2009 Brews

[MrC]

What beers did you brew during 2009?

I've just been looking back at the beers that I brewed last year and found it interesting to look at the different styles and how many I brewed. I brewed 18 beers in total, 6 of them being pale ales of some description, and arguably one lager fermented at 17c.

BEERS:
1 x Brown Ale
2 x Porter
6 x Pale Ale (APA & NZPA)
1 x Hefe Weizen
1 x Belgian Pale Ale
1 x Blonde Ale
1 x American Wheat
1 x Fruit Beer (Raspberry Wheat)
1 x Spice/Herb/Veg (Coconut Porter)
1 x IPA
1 x Schwarzbier
1 x Stout

BEST:
APA brewed for the WnBC. It was one of the last beers I brewed and I think my beers improved as the year progressed. One of the few beers that I've brewed that I would happily brew again without changing anything.

WORST:
Hefe Weizen using WB-06

[666 Brewing]

1 hectolitre = 100 litres = approx. 1 US barrel. I hope NZ Customs arent looking at this site, there is some impressive volumes being 'home-brewed' that they're missing out on revenue ;-) I can only account for about 200 litres at home, but they are generally over 10%...

[James P]

I don't think the volume is in question, but to whom there is a dispostion....

Excise Act

[vdog]

So does that mean you technically have to pay excise tax even if you give it away?

[Stu McKinlay]

You'd have to register with customs first...


Personal opinion only (I'm no lawyer - thankfully)... Surely a blind eye would be turned on sharing with people, or giving away a bottle or two, or case swaps... but brewing for parties, weddings etc (especially regularly) could probably get you in some grief. Bertering certainly would... and as for selling, I needn't bother.

[666 Brewing]

The cost of enforcement generally outweighs the revenue from fines, I guess they figure most people are 'doing the right thing'. I only know of 1 prosecution in 25 years of brewing - but the guy did have over 1000 litres of spirit in storage. I think they decided that was a bit more than for 'personal use'...

[Stu McKinlay]

yeh, that mistake got made a couple of days ago too.

I only did 5hL myself... pathetic. I'll have brewed 1hL done in January 2010 so am on target for a much better homebrew volume this year.

[vdog]

I don't have a full list, but since July we've done:
2x summer/blonde ales
3x pale ales
1x porter
1x witbier
1x pseudo-lager

Pretty sure that the first half of the year included a few of these too, but I've lost the details bugger it. Looking at the volumes though, we've done about 6 hectolitres since July. Lucky there's three of us to drink it all!

Best: the first of the summer/blonde ales - all sauvin-y goodness and tasty malt.
Worst: the witbier. Used the wrong wheat, ended up at a bit over 6%abv and wasn't that enjoyable to drink. Bugger wheat beers from now on.