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

[James P]

Cracker of a day here and as I did my garden's yesterday I got to brew this morning. Pilsner with Munich in it this time using a similar hoping schedule to my Hop Rocker recipe.. 80% Pilsner 10% Munich 5.5% Caramel/Crystal 4.5% Acidulated 15.00 gm Nelson Sauvin (60 min) 15.00 gm NZ Cascade (15 min) 10.00 gm Nelson Sauvin (15 min) 15.00 gm NZ Cascade (0 min) 10.00 gm Nelson Sauvin (0 min) IBU 34 - Est OG 1.042 - 23 litres (based on 65% eff.) Following some earlier advise I slowed my sparge down to about 500ml a minute. The pre boil gravity was 1.046 (Beersmith estimated 1.036 for pre boil) and the post boil OG 1052. That is a massive gain from sparging slower!

[jt]

You started early ?

And what's going on in the garden ?

[Matthew]

Must be a weekend for brewing and gardening all over Welly! I've just whacked in some tomatoes, egg plant, potatoes, lettuce and spinach.

[jt]

What sort of spuds ?
This is my first year of spuds. Just mounded up the first planting (Heathers), the second (cliffs kidneys) are well up and the third (agria) are just breaking the surface. My timing's been all wrong though, finding & sprouting the right seed at the right time.

[Matthew]

I think the crop I had over winter were agria (from bunnings). I pulled them up last week and then planted a bunch of potatoes and kumera sprouting in the pantry we had (supermarket bought). It worked last year...

[jt]

I think the crop I had over winter were agria (from bunnings). I pulled them up last week

Yea, when did you plant them - you've just harvested them ?

Uh, got some shelter for the tomatos - weather looks a bit shitty coming up

[Matthew]

Planted the first crop in autumn, I was wanting to leave them longer but I got a bit slack with my pest control and something started munching through all the leaves. Just decided to dig them up and start a new crop. Most were small through medium size. Good for boiling with salads or whole roasted.
As for the tommies, I should have looked at the weather but I probably never would have got them in. Fingers crossed.

[James P]

Not this morning jt, slept in until 6:30am and took my time getting out to the garage. Think I mashed in about 9:30.

I now have a rock garden with my smoothcone transplanted in there, still have a bit more to do yet, but at least it doesn't look all overgrown!. Vege garden got a bit of a dig over ready for planting.

[denimglen]

Haha just put rocks in around all my hops today.

[Matthew]

Classic. I put bricks around mine a couple of weeks back...

[James P]

... I have not been to either of "youse fullas whare's"...

It's pissing down here now... My wife wants to put natives in that garden... smoothcone is a native... ;-)

[Matthew]

Nice. Mine have stopped growing at about 30cm. The colder, wet snap we've had over the last couple of weeks seems to have stunted their growth. Hopefully the sun we're having at the moment will kick start them again.

Oh and you're right, smoothcone is native ;-)