# Nsw Ahb Xmas Case 2005 - Consumption



## Doc (26/11/05)

*NSW AHB Xmas Case 2005 - Consumption*

This is the business end of the Xmas Case. The best bit of the Xmas Case. Tucking into each brew, evaluating each sip and hopefully putting your taste buds into sensory overload.
Hopefully the Xmas Case will also give you the chance to try some beers you wouldn't have thought of brewing yourself, and also be able to provide you with a muse or two for planning your 2006 brews.

Here is the round up of entrants and their beers. Were indicated some brewers are recommending you hold onto their brew until the end of the case to allow them to condition/carbonate.
If your beer requires a little ageing/maturation and it isn't indicated please let me know so I can update the Master List.

Tim - *Newcastle Brown* WLP002 in the Brown ale and WLP838 Southern German Lager in the Vienna
Hopsta *Belgian Golden Strong Ale* will need a couple of weeks to carbonate and a further 3 months to condition and will improve with age. bottling date 21/11/05  WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale
Duff - *Kolsch* WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch
Doc - *Kolsch* No yeast. Not bottle conditioned
Stuster - *Best Bitter* White Labs Pacific Ale yeast, WLP041
KoNG - *Summer Ale* Give it another couple of weeks Wyeast belgian strong 1388
Nifty - *Aussie Pale Ale* Coopers Pale Ale yeast
Homebrewworld - *Robust Porter* Wait a week or three 
Kungy - *Amarillo APA*
Berto - *Wheat* (bottled 25/11/05) WLP380
Linz - *IPA* Cultured coopers yeast
Redbeard - *APA* Another week or so for better carbonation
Beer Slayer *Amber Ale* Give it another week or so for carbonation
Stickler - *Porter Style* 
PostModern - *Xmas Porter/Brown Porter* (Bottled 23/11/05) Wyeast 1968
berapnopod - *Wit* (Bottled 24/11/05) Cultured from a bottle of Hoegaarden
am - *Australian Golden Ale* WLP051 California Ale V
Jase - *Cascade APA* WLP013 London Yeast Overcarbonated. BEWARE
Gough - *Sarah's Amber Ale III* Wyeast 1272 American Ale II
Weizguy - *Berliner/Medowie weisse* Will improve with age Wyeast German ale yeast
Borret - *Mild* (drink closer to Xmas) DCL S-04
Shmick - *Australian Strong Ale* US-56 American Ale (1056)
Trent - *Porter* Wyeast 1084
Pint of Lager - *Vienna lager* WY 2278 Czech Pils

Please provide feedback on the beers as you sample them. Positive and constructive feedback is expected. Recipes can be posted, pictures of you sampling/pouring the beers would be great too.

Shmick will be the first to get the full NSW Xmas Case, so he may also be first off the rank with some tastings and feedback.

Finally a bit thankyou to the brewers who contributed, the members who were drop off points and the members who were couriers. 

Prost!

Beers,
Doc


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## Stickler (26/11/05)

I can't wait to try all these beers.
Mine is probably one of the few "non-AG" beers here so if you're saving the best for last - get into mine early  . Again, not as full bodied as I'd hoped so an "Old", not a porter.
Big thanks to everyone who organised this, everyone I tell about it says "bloody hell, what a great idea!".

skaal!
Stickman


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## beer slayer (26/11/05)

I agree Stickler

Im looking forwrd to trying all these beers its good to see a good response. Considering the logistics involved!! 
Come on xmas.

:beer: 
Beer Slayer

PS. my amber ale could do with another week or so for carbonation


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## Duff (27/11/05)

Well it's a beautiful sight in my garage at the moment with 36 cases of beer gracing the floor all sorted and ready to go. Will have to start with one or two tonight, sorry for all those who haven't got theirs yet  

My Kolsch is ready for drinking whenever you are ready.

Cheers.


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## Doc (27/11/05)

And to make you all keen to get your hands on your case here is a piccy of the complete case.



Some great labels there entrants.

Now to decide what goes into the fridge first.

Thanks to Borrett for the extra. Thats going straight to the brauhaus. The number of times I looking for one of those out there 

Beers,
Doc


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## Borret (27/11/05)

Doc said:


> Now to decide what goes into the fridge first.
> 
> Thanks to Borrett for the extra. Thats going straight to the brauhaus. The number of times I looking for one of those out there
> 
> ...



No Worries Doc. Thanks to you, duff and the others for your sorting and logistics services. :beer: 

There's some nice labels there. All looks quite impressive.

Mouth watering for case
Borret :blink:


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## sluggerdog (27/11/05)

Looking good NSW, cannot wait until next weekend when we do ours (QLD).

Will have to post a pic of all our bottles too.


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## PostModern (27/11/05)

My Porter would be best at or after Christmas, but should be "drinkable" from about 10/12. I used Wyeast 1968 if anyone wants to culture it. Has a Postmodern Porter label and "PP" on the lid.

Looking forward to tucking into the case! Thanks to everyone involved in putting this together. Linz, if there are any going to be any other cases bound for the Illawarra at your place, I'd be happy to give them a lift down here when I collect mine... but I don't think there were any other ones from down here...


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## Doc (27/11/05)

PostModern said:


> My Porter would be best at or after Christmas, but should be "drinkable" from about 10/12. I used Wyeast 1968 if anyone wants to culture it. Has a Postmodern Porter label and "PP" on the lid.



I've put aside all the entries that need a bit of aging/conditioning in the pantry.

And I was just thinking about the yeast culturing thing, and what yeasts had been used. I'll be harvesting your yeast PoMo.

What yeast has everyone else used ?

Beers,
Doc


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## nifty (27/11/05)

I just recultured your basic garden variety Coopers Pale Ale yeast.

I'm just finishing the last bot from the xmas case batch that I had extra. It's not a world shaker, but not a bad beer either..

cheers

nifty


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## Trent (27/11/05)

Wow
Those bottle look great, cant wait to tuck into em. Thankfully I have some mates coming up this weekend, and should be able to get em to bring em up to me, rather than me not being able to pick em up till chrissy eve. Only problem is that means I will have to share! Maybe I will have to tell em they arent ready for drinking yet ;-)
On the yeast front, I was just using 1084, so nothing out of the ordinary there, but always a good one to culture if yer into making stouts or porters.
Big thanks to everybody for organising this swap, looks like the kinda logistical nightmare that would give me heart palpitations!
All the best
Trent


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## Duff (27/11/05)

I should have added my yeast used, WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch. Fantastic stuff, usually over 80% attenuation with very clean style hop flavours.

Cheers.


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## berto (27/11/05)

Posted in the other thread, but mine was bottled 25/11/05. So probably the greenest of all brews there. Of all the wheat beers ive brewed they generally age pretty well so a bit of time shouldnt hurt it. 
Also i used WLP380. Hopefully the higher ferm. temp didnt hurt it too much not being a fruity yeast.


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## Gough (27/11/05)

Hey Doc, 

Howcome my handwritten stick on labels weren't on show at the front of the photo??  THose of you who sorted their labels properly, top darts!! The bottles look great. Can't wait to pick up the case  Couldn't get my labels sorted in time, sorry  

Thanks to Doc and the organisers/couriers, especially Shmick from the Newcastle/CC brewers end. Top stuff fellas! 

Here's to a liquid Xmas :chug: As I said in an earlier post, you can drink mine whenever you are keen. It has been in the bottle since October 24 so will get a little better perhaps, but should be drinking OK now I hope. The yeast in mine is Wyeast 1272 American Ale II.

Shawn.


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## Stuster (27/11/05)

Mine was also bottled a while ago, 18th October, so it's ready to go. The yeast is a bit of an unusual one, White Labs Pacific Ale yeast, WLP041. I think it's a yummy yeast. I did a taste test with it and English Ale yeast WLP002 a while ago, only with extract admittedly before I crossed over to the AG side, and the Pacific had more complexity in the taste.

The beer seems to have turned out fairly hazy. From PoL's comments a while ago, my guess is that the boil wasn't hard enough. But, I ordered a NASA burner from G&G yesterday so that will be a thing of the past.  

Recipe is fairly simple, Maris Otter with a bit of crystal, hops were Fuggles and EKG at 60, 30 and 15. Plugs of EKG at flame out. Hope you enjoy it. :beer:


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## Linz (27/11/05)

Im in Nifty's camp and cultured a coopers yeast


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## Gough (27/11/05)

Sounds good Stuster :chug: 

The haze could also be Maris Otter related - see the 'chill haze' thread around here somehwere... My Amber Ale is also Maris based and below about 8 degrees throws a distinct haze. As I said in the other thread I don't have haze problems with other base malts, but regularly do with Maris and am aware of several other brewers who have noticed the same thing, so maybe it wasn't your boil. Either way I'm looking forward to your beer, it sounds great  

Shawn.


