What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[Reviled]

Epic drinking night glen!! Im jelous, I was on the Pinot Gris last night :oS

[denimglen]

Ahh sucks, dragged somewhere by the missus?

 

Don't tell me you ran out of beer at home!

[Reviled]

Haha, as if I would ever run out of beer bro ;o) lolz, nah was a work xmas dinner at some thai restaurant, so Pinot Gris it the next best thing I guess, def wasnt going to drink Steinlager :oP

[Stu McKinlay]

Her Majesty - no, not bottle conditioned.

 

Hope you like it... it's a beer that has really grown on me.  I absolutely nailed on my first effort. The second homebrewed effort never quite got there and the commercial one was more like the second homebrew at first but has aged nicely into something more like the first... I'm now thinking I just drunk the second one too quick!!  I know Steve was really happy with it.

 

It has been one of the most loved beers we've released, I reckon.  Probably not so much by the bone-fide beer geeks but by those who are well on their way to becoming that way.  Was shocked that it was the top voted beer at our "Playing Favourites" tasting at Regionals.  I was really nervous putting it side-by-side with La Chouffe.  Not as nervous as I was serving the 100% peat smoked beer though!!!

 

 

[denimglen]

Chur bro.

 

Looking forward to it.

 

And stoked you guys got a permanent tap at Gals too.

[Stu McKinlay]

just massively expanded that last comment... "no" was a bit short!

[denimglen]

Mate, was a scorcher of a beer.

 

Exactly up my alley as far as yeast character goes, I'm really not fond of overly phenolic Belgian yeasts, I'm thinking it may be 1214 in this?  Brewed a dubbel today with that strain and really looking forward to it.

 

You nailed it right in between a dubbel and a dark strong, if I was to name it to a style I'd call it a Belgian dark 'almost-strong'.

 

To be honest at the moment I'm a bit over the whole sit-down-and-analyse-every-minute-detail so can't give any detailed notes but really was a great beer to just drink and enjoy.

 

The only slight criticism I would give is that it was slightly (and I mean SLIGHTLY) over carbonated for me, but I think with a few more months on it it will be perfect.

 

Did you sneak some late hops in there or is it the yeast playing with my palate?

[Stu McKinlay]

Thanks mate... Steve was very happy with it and that always pleases me.  It has grown on me a lot and I've got a few bottles tucked away. 

 

There are some 15min golding hops in there (just over 1g/L).  a few people have thought there was a spice or two but it is all yeast.

 

I call it a Belgian-style Untraditional Scotch Ale... I was thinking it was the first of its kind but there is, of course, McChouffe and Scotch Silly. They are two beers that are certainly amongst my favourites but were not conciously in mind when I played with the recipes at home.  Kieran could be closer to the mark calling it a Belgian Imperial Porter.

 

The thing I miss with Dubbels and Bocks is a little bit of roast malt to balance them. I know traditionalists would say they are balanced as they are but I like that little bit of roast, so we used a fair wack of Carafa II (3.5%) which you'd normally not see in a dubbel.  And, of course, it is too small for a Belgian Strong Dark.

 

don't talk about the carbonation!!... we wanted it high but it ended up giving us issues with capping.  Had to recall a few bottles and there were a few benefactors of some free bottles. Stewards at BrewNZ, staff at Regionals, the staff at Moore Wilsons, post earthquake Pomeroy's... have got some better caps now, thanks to Steve at Hallertau (who has had a similar issue in the early days of Porter Noir) but PKB Remix and His Majesty are much lower carbonation anyway. 

[jt]

North Welly Golden Ale, North Welly Golden Ale, followed by some more North Welly Golden Ale.

 

Sunday afternoon tasting at Matthews, with Chris, in the sun.

After a foul Saturday, a real ripper of an afternoon. Thanks for the hospitality Matthew.

 

And after the Golden Ales, a well conditioned lager from Chris, reminds me that a bit of patience goes a long way with a lager.

 

Tonight, Baby Black. Porter grist @ 1.036 with 2/3 hallertau, 1/3 sauvin to 26 IBU. Keg's just on the gas, a little warm and a little flat but it's got promise

 

cheers, jt

[Chris Banks]

Yeah cheers Matt!

The NWGA's were all good with lashings of Sauvin all round - Personally I would struggle to pick one over the others but to pick my favourite bits out of all three for another try at Sauvin GA without the strict limitations of the guidelines! I would aim for 1040 og 40-50 ibu 90% Malteurop , 8% Carapils and 2% Med Crystal ,Bittered with Nz Cascade?(dont know that sauvin does it for me with bittering) and fair helpings of Sauvin late in the boil with a  temptation to dry hop also.

 

When it came to the lager I was quite suprised how it had turned out brewed mid june it was a great dissapointment at the time (first lager,first kegged beer) - I was regretting the caramalt (1.75 %) and my choice of yeast now I wouldnt change a thing except keeping more than one bottle until december !!

[jt]

I'd flag the crystal next time in favour of the carapils that you & Matthew used, much cleaner and tastier

 

I'd rather have the sauvin as the bittering and cascade later. maybe we do an 'opposites' brew next time ?

[Paul Harrison]

Drank the 8 Wired Tall Poppy at Hashigo Zake yesterday. My god what a beer! The smell, the look, the taste. I'm kicking myself for missing it on tap. Although i'm sure it'll be back. Soren, you are making some amazing beers. My words can't do them justice.