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

[Mike Neilson]

I try do 40 40 60 in my Late addition hops for an IPA than a 3g per Litre dry hop. up to 1.060. I find this would give you around 30 - 40 ibus IPA hop punch in the face. Sauvin is great but for those hops I would add say 1g at 10grams at the 0 mins and it would help list the hops, bring out there fruityness. Someone on here told me that and it had been some of the best advice I have ever had.

[HerrSchnapps]

What do you mean by "1g at 10grams at the 0 mins"?

[Mike Neilson]

1 gram to 10g of other hops @ 0 mins or flame out.

[HerrSchnapps]

Ah thanks for clearing that up. So, lets try:
50g NZ Golding @ 60
10g Czech Saaz @ 25
60g Saaz @ 0
40g Cascade @ 0
40g NZ Golding @ 0
20g Nelson Sauvin @ 0

220g of hops. Mmmm, mmmmm!

[Mike Neilson]

Brilliant! that how I like my hops, all at the end. I have been drinking for the last few days Emersons APA, Little Creatures Pale Ale and my own American IPA. I love the the big hit of aroma they have and I reacon you will get it with that. If you can, chuck a dry in hop after primary! more hop the better, whats sobas T shirt say 'In The Pursuit Of Hopiness'. Do you no chill?

[Stu McKinlay]

more hops required.... ;-)

[HerrSchnapps]

Say... 70grams of NZ Cascade dry-hopped? God, that about $20 in hops! :D I think he's only be getting say half a dozen bottles, because I'll be drinking this all! (and fending James off :D)
And yeah, I BIAB, no-chill. I'm a rebel.

[Mike Neilson]

Hey I dont know If its an issue but with that amount of flame out hops and no chill, could stuff up the IBU's as it sits in that AA extraction zone for some time. Is it worth chucking them in when the temps is down a bit?

[denimglen]

A mate wanted some flavoured vodkas, ala 42 Below, so it's plain sugar wash with turbo 48. How exciting haha. Will be good to give the still another run though, haven't used it in over a year.

Kinda tempting to run it is a pot still and make some whiskey from scratch with grain.

[Stu McKinlay]

Man, 42 Below is vile. I tried about 5 of them one night in a bar in Wellington (courtesy of the staff, after closing time) - they each smelt and tasted outrageously of fusel alcohol. I'm not really a spirit drinker - just a bit of scotch here and there - don't know if all vodka is like that but if it is I can see why it is always watered down to nothing.

That same night the same guy gave me a 30 year old dark rum. It was absolutely delicious.

[denimglen]

Yeah, I'm not really on the spirit buzz either, never had 42 below either actually haha.

I can get a pretty pure spirit from my still so hopefully mine will be better :-D maybe I'll have to mix some tails in to keep my mate happy haha.

I've got a 'whiskey' that's been sitting on oak for two years now, I dunno how good it is as far as whiskey goes but shit it's a nice drink.

[Martin Bridges]

Grandad Joe's Gold Label - an English barley wine brewed in honour of my grandfather who, in his last months, developed a real taste for Whitbread Gold Label. Not intended to be a recreation of that beer, just a nice strong barley wine.

8kg Maris Otter
250g Dark crystal (120L)
1kg Dextrose

90 minute boil

70g Pacific Hallertau @ 60 mins
40g NZ Styrian Goldings @ 30 mins
40g NZ Styrian Goldings @ 15 mins

Pitched onto the entire yeast cake from a batch of best bitter which was brewed with Wyeast 1968 London ESB.

OG = errr, not sure. My hydrometer only measures up to 1.080 and this was off the scale. I was aiming for 1.100 and I think I got close!
IBU = 50 (but see above, not too precise!)

This beer endured a pretty difficult birth. I mashed for 75 minutes at 65.5. Runoff was very very slow - I suspect the weight of the grainbed was crushing my braided hose. However, the clarity was excellent. Bit darker than I would have liked (maybe overdid the crystal a bit) but a gorgeous ruby colour.

This was the biggest boil I've attempted (31 litres) using my crappy 2-pots-on-the-stove technique and I succumbed to the "a non-watched pot instantly boils over" scenario. I'd just popped down to the study to check my hydrometer readings when my wife yelled. Major boilover, wort everywhere, including down the back of the dishwasher. I came charging into the kitchen, slipped on the wort, both feet in the air, landed flat on my back (and also on my wife's foot). No serious injuries thank God. I'm in the dog box though!

Rest of the brew was uneventful. Even managed a visit to the beach while it was chilling (ice bath). The hydrometer sample tasted divine, and this morning it's bubbling away merrily in my temperature controlled fridge at 20 degrees.

Also managed to clean and recondition three cornys, plus fill one of them with the aforementioned best bitter. Busy day, and boy was it hot! Cooled down with a couple of Hop Rockers followed by a Perfection and a bottle of Emersons JP 2008 to round off the day.