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## shmick (28/11/05)

An update for the yeast list...

I used US-56 American Ale (1056) and bottle conditioned.

Ready to drink now but will age nicely.
:chug:


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## Samwise Gamgee (28/11/05)

Update for the yeast list:

I used WLP051 California Ale V

"From Northern California. This strain is more fruity than WLP001, and slightly more flocculant. Attenuation is lower, resulting in a fuller bodied beer than with WLP001. 
Attenuation: 70-75; Flocculation: medium to high; Optimum Ferm. Temp: 66-70" 

I reckon my brew is ready to drink.


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## Weizguy (28/11/05)

Just briefly, before they come looking for me (work minders...)

I used Wyeast German ale yeast and a sour mash. There is prob no live Lactobacillus in the beer, as I boiled the wort after I added the sour mash (recipe to follow).

Very nice clean yeast and an old warrior at my place. Only 2nd or 3rd gen, but was in a bottle of beer that was 3 yr old. The yeast revived quite quickly and was sampled and pronounced clean before building the culture for this beer.

Seth


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## KoNG (28/11/05)

PostModern said:


> My Porter would be best at or after Christmas, but should be "drinkable" from about 10/12. I used Wyeast 1968 if anyone wants to culture it. Has a Postmodern Porter label and "PP" on the lid.
> 
> Looking forward to tucking into the case! Thanks to everyone involved in putting this together. Linz, if there are any going to be any other cases bound for the Illawarra at your place, I'd be happy to give them a lift down here when I collect mine... but I don't think there were any other ones from down here...
> [post="93598"][/post]​



PoMo, i will hopefully be getting my case this week from Duff and also hoping to head back home to Kiama to visit mates on the weekend. I could grab your case and deliver if you like..?
offer is also there for any guys from nth Beaches, lower north shore.

Slainte'
KoNG


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## tangent (28/11/05)

> 0.5tsp sodium metabisulfite added to mash water
> 0.5tsp sodium metabisulfite added to sparge water



i didn't know people still used this stuff
why are you adding it Berapnopod?


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## pint of lager (28/11/05)

The Vienna lager is ready to drink now. Please leave it somewhere cool and quiet for a few days to recover from its journey.

It is overcarbonated for style and the hops/malt balance is wrong, should be more malty. The version prior needed more hops, so upped the hops slightly with a new batch of hops.  Still a very nice drop.

Yeast is WY 2278 Czech Pils.

Tangent, many all grainers use a very small amount of sodium met in the mash to avoid hot side airation, usually abreviated to HSA. Avoiding HSA increases the shelf life of the beer.


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## tangent (28/11/05)

thanks POL
more research to be done....


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## berapnopod (28/11/05)

tangent said:


> > 0.5tsp sodium metabisulfite added to mash water
> > 0.5tsp sodium metabisulfite added to sparge water
> 
> 
> ...



Good question, tangent...

Since I moved back to Sydney I have been having problems with chlorophenols in my beer. You know, the plasticy, band-aid type of smell you get. This problem has occurred nearly every time I have made an American pale ale, and rarely with other brews. Since APA is one of my standard brews, I really wanted to lick this problem. When I brewed the Wit, I was also doing an APA, so I was mixing the mash and sparge water for each.

(trying to get to the point)

Now chlorophenols come from residual chlorine and chloramines in the tap water. You can get rid of the chlorine by heating above 77C, or by leaving it out overnight. But chloramines are harder to get rid of. One method that does work is to use Campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite). I substituted with sodium met, since its easier to get hold of and the Na+ levels should not be too high as to affect the beer flavour. I overdid it a bit (by a factor of 1.5 to 2) in these brews to make sure I could eliminate chloramines as a source of this problem.

If you're worried about residual metabisulfite in the beer, it should not be a problem, since whatever was not converted into sulfates (SO4--) by the chloramines will almost certainly be converted by the grains in the mash.

Bottom line is that the APA I made alongside the Wit doesn't taste like band-aids, or at least didn't last time I racked it.

The line under the bottom line reads something like: "I now suspect I may have had a yeast problem all along that was producing chlorophenols".  

Berp.


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## Borret (28/11/05)

Sorry folks I must confess to using dry for the first in a long time. I wanted to use 1968 but was unable to get it in time so settled on the DCL S-04 as a substitute. 
Seems to have worked suitably though but I am fearing it's a little undercarbed. Time will tell. 
Probably best not to serve too cold for best results (if you want to be padantic).

Borret


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## Tim (28/11/05)

I used WLP002 in the Brown ale and WLP838 Southern German Lager in the Vienna (for the two people who scored one of these).
I have the recipe on My PC at home, so I will upload it tonight.
I also bottled on the 10th or 12th of Oct, so its probably ok to drink straight away, but will keep well.


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## PostModern (28/11/05)

KoNG said:


> PoMo, i will hopefully be getting my case this week from Duff and also hoping to head back home to Kiama to visit mates on the weekend. I could grab your case and deliver if you like..?
> offer is also there for any guys from nth Beaches, lower north shore.
> 
> Slainte'
> ...



EDIT: Just read this post, so I guess I'll pick up from Linz. Thanks anyway, dude.



pint of lager said:


> ...many all grainers use a very small amount of sodium met in the mash to avoid hot side airation...
> [post="93824"][/post]​



and at least one part-masher, too.


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## Jase (28/11/05)

Yeast update:

I used a WLP013 London Yeast.

Tried my only spare bottle last week, and it was a little over carbonation. Had a lot of trouble in the Kangabrew dispenser, and may have been a little heavy handed on the sugar, hopefully it was the only bottle. :huh: 

Once the bubble settled down, it was alright.  

I can't wait til I get my case........ I'm saving my case till Christmas....... 

To all the fellas, too many to name, involved in the organisation of the NSW Xmas case, a HUGE thanks.  :super: 


Cheers,
Jase


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## Linz (28/11/05)

A note to POL and PoMo,

Your cases are at Casa del Linz.....so shoot us a PM in regards to collection times and I'll pass out the address.

Ive spoken to Jase too and He is already in schedule to collect..

Thanks to Doc and Borret(sp?) for the gifts too.....

C'mon Xmas


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## Doc (28/11/05)

Cracked the first Xmas Case Brew tonight. 
Nifty's "Some sort of Aussie Pale Ale".
It is a nice tasty drop. Nice and Opaque just like a Coopers Pale Ale. Must be the yeast eh Nifty ?
Nice clean flavours. A really enjoyable Aussie Pale Ale. Went well with Mongolian Lamb for dinner.

Beers,
Doc


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## Duff (29/11/05)

Doc said:


> The full details for my Kolsch are available online here or download the attached zip file which has the recipe and brew session details.
> 
> View attachment 4986
> 
> ...



Well I cracked open Doc's Kolsch last night for the first bottle. Your new bottle filler works well Doc, good carbonation which laced right down the glass, light golden brown in colour, well balanced with good initial bitterness which continues with the Perle flavour hanging around for quite some time. A very nice beer to start with, crystal clear when compared to the chill haze you will experience with mine :lol: 

Cheers.


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## beer slayer (29/11/05)

Just a quick note to all that will be picking up from me. Thanks to Linz I have all the bottles at my place ready to go. Send me a PM for a P/U time.

:beer: 

Beer Slayer


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## Gough (29/11/05)

Picked up my case this afternoon :beerbang: Thanks Shmick for doing the courier work, and good to meet you this arvo. We'll have to get together for a brewday sometime soon :beer: 

Some of those labels look great. Top work! I'm going to let mine settle for a while before trying any cause they'll have to be a bit shaken up after moving all round the state over the last few weeks, but will report back soon.  It'll be a tough wait... Thanks for the 'extras' as well Doc and Borret. 

Thanks again. Can't wait to get into them :chug: 

Shawn.


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## Gough (29/11/05)

I realise this is my second post to this thread tonight, but this just had to be said...

Doc, your 'extra' to the case is just outstanding :beerbang: Top darts mate :beer: I won't spoil it for those who haven't got their cases yet, but Doc's 'extra' really tops things off  Great work. Thanks mate  

Shawn.


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## Doc (29/11/05)

Cheers Gough.

It is all about the Beer Porn 

Doc


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## Gough (29/11/05)

:lol: :lol: 

And speaking of beer porn, I reckon Borret's extra... Oh no, I won't go there h34r: :lol: 

Thanks again fellas. Above and beyond the call...

