What Are You Drinking in 2022?

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, Cheap Charlie said:

The beer you are referring to must be Very Bad 

A lot of members on here know which one it is & yes, it is very bad 

[Pezzza]

Alas the last of the Frühlingskellarbier... (spring cellar beer)

And I have an admission - not to begin with nor when it was in its heyday - but a bit later on and at a few points in my life - I quite enjoyed Fosters 

Rest assured the fluid in the glass shown below tastes nothing like Fosters other than both being wet and having bubbles 

[Scottie]

21 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

snip.......

Unfortunately for me I had just bought a whole lot of coopers kits cheap when I realised my local had FWK. Hoppy pale ales are fine but otherwise you can't compare a FWK to an extract brew unless it's loaded up and masked with hops. 

Basically my experience you can't compare a fresh wort kit lager to a partial mash lager. You can notice the twang and non freshness from the kit

 In saying that the storage ability of these kits and bits and how easy they are to brew is still a great hobby and nothing to complain about. But I just don't think it compares to Lagers in the all grain part.

 

I agree that loads of hops can cover a multitude of sins, yet I can't agree on all of your thesis on Twang. I brewed three Lagers from Coopers Kits in 2013, lagered a Helles at 1 degree for 9 weeks and there was absolutley no twang out of the keg. I found after switching to kegs that the same beer whether is be all grain, extract, kit or FWH tasted different from Keg to bottle, so much so that for many years I prefered to tip excess beer form the keg down the drain rather than bottle. I never temperature controlled my secondart ferment and the link provided by classic may she some light. Obviuosly the bottled beers that I was able to have patience with got better wit time. 

 

Cheers 

Edited November 20, 2022 by Scottie

[Pezzza]

3 minutes ago, Scottie said:

Obviously the bottled beers that I was able to have patience with got better with time. 

Cheers @Scottie mate and good discussion.

I think that one can make very very good beer in bottles with good ingredients, good process and a bit of patience.

These days I do AGs but reckon with good process and Coopers Kits and liquid malt yer can make very good beer... I have lagered bottles for 3 months at 3 degrees and the beer was pure Gold... that was albeit an All Grainer but yeah time cold is good in a bottle and in a keg.   And with Coops Kits, liquid malt, good water, temp control and time... great beer. 

And am pretty sure that me cobber @Aussiekraut AK will agree that HW in Bottles is the biz too and maybe a slight edge on HW out the keg.

But hey many ways to the top of the Brew Mountain : )

 

Bit of History below:

Lovely lagered AG Helles out the bottle on the LHS and a festive Rauchbier out the keg on the right...

all good...  Cheers 

Good Brewing All : )

 

[Pezzza]

Just talking about Bottling and potential outcomes... another bit of history... my very first AG seen below...

from a lovely solid Coopers Largie... 

Anzac Amber Sunset Ale... one of the nicest Beers I have ever drunk in my life... brewed in the bottle...

NB the bottle was secondary ferment temp controlled... and yeah... it was an absolute cracker:

(check out the drought-dry-paddock at the time )

 

[Pale Man]

Since I've been kegging, I have done a few side by side comparisons. My kegged all grain, and the same beer bottled.

Kegged beer always has been so much better, smoother, rounded and more creamy. Bottled version always on the rough side. May have something to do with conditioning but the difference was alarming.

[Pezzza]

15 minutes ago, Mr Beer Goggles said:

but the difference

Interesting

Never had an issue

I went AG well before I went kegging... 

and good KnK and AG in bottles treated well is great.

But it was all temp controlled in secondary ferment... 

And yeah - I reckon AG Lager in Bottles kept at 3 deg for three months is way better than Keg Lager fresh after carbing...

[Classic Brewing Co]

11 hours ago, Mr Beer Goggles said:

Since I've been kegging, I have done a few side by side comparisons. My kegged all grain, and the same beer bottled.

Kegged beer always has been so much better, smoother, rounded and more creamy. Bottled version always on the rough side. May have something to do with conditioning but the difference was alarming.

