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

[Reviled]

The NZ goldings and Cascade do really work well together!

[studio1]

Barry, how long after brewing would you be drinking this? Do you do a diacetyl rest?

[Barry]

Brew day for the summer ale was 9 November. It spent 14 days in primary - 10 days in the fridge @ 19deg, 2 days out (diacetal rest but in truth it never got above 22deg), then back in the fridge and crashed to 3deg and fined with gelatin. Sat for 4 days, then back out of the fridge again until kegging this Thursday just gone (27th). I had a few pints tonight, research purposes only of course, clearing well and tasting pretty refreshing.

Diacetal rests are much easier for me in summer, I get it out of the controlled fridge after 10-14 days and leave it out in the basement ambient for 4 days. In summer that means 24deg-ish.

I find hoppy ales superb for drinking really early, I keg then carbonate at 250kPa overnight and the next day. Then ramp down to pouring pressure the day after kegging and drink! They're pretty darn good and they improve until the keg blows dry some 2 weeks later. The brilliance of kegging!

[denimglen]

Oh well, fingers crossed. Brewing this now.

Dropped the bitterness to about 37 IBU though.

[Mike Neilson]

First shot at an amaerican APA using all american hops.

American IPA

5kg Pale Malt
350g Carapils
350g Crystal 60
160g Crystal 120
160g Munich
23l 1.060 FG

67 degree Mash 20g Chinook mash hop

20g Chinook 60 mins
55g Centenial 15 mins
55g Cascade Pulgs 5 mins
55g Cascade Pulgs 0 mins


Wyeast 1056

Ferment in my new temp controled chest freezer at 20deg till primary ferm is done than a
Dry Hop 30g each of Chinook Cascade Centenial. 70ibus


This should have plenty of hop aroma!! just like the americans big fat IPAs

[Reviled]

Go the chest freezer! How awesome are they? I recently got one too and loving it!

Thats a shitload of crystal, about 14%? But I guess youre using a shitload of hops too :o) So im sure it will turn out tasty! And the aroma is gonna be crawling out of the glass and slapping you in the face :o) Nice!!

[Mike Neilson]

Yeah I have to balance out the aroma and bitterness with the sweetness of the crystal. As for the freezer yeah I reacon it's going to be great it means I can brew in summer to match consumtion, I have been struggling with these 26 deg days here. I have just wreaked to brews with this temp cost me a fortune!!

[Reviled]

Sucks coming home from work and seeing a brew at 24+ huh?

Im absolutely loving the control it gives you, ive been able to do lagers, im still no chilling, but I can pitch yeast at 26, then just tape the sensor to the cube and set the temp and it comes down quick as!!

Are you still bottling or kegging?

[Mike Neilson]

Just In the final steps of the kegging just got to get the kegs, Will be getting them this week, This one will keeged and the other 4 litre will be bottled. Cant wait for this one off the keg shall be a nice hop punch in the face.

[Reviled]

Are you gonna dry hop it in the keg? Or the fermenter?

Keen to send me a bottle? Im really keen to try chinook and centennial, I can send you something back of course :o)

[Mike Neilson]

Done! will do, hopefully get it will get there before Christmas. Will dry hop in fermenter on this one as this will be the first one into the keg, so I would hate to stuff it up.

[Reviled]

Sounds good matey :o) Any particular beer you want in return?

Ive got an Anzac Pale ale in the fermenter, Nelson sauvin and Galaxy hops, the galaxy hops are awesome, I did an english Pale Ale with them and its got a nice passionfruit touch to it...