Shawn.


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## homebrewworld.com (30/11/05)

Well Done Guys...... !!!!

Wait a week or two if ya can before drinking my contribution ' Robust Porter '.
I only bottled it the day before pick-up sorry....but has been cold conditioning prior to bottling.

I will post the recipe if any-one would like it.
Cheers all, and well done.

Hey Beerslayer , i will pick my case up soon, so dont drink it !


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## Duff (30/11/05)

homebrewworld.com said:


> Well Done Guys...... !!!!
> 
> Wait a week or two if ya can before drinking my contribution ' Robust Porter '.
> I only bottled it the day before pick-up sorry....but has been cold conditioning prior to bottling.
> ...



HBWorld,

Would be good if you could post what yeast you used as I think there is going to be alot of culturing happening.

Well I will be anyway  

Cheers.


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## Samwise Gamgee (30/11/05)

> I will post the recipe if any-one would like it.
> Cheers all, and well done.



Yeah post it up!


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## Doc (30/11/05)

Absolutely on the yeast.
I had Stuster's Best Bitter last night and saved the dregs and yeast for cultivation 
Was a nice drop too Stuster. Hit the spot nicely and went well with a Prawn Stirfry.

Doc


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## Weizguy (30/11/05)

Xmas case-sters,

Just a brief note to advise that I have collected my case (and extras) yesterday arvo.

Am impressed with all, and immediately investigated Doc's extra bit (well, as soon as I got home).

I'll follow Gough's lead and allow my beers to settle a while. Since I asked others to be patient with my beer, I'll try to do the same.

Some of my bottles have a bit of yeast in the neck, so I'll do my best to suspend it back in the beer and allow to settle.

It'll take me a while to decide which to drink first, coz I'm a known obfuscator.

Thanks to all who participated, and please look forward to my glowing feedback.

It'll be interesting to see if my beer offends any tasttebuds. It was a bit of a shock when I first brewed it. This is only the second time I've made the sour weisse, so I'm either foolhardy or confident with my brewing. maybe a bit of both. I'm sure I'll find out on this forum.

Seth


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## DrewCarey82 (30/11/05)

Reading this I am so jealous I didnt get in....

Though obviously all you AG's wouldnt have been to keen on my kit and bits compared to some of the masterpeices brewed here!


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## Weizguy (30/11/05)

DrewCarey82 said:


> Reading this I am so jealous I didnt get in....
> 
> Though obviously all you AG's wouldnt have been to keen on my kit and bits compared to some of the masterpeices brewed here!
> [post="94453"][/post]​



Drew,

I'm happy that I didn't let this chance go by (hey, isn't that a song about Newcastle).

Kit and bits are welcome to participate, so don't hold yourself back next time.

Apart from the logistics of it all, I'm sure that we could do it more than once a year. :lol: 

Seth


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## Gough (30/11/05)

Weizguy said:


> It'll be interesting to see if my beer offends any tasttebuds. It was a bit of a shock when I first brewed it. This is only the second time I've made the sour weisse, so I'm either foolhardy or confident with my brewing. maybe a bit of both. I'm sure I'll find out on this forum.
> 
> Seth
> [post="94452"][/post]​



I've tried both versions Weiz and they didn't offend me  Interesting beers alright, but not 'offensive' I don't reckon.  

Shawn.


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## DrewCarey82 (30/11/05)

Weizguy said:


> DrewCarey82 said:
> 
> 
> > Reading this I am so jealous I didnt get in....
> ...



No wuckers for me dude am just down the road from beerslayer so would have been sweet as!


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## Stickler (30/11/05)

Picked mine up today from beer slayer - sorry I missed you mate. Boy your dog is vicious  , almost licked my fingers off when I gave him a pat through the fence.
Great looking labels everyone unfortunately for me my pc doesn't have a dvd reader so can't view Doc's extra yet.
I like the Black Cap Doc, although I'm not sure I'd want to be one when our boys get over there in a few days  

cheers all


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## Duff (30/11/05)

Stickler said:


> Picked mine up today from beer slayer - sorry I missed you mate. Boy your dog is vicious  , almost licked my fingers off when I gave him a pat through the fence.
> Great looking labels everyone unfortunately for me my pc doesn't have a dvd reader so can't view Doc's extra yet.
> I like the Black Cap Doc, although I'm not sure I'd want to be one when our boys get over there in a few days
> 
> ...



Stickler,

The black plastic item is courtesy of Borret. What yeast did you use in your Porter?

Cheers.


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## Stickler (30/11/05)

It was the black cap on the bottle I was referring to but thanks also to Borret for the extra. It looks like it is multi functional - what else does it do apart from undoing twist tops?

The yeast I used is nothing special. The HBS guy sold it to me and told me it was a good ale yeast (dry). It was called Younga's N.Q. N14 ale yeast. I tried to find some info on it but couldn't anywhere and I think it may have been some leftovers he was trying to get rid of. Has anyone heard of it?.

Don't think I'll be going back to that guy. He told me to bring in a sample of the beer when I was done so I did expecting to taste it with him and get feedback ( he gave me the beer recipe too) but he wouldn't taste it "I've just had a coffee", took it from me and said he'd give me a phone call me when he'd tried it!. That was 2 weeks ago and I've heard nothing from him.


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## PostModern (30/11/05)

Stickler said:


> The yeast I used is nothing special. The HBS guy sold it to me and told me it was a good ale yeast (dry). It was called Younga's N.Q. N14 ale yeast. I tried to find some info on it but couldn't anywhere and I think it may have been some leftovers he was trying to get rid of. Has anyone heard of it?.
> [post="94510"][/post]​



I think it might be the same as Maurifoods 514.


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## Doc (30/11/05)

beer slayer said:


> PS. my amber ale could do with another week or so for carbonation
> [post="93506"][/post]​


Bugger. Knew I should have checked the list before opening a bottle 
Definitely a little under carbonated.

Doc


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## KoNG (30/11/05)

Done.
just picked up my case from Duff.....

NOW....... where to start..? :chug:


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## berapnopod (1/12/05)

homebrewworld.com said:


> Mash Schedule
> -------------
> 
> Mash Type: Single Step
> ...




Wow, HBworld, that makes for a really quick brew day!
Methinks the beer might turn out a little sweet though 

Berp.


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## homebrewworld.com (1/12/05)

RIMS mate, told ya it was the way to go !!


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## NRB (1/12/05)

berapnopod said:


> Methinks the beer might turn out a little sweet though



I reckon starchy would be a better description. :blink:


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## berapnopod (1/12/05)

Just got my xmas case back from Beerslayer today. Thanks again all, and thanks for the extras too!

I intend to give y'all feedback on the beers, but I have been known in the past for being brutally honest with beer evaluation. If anyone would prefer me to PM them what I thought, rather than a public trounsing, just PM me. I'm not going to go out of my way to badmouth anyones beer, its just if one has an infection, I will say just that in case it can help the brewer in the future, rather than save someones feelings.

Berp.


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## Stuster (1/12/05)

Personally berapnopod I'd like honest feedback, brutal or otherwise. Perhaps PMing would be good, partly to save the feelings of the recipient, but mostly because otherwise this thread will get incredibly long. Not sure what everybody else thinks?


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## Duff (2/12/05)

Stuster said:


> Personally berapnopod I'd like honest feedback, brutal or otherwise. Perhaps PMing would be good, partly to save the feelings of the recipient, but mostly because otherwise this thread will get incredibly long. Not sure what everybody else thinks?
> [post="94964"][/post]​



Stuster, Hopsta, Nifty, Berto:

Your cases are ready to pick up (and they're tasting good :chug: ). I'm home all weekend so pop around when ready.

am's Golden Ale goes down real well, Nifty's Aussie Pale Ale and Linz's IPA in the fridge this morning ready for this afternoon :beerbang: 

Cheers.


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## Doc (2/12/05)

Just finishing off Duff's Kolsch now. 
A very easy drinking beer, which is going down well as I unwind from another mammoth week (NO YOU CAN'T HAVE IT IN BY XMAS) and watch the heavy rain try to destroy my hop crop.
Definitely less hop aroma and flavour than my version and the haze is present as per your post Duff. 
Fits the label perfectly. Would be great on the back nine on the way back to the clubhouse.

Beers,
Doc


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## kungy (3/12/05)

Whoops, just read that Kong's beer should have aged for a little longer.

Anyhow for what its worth Kong I thought your beer was fantastic. I could definately see the bastardised flavours emerging from the beer, and as far i'm concerned was the best of both worlds. Even better was the fact that the beer was only 3.8% alcohol, i'll definately be giving this beer a go in the future, only if i had your recipe. So could you please post it.

