Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[Dave W]

To help with boosting the head, a touch of Wheat might help?

looks like a fun beer you have there! :-D

[Susie Warwick]

How much wheat would you use generally for that?

[Hamish Jones]

I liked the flavours and aromas so I went big, it was on a 20 litre brew, tastes alright though I should have chucked a bit of munich malt in for more body, it's only about my 15th brew, the beauty of it is if you don't like something you can tweak it to suit, beer is great

[Susie Warwick]

Implying that I am the newbie here of course, only1 all grain brew and about 7 or so extract batches so far :)

[Scarrfie]

Hi Susie and welcome to the forums. I wanted to take the chance here to say good move on reading through this thread for information, I have been right through myself and it is a mine of information. Can I suggest the what are you brewing thread as well, there are a ton of tips in there also.

Reflecting on that advice I think it is appropriate that I thank all the people who have contributed their advice to this thread, I have learned a ton from it. While searching the net can yield answers often this thread and these forums are a superior source of information. So thank you all who have helped me directly, but also all those who have contributed in the historic parts of the thread.

Suzie I am still very much learning and not experienced in pale ales, but I recently brewed this pale ale that I am not quite happy with it. Too bitter at 68 ibu (and I like a bitter beer) and a bit weak on the malt flavour. That sort of ties in with the advice from others above. Be careful with high alpha(or high cumulohone) hops late, sometimes it works really well but sometimes not. On the wheat you can actually use plain flour depending on your system. Not too much as it will cloud your beer, perhaps try 2% as a start and reference point for you.

[jt]

I was sitting in the sun at Roosters earlier in the week, one of those hot Hawkes Bay days.
I was there to pickup the ginger beer for the kids and Haymaker for myself. So as I was driving, opted for a quick Draught.
Now NZ Draught isn't usually described as a 'wow' beer, but this is what I'd call an 'ahhhhhh' beer. One of those really good lawnmower beers. Great sitting in the sun, quenches the thirst, nothing in there to offend anyone's tastes, very easy to drink.
It had nice malt, a little sweet but with a nice balancing bitterness. Hop? I don't know. Nothing to characterful that I could pick up, just enought to balance out the malt. Didn't pickup to much of the yeast, didn't pick it as a lager strain, or if it was it was nice and clean

Wondered how I'd brew a good NZ Draught myself, maybe just a little more character though.
Thinking 1.040. Maybe 95% Pale and the rest caramalt and carapils (don't know this had the feel of carapils though)
Or maybe 90% Pale with Munich
Then 20 to 25 IBU of something pretty neutral, just a bittering addition.
But just for good measure, an addition at maybe 10 minutes, something more characterful but not overpowering. Currently thinking Motueka as something light and fruity.

Yeast? I've no temperature control so it's ale yeast, probably '05

Any good opinions?

Cheers, jt

[Chris Banks]

Mmm thats a great description of a nz draught - not normally a style I would lust after but knowing Roosters beers and reading your description its sounding pretty damn good!

I reckon the 90% pale and munich with mot or pacifica to bitter sounds pretty good unless you wanted a bit of cara in there for colour?

[jt]

I did wonder if a discussion on NZ Draught would be a bit of a fizzer. Maybe New World Cream Ale or Blonde would catch the imagination a bit more. Might go with North Welly Quaffer instead.

I was talking to Sparky about it too. It'd caught his attention too as a form beer from them.

The Munich would be good for the colour, just thought it may have needed a bit of caramalt for that sweetness.
Maybe 10% Munich and a couple of percent Caramalt.

I wasn't sure on the bittering. Maybe the Pacifica would be good then a hint of Motueka at the end. Just a bit, maybe a gram/litre, maybe a bit less.

I was just thinking of how to turn that 'ahhhhh' into a 'wow' without getting in ya face hops

[Crusader-Rob]

a NZ draught Discussion, would most likely be a bit of a hit, as its what alot of people probably grew up on, and if we can get a good version of it /recipe somewhere here, it'd appeal to a few people I'm sure.

main reason i say that is  because for people who are having weddings or parties etc. and suipplying their own beer, I'd say that'd be the first to go, for the general population.  If anyone has any recipe, please feel free to sharethem, or Post a new discussion JT.

[jt]

NZ Draught cops a fair bit of flak from beer enthusiasts, lets face it there are some dreadful examples out there. Even the styleguide doesn't read too flash or tasty.
But why not pick a good example of it and compare it to a malty, lightly hopped European beer, or the Cream or Blonde Ales?
And there are also some good ones too. Roosters was the last one to catch my tastebuds, Sunshine Brewery's Reserve was the other one that comes to mind and I'm sure there are others, please don't hesitate to add to the list

[Druid]

I brewed Bazza's truly awesome NZ draught again just before Xmas as I had rellies coming to stay and I knew it would appeal to their tastes - it was just like your description with a bit more of an elegant hop profile. 

The taste definitely came together over time as it improved in the keg after 10-14 days conditioning but it was unfortunately just about finished by then. It's a good recipe to get your head around brewing lower gravity beers.

This time, I subbed the Victory for melanoiden as I wanted to experiment with deepening the colour a bit but the batch prior to this , I used Abbey.

[jt]

Yea, that's about the ballpark, thanks. There was some good discussion there too, that I'd forgotten.

Sort of helps firm up the 10% Munich and 5% Caramalt.
I'll leave the gainbill at that, not too keen on too much more colour and I don't think the Amber would be the character I'm looking for.
I like the look of the Styrian Goldings too, nice hop, nice balance with the D and the Pacifica.
It's all coming together nicely