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WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE OWN BREW FOR 2020?


Pezzza

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Hi All Ye Brewers and Happy New Year for 2021!

Thought it would be good to run this thread again to see what your favourite brew or couple brews were in the challenging year of 2020?

Here's a fave of mine way back from March 2020 (had a few and sort of like the range and diversity of AG brewing thanks to the help of this great Community of Brewers!!!):

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Will tag a few of you Brewers to see if I can get the ball rolling ; ) 

All postings welcome 

@Shamus O'Sean @Otto Von Blotto @PaddyBrew2 @Greeny1525229549 @ChristinaS1 @Beerlust @Green Blob @Red devil 44 @Aussiekraut @kmar92 @Mickep @pilotsh @Titan @Pale Man @Hoppy81 @Hilltop hops @Maurice79 @Norris! @The Captain!! @BlackSands @MUZZY @RDT2 @elLachlano @MitchBastard @Hairy @Worthog

 

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4 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

I only do kits n' bits. In 2020 I discovered Brew A IPA. Mixed it with liquid light malt extract and the kit yeast, no other additions. I don't have a photo but I'd have to say it's the one I enjoyed the most in 2020. It doesn't require additions, IMO.

A beautiful thing Muzzy!!!

(And I would get rid of that word "only" haha as you can make great beers with KnK as you have clearly shown us all!!!)

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Nice stout. Looks like a bought one, but better.

Like Muzzy, I gave the Brew A a go for my last brew of the year, despite not being an IPA drinker. It's a nice, full flavoured bitter IPA without being craft beer crazy. Keeping it lighter bodied with BE2 and some malt, steeped cascade and simcoe with it so I wouldn't add any bitterness.

Beer I was happiest with is the Kolsch I made last month. Cerveza, BE2 + some malt, steeped Hellertau and Kolsch yeast. Took 13 days to ferment and needed pushing along with temp, but the nicest summer beer I've done. Clear as a bell, crisp, quenching and nicely floral. Another is in the FV right now. I throw up some pics after knocking a top off later...

 

Edited by Lab Cat
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7 minutes ago, Lab Cat said:

Nice stout. Looks like a bought one, but better.

Cheers LC

Yes mate that big Stout turned out super... getting the gas just right with the Nitro Mix is still somewhat a challenge... but that one -- after a few weeks -- came up really very nice and the brew was eminently drinkable 🤪

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My favourite beer this year was nothing fancy and had a really simple grain bill, but it didn’t last long at all. Sometimes you just want a beer you love to drink.

I need to get some more of these hops and do it again.

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1 minute ago, Hairy said:

I need to get some more of these hops and do it again.

A beautiful thing @Hairy Hairy - do you do much mashing at 64 deg C?  Is sort of a Temp I have been gravitating towards... 

And also - interested in the ten deg lower Hopstand... I cool mine down overnight and am scared to open the lid after turning the element off... have begun doing FO hopping... but not dropping the temp then hopping - which prolly would do even better for aroma retention?

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12 minutes ago, Graubart said:

A beautiful thing @Hairy Hairy - do you do much mashing at 64 deg C?  Is sort of a Temp I have been gravitating towards... 

And also - interested in the ten deg lower Hopstand... I cool mine down overnight and am scared to open the lid after turning the element off... have begun doing FO hopping... but not dropping the temp then hopping - which prolly would do even better for aroma retention?

I sometimes mash at 64°C but most pale ales are at either 65°C or 66°C. I found when using Wyeast 1450: Denny’s Favourite 50 that it attenuated well but still had a good body, so I mashed those beers at 64°C.

Re Hopstand, it isn’t really a proper hopstand. I Whirlpool in the low 90’s and add those hops then. I no-chill in the cube so the temp stays high for a while. Entering in the software that way gives me the bitterness I think I derive. It seems to work and helps with consistency.

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It would probably be my K n K expanded Pale Ale, heavily hopped with Citra.  ( Pic Below ), of which I nickname Fear of the Dark Pale Ale ( Up the Irons )

Stone & Wood Clone coming down the straight to a close second.

Cheers Crew & Happy New Yr to all 

RD44🍻🍻

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This year I had four favourites - I scored all of them 9/10.

And the statue goes to - Fruity Golden Ale, although the photo does not do it justice.  It is an all grain brew inspired by @NewBrews Master of the Brewniverse entry "Two Flags Golden Ale".

Coopers yeast banana aroma plus subtle fruity 

Wheat beer flavour and mouthfeel 

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Special mention to my Sue's Seahorse Kolsch

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Made many a brew this year which has been good but most are repeats or slight tweaks on existing recipes. Id probably have to say the best new brew I have made is the KB Lager Recipe that @MartyG1525230263 kindly gave me. For a former megaswill beer its bloody good which makes me wonder why the big breweries decided to go backwards in there offerings.

