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RDWHAHB - What Are You Drinking 2017 ?


ben 10

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A first for me tonight, a blended keg. I've been enjoying a few glasses from my little bastard keg, which currently has a blend of about 5L each of Citra Pale Ale and Simcoe Pale Ale in it. The hop flavor is really shining on this one, after the water for both batches was adjusted to accentuate the hops. Not a great deal of sweetness from the crystal malt in it though so I might dial back the sulphates on the next batch.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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My little bastard keg is back on tap again, this time featuring the surplus from my XXXX Bitter rip off batch, which somehow ended up at near 28 litres. Rather than bottle 7 litres I figured I'd just chuck it in the small keg. It's pretty much already cleared up in less than a week in the fridge, but I suspect it has a bit more of a fruity tinge to it than the real deal does. I'll have to grab a real one next week or when the big keg goes on tap to compare properly.

 

In this weather it's actually very nice dare I say it, maybe because there is a bit of fruitiness in there probably from the Cluster hops used late in the boil, although I'd still favour a decent Czech pils over it in the lager stakes. tongue Its head retention is terrible as I expected it would be with 500g of cane sugar in it, along with a long and low mash of the BB pils malt and no specialty grains added. I'd grab a photo but they never do the look of a beer justice at night time.

 

I probably won't brew one again unless someone requests it for some reason, but I can call it a success as it did turn out as expected, even if not exactly like the original (probably a good thing anyway).

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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Well finally got the Citra PA done. Just opened the first bottle, and WOW. Even the missus said WOW. Her only problem was doing the mouth swirl coz it was bloody cold and her teeth didn't like it.

 

CPA - 1 tin

LDM - 500g

LLME - 500g

BE 4 - 1 pkt

Citra - 30g - 5 mins

Citra - 30g - Flameout

Citra - 30g - Dry Hop day 4

Kit Yeast

All hops left in the FV until bottling

ABV after bottling - 4.8%

 

A very definite passionfruit flavour. Bloody beautiful.

 

Toasted Sunflower Weissbier currently in the FV going berserk.

 

Cheers

Bill

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Saddly in Sidney during the week but found $5 pint Guinness. When i get home will comtinue to drik my kegged IPA. Both dry hopped with mozaic. 50g in one 100g in the other. Can definitely taste and smell the differnce.

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I'm really interested on how my 2 English bitters will turn out. Both are my first temp controlled ferments. Just standard coppers kit with 1kg LDM. I pulled 23l one last week as needed freezer for another brew, the second 21l will be kegged this weekend. I loved this when I first did it. Nice creamy feel. Keen to see how much better they taste. Alas it will be another 3 weeks before I can serve as am backed up with beer in the kegs. Next one on tap will be my hop tea Amber Ale. Then one of the bitters followed by Kelsey's Ace of Spades Porter.

 

I think I have an alcohol problem, I have too much lol.

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It does taste better that what I can remember the real one tasting like lol, although I don't mind the real one from the wooden keg at the Brekky Creek hotel, it's nicer than the usual offerings from stainless kegs or bottles. I'll grab a bottle at some point and do a side-by-side test.

 

The clarity is mainly due to me using isinglass and Polyclar in it during the cold crashing/lagering phase. I do it on pretty well every batch these days; the Polyclar also helps provide a longer shelf life because it removes tannins (polyphenols) which can lead to staling/astringent flavours later on. Conveniently, these are also partly responsible for chill haze so without them there is no chill haze either. The head retention is shit on this beer but I expected that given the make up of it. My normal brews usually retain their head quite well.

 

I don't think I'll brew another one of these though. I only did it just to see if I could, really. A lot of guys get into home brewing because they want to make something like what they're used to drinking, which is usually these types of bland lagers. They often fail with the kits due to too high temps and too much sugar causing it to come out more like a cider than a beer. I reckon those kits fermented at a lower temp with 500g dry malt and 500g raw sugar would probably come out closer to the mark.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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To be honest I'm actually drinking a Dutch Lager kit that came with my second brew machine. I'm a single dad and don't have the money to invest in proper kegging, but I picked one up on ebay and figured it out - either brew half a recipe or make the beer conventionally and transfer it to the machine as a pressure vessel in the fridge.