Also i was convinced by your bottles to go to champagne bottles, i love the fact that they can be sealed up with a champagne sealer for later on. I'm sold on both fronts.

Go the Xmas case.......

Will


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## KoNG (5/12/05)

Kungy.... KoNGy here (thats for redbeard)  
yep i gave mine a little tasting the other night and it seems to be coming on alright, carb levels were pretty much there.... would be great for a steaming hot saturday afternoon session.!
as for the recipe i have a little dilema, with a recent house move (reason for late bottling) and subsequent computer problems i may need a whiles to dig it up... but i'll do my best ASAP. (i thinki have my hard copy for brew day floating around somewhere in one of 20 boxes.?!?!)


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## berapnopod (5/12/05)

Pint of Lager's Vienna Lager

Aroma: Malty initially with underlying hop aroma. Some alcohol and a hint of toffee. Maybe a little grassy, which might be because it is young?

Appearance: Hazy, Good rich, white, lasting head. Dark gold colour - spot on for the Vienna style.

Flavour: Light hoppy flavour with some malt flavour behind the hops. Clean flavour overall. Quite a bitter finish - ie. more than I was expecting. Finish is also pleasingly dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, some warming alcohol. Carbonation is on the high side and gives the beer a slight carbonation bite.

Overall: A very easy drinking beer that is clean and very refreshing. It has a good hop flavour, which is high for the Vienna style, but makes the beer itself better in my opinion. Its a shame that there's the hop addition at the end, because I would have been very interested to see what the hop flavour would have been like with just the FWH.
Great stuff, PoL!

---------------------------

Thats right folks...
After reading that, I think it is clear that I am a complete beer judging geek. Just can't help myself. 

Berp.


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## Trent (6/12/05)

Gday all
This xmas case swap thing is great, its just a lucky dip as to what to drink first! Top work on the labels, everybody, I think mine comes way down the bottom of the pile, but I will better that next year! Tried Docs Kolsch on Sunday, quite a nice beer, deep amber colour, but there wasnt alot of carbonation to it, though it was still sufficient. Nice malty flavour, and firm bitterness. Maybe a little more bitterness than I was expecting, but I have only tried one Kolsch before. Quite a good beer, probably gonna have to try and brew a Kolsch now. Tried Sams Golden Ale tonight and was quite impressed. Nice golden amber colour, plenty of carbonation, not too much hop aroma (but enough) and the amarillo flavour really took over when it got in my mouth, but it was a really pleasant take-over. Reasonably light bodied, but still plenty of mouthfeel. I havent tried squires golden ale, but if this is an imitation, I will have to seek it out. If the quality of my feirst 2 brews is anything to go by, I will have quite a good time testing the rest of these brews. I think that I will have to try Schmick's on a weekend, though, looking at the ABV!
Big thanks again to all those involved in getting this thing off the ground, certainly makes xmas a little more enjoyable!
All the best
Trent


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## berapnopod (7/12/05)

Duff's Koelsch

Nice going on the label, Duff! Good to see you used the umlauts as well.
...and remember that Koelsch sounds more like curl than coal.

Aroma: Hoppy up front, with german variety hops. Definitely some esters in there as you should find in a Koelsch (but not a lager). Some lemon, some alcohol. Malt is right in the back there. When I first opened the bottle, this took me back to Cologne!

Appearance: Hazy, dark straw colour - right on the style. Head is thin and has quite large bubbles, I would have expected finer bubbles and a longer lasting head. This may well be my glass, but if not, I suggest a little malted wheat could help this.

Flavour: Clean, equal proportions of hops and malt. A good dose of esters present that clearly say this is not a lager, but a Koelsch. Finish is estery and somewhat cloying. I think the bitterness is low for a Koelsch, it should be strong enough to dry out the finish and put it on the bitter side. But it also appears the cloying finish may be due to not enough attenuation?

After a few more sips, I think the cloying finish might be DMS? But I really dunno.

Mouthfeel: medium body. Carbonation is about right. There is some alcohol warmth as well.

Overall: A very good interpretation of a Koelsch. As I said I think its a bit cloying in the finish, and not as bitter as I would have liked, but these are minor points and if anyone else out there wants to know what a Koelsch tastes like, this is pretty damn close - well done Duff!

Berp.


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## Stuster (7/12/05)

Just had your 'Some sort of Aussie Pale Ale' Nifty. Very refreshing on a hot evening here. 

What was the recipe by the way? Just interested in what I can taste in there. :super:

Sorry I'm not up to your description level yet berapnopod. Very interesting to see this sort of analysis of a beer.


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## berto (8/12/05)

Still to pick my case up  . Sorry Duff will give you a call when free. I swung home past your place about 9 last night but looked like you were shut for the night.

Would have called first but couldnt get on the net to get your number.


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## KoNG (8/12/05)

Jase said:


> Tried my only spare bottle last week, and it was a little over carbonation. Had a lot of trouble in the Kangabrew dispenser, and may have been a little heavy handed on the sugar, hopefully it was the only bottle. :huh:
> 
> [post="93893"][/post]​



I had Jase's APA last night, while riding home 20km in that friggin heat... all i could think of was "that" cascade ale awaiting my arrival (i had to have a litre of water first though).
it definately hit the spot and was a tasty drop to help quench the thirst, lower on cascade flavour/aroma than i normally brew for myself... but actually had me thinking maybe i dont need to use so much  
i think the yeast was definately notable too, which was to my liking, a good change from american strains.

As i seem to be the first to try Jase's beer, i guess its up to me to break the carbonation news (your suspisions were right jase). Upon opening there was the usual level hiss, which didnt trigger an alarm bells.. but on pouring i got a full glass of icecream. So i let that sit and left the bottle uncapped for 20 minutes.
the second poor was still a little tricky, but doable.
anyways by all means this shouldnt detract from a great beer.... more just a nudge to others that you may want to bleed the bottles a little before drinking. :chug: 

Nice KoNG


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## berapnopod (9/12/05)

Linz's Oz IPA

Aroma: Light hoppy aroma. A bit of malt, medium esters. I was expecting more hop aroma for an IPA.

Appearance: V. slight haze, copper colour, fine head of off white bubbles that form a ring around the glass.

Flavour: Good strong hoppy flavour (wouldn't have picked that from the aroma), well balanced malt flavour to support strong hoppiness. Finish is dry and bitter. Bitterness is between strong and assertive. I would have preferred more bitterness but then I like my IPAs to clean my teeth at the same time as drinking it 

Mouthfeel: Med/full body. Medium carbonation. A touch of warming alcohol which also contributes to the dry finish.

Overall: This IPA has a good hop flavour to it, although it tastes odd to me, which I put down to not being familiar with this type of hops in this quantity (POR, right?). I would have preferred more bitterness. Certainly nothing wrong with it. I like the balance of malt and hop flavour, making it quite an assertive beer. Nice one Linz!

Berp.


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## Trent (9/12/05)

Okay
This is the first beer I have tried that I have been home for, and therfore able to write down my thoughts, and I must warn you, it is nowhere near as technical as Berapnopods  
I just finished Schmicks aussie strong ale, and it was on an empty stomach after work, so I am now a bit tipsy! Here is my review
Deep copper hue, not clear, almost opaque. Alcohol on the nose, kinda similar to a few stronger beers I had in the states, maybe one of stones Vertical Epic Ales? Cant remember. Biscuity flavours, slight nuttiness and maybe slight fruity flavours? Quite complex on the palate and a warming sensation from the alcohol. Quite a full bodied beer, nice and chewy. Creamy head that lasts all th eway down the glass. Hard to pick a fault with it, though maybe the opaqueness is due to chill haze (?) as I dont think it is dark enough to not see through. Lara (the missus) complained it was too bitter, but I think it is quiote firm in bitterness, but it is well balanced with the malt, and a sliught bitter tang left on palate after swallowing. I can see how it only fits into the english barleywine category :super: Quite a good beer, that (once again) I will have to brew one day. Top work Shmick.
Um, I dont see too many other reviews being posted, a few, but not heaps. Does this mean that reviews should be PM'ed, or are most people waiting till xmas to try ther beers?
All the best
Trent


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## Hopsta (9/12/05)

Trent said:


> Okay
> This is the first beer I have tried that I have been home for, and therfore able to write down my thoughts, and I must warn you, it is nowhere near as technical as Berapnopods
> I just finished Schmicks aussie strong ale, and it was on an empty stomach after work, so I am now a bit tipsy! Here is my review
> Deep copper hue, not clear, almost opaque. Alcohol on the nose, kinda similar to a few stronger beers I had in the states, maybe one of stones Vertical Epic Ales? Cant remember. Biscuity flavours, slight nuttiness and maybe slight fruity flavours? Quite complex on the palate and a warming sensation from the alcohol. Quite a full bodied beer, nice and chewy. Creamy head that lasts all th eway down the glass. Hard to pick a fault with it, though maybe the opaqueness is due to chill haze (?) as I dont think it is dark enough to not see through. Lara (the missus) complained it was too bitter, but I think it is quiote firm in bitterness, but it is well balanced with the malt, and a sliught bitter tang left on palate after swallowing. I can see how it only fits into the english barleywine category :super: Quite a good beer, that (once again) I will have to brew one day. Top work Shmick.
> ...



