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]

Old news... I was doing that before you're mama wore army boots.
Owned!

Ha ha... our autumn release "Mild Thing" will be somewhere in that direction. I've been thinking Black Unimperial Spiced Belgian Mild Saison. With Brett!

[Stu McKinlay]

More seriously, I've got a uIRA (unimperial india red ale) called "Piglet" in the fermenter at the moment. 40L, 1.035, 600g of NZ Willamette, S04. 200g in the mash, 200g in the kettle, 200g in the fermenter.  Was just a bit of fun to use up the very last of my hop supply from last year... no serious plans to brew 1200L of anything like that.

 

I now have a house that doesn't have a single (dry) hop pellet in it.  Scary thought for some people.

 

Got a couple of nice yeasts in the fridge so will have to pick a few hops to play with this year.

 

[Mike Neilson]

YUCK!!!!!!!!

[Mike Neilson]

Just JoKing Hahaha

[JoKing]

Just had a lash on it tonight with  a bunch of..... Christinas friends husbands.....

 

They loved it! I'm not sold though. it's a bit far fetched for a 4% beer. Massive juicy fruit esters V's Special B roastyness V's Centennial and Amarillo.

 

Needs refinement. If it was wlp001 or US05 I think it'd be perfect... but I just don;t understand the dirty ferment character with all the lovely hops and malts.

 

BTW... thought I had pitched an English yeast strain... turns out it was a Saison yeast.

 

What a dick.

[Stu McKinlay]

I reckon that Special B needs a little time... Give it another few hours and then try another pint ;-)

[Fairlane]

Next week I have something a little bit more experimental in mind.....  And as I'm a bit of a sweet tooth, I've been wondering whether or not I can replicate a vintage port I made in 2008 in beer format....  This port was 20% alc and had 118g/L residual sugar.....  Yes it was a beast but you could still taste the fruit remarkably...

So here is the plan....

 

2010 Vintage Porter

 

Target Gravity 1.120

8.00 kg Pale

0.58 kg Crystal

0.74 kg Chocolate

0.43 kg CaraAroma

0.17 kg Molasses

 

Target IBU 90.0

100 g  NZ Pacific Hallertau @ 60

130 g  NZ Goldings @ 55

29 g    NZ Goldings @ 30

29 g    NZ Goldings @ 5

 

Ferment with Gervin Ale Yeast, then with EC-1118.  Stop ferment at 1.030 by fortification with oaked bandy distillate at 76% Alc.  Bench trial to balance with sugar and acid.  Gas and bottle, condition in 2 deg fridge for months.....

 

Well that is the plan anyway.... 

[denimglen]

That's absolutely mental bro, lovin' it.

 

Did you notice any off flavours (diacetyl, acetaldehyde) from cutting the yeast short by fortifying?

[Fairlane]

Glad you like the idea   :)

 

Nah there's no issues with things like that by stopping yeast activity...   what i'll probably need to look at though is getting some dry ice to give it gas cover so it doesn't oxidise before it's bottled....

[denimglen]

What about a Sodastream/Paintball canister or something?  Probably a bit easier to work with than dry ice?

[JoKing]

I'd love to try a bottle. That sounds awesome.

[Fairlane]

well the plan is to have it in bottle for a year before it's released, similar to vintage port etc...

So you'll just have to be patient!