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

[Pint_of_Bitter]

Sounds fantastic. Let us know if the HMS Tyler is unsinkable or not

[Christian]

Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA brought over from the States by my bro. Crazy beer.

[JoKing]

I'm drinking a Dry Stout that I brewed. If I were to enter it into a competition, I'd say I would not win. Infact, I'd say I'd come pretty close to last. The reason is because I don't think it tastes very nice. There is a very sharp acridity about it - probably from the Roast Barley in there... but who knows? It could be from the shit brewer who made it. It's not really to style... regardless. The guidelines say specifically: "A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale."

Well... 2 out of 4 aint bad! I have bitter and dark sorted out.

Now to figure out this "Creamy" character - and this "Roasty" one they speak of.

[Mike Neilson]

Dont get muddled!! Creamy is about the texture in your mouth, how does the mouthfeel compare to tui? both the same alc.

In my one I brewed it to style guidlines so to speak, but mine is far to bitter for me to like!! I like my darkies around 50% SG/IBU this is around 70 and to me it seems out of whack!!

[JoKing]

Creamy mouthfeel is one thing... but Chalky Ashy Sharp Burny mouthfeel is another!

[Mike Neilson]

Dude its all those hops you drink, its ripped your mouth apart and distorted your tastes!!!

[denimglen]

Creamy as far as dry stouts go is hard to get without nitro I reckon.

What was the recipe? The standard 70-20-10 grist?

I used that and it came out pretty well, was also lacking the 'creaminess' but I reckon you'd have to up residuals and loose dry-ness to gain creaminess. That's where the nitro comes in I reckon.

[JoKing]

The recipe was:

Maris otter 50%
Flaked Barley 15%
Roast Barley 25%
Black Malt 10%

And bittered to 60IBU with Target.

Didn't really come out that well aye... finished at 1.006.

[denimglen]

Haha that's fucking extreme! I reckon 35% roast is your problem :-)

[Mike Neilson]

He is talking bollock's!! dont trust the man!! The beer will be superb!!

[Reviled]

That is pretty intense, 35% roast, wow!! but ive also heard jo say the best beers were crap so agree that he cant be trusted ;o) lol

[Stu McKinlay]

nah, creamy is easy DGDenim

I've got one warm conditioning now that is 88% pale malt and has no oats of any kind... definitely no nitro... US05 yeast... you've just to drink 'em warm and flat. Preferably through a handpump but straight from a keg is ok as long as you give it some liberal use with the kiwi-handpump.

I came up with a little theory yesterday... could be completely wrong but I'll put it out there anyway... I reckon the high percentage of flaked barley and the nitro is actually to compensate for the crappy cheap pale malt that the big G use.

In saying all this... my "Dry Stout" doesn't have a single grain roast barley in it so who am I to talk!!! I have brewed one in the past though that was 90% pale malt, 10% roast barley and it was delicous (can't believe it was 3.5 years ago!). I distinctly remember thinking that it tasted like Guiness should.