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

[Richard Deeble]

The first batch was a Golden Strong hopped with Sauvin, then fermented at 20, then ramped gradually up to 28. I added the dextrose 3 days into the ferment. I used Mr Malty to dictate how much yeast to pitch. The beer has turned out pretty fruity and is certainly getting better with age.

The second beer I added everything from the start and fermented cooler (18 for 2 days then gradually up to 22 then 25 to finish it). To be honest, I don't think it is going to be a very good beer. I didn't wash the yeast properly (too much trub and hop material) , overpitched and I found the fermentation produced more sulfur than I am comfortable with. I had a very rushed brew day and didn't really check my pitching rate...I managed to partially freeze the yeast cake from the previous batch after cold crashing and pitched much more yeast than mrmalty suggested in case I killed it by freezing it. I'll see how it tastes after some conditioning but I'm not that confident...

[Tilt]

Thanks, I'm ramping up the temp to get it to 25.  Given it a rouse and stern talking to too!

[Tilt]

This buggar just keeps on - 24 degrees with a thin krausen and now 1020 - it might just get there... tasting fruity and some hops showing through now.  There's hope yet.

[Darrin Smith]

you might be pleasantly surprised

[Dougal]

Both my 3711 beers (1.050 and 1.062) finished at 1 with normal pitching rates. It's a complete monster.

You might find though that even at 1.002 there's enough mouthfeel- both 3711 and 3522 reputedly produce a bit of glycerol, which adds mouthfeel despite the low FG. Hang onto those beers Richard. My 3711 saisons were nothing special for 6 months. A one year old bottle got silver at NHC.  

[Bambule]

Just kegged my first beer, a Belgian pale ale.    I'm ecstatic, to put it mildly.  Kegs, why did that take me so long.

That's 5 years of all-grain brewing (not counting the mis-spent youth of kit and kilo brews in 30Deg Brisbane heat), at an average of 17 brews per year, 1720 litres of beer bottle conditioned.  Maybe 3000 teaspoons of sugar, 3000 lids. 

But today a new dawn...  Apart from the big belgian beer which I think, will and probably should still go in a bottle.  

[MrC]

Good on ya Bambule, I remember having that same feeling.  I think my beers improved after I started kegging.  Most likely because my beer is always stored cold now rather that at fluctuating room temps.  

Even my Belgians get kegged so that I can give bottles to people that don't have sediment.  The carbonation doesn't get as high as the styles suggest but I don't mind.

[Bambule]

Yes Mr C, its the control over temperature and carbonation I'm enjoying.  Brewing an IPA next, it'll be quite a different beast conditioned in a keg I think....

[MrC]

I still enjoy playing with carbonation.  I get it nicely carbed then reduce to serving temp and leave it there until the carbonation gets too low for my liking before bumping it back up again.  It's facinating how the same beer can taste & feel so different just due to the carbonation level.

[Tilt]

This sounds great - another way to experiment with beer to get the final tweaks just right.  Envious as and great to hear the joys from a new kegger Bambule,  you've given me hope that I'm not the only one whose a few years into the habit and still using bottles. 

Still planning the kegging system.......one day when the budget is in surplus.

[Matt Smith]

Conditioning a Belgian Ale inspired by Orval at the moment, my first foray into using Brettanomyces. Pretty exited!

80% Pils
4.6% Aromatic
3.8% Caramunich 2
3.8% Caramunich 3
5.4% Sugar

Started at 1.055 and the pre-brett gravity was 1.011 Hopping throughout the boil is a mix of Pacifica and Southern Cross to 37ibu. I fermented with Ardennes yeast, then racked onto the Brett which I grew up from a couple bottles of Green Flash Rayon Vert. I had planned to use Orval bottles, but the Brett character in Rayon Vert seems to be a little stronger to me, plus there was more sediment. The plan is to let it sit on the Brett (and I guess whatever else is in the Rayon Vert) for three weeks, with a 50g dry hop in the last week, before bottling, aiming for about 3 volumes.

Real curious to see how much Brett character it picks up, if any. The starter smelled and tasted bretty so that's a good sign I guess. Bonus from this brew was bottling of a 6 pack pre-Brett/Dry Hops to enjoy as a Belgian Pale Ale while I wait

[Kelly Milligan]

Nice man sounds interesting! What sort of gravity do you think the Brett will take it down to? any concerns with the Brett sticking around and tainting other batches?