RDWHAHB - What Are You Drinking in 2021?

[Pezzza]

Haha @NewBrews I do aim to facilitate great outcomes.... 

Nice paddock photo would be great if it it not pisss*ing with rain ; )

[jamiek86]

not a great photo I havent got the talent of @BlackSands its an undocumented beer. Think might be a bootmaker pale ale without hops or faded hops. very nice clear and clean tasting carbonation is good photo does it no justice. This must have been made before started my brew book back when had little pieces of paper in boxes but some extra bottles put in different places.

[Pezzza]

21 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

some extra bottles put in different places.

Such little Gems can come in quite handy when the kegs run out mate hey 

[jamiek86]

7 minutes ago, Graubart said:

Such little Gems can come in quite handy when the kegs run out mate hey 

yes it reminded me of you pulling all these swing tops and growers out of funny places for weeks on end while you brewed and got some in the keg. I don't quite have as many hidden ones to forget about. Not much gone in bottle lately apart from Mr beer craft batches and an English Bitter that is so nice it's hard to let age. 3 kegs 2 at least half full trying hard to age my pilsners minimum 4 weeks.

[Norris!]

Blonde ale. Just carbonated. Crisp, clean and slight tropical notes on the nose, very slight. Nothing really special happening here except it is clean with some herbal like notes in the taste. It is clearer than the photo shows but slight chill or hop haze ( I doubt this but maybe, there is hardly any hops in here). It reminds me of a great northern or something with just a slight tropical aroma if you look for it. 

[Pezzza]

1 minute ago, Norris! said:

It reminds me of a great northern or something with just a slight tropical aroma if you look for it. 

A Gt Nthn but maybe with Malted Grain and not using Propyline Glycol Alginate for Head Retention @Norris! Norris ?  

[Norris!]

4 minutes ago, Graubart said:

A Gt Nthn but maybe with Malted Grain and not using Propyline Glycol Alginate for Head Retention @Norris! Norris ?  

Is that what Great Northern does? Hmmm, I did not know that, but yeah all grain pretty much a SMASH with just a small amount of Vienna and victory malt and just a cool mash, 63c and a mash out to get it crisp.

The head has been real good in all my brews and I have just recently cut carapils out and there is not wheat in here, but I find Barrett Burston Ale malt to have some nice body to it, I don't really know, I guess good carbonation, Hahah. I have been stirring the stuff that forms on top during the boil back in, gently, I have heard David Heath say it can help with head retention...I don't know but yeah, they have been alright doing it.

Cheers

Norris

[jamiek86]

@Norris! what hops did you use looks nice.

[Norris!]

But seriously, let me stress that their isn't a lot going on in this beer. It was made for my Mates who stop by and don't want tropical ales that taste like juice, mmmm juice, or are too bitter for them, or doesn't taste like beer. You know what your old uncle says when they have a NEIPA or an XPA, yeah, for all those beer drinkers, this one is for you.

[jamiek86]

kegged eclipse pale ale 5.4% been in keg maby 3 or 4 weeks tasting since 2 week mark better each time

[Norris!]

3 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

@Norris! what hops did you use looks nice.

Here you go. The 5 min additions were at flameout.

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Norris!

[Norris!]

4 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

kegged eclipse pale ale 5.4% been in keg maby 3 or 4 weeks tasting since 2 week mark better each time

That looks WAY better than my Blonde ale, hahaha. What did you toss in here? My next brew is going to be eclipse, Amarillo and centennial, I am calling it Agent Orange, maybe but so far that is the name....Yes I am a dork.

Edited March 20, 2021 by Norris!

[Pezzza]

13 minutes ago, Norris! said:

Is that what...

Your beer looks good @Norris! Norris and sounds very refreshing!

Ah it is a bit of a pisssstake - I am not a lover of the megaswill - and esp GtNth because to me all the young men carrying out the Slabs out of Dan's have just been conned cos they watch the extremely good quality advertising and think they are up the Gulf on a nice rock shelf in a rockpool with some scantily dressed lass handing over glass bottles... in a spot you would never get to without a chopper let alone with glass bottles, and if you got there you would be getting eaten alive by mossies, sandflies and leaches... I have lived/camped and boated to such places that 'look nice' before in my life... 

Then I saw an excellent preso on Tassie Kelp Bed loss... and it was all to do with historic harvesting of the Kelp for Alginate.... and one of the uses - a horror to me - but had heard about such bad practice... was for Beer Head Retention... so I generously applied it across with a grain of salt and some poetic licence thrown in ; )

Besides my 'poetic licence' re GtNthn and Alginate - the use of this compound derived from seaweed for such purposes is, however, correct...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-02-27/tasmania-giant-kelp-forests-disappearing-global-ocean-warming/11209188?nw=0

Kelp, as well as being profoundly beautiful, is useful.

Giant kelp, like other brown seaweeds, can be refined to produce alginate, an ingredient vital to a surprising range of products.

Alginate is used as a stabiliser and emulsifier in processed foods. It’s also used in textiles, medical supplies and toothpaste.

Perhaps most importantly, it keeps the froth on a pint of beer.

