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

[jt]

I've only tried the carahell and caramunich of the Weyermanns and I'd interchange those with caramalt and medium crystal without any problem because I'm not to discerning -  but I hear tell that the cara-aroma and cara-amber are really good.

 

Or is that just because they haven't been as available and are a bit more exotic sounding than the standard UK malts that we've been the standard offering  for so long ?

[denimglen]

I've used carahell and caramunich, and as you said I'd happily swap out the UK equivalents in most beers, much better malts IMO.  

 

Cara-aroma - meh, would rather use special B from Dingemans.  

 

As for cara-amber, I used it a lot when the rumour was that it was actually a toasted malt, not a cara malt.  I found it to be pretty much a crystal malt with some light toasty notes.

 

I find with all the Weyermann specialty malts that the flavour and body they give are a bit 'empty', it's like amount of flavour and body per gram is higher in the UK malts.

[JackoNZ]

I've brewed an ESB today with Cara-amber, Caramalt and Cara-aroma so will be interesting to see how it comes out based on what you said Glen. I was hoping for quite a malty beer, some caramel/biscuity ness and a good redness colour to it. On it's way to the fermenter I definitely got the colour I was after, an awesome red tinge to it. I bittered with Pacific Jade, a touch of EKG at 10 and Styrians at 0. Will dry hop with more EKG next week. A sample I took for hydro reading was quite bitter so will have to wait till it's fermented to see what the malt profile is like.

[denimglen]

Sounds good mate.

 

Don't get me wrong, I mean Weyermann are a great maltster, just for their specialties I'd take the equivalent UK version for most beers.

 

Dunno what ratio's you've used but you'll pick up those characteristics from those malts.  Styrians at flameout are great.  Should be a good beer.

[jt]

Well I kegged this last night and got some nice apricot or peach from it, the Sauvin wasn't quite there like it was in the first. I poured a warm flatish pint tonight and it was nowhere near as good - to my taste - as the caramalt version,

 

The Dark Crystal & smidge less Sauvin takes the edge off it - I'm missing that distinctive burnt rubber - back to caramalt next time, except I've just ordered in some Dark Caramalt - bugger.

 

Dark crystal as the only specialty rocks - but like any good thing, only in the right place

 

cheers, jt

[Reviled]

Knocked out two batches yesterday, re-caught the brewing bug :o)

 

Summer Ale Pale Ale

 

2kg Golden Promise

1.5kg Kolsch

150g Dark Crystal

150g Raw Sugar - Reduced down to 0.75L with 5L first runnings, added back @ 30

 

90 - 5g Super Alpha 10.5% (just for you JT lol)

60 - 10g Mystery X 5.8%

15 - 15g Mystery X 5.8%

 

US-05

 

I got heaps less than I expected, guess thats what happens when you go without brewing for two months, so ended up with 16 litres of 1.048 beer, not quite the 3% summer ale I planned for, but meh...

 

And then - US Brown Ale

 

3kg Kolsch

1.5kg Golden Promise

200g Dark Crystal

200g Pale Chocolate

110g Brown

 

FWH - 20g Cascade 5.8%, 8g Motueka 7.1%

20 - 18g Cascade 5.8%, 18g Motueka 7.1%

10 - 8g Cascade 5.8%, 8g Motueka 7.1%, 8g Simcoe 12.2%

0 - 15g Cascade, 15g Motueka

Dry - 18g Cascade, 18g Motueka

 

US-05

[jt]

A whole 5gm Rev, that's wild !

I like the look of the Brown with cascade and Motueka though, though I'm not sure if I'd like the brown malt myself

cheers, jt

[Reviled]

Haha, yeah I had about 40gms in the freezer, I didnt want to use it as the only bittering hop to avoid that 'metallic' bitterness I harp on about sometimes :oP

 

And re the brown malt, I figure 2% can't hurt to give me a slightly dry bitter malt character - but to be honest with you, I am fast running out of specialty malts in stock, the 200gms of DK crystal was the very last of my crystal malt, and I felt it needed a little more than just choc and crystal.. We'll see...

[Reviled]

I think I may have found a new favourite hop combo!! Kegging this brown now and the aroma is just awesome!! Not getting Mich of the spicy character I usually get from motueka, more pungent with lots of orange and citrus!! Yum! Im also loving the pale chocolate malt!!

[jt]

Interesting - I have cascade & motueka down to try in a pale in a brew or two time and I was wondering about a ratio to use them in. Looks like close to evens is ok ?

 

How's that brew with the Super Alpha Rev ?

[Reviled]

I should point out jt that I used US cascade in this brew, but yeh, even ratios seemed to work really well in this beer!

Cant notice much of the super alpha, and def no metallic bitterness in this beer yet that I can pick up on, theres a wee bit of astringency but I think thats probably from the brown malt

[jt]

US cascade

 

I have uncultured tastebuds, could I, or would I notice the difference ?