 

The kit turned out OK after a week or so in the fridge, but I just layed down another of my regular drink:

1 can Coopers Australian Pale Ale

1 can Liquid malt extract

300g dark crystal ~ 150 steeped 15 minutes in 3l at 66C and rinsed with 1l cold water.

Resulting liquid brought to boil for 15 minutes.

20g EKG at 10

10g EKG at 5

10 Bramling Cross as it cools

Yeast was Wyeast 1098 this time as it was all I could get, probably should have just used Safale, better with a fruitier yeast such as the 1968 or 1768, Brew cellar English ale when I can get it.

Even if I make it directly in the beer machine most of these yeasts will ferment out and get enough diacetyl rest in 5 days, and develop a good head after 5-7 days in the fridge.

 

I just like to have as many cool beers as I feel like on a hot day. I am about to lay down some heavier stuff in preparation for winter.

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ESB

 

 

 

 

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1 x Coopers Draught Can

2kg Pale Malt, (Maris Otter)

400g Gladfield Medium Crystal Malt

200g Gladfield Biscuit Malt

100g Sugar

20g Fuggles (NZ) - Boil 20.0 min

20g Fuggles (NZ) - Flameout Steep 15.0 min

20g Goldings (NZ) - Dry Hop 3.0 Days

2 x pkt Coopers Kit Yeast

 

 

 

 

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I've been wanting to do another partial mash for a while, I think I will try your recipe next.

 

Used to do a lot of it in Kal, as only basic cans were available, cost less to ship grains, and easy to keep the temperature up for the mash! I have a brew box that should keep the mash warm enough, and no wife to complain about the mess or smell...

 

Do you include the crystal malt with the mash, or add it at the end when you sparge?

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Do you include the crystal malt with the mash' date=' or add it at the end when you sparge?[/quote']I mash all the grains together in a bag. I preheat approx 6 litres of water in my 11litre boil pot to around 74ºC then drop the bag of grains in. I make final temp adjustments by adding hot or cold water as required to get it to mash temp (usually 66-67ºC) and then place it in a pre-warmed oven and keep it there for an hour.

 

cool

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Most recipes mash the crystal in with the rest of the grains. This is partly why crystal grains mashed with a base malt don't have as much effect on the final flavor of the beer - the enzymes in the base malts break down the unfermentable sugars a bit. If you steep the crystal separately and add the resultant wort to the main boil then the flavor will be stronger in the finished beer. A 30 minute steep is probably better than 15 as well.

 

Anyway, I finished the little bastard keg of XXXX earlier this arvo. The mini heatwave combined with the water pump for the flooded font not working has resulted in more wastage than usual, so the kegs are being emptied a little quicker. Oh well. At least I was able to get a decent daytime photo of it before it died lol

 

1486895042_51_241.JPG

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm having a recipe of the month from last year, the 'Dass Alto'. I brewed it about a year ago and was largely unimpressed (not much to say about it - just a bitter beer with little flavor)

 

Although I cracked one last week and I've been going through them pretty quickly now, they've aged very well! Getting spicy flavours from the spalt hops and distinctly smokiness coming through late. Nice and malty.

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Hi guys.

 

I have the day off work today, so have finished mowing the lawns, & done a bit of general tidying up, now time to enjoy a couple of brews. biggrin

 

Last night when I got home I poured myself a glass of a Falconer's Flight Pale Ale brew I kegged & fast carbed up yesterday. Let's just say it slipped down easy enough that I poured 2 more before I went to bed! tonguelol

 

It was a relatively easy beer to make, is easy drinking @ 4.2% ABV, so I'm very happy with it. The head retention could be improved, & given how young this is atm it may, but apart from that very happy. The Falconer's Flight blended hop mix is great for taking the guess work out combining different American hops to give the flavours of an American styled Pale Ale or IPA. happy

 

Yesterday I also popped a couple of longnecks of Canadian Eh!L's Big Island Oaked IPA in the keg fridge. I think this is my 4th or 5th brewing of Chad's recipe, but haven't brewed it for maybe 2 years or so now.