I would second that, even with k & k beers kegged they are far superior in appearance, smoother with a tight creamy head compared to bottles. 

[Brauhaus Fritz]

Finally had @beach_life’s Flanders. Shared it with my son. We added a bit of my homemade berry syrup and both came to the same conclusion: What a great  I actually preferred it to the Berliner Weiße

Thanks again for sharing it with me 

Edited November 21, 2022 by Brauhaus Fritz

[ben 10]

2 hours ago, Brauhaus Fritz said:

Thanks again for sharing it with me 

You are welcome and I am glad you enjoyed it

 

 

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

20 hours ago, Pezzza said:

Interesting

Never had an issue

I went AG well before I went kegging... 

and good KnK and AG in bottles treated well is great.

But it was all temp controlled in secondary ferment... 

And yeah - I reckon AG Lager in Bottles kept at 3 deg for three months is way better than Keg Lager fresh after carbing...

I once aged coopers 86 days pils 500ml flip tops for 5 or 6 weeks in a dark back room. Temp might have been mid 20s for most of it some days maby more. Some bottles were also aged in the fridge or Lagered for 2 or 3 weeks. 

I remember it being really smooth and nice but always wondered. If I never got really hot and stayed low to mid 20s would a lager beer still age and get better at these temps? I know it's against the style but it's always got me thinking.

The beer goes from brewing at 12 degrees or so up to 18 for D rest. Then cold crashed and if bottle not keg it warmed up again to carbonate.  After its carbed up again keep it cold as long as can to lager. 

So I guess unless anyone has done this experiment I might have to try. Will it still age well a Lager style beer for months warm?

[Brauhaus Fritz]

What looks like a delicious clean and crisp beer

is actually a very nice cider of the Mangrove Jack pouch range

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Brauhaus Fritz what was exact recepie apart from the pouch please? looks nicely carbonated.

[Brauhaus Fritz]

4 minutes ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@Brauhaus Fritz what was exact recepie apart from the pouch please? looks nicely carbonated.

Just followed the instructions on the pouch, Add one kg of dextrose and the sweetener, use the supplied yeast and when fermentation is finished add the flavouring sachet and wait two more days for bottling. Ferment inside the recommended temperature range. If I bottle my ciders in 640ml bottles (which I like to do) I use one carbonation drop only, in longnecks two. I wait at least 3 weeks before cracking the first to try. Made 4 different flavours so far and me and everyone else enjoys them. I have still two types which are one year old and still nice. I keep them in my Beer Dungeon (Harry Potter’s room) coolest place in the house. Saying all this, I am not a Cider drinker, so I have nothing to compare it with, but I like drinking them, refreshing with a little kick, ha ha

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Brauhaus Fritz thank you follow  instructions then lol I guess I could try it.

[Pezzza]

1 hour ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

So I guess unless anyone has done this experiment I might have to try. Will it still age well a Lager style beer for months warm?

I cannot @Uhtred Of Beddanburg provide an answer - the bottles that were chilled for 3 months at 3 degrees were truly outstanding...  I suspect 20 deg C and lower might be ok...  and higher twenties guess you might hafta just try 

I wouldn't do too many bottles of your most favourite and most expensive batches ; )

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

1 minute ago, Pezzza said:

I cannot @Uhtred Of Beddanburg provide an answer - the bottles that were chilled for 3 months at 3 degrees were truly outstanding...  I suspect 20 deg C and lower might be ok...  and higher twenties guess you might hafta just try 

I wouldn't do too many bottles of your most favourite and most expensive batches ; )

So pretty much ales in bottles get better warm with time. But better to carb up a lager and keep it cold? Sounds good to me I only done a couple of lagers in bottles before started kegging. Just all temp changes for bottling seemed a bit strange and wondered how effected beer

[Pezzza]

3 minutes ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

So pretty much ales in bottles get better warm with time. But better to carb up a lager and keep it cold? Sounds good to me I only done a couple of lagers in bottles before started kegging. Just all temp changes for bottling seemed a bit strange and wondered how effected beer

My belief is once bottles are carbed via secondary ferment (for both ales and lagers) that they would be best kept at non-fluctuating temps and cool... I am not expert but would suspect that Ales in Bottles should be kept 17-18 constant or cooler and yeah well lagers, as above, nice and cold. 

