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

[Stu McKinlay]

That German Porter sounds like a beer to make love to Ed, especially with if it's firmly bitter with no hop flavour. Might be ready for the winter ale fest, if Kieran has one this year.

I'm not brewing. Not sure when I'll get a chance. Nothing in the fermenter. Handbrewer's Imperial Amber is dry hopping in the keg with EKG's and a little Sauvin. A rough extract bitter and a belgian pale ale on tap (they make a nice mix actually, as the BPA isn't quite bitter enough).

[Edward Siddle]

yeah the german porter should be good. if there is to be a winter ales fest then i would be interested in talking to one of you wellington keg owners about producing a beer and kegging it if one of you has a spare round mid winter. it would be easy enough to do a second iteration of the german porter (i have the ingredients) but maybe i might go for something less dark, since otherwise it'll be black beers all the way on last year's experience!!

too busy with kids to brew?

[James P]

This is my first brew with some hops.

1.5kg Beermakers Dutch Lager kit
1kg light liquid malt
20g Tettnanger boil for 40min (12 IBU)
20g Hallertau boil for 20min (10 IBU) (no sure as supposed fruity flavour?)

10 litre boil volume for 40 minutes.

Yeast = Wyeast 2112, however possibly use a Saflager 23 depending on refrigeration.

[jt]

Hey James, I think it looks good.

You know you could easily drop the kit and go all extract ?
You'd have to hop it all the way, but at least you'd know what went into it

[James P]

Hey jt, you'll have to give me a bit of a hand here (anyone is welcome to pitch in!), however it looks (from HTB.com) that I could replace the kit with:

1.5kg Amber Malt Extract
1kg Pale Malt Extract (or am I getting confused with Liquid / Dry ME??)

30g Tettnang @ 60min (21.1 IBU)
15g Tettnang @ 10min (5.3 IBU)

wyeast 2024 for the pils / lager feel.

[MrC]

That looks pretty good to me, very similar to my first extract batch (not using the hopped kits). I followed HTB religiously and it came out well.

From the malt volumes you have there, I would say that the 1kg Pale would be DME. DME is expensive so you could replace it with a 1.5kg can of pale LME. It shouldn't really make too much difference. I had to tweak my recipe at the last minute, and switch from DME to LME, based on what was available in the shop at the time. LME is approx 20% water so 400g of DME is the same as 500g LME.

IBUs look good to me too but I guess it depends what you like.

Can't comment on the yeast sorry. Haven't used that one yet.

Good luck!

[jt]

I'd just go 3 kg liquid malt extract - which would be one each of light and amber

it' all fine & dandy saying that dried is better, but at $20 a kg it's over rated imo.

Mr C, looks like you know the recipe, what's that hopping like ?

[Martin Bridges]

It was a slow starter this one. Took about 48 hours before there was any sign of activity in the fermenter. Even now (4 days since pitching) there is only slow bubbling through the airlock although I can see tendrils rising up from the bottom of the fermenter.

I think it's going to need more than a week for primary.

Martin

[jt]

day off work today, trim the hedges, do the lawns, brew some beer - all done & dusted now

Brewed an ale with some carahell, nice & light. Super Alpha to bitter as always and then Pacific Hallertau 15 & 1 minute.

I haven't got the big orangy flavours from Pac Hall that NZ Hops talk about, still not convinceed with this and I may just go and buy some styrians instead.

[MrC]

I'm planning a my next batch and was hoping try a lager. Is it possible to brew a decent lager with a single infusion mash or do I need to step mash?

I'm mashing in a cooler so if I need to step mash, I would probably go for a decocotion mash.

I have 500g of Vienna lying around and I was thinking of adding base lager malt of some description to make a Vienna Lager. I'm strugglng to find any decent info of the process of mashing for a Vienna Lager. Can anyone help?

It's only gonna be my my second all grain batch and I'm concerned that I'm trying to run before I can walk. Any thoughts? Should I go for it or should I back the cart up a bit?

[jt]

Single infusion is suposed to be ok - my two lager efforst were singles but a lot of people step mash and swear by it.

When are you brewing, did you get another pot ?

[MrC]

Probably won't be brewing 'till ANZAC assuming I get another pot first. Haven't managed to get a second large pot yet, Warehouse Upper Hutt and Petone don't have any at the mo.