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

[Reviled]

Have you done a strawberry one before MC? Sounds tasty for sure!!

[MrC]

Nope! I've only made one mead (metheglin) before and it was clover honey with cinnamon & cloves.

I had a bottle of strawberry wine recently and it was really nice. That's what inspired me to brew a strawberry mead.

[Reviled]

Got this dialed in for the weekend, im expecting something mega malty with enough hop flavour and bitterness to come through the yeast strain im using.. Should be a nice winter warmer :o)

Expecting an OG of about 1069 with about 69 IBU

Malt Monster

4.8kg Kolsch
600g Global Munich
240g Melanoiden
240g Cara Red
120g Cara Amber

90 - 20g Chinook 11.4%
30 - 30g Cascade 5.8%
15 - 50g Amarillo 7.5%
Dry - 40g Cascade, 30g Amarillo, 14g Columbus

Wyeast 1469

[Matthew]

That does look tasty. I want to do a more malt driven beer next, ie a Booky or NZ Amber (with a good dose of hops of course) somewhere around 4% though.

[Reviled]

Have you tried many American Ambers Matthew? Denimglen makes some awesome ones and they are great, malty but hoppy all at the same time.. I only bumped up the OG on this one to make it better for the cold winter nights ;o)

[Stu McKinlay]

I am a HUGE amber fan.
However, I've found the classic NZ aroma hops don't really go well with beers that are right out there in the amber spectrum. There is always this ripe strawberry note than really doesn't work for me. I've had it in almost all the ones I've brewed myslef, and loads of other people like it but I don't. I also picked up some of this in 8 Wired Red Dwarf - that was better than anything I've brewed myself but it still had that quality I'm looking to avoid. I'm going to start playing with some of the lesser used hops (i.e. not Sauvin, Riwaka or Motueka) to see what I can get out of them.

[Reviled]

Funny you mention that strawberry character cos personally I have picked that up from Thornbridge stout, theres something about the hop and malt coming together that gives off that strawberry nose or something?? Hard to explain...

But personally i only get it out of darker beers such as stouts, never had it in an amber, but i dont think ive tried any NZ hopped ambers before from memory...

[Matthew]

I'm loving NZ hops right now hence an NZ amber. Current line of thought is Pacifica and Motueka but not sure if I quite want the spiciness Motueka can have. Finding a balance really...
Can't say I've picked up strawberries before...

[studio1]

I loved Riwaka in the last amber I made

[Matthew]

Getting hold of Riwaka is the trick... :-/

[Matthew]

Made final preparations last night for a rebrew of BKP (Black IPA) This is for the SOBA winter beer festival at the end of the month. Only a couple of changes from the first effort: Using the last of the Global Kolsch and just a bit more pale choc and a little less chocolate to smooth it out a bit.

Kolsch
Munich
Pale Crystal
Pale Chocolate
Chocolate

Pacific Jade @ 60
Cascade @ 30, 20, 15, 10, 5, 0 and Dry

US05

60 IBU
6% ABV

[Reviled]

Looks like well both be brewing some malty hop monsters this weekend :o)