I had a mate who bought Coopers Vintage Ale in stubbies and kept them under house coastal NSW -- that went up and down in temp -- and I think from memory they may have been 7-10 years old or so and sadly they were all gone.  To the last bottle.  

But there are probably many Brewers out there that are more expert re bottles and storage... am pretty much all SS kegs now and I do try to keep them all pretty cold once complete. 

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Pezzza thanks for that I mainly keg too but my cousin has asked for a few bottles each batch I do. I was just after the best result to pass on to him.  I did bottle for a bit myself but results varied a whole heap. I also didn't do the same thing each time. EG temperature and time at that temp. Appreciate what you have shared with me.

[ben 10]

My Lager with Fuggle hops

 

[Pale Man]

1 hour ago, beach_life said:

My Lager with Fuggle hops

 

Yum Fuggles

[Tone boy]

22 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@Pezzza thanks for that I mainly keg too but my cousin has asked for a few bottles each batch I do. I was just after the best result to pass on to him.  I did bottle for a bit myself but results varied a whole heap. I also didn't do the same thing each time. EG temperature and time at that temp. Appreciate what you have shared with me.

So Uhtred I have actually done that experiment with a lager. After carbonation was completed (2 weeks at 18 degrees), I put most of my bottles in my usual storage room in the middle of the house (no windows) which has constant temps year round - about 20 degrees. I also put 6 bottles in the fridge and left them there to “lager”.

After 2 months I did a blind taste test of the 2 storage methods with 2 friends. My samples were not blind - someone had to know which beer was which.

And the results?? ….

Inconclusive! I liked the beer kept cold for 2 months, the other two preferred the ones stored at 20 degrees!! All of us thought they were really similar and very hard to distinguish. All of them were yummy.

But I think you should do the experiment as well. We need good people drinking beer, erm…. I mean working….in the name of science for the good of humanity. 

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

1 hour ago, Tone boy said:

So Uhtred I have actually done that experiment with a lager. After carbonation was completed (2 weeks at 18 degrees), I put most of my bottles in my usual storage room in the middle of the house (no windows) which has constant temps year round - about 20 degrees. I also put 6 bottles in the fridge and left them there to “lager”.

After 2 months I did a blind taste test of the 2 storage methods with 2 friends. My samples were not blind - someone had to know which beer was which.

And the results?? ….

Inconclusive! I liked the beer kept cold for 2 months, the other two preferred the ones stored at 20 degrees!! All of us thought they were really similar and very hard to distinguish. All of them were yummy.

But I think you should do the experiment as well. We need good people drinking beer, erm…. I mean working….in the name of science for the good of humanity. 

Thanks for that mate when it starts getting warmer I don't think I'll be able to keep them at 20. Maby at summers end I'll store for few months in autumn and try it. 

[Pezzza]

1 hour ago, Tone boy said:

I put most of my bottles in my usual storage room in the middle of the house (no windows) which has constant temps year round - about 20 degrees.

I think that is a really important point  @Tone boy Toner - your non-fridge ambient storage space was a lovely and cool constant good temp.... as ambient c. 20 deg C or cooler is not always what Brewers in Aussie have year round at their beck and call...  and constant at 20 deg C I think would be great for most brews I reckon : )

I reckon conditioning storage 18-20 degC for Beer - or lower - is good but push on towards 23-29 and above, nope, and then add up and down, and push up to the 30s and more no good... 

Just a few thoughts ; )

[ben 10]

On 11/20/2022 at 7:10 PM, Pezzza said:

Lovely lagered AG Helles out the bottle on the LHS and a festive Rauchbier out the keg on the right..

Beautiful.... especially the bushfire lager, nice one