Yeah, I think Mike mentioned that NZ Breweries called in at Brewers Coop earlier in the year to buy this year's bag of hops, and this time they got an extra 2 kilos....
I own up to using Steinies and Stellas as 'guzzling' beers, can't bear to waste a homebrew or craftbrew to just quickly quench a thirst.
Nick - if you want a good homebrew to quench thirst, IMO, a cream ale is ideal, quick, cheap, easy to make, low abv, dry and quaffable!! Give me one over a speights any day, its just sadly sometimes there isnt much of a choice
'cream' is for some reason in reference to corn, or flaked maize.. If you check out the BJCP its a low ABV beer with a low FG and a big chunk of corn in the grist, I use around 20% and its quite tasty IMO, allthough my recipe is more of a pre-prohibition style cream ale, where as todays version would probably just be base malt, corn, sugar, and a bittering hop - but that doesnt sound as tasty does it ;o)
Cream Ale Mk II - OG 1036, FG 1007, IBU 26
2.49kg Golden Promise
720g Flaked Maize
90g Munich II
90g CaraPils
36g CaraMunich II
180g Cane Sugar
I've been playing with this style too, but using Pils/Pale Malt, Cara-Pils and Wheat, then single hopping it to around 35 IBU.
Couldn't find any flaked miaze (tho i note brewers coop now have some) and tried a couple of brews with conrflakes, which worked out quite well in a pinch.
Its certainly a great easy drinking beer with a nice summer feel to it.
Apparantly centennial is suitable for preprohibition beers Glen, but no, no amarillo and simcoe :oP
But I still dont consider it a pale ale, the corn is obvious, and its very dry, too dry for a pale ale, at least in my mind a pale ale would finish no lower than 1010, and more crystal...