 

I poured a glass a short while ago, & it slipped down a dream. It really is a terrific beer whether being judged against kit, extract, grain or otherwise. cool I bottled this one back in mid January & it is drinking beautifully with terrific beading, head retention & glass lacing to the bottom of the glass.

 

This is also the beer I will be presenting as my first in a kit/extract based case swap/meet & greet with some very accomplished home brewers here in SA (including the well known Dr. Smurto) in early April, so I'm most pleased with where the beer is at. happy

 

At around 6.0% bottled ABV, I'll just be having the one longneck today, & mainly sliding down the 4.2% ABV brew as it is much more sessionable.

 

Happy days. biggrin

 

Cheers,

 

Lusty.

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I'm drinking a glass of Coke at the moment... damn having to go back for a second half of work 5 hours after the first half finished lol.

 

I have no home brews on tap at the moment as I'm waiting to fill 3 kegs before I tap any more. This will give me the opportunity to clean the inside of the keg fridge and also either fix or replace the water pump I use for the flooded font. I have none in bottles either, so it's all bought stuff for the next 3-4 weeks. Oh well, I look at it as an opportunity to try new things and maybe get some recipe ideas from them. I want to try the Falconer's Flight hops too at some stage this year.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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I'm drinking a glass of Coke at the moment... damn having to go back for a second half of work 5 hours after the first half finished lol.

 

I have no home brews on tap at the moment as I'm waiting to fill 3 kegs before I tap any more. This will give me the opportunity to clean the inside of the keg fridge and also either fix or replace the water pump I use for the flooded font. I have none in bottles either' date=' so it's all bought stuff for the next 3-4 weeks.[/quote']

That'll teach you for stock-piling wort! tonguelol

 

About time you bought a plate chiller like Scottie. wink

 

Oh well' date=' I look at it as an opportunity to try new things and maybe get some recipe ideas from them. I want to try the Falconer's Flight hops too at some stage this year.[/quote']

I reckon you (& Ruddy) would really like this hop blend given how often you like to brew Pale Ales in your schedule(s). It just saves you having to stockpile numerous hop varieties to create this typical American Pale Ale hop profile. The value for money on 100gms of this is terrific (IMHO).

 

My flatmate just arrived home, time to crack open another Big Island Oaked IPA! biggrin

 

Cheers & good brewing,

 

Lusty.

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Hey guys

Drinking a porter at the moment, similar to the robo choc recipe as someone bought me an English bitter kit for Christmas. Added some fuggles 10 min boil.

 

I have the following in my own personal bottle shop lol

Twocan APA with Amarillo, cascade and mosaic

Mocha coffee stout

Honey mead (aged 12 months)

Vanilla oak porter

Amber ale with cascade, chinook and Amarillo

Ginger beer (kit with extra bite)

 

Just bottled a 4 pines PA clone.

Fermenter has a vanilla choc stout, vanilla to be added in a couple of days.

 

Not sure what to brew next. Have some left over choc grain / roast barley / lactose...

 

cheers,

Brett

 

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A plate chiller wouldn't make any difference, I still have to wait for them to ferment and CC one at a time. The wort is there ready to go, it's just the fermenting part that takes the time. I always make sure I have at least one batch ready to ferment at all times. The schedule also got delayed by the porter batch that I fermented before this current lot.

 

It's a good thing this only happens once a year, and generally around this time because the 4 weeks I usually have off work over Xmas and new year sees the beer consumed at a faster rate than normal. lol During the working part of the year I can put 3 kegs on tap all at the same time and have the next three ready before the first three are all emptied. cool

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

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