Another which comes to mind is the kviek sour i made a couple of months ago. For a first sour I was pleasantly surprised.

Edited by Greeny1525229549
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For me without a doubt my first ever all grain. Hoppys Hort Ale. It was delicious. Cleared up magnificent in the keg, and my daughter said to me it was the nicest beer she's ever had. I have a Pilsner to brew next then it's another Hort Ale, hope it's as good as the below pic shows.

 

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Edited by Pale Man
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4 hours ago, Hairy said:

My favourite beer this year was nothing fancy and had a really simple grain bill, but it didn’t last long at all. Sometimes you just want a beer you love to drink.

I need to get some more of these hops and do it again.

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Gladfield malts are very good.

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 I am only a humble KnK and bits and pieces brewer at this stage but I particularly liked 1 of the ROTM's, Belgian Chocolate Stout. Turned out really well with nice chocolate and vanilla taste and aromas and a velvety mouthfeel. I will definitely be brewing it again for winter consumption.

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16 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

Cleared up magnificent in the keg, and my daughter said to me it was the nicest beer she's ever had.

A truly beautiful thing and what a resounding positive welcome to the world of All Grain mate - luvyerwork @Pale Man PM!

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4 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

I am only a humble KnK and bits and pieces brewer

Haha you keen Kit and adjunct guys need to get rid of the "only" as you are clearly making great beers!!!

Besides the fact @kmar92 yourself I believe you are doing it all temp controlled and in a snazzy SS Pressure Ferment System and in Kegs haha...

And as you may note from time to time quite a few of the AG guns drop back into KnK when time poor cos they know that with good process they can make a good beer that way too 😋

Cheers mate and a lovely looking drop there ; )

What did the ABV end up at?

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28 minutes ago, MitchBastard said:

Had a few favs.

Haha Gold Mitchie!  Seems to be a common theme: the more than one fav'... which is great to see... the fact that one can change it up does make it all the more interesting ; )

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27 minutes ago, Graubart said:

Haha you keen Kit and adjunct guys need to get rid of the "only" as you are clearly making great beers!!!

Besides the fact @kmar92 yourself I believe you are doing it all temp controlled and in a snazzy SS Pressure Ferment System and in Kegs haha...

And as you may note from time to time quite a few of the AG guns drop back into KnK when time poor cos they know that with good process they can make a good beer that way too 😋

Cheers mate and a lovely looking drop there ; )

What did the ABV end up at?

It finished at 5.4% which was below what was predicted. I found the S-33 yeast quite low in attenuation and the FG was 1.020, it was a tasty drop though.

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Nice idea for a thread. Neat to see everyone's faves. Mine was:

Juicy Bits Pale Ale
April 1, 2020
 
1.7kg Mexican Cervesa
1.5kg Light LME
850gm Superior Pale Ale
150gm Carapils
145gm flaked oats
40gm Cents @ FO
20gm Citra @ 75C / 179F.
20gm Mosaic @ 75C
20gm El Dorado @ 75C
Clarity Ferm
23L RO water
10gm Citra x 4 day DH
10gm Mosaic x 4 day DH
10gm El Dorado x 4 day DH
Gen 2 WLP95 Burlington Ale pitched @ 1:45p.m. @ 18.5C. Fridge set to 18C. 
 
OG 1.053; FG 1.013; IBU 27; ABV 5.2%; BU:GU 0.52.
 
Loved that Burlington Ale yeast. All the brews I made with it were great. I should buy it again.
 
Happy New Year everyone! Let's hope life gets back to normal in 2021.
 
Cheers,
 
Christina.
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11 hours ago, Graubart said:

image.thumb.png.34336aface35e58f9dcb63695e732ac9.png

Hi All Ye Brewers and Happy New Year for 2021!

Thought it would be good to run this thread again to see what your favourite brew or couple brews were in the challenging year of 2020?

Here's a fave of mine way back from March 2020 (had a few and sort of like the range and diversity of AG brewing thanks to the help of this great Community of Brewers!!!):

image.thumb.png.a90fcbbad9c97b58b8a212038bf41724.png

Will tag a few of you Brewers to see if I can get the ball rolling ; ) 

All postings welcome 

@Shamus O'Sean @Otto Von Blotto @PaddyBrew2 @Greeny1525229549 @ChristinaS1 @Beerlust @Green Blob @Red devil 44 @Aussiekraut @kmar92 @Mickep @pilotsh @Titan @Pale Man @Hoppy81 @Hilltop hops @Maurice79 @Norris! @The Captain!! @BlackSands @MUZZY @RDT2 @elLachlano @MitchBastard @Hairy @Worthog

 

My favourite would definitely have to be my chocolate, coffee and fig Stout. It's such a complex brew but so worth it and when I finally get around to finishing my licensing off I'll definitely be putting it into production

Second would be my Pale Ale using Hort 4337 (aka Nectaron) hops, such an easy drinker.

 

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