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]

Thanks guys, unfortunately I can only get pellets . My brew shop doesn't have any cones at the moment and I don't know anyone who does. Still as you say, it's for bitterness mainly.

Yeah, I had forgotten to mention roasted barley as the grain to go with the oats, I had considered it, I will see what is available? My brew shop has a pretty good range of grains in bulk (Brewers Coop, Mt. Wellington) to choose from so I don't think grains is going to be a problem. I want the body and taste, so I don't think I'll use anything less than 100g, whatever I use. I am trying to get a chocolaty, oat stout. Something similar to Young's chocolate stout, not as sweet though.

[denimglen]

Boiling at the moment an English IPA.

Aussie Pale
Munich
CaraAmber

~1.070

Pacific Jade (still the ones you gave me Dan!) to 60ish IBU
Goldings the rest of the way.

[jt]

How're you finding the Aussie Pale DG ?

I'm throwing the last of my specialties into this unknown on the weekend.

60% Aussie Pale
20% Vienna
10% Wheat
10% Caramunich III
Smidge of chocolate

Target 1.040 with Thames Valley Ale yeast
Mixture of Styrian Goldings and Willamette @ 60,30,15 & 1 minute to 30 IBU

Haven't used Willamette since I don't know when, but I do recall it was a beauty in a combination with the Styrians.

[Tony]

Far out JT, what is that, a Vienna dark ale? Sounds intrigueing, keep us posted on how it turns out?
Better still, I'll swap you bottle of that, for a bottle of my first Stout full mash?

I have reviewed my recipe:
500g oats
1kg roasted barley
1kg pale malt
300g chocolate malt
150g crystal malt
A liquid dark ale yeast, with green bullet at start and some fuggles to end.
It's a work in progress and subject to change, but I am looking at brewing this weekend.

[jt]

That's a lot of roast barley.
Usually 10% of the total batch size, say 400gm in a 4kg grain bill.

As for my effort, if it turns out ok I'll send you one up.

cheers, jt

[Edward Siddle]

tony i agree with JT, particularly as you have got 300g chocolate in there too. if you are worried about it being black enough, consider that in my last dry stout i put in 420g roast barley and 170g chocolate malt and it is jet black. my oatmeal recently was 500g black patent and it is also jet black. i am not saying you cannot put larger amounts in but for 1.3kg of roast malts you need for the sake of balance (the roast malts will add a lot of bitterness) to have a good underpinning of base malts - probably at least 3.5kg as a bare minimum (remembering you also have 500g oats). the other issue with that much roast malt is the acidity of your mash. it may make conversion of the base malts difficult because it may well slip below pH5 - this depends where you live, i got the impression you were in wgtn region by your reference with JT to swapping a beer. i am, in the softness of the water here means that it may be advisable to take steps to counteract this acidity, such as adding calcium carbonate. i know brewers who make great black beers who do not, but i do, after both mash and head retention issues.

fwiw, this is how i would recast your recipe, assuming you are shooting for something really black:
3kg aussie pale
500g oats
150g crystal
500g roast barley
200g choc malt

you said full mash, but if you meant that you would add extract in then mash the oats with the pale malt and crystal, steep the roast grains separately, then add the whole lot together with the extract in kettle and boil and add hops.

[denimglen]

The Aussie pale has been kind to me so far. Must have a little more protein than the Bairds pale cause I seem to get a bit more head retention now. The only thing that kinda annoys me is the amount of non-grain material in the sack but that's not a biggie.

Used it for an APA - no problems there. Used it in a kinda brown ale thing and that beer wasn't that flash but I'm not gonna blame the base malt just yet, I think the whole recipe was a dud. Used it in the NZPA, fine it that too. I've also just used it in an 80/- and English IPA (both recipes called for Marris Otter), if there're no problems there and I can't taste the difference I'll probably use it for all my beers.

[Mark]

it's outstanding with fuggles too

[Tony]

Right you are. I see my mistake now. I was trying to replace an extract with the like amount of grains!? (or there abouts)
Not thinking that the roasted barley would quite have that impact. I have decided to do a full mash as opposed to a partial one. For the reason, I figured if I am going to do a partial, then I might as well go the whole hog? Why have a wank when the missus is sitting right next to you, right?

What is the major difference between our pale malt and Aussie pale malt?

Don't worry JT, I know I sound novice, but it'll be alright on the day. I look forward to hearing about your concoction.

Thanks again guys.

[Soren]

I'm planning on brewing a big belgium style but having trouble locating some suitable yeast... I was thinking of just getting a belgian ale kit, use the yeast from this and keep the syrup for my morning pancakes:P However, I fear this yeast will be too plain, I want it to produce a lot of "off" flavours. Does anyone know where I can find some, preferably online, otherwise in Auckland?

Cheers

[Edward Siddle]

try dry t-58 - either at your local homebrewstore, or maybe hauraki homebrew online/phone, or else from craftbrewer.com.au

[Stu McKinlay]

If you want a lot of "off" flavours then just let it ferment naturally.

If you want a spicy fruity dry yeast then go the T-58 like Ed suggests. I've used it in a Belgian Pale and thought it would probably suit a strong golden or a tripel.

S-33 has potential too but it is much cleaner - I'm still waiting for another chance to try it out. The first time I used it, it reminded me of Orval (if you can imagine the base beer without any of the brett character).