Beerlust Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Hi Ben. RyeSon which is freaking amazing.Typical Belle Saison nose with a very complex fruity and spicy palate. An amazing after taste and a very pleasant warming alcohol content @ 8.1%. I liked the look of that RyeSon Saison recipe the first time you posted it. It just seemed to have all the right elements in the right quantities to make a really nice Saison beer. This might be the brew recipe of yours I give a go over the summer. Cheers' date=' Anthony.[/size'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnaman Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 G'day Brewers, slipping into a couple today, a Fruit Salad Ale... 1 month in the bottle made with re-cultured Coopers commercial yeast, lovely hits the spot, going to also try a taster of the Hop Slam UK... it's also just on the 1 month in the bottle and then to the Sparkling Ale... also made with re-cultured Coopers commercial yeast and steeped 20g of Pride of Ringwood , just on six weeks in the bottle. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I've been brewing Coopers wheat beer (only) for a year or so now. I like it even more than Erdinger, I've tried most of the others but decided to stick with what I like. My taste. It seasons out in the back shed (in Dublin) for a few months before I get to drinking it (there's a constant supply) by which time it's great. And I use some glass bottles with the flip top cap (perfect) but mostly use the PET bottles. A lot of my PET bottles are starting to delaminate. The beer is fine, no problem there, but I am reluctant to re-use a badly delaminating bottle. Is delamination a normal process in an aging PET bottle, am I rinsing them in water which is too hot or am I putting them in a fridge which is too cold at between zero and 5°C? I accidently froze half a dozen PET bottles last week but after thawing and returning to normal temp (0 to 5) I could not tell that they had been frozen (head and taste quite normal). So, is anybody else having issues with delaminating bottles? Maybe it's not an issue? G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Gordon I have the bottles deteriorate eventually and bin them. I figure at $1 each to get a year or so out of them is plenty for me. Drinking a Sparkling Ale late hopped with Cascade and Experimental Grapefruit which is yummy. Nice level bitterness, the right colour for a Sparkling and it really is a lovely drop. Time for an IPA now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thanks Ben, I guess I've had my money's worth then 'cos these bottles have been in use for about three years. And I get them for about €13 for a case of 24. At less than €0.20 per bottle per year I reckon maybe I can afford to bin a few. At least they don't break out in the back shed due to freezing weather. The glass bottles I store in the house just to be safe, but I do like that popping sound when I flip the cap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Red n Hairy - my take on Hairy's red IPA. Was a bit dank at first, but a little time has seen this awesome fruitiness develop, on the nose and on the palate, the dank lingers and cuts through at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I put a few bottles of recent brews in the fridge for a bit of a test, the APA with added Cascade, the European Lager, and completely forgot that I'd put a couple of bottles of my ESVA in there as well. I thought I'd have a try of the Euro Lager, and when I opened it, realized it was the ESVA (my fault for not sticking some sort of label on the bottle to distinguish it). Anyway, the ESVA at about 3 or so weeks in the bottle is fantastic, and clearly will only improve in time. The Nottingham Ale yeast did its magic and mellowed out the hops and it's got a bite to it, but well balanced against the malts and the caramalt addition, and of course the dex gave it an extra kick. I'd finished my first glass when I realized it was a bit of a creeper; you notice the malt, hops, and complexity as you drink it, as well as the warmth, but the alcohol content sort of taps you on the shoulder and then gives you a good kick a little while after you've drunk it. All round I'd say it's a great beer, but obviously not one to down quickly or consider a sessionable beer. That said, I think I'll be making it again, and it's helped me appreciate the difference it makes using specialty grains and in reality it's one of the first darker ales I've tried. Perhaps in the future some sort of brown ale with some caramalt or something? All that said, my next batch will be another APA with added cascade, just so I can have a quicker turnaround beer, and allow my others to improve with age. The Artisan Reserve has been in the FV for a bit over 3 weeks, so I'm thinking of bottling it next week, and just using the big blue camping drum (with glad wrap on the top) for my ale, as ambient temps should be ok this time of year for doing my APA; whereas the last batch I made I actually had to warm up, and the Artisan Reserve of course is sitting in a water bath with ice. Most likely I'll let it warm up a little over the W/E for the D rest, then in a few weeks it'll be ready to try. So ESVA - a great beer, but not a sessional beer, and back to the APA for my weekend relax and unwind sessions, along with the occasional Euro Lager (as I've got less than 6 bottles of the APA left at this point). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Oh yes. My house IPA. Hop2iT. A cracker, this one! Columbus, Jarrylo and Citra hopped. 6.7% and 58 IBU, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschemad911 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 So ESVA - a great beer' date=' but not a sessional beer, and back to the APA for my weekend relax and unwind sessions, along with the occasional Euro Lager (as I've got less than 6 bottles of the APA left at this point).[/quote']Sounds really good! I'm curious, what %ABV did you end up with approximately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschemad911 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Sampling another of my sweet stouts ... this time from a stubby. This one is really good, the bitterness from the choc malt has mellowed nicely. This confirms my theory that beer does age in a similar manner to wine in that half-bottles age faster than full size bottles due to the ratio of surface area exposed to oxygen in the headspace to total volume. Last week I tried a longneck of the same batch and it was still a bit too harsh and bitter. So with the aid of a glass of homebrew I have concocted a genius plan ... drink all the stubbies now and hopefully the longnecks will be ready by the time I'm done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I just had a couple of early pours from the keg of my 250cc Pale Ale. For a hophead like me, I experienced something close to nirvana (I think!). Just awesome! Ridiculously good if you like hoppy, hoppy beers. The following picture explains it better than I can say... Stoked. Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 So ESVA - a great beer' date=' but not a sessional beer, and back to the APA for my weekend relax and unwind sessions, along with the occasional Euro Lager (as I've got less than 6 bottles of the APA left at this point).[/quote']Sounds really good! I'm curious, what %ABV did you end up with approximately? Got the ESVA to about 7.4, though I made it to 23 litres when the recipe said 21. I don't think the extra volume made a great deal of difference, other than the fact I was able to fill 30 bottles, rather than a few less. SWMBO even liked it, which is quite an achievement, as this time last year I couldn't even get her to sample a beer, much less drink a glass of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 So ESVA - a great beer' date=' but not a sessional beer, and back to the APA for my weekend relax and unwind sessions, along with the occasional Euro Lager (as I've got less than 6 bottles of the APA left at this point).[/quote']Sounds really good! I'm curious, what %ABV did you end up with approximately? Got the ESVA to about 7.4, though I made it to 23 litres when the recipe said 21. I don't think the extra volume made a great deal of difference, other than the fact I was able to fill 30 bottles, rather than a few less. SWMBO even liked it, which is quite an achievement, as this time last year I couldn't even get her to sample a beer, much less drink a glass of it! +1 to Zaphod's comments on minimal flavour loss by increasing overall volume when eventually comparing it to the full ABV version. Early comments by homebrewers on the forum that followed last years release (2013) of the homebrew recipe version of the ESVA, had them experiencing extremely high attenuation levels from the advised yeast suggestion in combination with a high quantity of dextrose listed in the 2013 version. This ended up with beers attaining an incredible final ABV at or around 9.0% for a lot of those homebrewers that followed the 2013 recipe. This years version (2014) has had a couple of significant adjustments made to that, that has me much more trusting of the eventual ABV level of the end beer produced by the recipe. Last year, on the back of the responses I was reading from those that had followed the recipe, I made a decision to brew a lower alcohol, more session-able version of the ESVA. Session-able ESVA? Removing the dextrose & increasing the volume from 21 to 23 litres worked well for a more session-able version of the beer. It is/was a beautiful drop without the added headkicker ABV. I handed a few around to mates & a couple of guys here on the forum who each said they enjoyed it. The option is always there. Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Well worth considering Lusty, may make a Vintage Ale without the added dex up to 23 litres to make a nice malty full bodied lower A/V brew at some point. I can certainly see the value in making a more sessionable version of this brew. Not exactly a full on convert to grain additions, but will consider them and other modifications for futur brews. Amazing what a difference a few extra ingredients - in the right proportions can make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschemad911 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Sounds just about perfect Beeblebrox Man you guys have got me tempted to try and come up with a 10 litre batch partial mash version of the 2014 ESVA recipe for George. Just need to figure out what grains go into the APA and Real Ale kits ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beeblebrox Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Sounds just about perfect Beeblebrox Man you guys have got me tempted to try and come up with a 10 litre batch partial mash version of the 2014 ESVA recipe for George. Just need to figure out what grains go into the APA and Real Ale kits ... Not sure exactly what you mean, whether you're talking of making a grain version of APA & Real Ale, or what to add to your brew to get the style of ESVA, but I can tell you that the full batch ESVA used 300g crystal malt, so if you were doing something like that, I'd say halve it to get the balance right. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 Squire's Bitter This is fresh, only 3 weeks in the keg after just 11 days in the Fermenter. It's been tapped early because my Golden Ale didn't seem quite right and has gone back into storage. Anyway this one is another fine English Bitter Golden Promise, Fuggles, EKG and Styrian. ABV 3.5% A lovely session ale, herbal and nice lingering bitterness. The Malt is subdued compared to MO, never used GP before, so I'm not sure if that's because it is so young or not. Cheers Scottie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 I too find Golden Promise more subtle than Marris Otter. I think it has a slightly sweeter taste too. Both are beautiful malts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschemad911 Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Not sure exactly what you mean' date=' whether you're talking of making a grain version of APA & Real Ale, or what to add to your brew to get the style of ESVA, but I can tell you that the full batch ESVA used 300g crystal malt, so if you were doing something like that, I'd say halve it to get the balance right.[/quote']Thanks for the reply, sorry I was a bit confusing! Yes I meant make a grain version of the APA and Real Ale kits to come up with a partial mash equivalent of the 2014 ESVA recipe pack. However, I think I'll take a new tack. I'll take a look at the Old Ale style guidelines and a few recipes for the grain bill, find a clean bittering hop then hit it with plenty of similar flavour and aroma hops to the 2014 ESVA recipe pack. So what homebrew am I drinking? Tonight I sampled a stubby of my hefeweizen. It's beautiful, the best beer I've brewed by far, really fresh tasting with a nice balance of tartness and a hint of banana. I don't know if I got the hop bittering right but it must be in the ballpark because it has turned out to be a really nicely balanced beer. Upon tasting it my wife immediately claimed some bottles for herself, and asked me to brew it again ... in a full size batch. My dunkelweizen gravity sample is looking good too! That WLP300 yeast is great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Some Sparklings (all grain) now RyeSon. F.me if this isn;t a great beer. Sweet, malty but oh so dry and strong. Finished @ 1004 that Belle Saison yeast is an animal. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownsworthy Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Oh yeah! First sample of my first brew today, kegged yesterday and force carbed today certainly tastes like Sparkling Ale though a little sweeter and may need a little more carbonation. Very happy! Thanks to all whom have given me great advice I was a bit nervous about how it might turn out though after this tasting I'am alot more confident about the future. Oh it worked out at 6.47%, I've had three 330ml glasses and are feeling great! Cheers Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Julebryg A dark festive lager, Saaz hopped with a late addition of Star Anise. Lovely and malty mouthfeel and taste, ever so slight hint of anise in the background. Yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 El Dorado Golden Ale. WLP009, El Dorado hops. Lovely, mild hoppiness, good bitterness, some yeast backbone from the umm, yeast. Very good, easy drinking ale @ err 6.2%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Chimay clone. It's ok, but still young. I think it's got good potential, but only being a small batch the question is whether it will ever get a chance to show that potential! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Hop2iT III. My own IPA in it's third brew. 58 IBU and apparently 6.8%. Heavily late hopped with Columbus, Citra and Jarrylo. Big fruity nose, dank bitterness and a really nice hoppy flavour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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