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

[denimglen]

'Kolsch' tonight.

95% Aussie Pale
5% Munich

About 1.048 and 27 IBU.

Pacific Gem for bittering.

Adding a little riwaka for aroma at 10 mins.

Whitelabs kolsch yeast.

Technically not a kolsch but close enough in my books :-P

[Stu McKinlay]

Technically it wouldn't be one unless you travelled there and brewed it within the city limits. Looks a nice quaffer, just like a kolsch should be (and I've heard good things about that yeast, let us know how it goes).

[denimglen]

Yup, I know. It won't be filtered either, and even then I wouldn't be one of the 14 breweries permitted to brew Kolsch...Kolsch style ale then :-)

I've used the yeast once before in a blonde. Nice and clean, will probably start using it more often. Might try it in a couple of pale ales too.

[Mike Neilson]

Easy Dinking Summer Ale

90% ADM Pilsner Malt
7% Carahell
3% Carapils

4 Additions Of Nelson Sauvin

And S-04

Maybe to much Cara's but hope it should work out.

[JoKing]

Carahell and Carapils serve different purposes in a brew. You should find that your brew will have plenty of malt flavour (CaraHell), mild sweetness and a foamy head with good head retention (CaraPils). I doubt that it will last until the end of Summer!

The only suggestion I would make is to use US-05: only because it is such a consistently good and flavoursome strain that should finish lower than S-04.

[Mike Neilson]

Yeah I have thought about S-05 but I have none in my stocks. Also I am prefering the S-04 to S-05 at the moment. As for the I know the cara's do I was thinking I might of over done it @ 10%. As for it lasting none of mine do, people turn up here everyday to try one of my Ales and return for more.

[Stu McKinlay]

Only problem with S04, which I think is a solid yeast in a good beer of the right style, is that it really knocks the hops around. Give it some time to condition though, especially at cold temps, and they'll start to show themselves again.

[Mike Neilson]

Finshed at 1.053 80% eff, if it means anything? The Sauvin is a pretty powerfull hop and have used loads at the end so I think it should hopefully come through. Going to try ferment at around 18 to try keep it clean. Planing to drink around Christmas so Should be enough time?

[Stu McKinlay]

Yeh, it should be awesome by then. Give it three weeks in the keg/bottle at least. I wouldn't bother touching it before then, unless you are really really thirsty.

[Martin Bridges]

I've noticed this, although I've not directly attributed it to the yeast before. The other night I cracked a couple of bottles of my first all-grain English bitter, which has been in the bottle for 2 months. Tasting MUCH better than when first sampled a couple of weeks after bottling. Other beers (brewed with different yeasts) seem to come to the party faster.

Martin

[Mike Neilson]

First sip of this ale, 1 and only problem, it Finshed sweet, finished gravity reading was 1.010, huh?? with this brew I used 2 carbonation drops opossed to my standard 1 per 740mls (my level of carbing). The carbonation level on this beer sems to be the same as 1 drop. Do you think one drop can lead to an almost undrinkable swetness in beer? keyboard is goosd by the way mind the typo's

[denimglen]

Those drops are just glucose/sucrose/dextrose aren't they? They should ferment out completely and leave no residual sweetness.

How long has it been in the bottle at what temp? Possibly so far only (the equivalent of) one drop has fermented out leaving the sugar, and therefore sweetness, of the other behind. Give it some more time maybe.

1.053 ---> 1.010 shouldn't leave much, if any, sweetness at all.