I've only tried one (Docs Kolsch, very nice BTW) just havnt gotten around to writing a review on it, plus im crap at writing reviews! :lol: Im at work at the moment but have few xmas case beers in the fridge at home waiting for me so a couple more will be going down the hatch tonight! Looking forward to it! :beerbang:


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## berapnopod (9/12/05)

Linz said:


> And the odd hop flavour might be because of the hop selection...
> 
> Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ...



Wow! at a quick calculation, I get about 50IBUs. I must be much more of a hophead than I thought. Perhaps I was after something like 90IBUs, as in Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA. mmmmmmm 

But I have to say, Linz, the beer really grew on me.

Now, how much alcohol was in there, 'cos I'm starting to bump into things at home - and not feeling it 

Berp.


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## Stuster (9/12/05)

Personally, I was initially a bit intimidated by berapnopod's reviews, but I have found them fascinating and am enjoying seeing a professional review of beers I have/will try. My reviews are more along the 'nice beer' lines at present.  Any tips you can give us berapnopod? Thanks for doing the reviews.

BTW Schmick, doesn't your beer fit the Old Ale category better than the barleywine? This is the BJCP guidelines for an Old Ale. Not that styles really matter. h34r: 



> An ale of significant alcoholic strength, bigger than strong bitters and brown porters, though usually not as strong or rich as barleywine. Usually tilted toward a sweeter, maltier balance.
> 
> OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
> 1.060 - 1.090+	1.015 - 1.022+	30 - 60+	10 - 22+	6 - 9+%


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## berapnopod (10/12/05)

Stuster said:


> Personally, I was initially a bit intimidated by berapnopod's reviews, but I have found them fascinating and am enjoying seeing a professional review of beers I have/will try. My reviews are more along the 'nice beer' lines at present.  Any tips you can give us berapnopod? Thanks for doing the reviews.
> 
> [post="96681"][/post]​



I really don't want tp intimidate anyone with my judging. (Trying to speak objectively here) I think my reviews give a different perspective to how most would review a beer, I am more along the lines of breaking the beer down into its components.
But when it comes down to it, its really only one review! I think a brewer will learn a lot more from multiple reviews.

For example, in Linz's case you could break down my review to "Great tasting beer, but I would have preferred more bitterness". What I think would be more useful for Linz is if other people wrote in. If everyone else writes in with "...prefer more bitterness" then Linz will know his recipe can do with some more. But if more reviews come in saying "bitterness spot on" or "too bitter", then Linz will know that I am the sort of person that likes their IPAs extremely bitter. The power of multiple reviews.

So, please don't be put off by my wordy reviews. A simple one-liner may help a brewer out even more than all my babbling  

As for tips to developing your judging skills into essays, probably the best advice I can give is to do the BJCP study course next year. 
OK, I had to put a plug in for the BJCP. hehe

Maybe a bit more effort than you were thinking. A good start would be to just sit down with my review and the relevant beer and see if you agree with what I am saying, or at least understand where I am coming from.

Berp.


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## Linz (10/12/05)

OK ...I'll have a go too.....


Jase's APA.

WAY over carbonated....Aroma was nice.....

it detonated in the garage yesterday some time...put his in the fridge pronto..

first bottle bomb Ive had, and it wasnt my beer..Sorry mate, but thanks for the experience. B)


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## Gough (10/12/05)

Thanks for the heads up Linz  

Shawn.


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## redbeard (10/12/05)

i was saving up my xmas case for another week or 2. perhaps i should keeping them in the fridge rather than next to it ... oh, i dont have room


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## Doc (10/12/05)

All mine are in the fridge except for the entries that need time to age/carbonate. Phew.

Beers,
Doc


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## Linz (10/12/05)

Red,

Id put atleast one in there....


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## Stuster (10/12/05)

Thanks for the warning Linz.

Had a couple of bottle bombs myself last month. Still finding glass here and there. :angry: 

Jase's one in the fridge now.


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## Borret (10/12/05)

Maybe it's just a freek incident on jase's bottle that may be isolated. For what it's worth the cap on mine does seem to be a little more domed than I'd expect however...... it was one of the ones delivered with yeast stuck in the neck like concrete from being transported upside down :unsure: . When I got it (and a couple others) I did agitate the crap out of them to try and get it back in suspension and settle and I did came away unscathed with no fargments of glass in my body.  
So in Jase's defence it may have been a flaw in the bottle, the end of a particularly hot week, the unfortunate incident of an isolated bottle bug or a combination of the above.  

However all should walk to their own level of caution. I've never had a bottle bomb either..... but would rather go and stick one of my wheat beer in the sun to experience it rather than waste the oportunity to sample the whole case. :lol: 
Mine are being stored in the corner of the dining area to go in the fridge in stages cause I don't want to treat em badly.

Borret.


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## PostModern (10/12/05)

Linz said:


> OK ...I'll have a go too.....
> 
> 
> Jase's APA.
> ...



Linz,
I misunderstood when you were telling me about this. I thought it was Jase's beer in my case that blew. Had I known, I would have given you the one from my case.

In any event, I've just stuck that bottle in the freezer to sample early. Just in case


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## PostModern (10/12/05)

am's Golden Ale is brilliant. Really enjoyed drinking that. Excellent bitterness, smooth malt backing and superb hop aroma. Amarillo hops are now definately on my to-buy list.

Thanks to Borret and Doc for the bonuses in the case. Next is Jase's brew then I'll be mellowing out on my own stout.

EDIT: Just opened Jase's brew and the extreme gas release was audible from the next room... I second Linz's bottle bomb alert


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## Linz (11/12/05)

In Jase's defence, PoMo and I did a bit of CSI on the bottle and the wall thickness' on opposite sides of the bottle differed considerably(One side was near double the thickness to the other).

So it also could have been a dodgy bottle and the extreme heat


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## PostModern (11/12/05)

Linz, I think it's a little from column A, a little from column B. The bottle I opened last night was VERY heavily carbonated. I don't think by any means that they're all going to blow, but if the rest of the batch has similar bottles, there might be one or two more surprises 

My porter seems to be facing the opposite problem. I opened a stubby last night and it is much too flat. I'll advise people to keep mine until at least Christmas and hope it develops some fizz. It has been so long since I bottled beer, that I must have stuffed up the priming rate. :\


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## Stuster (11/12/05)

I had Jase's APA last night and while it was overcarbonated, the bottle I had was definitely not close to being a bottle bomb.  How did you carbonate the bottles Jase?

A mellow APA, not as hoppy as some I have drunk, although I had it rather late in the night so perhaps that was just me at the time.


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## Jase (11/12/05)

Hi All,

Just got back from the coast, so I thought I'd post.

Got a phone call from Linz on Friday, thought it was to wish me a happy birthday, but he told me that my bottle exploded. I knew that my beer was over carbonated, as I posted earlier, but was a bit surprised that the beer exploded. I asked Linz to post on the site to warn others. Thanks for posting, Linz. I'd drop my bottle off to you, but I had an incident, with some rocks in the water, on the weekend, resulting in spending a couple of hours in hospital with a badly cut foot. So I'm off my feet for a couple of days. Great birthday weekend.  

I had a shocker with my kangabrew dispenser, when bottling, so the result seems to be overcabonated. Sorry all. 

Do me a favour, and consume my beer asap, so that there no other surprises. Linz's bottle could have been a one off, but I'd rather save some more embarrassment. I just hope that the beer's still enjoyable. 

Once again, sorry.......


Jase....


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## Doc (11/12/05)

Just cracked Jase's LCPA.
Still have all limbs and facilties intact.
Definitely a boy, and I live to drink it.
After a week of Xmas parties it is great to get back into my brews and the Xmas case.
Not bad Jase. Bit malty, and some more hop bitterness and aroma wouldn't go amiss, but a very drinkable effervesant ale.

