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

[MrC]

And Super Alpha makes a rare appearance

Yeah, I bought it ages ago and it's been sitting in my freezer waiting patiently.  Not sure if I'' notice it at 60min.  Time will tell.

 

I'd be tempted to up that dry hop a bit

Yeah, I half expecting the yeast to gobble of most of the hops so I'll decide on the dry hop addition after a taste test mid week.

 

with perhaps the exception of the Brown malt

Not expecting much from the brown malt having not crushed it.  It'll be interesting though.

 

I usually give all my beers 2 weeks in the fermenter but I'm thinking of kegging this one next weekend.  What do reckon, is 7 days long enough for these kind of beers?

[jt]

I don't think you'll notice it much either Mr Cherry, it's can be a bit thin, flavourwise.
The yeast will mute the hops a bit, but all that crystal will subdue them too. I've found that upping the crystal from caramalt to dark caramalt for example, adds extra flavour for the hops to get past

Do you need a keg in a week ?

[MrC]

Do you need a keg in a week?

No, no hurry.  I just thought it might be good to go after one week due to the low OG.

[jt]

Your hydrometer tastings will tell you if it is or not !

I can't remember the shortest time to tap I've had but I'm usually drinking my 1033's in 10 days.

[Michael]

I have seen people drinking 1.060 beers in 10 days with T58. ;)

 

I think I should look at the history for one of your browns, I liked those. it would be cool to brew a good sessionable ale like your browns.

[jt]

Your week's nearly up Mr Cherry, any news ?

[MrC]

After a few taste tests I ended up changing the dry hopping to:

1 g/L NZ Golding for 7 days

0.5 g/L each of NZ Golding, Motueka & Riwaka for 5 days

 

It fermented at 17-18C for the first 5 days and then around 19-20C for 3 days before 2 days at 2C.  I kegged it on Wednesday night last night she was tasting pretty damn good.  Getting right carbonation is crucial on these small beers but I seems to have got it pretty good straight away.  I intend to play with the carbonation level a little by leaving it at serving pressure for a week which well slowly reduce the carbonation.

 

The yeast character is pretty much non existent.  At 17-18C 1968 seems to ferment quite clean but exposes the malts nicely.

 

Overall I'm left with an easy drinking 3.5% ABV beer leaning more toward a summer ale with well defined dimensions.  Aroma of oranges, sweet caramel and a little pasionfruit.  The taste is simlar to the aroma but leans more toward the caramel maltiness.  The bitterness is lovely and kicks in late into the finish.  GO SUPER ALPHA!

 

Oh, and as for the Brown Malt?  Nothing.

[MrC]

Oh, and as for the Brown Malt?  Nothing.

After another taste test the brown malt is definitely there adding a light biscuitty flavour and I think its giving the beer a nice dryness.  Exactly what I was after.

[warra48]

Bit of a bits and pieces thrown together recipe, which just developed from trying to use up odds and sods from my stocks.
Put this one down yesterday afternoon, and by this morning she was rocking along with a thick head of kraeusen.

 

BITTER
Actual OG: 1.050 SG

Estimated Color: 27.4 EBC
Estimated IBU: 38.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.00 %
Actual Mash Efficiency: 97.0 %
Boil Time: 90 min
Mash 90 min 67ºC
Collected 34.5 litres (temperature adjusted) into the kettle at 1.043 pre-boil

86.8 % Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett Floor Malted (5.9 EBC)
2.3 % Amber Malt (85.0 EBC)
2.3 % Crystal, Dark
2.3 % Crystal Medium (145.0 EBC)
2.3 % Crystal Malt - 60L
2.2 % Wheat, Flaked (3.2 EBC)
2.0 % Chocolate Malt (886.5 EBC)
36.00 g Challenger Pellets [7.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min 30.1 IBUs
68.00 g East Kent Goldings Plugs [2.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min 6.0 IBUs
15.00 g Goldings, East Kent Pellets [4.80 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop 2.8 IBUs
London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) Cup of slurry from previous batch bottled Friday afternoon.

[vdog]

Tonight, will be doing a smoked porter using Andrew's recipe from the last case swap: http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/group/nzcaseswap/forum/topics/cs7-s....  We'll be subbing one of the bittering additions out to use Pacific Jade though, as usual (I like the soft bitterness it gives - nice and easy). This follows hard on the heels of having done a version of Richard's american amber from the same swap - must be time to brew one of my own recipes again after this!

[Andrew]

Hi vdog, let me know how this goes. I've been thinking of a rebrew myself. This was pretty harsh and astringent for the first month but was fine after that.

[David Wood]

Hi  Made this yesterday now bubbling away.  Have made it before very good.     Hopvana 5     Type: All Grain	Date: 4/09/2011
Batch Size: 55.00 L	Brewer: Dave Wood
Boil Size: 65.12 L	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 75 min	Equipment: new 55L
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 10.37 kg Pale NZ Pils (3.4 EBC) Grain 88.49 % 0.70 kg Crystal, Pale (Bairds) (100.0 EBC) Grain 5.97 % 0.65 kg Cara-Pils (Weyermann) (4.9 EBC) Grain 5.54 % 50.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.40 %] (Dry Hop 6 days) Hops - 118.80 gm Riwaka [5.60 %] (Dry Hop 6 days) Hops - 80.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.40 %] (60 min) Hops 41.0 IBU 80.00 gm Riwaka [5.60 %] (15 min) Hops 10.0 IBU 40.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.40 %] (15 min) Hops 10.2 IBU 100.00 gm Riwaka [5.60 %] (1 min) Hops 1.1 IBU 1.93 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 2.35 kg Chiller (Boil 15.0 min) Misc 2 Pkgs Safale (DCA Yeast #S-05) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.049 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.53 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.08 %
Bitterness: 62.3 IBU	Calories: 500 cal/l
Est Color: 12.6 EBC	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out	Total Grain Weight: 11.72 kg
Sparge Water: 46.81 L	Grain Temperature: 13.0 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C	TunTemperature: 13.0 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out Step Time Name Description Step Temp 80 min Mash In Add 30.55 L of water at 78.5 C 67.8 C