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

[Martin Bridges]

Hmmm, Ning seems to have gone mad so who knows where this reply will end up. I'm trying to respond to Tyler's post...

For the first time in living memory I have nothing brewing. Two and a half full kegs too. Damn this "working in Hamilton" lark.

But I'll fix this at the weekend - look out for The Tonguesplitter, coming to a fermenter near me very soon....

[Reviled]

So you didnt get a chance to brew on sunday?? Like the name ;o) lol

[Martin Bridges]

It was always likely that this coming weekend would be the brew weekend for the WBC IPA. Just wanted to get the milling done early to keep my options open.

[Bambule]

A friend has lent me the DVD to Blackadder this week which I've been busy watching. For some reason this bypassed me the first time round although I don' know why as it had so much talent involved, especially people like Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, who helped deliver the Young Ones which is one of my fondest memories of watching TV in the eighties, that and the Goodies. For some reason I'm not so certain my kids will be so lucky. Anyway, what has this to do with beer? Well I couldn;t help thinking what a great name for a beer The Blackadder was and as I was recently impressed with Jokings Black Beauty Porter I thought I'd use the moniker for my attempt at a similar stab at his brewing alchemy. The beer was the closest hombrew I'd tasted to Renaissance Porter which is a beer I love. I know deep down I'm not going to get exactly there, the ADM Pilsner base malt has certain limitations I'm discovering, but that's never stopped me (and in keeping with the theme, it wouldn't have stopped Blackadder if he was a brewer).

The Blackadder
77% ADm Pils
10% Munich
6% Crystal
4% Pale Chocolate
3% Carafa II
Sauvin, NZ cascade and Motueka to 55 IBUs
US05

[Ally Mcg]

Something for the weekend I've just put the finishing touches to this evening.

Eddy Merckx Belgian Big Breakfast pour la Tour

48% LME
28% Pils
8.5% Oats (Harraways)
8.5% Munich
4.2% Wheat
3.4% Cara-Aroma
10g Star Anise (boil for 30mins)
10g Coriander Seeds (toasted, lightly crushed, boiled for 5)
100g Mackays Seville Orange Marmalade (boil for 5) - thanks for the tips/encouragement on Brewing with Marmalade
10IBU of Riwaka @60
Wyeast 1762 (recycled, thanks to Crablet)

Target OG 1.067 (i have rubbish efficiency)
13.2SRM
10IBU

Give this a few weeks in the cellar before drinking to celebrate the clocks going forward, possibly the day after too for breakfast.

[jt]

All weighed and milled for a pretty simple cascade ale tomorrow
94% ADM Pils
3% caramalt
3% medium Crystal
13 IBU NZ Willamette and 13 IBU of NZ Cascade from 30 minutes on (includes1gm / litre at 1 minute to go), 1gm/ litre dry hop
1.038 with US05

Dropped the wheat from the standard recipe, had enough wheat for now. I've been playing with the crystal amounts, 5% medium crystal was too much, 2.5% too little. I figure the 2.5% plus some caramalt should be a good medium

[MrC]

Are you liking the ADM Pils jt? Would you buy another sack? I'm almost through my sack of Maris Otter and wondering what to try next for a base malt?

[jt]

Yea I like it Mr C, onto my 4th or 5th bag - it fits what I'm brewing really well. I don't know that it's a good follow on from MO if that' what you're into though, remember it is a Pils malt.

Suits my styles really well, ales boardering on psuedo lager / Blande Blondes / NZ Draught'ish with some hop appeal really and the odd ale with a fair whack of specialty thrown in

[jt]

All mashed in at 7am, sparge water heating, coffee & brekkie break.
I wish it was as quick as an extract brew, I'd still be in bed

[Stu McKinlay]

Yesterday...

NZ Pale Ale
GP, Cara 35, Crystal 90, 67c mash
Sauvin, Motueka, Pacifica
WLP051 - godamn stinky farts off that one! I'd read about it but it smells like my boys when they've been blocked up a day or two. fruity...
1.050 and 50ibu.

Got some pics taken of the brewday from a beer loving photographer friend with an old Bronica medium format, a very old Leica and a newer Canon... all film, all grain. Good day. Can't wait to see them, I guess he can't wait to try the beer!

Just been drinking two old bottled pale ales that missed out on making ot to the homebrew awards and I'm pretty happy with them. Happy that I'm drinking them but a bit gutted they missed the judging now...

[Tony]

Hi Stu, have you used NZ pale/pilsner before? What are your thoughts on it? I've found it quite high in proteins and lacking in character, as opposed to other pale malts/pilsner malts. I have been informed it is actually a pilsner malt?

I like to support NZ grown, but I find it a little hard to, when for a little bit more I can get a malt that will give me that much more.

Does anybody else have any feedback on this malt? (excuse the thread jacking, but it tied into the topic nicely)

[JoKing]

I think the style he's making is an NZ Pale Ale... it looks like he's using Golden Promise malt for it.

But.. to answer your question - I dont have any problems with either Gladfield Malt, or ADM malt. As a SMASH - I dont think they compare to malts like GP or MO, but in a well crafted beer - there's nothing wrong with either. All I can suggest is with Gladfield - watch your mash pH. With ADM - use plenty of specialty.

If you liked Maximus - that was entirely Gladfield Ale malt as the base with Acidulated malt to counter the high pH that Gladfield generates in the mash.

Just my 2c mate!