Beers,
Doc


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## Trent (11/12/05)

I too, am drinking Jase's ale now. carbed to the tune of what Jase said, but she didnt blow up. Lucky I didnt know about the pressure earlier, my mate that bought me the beers up left em sitting in his tent on a hot day! I am not too sure what effect this will have, but all the yeast was left high and dry in the neck of the bottle. I will be quite honest, and say that the aroma I detect most is the yeast. I seem to be a little sensitive to some yeasts maybe, as I dont quite like the flavour. I had one of Gough's bitters that had the same flavour, that was made from 1968 wyeast. I had never encountered the flavour before out of any of the 8 or so brews I have done using 1968, except for one bottle in a whole batch of strong ale, the yeast flavour was so predominant that I couldnt drink it. All the other bottles were fine. Cracked my first bottle of mild the other day to check on carbonation, and got the same flavour. Tastes exactly like this one, the yeast masked all other flavours. I guess that the xmas case hasnt been stored properly, (curse those non-brewing friends!!!) so maybe that contributed to the fact. Apart from that, it seems a reasonably well bodied beer, but I cannot tell you much more than that. I am not trying to have a go at you Jase, as I have had the same thing in my beers before. Maybe a little more aroma hops, but I could be clutching at straws. Other peoples comments will be alot more constructive than mine, and for my lack of ability to give good feedback, I apologise. But, after tasting Goughs bitter, and my strong and mild ales with that yeast flavour I just dont like, I will stop using 1968

On the other hand, I tried Gough's Amber today, and I quite liked it. Nice amber colour, plenty of carbonation, though they were fairly large bubbles. Caramel/toffee notes on the nose. Medium-full body, nice hop flkavour, not overpowering, but balanced well with the malt. Slightly sweet finish, with a little fruitiness from the yeast, though I could be wrong. Easy drinking beer, and a good version of the style. 
I did notice it seemed to be a bit hazy, as have all the beers I have tried so far, bar Doc's. I am starting to think this may be an effect of the way my mate handled the case before it got to me. Jase's beer is a bit hazy, not totally, Goughs seemed quite hazy.
Anyway, very impressed with all the beers so far, and thanks to Doc and Borret for the extra's
All the best
Trent


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## Gough (11/12/05)

Thanks Trent, glad you liked the Amber OK. For the record, it is hazy 'cause it is hazy at cool temps, not because of any storage related problems. Definitely a flaw of my making, no-one elses  It is a text-book case of chill haze basically... Thanks for the feedback.

I tried Jases APA as well after chilling it down quickly after reading Linz's warning post. It was definitely overcarbonated and took a while to settle down. That said, I quite liked it. I didn't get too much of an agressive yeasty flavour, just a nice APA style at the lighter end of the specs. Nice beer Jase, bad luck about the priming  

Shawn.


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## berapnopod (11/12/05)

Jase's Creatures Little Pale Ale

After hearing Jase's orders to drink this one as soon as possible, I dutifully complied and here's my review. Yes it did gush a bit and poured foamy.

Aroma: Citrusy hop aroma, almost lemony with malt in the back. With the high carbonation (and thick head), its difficult to tell much more about the aroma.

Appearance: huge head of large bubbles, supported by strong visual carbonation. Slightly hazy. Dark straw, with an orangey tinge for the colour.

Flavour: Clean - no signs of infection, so thats not the reason for the overcarbonation, but I guess you knew that. Again it is hard to tease the flavours out with the high carbonation, because it lends a carbonation bite which you feel as the tingling on the tongue, but masks other flavours you might want. I think the hop and malt balance is quite good, but both could be stronger. Finish is dry and somewhat bitter. Bitterness is on the low end, but I think its OK, and would do well as an introduction for someone who has not had an APA before.

Mouthfeel: med to med/light body - well attenuated. Main mouthfeel is the carbonation bite.

Overall impression: I believe you have a sound recipe here. Good malt and hops.
Of course the high carbonation does affect not just the initial fizz when pouring, but also the aroma and flavour. As the beer is degassing now, it is tasting more and more pleasant. It does taste on the light side overall, but I am not sure if this is because the hopping was light, or because the aroma and flavour have been driven off. I suggest you make this one again with teh right carbonation and ask us all to come round and try it for you 

Berp.


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## Linz (11/12/05)

Gees, I didnt mean to ruin Jase's reputation.

Its just the first 'lively' beer Ive come across....and I thought it was better to mention it rather than sit back and see if anyone else got one. As mentioned earlier the CSI showed a definite difference of wall thickness across the dia of the bottle, so a sus bottle may be at work here

Sorry Jase, didnt realise it was your birthday the other day...belated Happy(kinda) birthday

Hope the injury heals quickly.  might have to drop round with a cold one or two...since you're laid up and all


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## shmick (12/12/05)

Trent said:


> Okay
> This is the first beer I have tried that I have been home for, and therfore able to write down my thoughts, and I must warn you, it is nowhere near as technical as Berapnopods
> I just finished Schmicks aussie strong ale, and it was on an empty stomach after work, so I am now a bit tipsy! Here is my review
> Deep copper hue, not clear, almost opaque. Alcohol on the nose, kinda similar to a few stronger beers I had in the states, maybe one of stones Vertical Epic Ales? Cant remember. Biscuity flavours, slight nuttiness and maybe slight fruity flavours? Quite complex on the palate and a warming sensation from the alcohol. Quite a full bodied beer, nice and chewy. Creamy head that lasts all th eway down the glass. Hard to pick a fault with it, though maybe the opaqueness is due to chill haze (?) as I dont think it is dark enough to not see through. Lara (the missus) complained it was too bitter, but I think it is quiote firm in bitterness, but it is well balanced with the malt, and a sliught bitter tang left on palate after swallowing. I can see how it only fits into the english barleywine category :super: Quite a good beer, that (once again) I will have to brew one day. Top work Shmick.
> ...



Thanks for the comments Trent

I thought I'd save up and do 1/2 dozens reviews in a single post to save clutter but haven't got there yet. They won't be long ones as I know SFA about writing beer reviews. I was hoping to read a few others first to get an idea  

The Strong Ale does suffer from chill haze but clears when a few degrees warmer. If drunk around the 10deg C mark, it's pretty clear and the malt starts to dominate the hop bitterness. There is quite a difference in flavour.

I usually pour the first glass cold from the fridge and leave the bottle out on the cupboard to warm a little. By the time I've chewed down the first glass, the bottle's at the correct temp - if you like malt that is.

The unusual biscuit flavours comes mainly from the crystal wheat. I've done a version without it @ 40IBU and it's quite nice but alcohol flavours become a lot more noticeable.

I agree it should have been listed as an Old Ale but I must have missed it in the list at home. I'm not normally too fussed about catagories and the beer goggles were probably pretty fogged up at the time. :chug:


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## KoNG (12/12/05)

I obviously didnt make my warning strong enough ha haha BUT
i did warn everyone a couple of days prior to Linz's BOMB (bummer you didnt got to read it Linz....) and hinted everyone should bleed the bottle asap...!!!

anyhow... this can be a warning for any others in the case that jump on now and dont read back.... Drink Jase's Beer now... its nice.!

I'm loving the Xmas case... its a present for nearly every day of december...!


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## Doc (12/12/05)

It is in RED in the first post of this topic too (as of yesterday).

Beers,
Doc


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## Tim (12/12/05)

Ok, 
I have sampled three of the offernings to date.
Doc's Koelsh: A very refreshing drop, went down well.
Linz IPA: Ok, I had a problem with this one. Mine was quite sour with an acidic edge. I think it had an infection. I struggled through half of the first schooie, the second one went down the sink. Sorry Linz, i must have got a dud one.
Jase's APA: Drinking this one now. Pretty much the same as everyone else is finding. Quite nice with a slight carbonic edge.
Tim


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## berto (12/12/05)

Finally picked up my case today. Had been getting edgy listening to everyone elses reports, but finally got mine now. Before i go any further, a big thankyou to everyone who contributed and helped to organise. Maybe i should pull my finger out next time and help get it done. I'll be doing a few trips to newcastle to see the missus so i might try and get a chrissy in July case organised for everyone. 

I took everyones advice and hit up *Jase's beer *first. Bled it a few times first to try and relieve a bit of pressure, but needed a few more i think. Have to say it definately held a head well. Not just from the original pour, but also the second half of the bottle into a glass i had wet to try and curb it a little. Its been 30 mins sinice i started it i think and its still holding a firm white layer across the top. 