My highlighting...  I just was unimpressed that although a great article - that they said it was important to keep the froth on beer - as us real beer people know it should stay up and on by itself... so is not important for froth on a pint of beer.

And also was saddened to read of the massive loss of these magnificent underwater Kelp Forests down Tassie (that also played their part in C sequestration)... 

[jamiek86]

@Norris! I brew coopers kits not all grainer. Was APA tin with Tin Wheat malt and 500 grams light dry malt plus eclipse hops 45 grams in tea steep added day 5. Alot nicer now cleared up and aged a little

[Norris!]

@jamiek86

Nice recipe, cheers.

[Norris!]

@Graubart

Thank You for sharing. I really didn't know that. I think I use it when I use whirfloc, I am going to check, if so I will cut it out. I think whirfloc is seaweed or something, I have to check.

The advertising does get them and me on some occasions. But yeah that beer is WAY overpriced. This batch at 21.5l was less than $20, what do they charge for 2 slabs of great northern? Too much.

[jamiek86]

16 minutes ago, Norris! said:

@jamiek86

Nice recipe, cheers.

I bet most people think.us home brewers are dorks I could go through notes and find more specific details if want? Assuming as all grain brewer would be pointless for yourself. Twice now used eclipse very nice hop but brewed with citra today first time will be good see effects of that.

Edited March 20, 2021 by jamiek86

[Norris!]

@jamiek86

I brew kits every now and then. My go to is the cerveza kit, 500g of wheat and light dry malt with 150-250g of dextrose. I do a 10l boil with the 1kg of extract, for 10 or 15 minutes, then usually add whatever hops at flameout, about 50g generally sometimes more and then add dextrose after it has steeped for 20 min and cool with cold stored water and Bob's your Uncle. That is my process at least.

I find eclipse more orange like and citra slightly more dank or piney but you might find it different.

Edited March 20, 2021 by Norris!

[jamiek86]

@Norris! so citra is similar to Amarillo? yes i get the orange in eclipse as after-taste not sure how to describe the taste at start but I like it. I've just learnt dont Do too many of same thing.

[Norris!]

@jamiek86

Citra is kind of like Amarillo but stronger and to me more dank, piney while amarillo, to me, is more orange and floral and less dank/piney. That is my opinion, you might find it different.

[Pickles Jones]

25 minutes ago, Norris! said:

@jamiek86

I brew kits every now and then. My go to is the cerveza kit, 500g of wheat and light dry malt with 150-250g of dextrose. I do a 10l boil with the 1kg of extract, for 10 or 15 minutes, then usually add whatever hops at flameout, about 50g generally sometimes more and then add dextrose after it has steeped for 20 min and cool with cold stored water and Bob's your Uncle. That is my process at least.i I find eclipse more orange like and citra slightly more dank or piney but you might find it different.

I have rediscovered Cerveza after my first one was so underwhelming I didn't know what I was going to do the other five cans I got cheap at Big W !!

I have tried a few adjuncts which changed the brew which has made it quiet acceptable and now would like to give your recipe a go.

Just some clarification so I have it right.

The 500gms of wheat is grains crushed then steeped overnight in the fridge?

What Hops do you recommend?

[Norris!]

@Pickles Jones

The above is actually all extract but you could sub out the 500g of dry wheat extract for wheat and steep it, that would Def bring some freshness to the brew.

I like fruity hops, 25g of citra and galaxy always is good and then 7g a liter dry hop or less up to you. I also like mosaic, azacca and ecplise, 15g of each or 25g if you dont mind it a little more bitter for 75g all up at flameout and 50g of each dry hop or less as you prefer. 

[Norris!]

@Pickles Jones

Just a note if you use wheat malt the grain and not the extract I would actually mash it to get the full benefits of it, it isn't like a specialty malt where just steeping works to extract the colour, you have to release the proteins and enzymes by mashing the grain for 30-90minutes at 62-68c to get those out, if not you will just get unfermentable starches.

Edited March 20, 2021 by Norris!

[Norris!]

I will also add, a well made extract beer with enough yeast will taste as good as an all grain beer, if you use fresh ingredients and watch the temps. Just my opinion, the big difference is time, cost and too a degree variety of ingredients. All grain is cheap but takes time. Extract is expensive due to the ease and someone else has already done the hard yards of mashing and boiling down. Pick your poison basically.

I do extracts when short on time and low on beer. If I planned better and made double batches and cubed them for later I would be winning....I have only done that once, need to do it more. Same time double the beer.

[Norris!]

I like the cerveza kit because It gives me IBUs without a long boil and it is like a blank slate, very neutral flavours and colours that I can adjust to where I want.

The dry wheat extract brings body and some additional flavours, I get a little spiciness from wheat but that is just my opinion, and the other dry malt just adds more body while the little bit of dextrose dries it out where it is crisper, again for my tastes. Some people like more body, but I find all extract can be cloying or thick so the dextrose helps thin it slightly.

The flameout additions and dry hop make it like an XPA or pale ale but sessionable, depending on the amounts. Just make sure to cool the wort right after the steep. You may find 10 or 15 minutes enough for bitterness and Flavour. Super easy beer that tastes great. Hope it goes well.