Sunday after a brisk 2hr ride. Something didn't seem right on the first approach and, upon loving it at the second nudge, I came to realise it was the lack of a bike ride on Saturday!

Definitely a good dose of caramel and grainy malt... with hops balancing the beer well. Nice new world fruit-driven hoppy pale ale with an English-style malt character. Good work with the style crossover.

I guess I got the bottle conditioned one as it was reasonably hazy with a bit of yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

Cheers!

[vdog]

Cheers guys, always good to get some feedback from the pros! I'm with you Jo, I think next time I'll drop a bit of that biscuit malt out - I like what it brings to the beer, but it could do with being a bit subtler.

[Matt]

Pours a rich amber with thin rapidly dissipating head. Interesting yet subdued hop aroma and flavour, Im also picking up some roastiness which as crabbey alluded to I guess is the biscuit. Coupled with this is a distinct dryness that to my palate goes all the way to the finish. This makes this an interesting beer, and by my reckoning a tasty and enlightening experiment! Cheers!

[Haish]

Yum, really enjoyed this beer. It's a great quaffer, excellent NZ hop character with a bit of roastiness from the biscuit, nice clean ferment too. If I had to be picky it could do with a middle hop addition to bring up the hop flavour and perhaps a touch more crystal to round out the body. Cheers for the beer vdog!

[vdog]

Thanks fellas, glad you enjoyed it. If I was changing the hopping I think I'd increase the late hop rather than adding a middle addition, and in particular I'd add more of the Fuggles to help it stand up against the Cascade better. The experiment continues...

[Reviled]

Had this one last night - Pours a slightly hazy orange with a tightly packed 2 finger head which lingers. Aroma of tropical fruit, honey and a hint of cracked black pepper. Full mouthfeel with a hint of ripe orange sitting on top of toasted malt biscuits with a very dry finish!!

 

Delicious mate, looking at the recipe now im thinking WTF? Fuggles? lol, didnt pick it when I was drinking it, but maybe its cos its NZ fuggles, or maybe the cascade just won out at the end of the day?

[Stu H]

I'm actually brewing this today. I really enjoyed it a year ago, and I've not brewed with Fuggles or Biscuit before, so I thought "why not?". only difference is doing 50/50 fuggle/cascade.