Im not a fan of warm beer. But I've let this sit for a while, and can tell its warming up, but its actually still extremely nice. Not a fan of coopers pale ale (only pale ive ever tried. Just find it bad really). But i really like this beer. Something i think I'm going to give a whirl some time around. Initial mouth taste has that bubbling of the over carb, but once that subsides theres a wonderful hop taste that stays in the mouth for a while after. Actually, just had a bit more, and the first bite is gone and just a smooth taste right through. For a beer i thought I'd never really like, and definately not make, this has changed my mind. 

Im currently watching the bubbles start as i begin the big yeast culturing. I'm beginning to think the 100 test tubes i got will be full very soon. 

Another note. Would people rather i keep editing this post with all other taste tests and send a pm when I've done one, or just add a new post for each beer?

Cheers, Rob


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## Stuster (13/12/05)

A post for each beer is probably easier I think Berto. I agree with you that Jase's was a very drinkable beer. Love those APAs.


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## Duff (13/12/05)

Had KoNG's partial late yesterday. Wow, what a great beer well balanced and very refreshing. Excellent stuff after mowing the lawn, one of the many beers I did not want to get to the end of the bottle. Well done.  

Cheers.


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## berapnopod (13/12/05)

Doc's Koelsch

Excellent work on the label, Doc!

Aroma: Clean hoppy aroma overall with a little bit of malt and a hint of esters. Some bubblegum. After warming, a slight hint of floral honey?

Appearance: Gold to light amber colour - a Koelsch on the dark end, but still typical. Clear, medium/thin head of fine white bubbles, that is supposrted by medium/high carbonation - long lasting

Flavour: Definitely on the hoppy side both in flavour and bitterness. An underlying biscuity malt flavour. Finish is dry, hoppy and assertively bitter. I would say its more bitter than a commercial Koelsch. More in line with a bitter pils. But the beer itself is a well balanced hoppy drink.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, slight carbonation bite. Otherwise very smooth and clean

Overall: Very well made beer there Doc. Goes down very easily and I could certainly drink those one after the other. I think its on the bitter side for a Koelsch but not overly so. The overall profile is extremely clean and refreshing. I wish I could make something like that!

Berp.


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## shmick (14/12/05)

So far I've managed to do my duty (my excuse to SWMBO) and drink about 8 or 9 of the contibutions and I'm pretty impressed by the standard so far.
Enjoyed all of them.

First batch of short reviews:

*Jase's cascade APA* got a bit excited on opening but very drinkable. Cascade aroma was almost overpowering (I suspect from the over-carbonation) but nice flavours once it settled for an hour in the fridge before the second glass.

*Stickler's Old* (Porter style) Impressive for a kit + bits. One of my fav's so far. closer to a black old style than a porter. Nice Choc/coffee highlights. Wish I had another bottle of it.

*POL's Vienna Lager* Very enjoyable and good to see a true lager. A bit hazy but who's complaining. Hallertau hops and a dry finish (Czech Pils yeast?) - lovely.

*Doc's Koelsh* A little darker (maltier) and slightly more bitter than I expected. I've only tried one commercial (micro brewery) version but I still preferred Doc's. Easy drinking with a nice clean finish. Cool label.

*Nifty's Aussie Pale Ale* One of my favourite labels. Well balanced, malty/hoppy and nice 'Coopers' edge to the flavours. Was cooking a bbq while drinking this one and it was spot on. Enjoyed and wanted another.

*Duff's Koelsh* Nice colour, subtle with just the right balance of malt & hops and a slight fruity overtone. This one is SWMBO's fav so far.

*Linz's Oz IPA* Nice medium malt flavours but a bit low on bitterness for an IPA IMO. Didn't seem hold a head at all (looked flat) but was still releasing bubbles to the end. No effect on taste/mouthfeel however and went down well.

*Gough's Amber Ale III* Great amber colour and thick malty flavours. Quite a heavy bodied ale with complex aftertastes. SWMBO thought it had a slight molasses aftertaste. Hops were just right - detectable without getting in the way. Good one for a cool night. Great effort.

More to follow when I bring notes from home. :chug:

Edit Spellign


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## berapnopod (14/12/05)

Stuster's Pacific Bitter

I got half way through my review before my computer crashed, so this is take two (Gah!)

Aroma: Muted overall. Some hop aroma - slightly spicy. Low to medium esters. A hint of alcohol

Appearance: Gold colour. Hazy/cloudy. Long lasting head of fine to medium white bubbles. Head is very fine and forms a ring around the glass.

Flavour: Again, muted flavours overall. Equal balance of hop and malt flavours. Finish is dry and lightly bitter. Medium ale ester levels.

Mouthfeel: Medium to med/light body. med/high carbonation lends to a slight carbonation bite.

Overall. This is a pleasant ale that is quite light all over (as a best bitter should be), but I am puzzled about the 5.1%ABV. Thats too high for a best bitter, but it doesn't taste that much either. I think the carbonation is on the high side for a bitter. Nice drop, Stuster!

Berp.


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## PostModern (14/12/05)

I just tried *Berto's Wheat*.

First few sips were overwhelming with clove. Once my palate adjusted (was drinking a sweet export stout before), quite a pleasant weizen. Nice thick head that persisted to the bottom of the glass. Perhaps a tad undercaronated for the style, but a good solid beer. I'm going to hazard a guess that you used hallertau right thru? 

I have capped the dregs to culture the yeast to brew with this summer.

And *Jase's APA* (forgot to post the other night after tasting it)

I liked the beer once the carbonation settled. Would maybe have doubled the flameout hop addition. A nice APA, but in need of a bigger hop hit.


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## Stuster (14/12/05)

Thanks for the review berapnopod. You are dead right. The 5.1% is wrong. I put the label together in a hurry and only later did I realise that my spreadsheet had a glitch in the alcohol calculation. The real % is 4.7, so sorry for all those who were fooled that .4%.

The carbonation. I agree it is a bit high. I am slowly reducing my priming rates. This had 100g in 21 litres, so 4.8g/l, which is probably a bit high for this style. I grew up in England and loved a flat pint when I lived there but many years of drinking lager have probably changed all that. Next time, I'll try for more like 3g/l and see how that goes.

At the moment I am drinking Kungy's Amarillo Pale Ale. Really love that Amarillo taste now, after not being sure of it with the first Amarillo beer I had. This also seems to have a touch too much carbonation. Really hissed when I opened it. But I really like this one Kungy. Great label too, very elegant. Why the Twelve Caesars Brewery BTW? I'll be looking for some Amarillo to brew something like this very soon. Yum. :chug:


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## redbeard (15/12/05)

for those hanging off drinking my contribution (or not), i tried one just now. the carbonation is reasonable (not a big head) and the flavours have mellowed a bit. nice straw colour. bit of an aftertaste. go for it berapnopod


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## kungy (15/12/05)

Stuster said:


> At the moment I am drinking Kungy's Amarillo Pale Ale. Really love that Amarillo taste now, after not being sure of it with the first Amarillo beer I had. This also seems to have a touch too much carbonation. Really hissed when I opened it. But I really like this one Kungy. Great label too, very elegant. Why the Twelve Caesars Brewery BTW? I'll be looking for some Amarillo to brew something like this very soon. Yum. :chug:
> [post="97657"][/post]​



I deliberately aimed low with the priming, so it must have come down to residual sugars priming the bottle a little more than expected, 4.5g per litre. Likewise with you Stuster i will try for 3g/l as it to like my beer carbonated low. *So maybe to avoid possible future tears, do you think the carbonation was enough to justify fridging it?* Either way its had a good two months in the bottle, so the greeness should have disappeared and should be right to drink.

Why Twelve Caesars? I think i like the traditional and classic latin names that you hear about in the American Microbrewery scene. Plus i am so unoriginal. That name came courtesy of Suetonius, and the logo came from a book publishing firm logo, so if i ever hit it "big time" i will need to change practically everything to avoid being sued.

Glad you liked it. Its good to be reassured that my beer is at bare minimum drinkable.

Will


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## Trent (15/12/05)

Just drank Nifty's Some sort of Aussie Pale Ale
Quite a nice beer, I found it to be quite clear, slight carbonation bite (I think is what you call it) that settled down as the beer warmed. It was a straw clour, a little hops on the nose, not too bitter, well balanced, medium body, bit of fruitiness from the yeast, something that you could drink all night. Good effort, Nifty. The girls in my house loved it aswell, so that is gonna be what I will base my next house brew on (no offence meant by saying the girls liked it!)
All the best
Trent


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## Borret (15/12/05)

I sampled my mild again the other night and I reckon it's about good to go. In my own opinion an acceptable brew that although low in alchohol is full in flavour and true to style. I'm happy enough with it, hope you are too.

And for the records here's the recipe.

Borret

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: The Mild from Mexico
Brewer: Brent 
Asst Brewer: Ray
Style: Mild
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (???) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 25.00 L 
Boil Size: 34.51 L
Estimated OG: 1.039 SG
Estimated Color: 30.9 EBC
Estimated IBU: 24.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
3.50 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Bairds) (5Grain 85.0 % 
0.27 kg Crystal Malt - 60L (Bairds) (118.2Grain 6.6 % 
0.16 kg Chocolate Pale Malt (Bairds) (525.0 EBC) Grain 3.9 % 
0.16 kg Home roasted Amber Malt (43.3 EBC) Grain 3.9 % 
0.03 kg Black Malt (Bairds) (1300.2 EBC) Grain 0.7 % 
20.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (60 min) Hops 11.2 IBU 
13.00 gm Northdown [6.70%] (70 min) Hops 10.1 IBU 
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (10 min) Hops 2.0 IBU 
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (5 min) Hops 1.1 IBU 
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc 
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale 


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 4.12 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time 
Mash In Add 11.74 L of water at 75.4 C 67.8 C 90 min 


Notes:
------

Black and chocolate added at the end of the mash primarily for colour contribution.
Home roasted amber used MO as base.
Thanks to Warren for the recipe ;-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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## berapnopod (15/12/05)

Trent's Porter

Aroma: Rich chocolate malt aroma with a very slight hint of hops. Just a touch roasty as well, with medium ale esters.

Appearance: Black/opaque. Fine, lasting head forms a ring around the glass. Medium/fine bubbles.

Flavour: Again a rich chocolatey palate up front, which develops into an estery ale character with subtle hops underlying all the way. The finish is dry and somewhat bitter with a slight hotness that is barely noticeable.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium carbonation, as I mentioned above, some hotness, rather than alcohol warmth.

Overall: This is a great porter, Trent! I really like the balance of all the flavours in there. All those that want to know what a porter should be like, try this, all those that want to know what a porter shouldn't be like, try a James Squire Porter (too roasty to the point of out of balance - sorry couldn't resist the momentary soapbox). I want to point out that the esters are quite high in the flavour, and there is a subtle hotness there which could be higher alcohols. Both of these suggest your fermentation temp was on the high side. But I also want to stress that these are very minor additions to the beer. This is a really nice porter!

Berp.


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## Stuster (15/12/05)

> So maybe to avoid possible future tears, do you think the carbonation was enough to justify fridging it?



No, it's not dangerously carbonated, Kungy. Just a little high. Really liked it BTW. :super:


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## PostModern (17/12/05)

Tonight I tasted two beers.
*Trent's Porter:* Really enjoyed this. Nice rounded porter. Did notice the esters berapnopod mentioned but not the hot alcohol flavour. I think it had a great balance of dark malt and hop bitterness. The Mrs loved it too.

*Stuster's Pacific Bitter:* This tasted lots like an APA to me. Lots of hops and a really notably smooth malt palate. Went down very nicely indeed. Too bitter to please The Boss, but right on the mark for my palate.


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## Trent (17/12/05)

Thanks for the great reviews Berp and PoMo
Stoked that you guys liked it, and I was sure Berp would point out any and all faults, so I am glad they werent too significant! I actually havent tried my porter again since I tasted it before putting it into the case, but I tried the next brew after that last night, and I could definitely taste the esters. I will have to try and chill my beer right down before pitching my yeast. I think I pitched the yeast in at about 25C, and it came down in the ferm fridge over the next 24 hours to 20C or so, but obviously that warm start didnt do it any favours. Something I will definietly try to rectify, so thanks for the heads up.
For those interested, my recipe is a slightly bastardised version of the porter recipe Bonk gave to me for my very first AG. The only reason it is bastardised is I didnt have the caramlt called for in the original recipe, and used carapils instead. I also used more carapils than was called for, but only slightly.
The xmas case recipe was 
4.5kg Maris Otter
600g Chocolate 500EBC
600g Carapils

30g Northern Brewer @ 45 mins

Wyeast 1084
OG 1052
FG 1015
Fairly simple, but tasty. It is the beer I brew the most often.
All the best
Trent


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## berto (17/12/05)

Knocked off *Docs* contribution last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it. A style ive never tried before but found it to be quite refreshing so somehting i might have to have a crack at in the future i think. 
Had a fantastic head. Tight formed bubbles which lasted for the entire glass. Even in my grubbly dishwasher cleaned glassware. 
Reasonably clear. I was expecting your tooheys dry level of clarity, but was a fraction off. Still the clearest homebrew i have seen yet. 

Had a kind of spicy taste i think. Not sure of hop flavours. havent tried enough of them to know the different flavours, but was at a good level for me. Enough to notice them, but not enough to overpower. 

Biggest dissapoinment was that it wasn't bottle conditioned, so now im gonna have to go and buy my own yeast to make one. 

Nice beer all up. 

For whoever asked earlier about my wheat. i think it was hallertau right through, will have to check my brew sheet incase i slipped some saaz in there. 

Cheers, Rob


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## Stuster (17/12/05)

Glad you enjoyed my bitter PoMo. Interesting that you thought it tasted like an APA. I suppose it's the American yeast, but hops and malt were all pure English. 

I had Gough's amber ale last night. Very nice malt character to this I thought. I do like that Maris Otter. It is so distinctive.

Berto, don't worry about the lack of yeast in Doc's yummy kolsch. Duff's kolsch has the WLP029 yeast which is probably the one Doc used anyway.


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## PostModern (17/12/05)

Stuster said:


> Glad you enjoyed my bitter PoMo. Interesting that you thought it tasted like an APA. I suppose it's the American yeast, but hops and malt were all pure English.
> 
> [post="98135"][/post]​



I had it straight after Trent's porter, so the big hop hit stood out in the first few mouthfuls. My first impression was "whoa, hoppy like a SNPA", but of course an EKG hop-hit rather than a US one. I think the US ale yeasts do tend to accentuate the hops more than English yeasts, so possibly that contributed... Sadly, I forgot to sanitise the neck of the bottle when I poured, so I didn't harvest the yeast


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## PostModern (17/12/05)

Two more tasting notes from me tonight:

*Stickler's Old:* Really nice. I thoroughly enjoyed this brew. A nice sweet, yet well attenuated ale with a tasty roasted malt backbone.

*Linz's Aus IPA:* The fruity Cooper's taste is there, along with a good bitter framework, but as you have said, the aroma expected from an IPA is lacking. I would also add that it is thicker in the mouth than I would expect. The beer is really really nice, but putting my style-nazi hat on, IPA is not the right name for it.


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## Doc (18/12/05)

berto said:


> Biggest dissapoinment was that it wasn't bottle conditioned, so now im gonna have to go and buy my own yeast to make one.
> 
> Nice beer all up.



Cheers Berto. Yep, it wasn't bottle conditioned. Transferred to bottle after cold conditioning in the keg.



Stuster said:


> Berto, don't worry about the lack of yeast in Doc's yummy kolsch. Duff's kolsch has the WLP029 yeast which is probably the one Doc used anyway.
> [post="98135"][/post]​



Absolutely. Used the same yeast as Duff WLP029. Be careful. It is a high attenuator.

Beers,
Doc


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## berapnopod (18/12/05)

I cracked open a couple of my witbiers last night. Looks like they're ready to go.

I noticed some bottles had a layer on the top above the liquid in the bottle, which suggests a bit of re-fermentation has taken place. The carbonation on that one was higher than the non-refermentation one, but I don't think its high enough for a glass grenade.

All the same, I suggest you chuck the wit in the fridge sooner rather than later.

Berp.


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## mje1980 (18/12/05)

Man, am i missing out big time!!. Im definately up for this next year!!!.


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## berapnopod (18/12/05)

Redbeard's Imperialist USA styled Pale Ale (8/28)

Aroma: US hops, a hint of underlying malt, some alcohol, and unfortunately some chlorophenols.

Appearance: Cloudy with a fine head supported by medium/high carbonation. Light gold colour.

Flavour: Malty initially with hops a close second place. Finish is dry and lightly bitter. Chlorophenols are there again but not as strong as I would have expected from the aroma. 

Mouthfeel: medium/light body with a subtle alcohol warmth that gives the beer its dry finish. medium/high carbonation gives a little bite and adds to the bitterness, which is good.

Overall: I think you have a sound pale ale recipe here. Maybe a touch more bittering hops for my taste buds next time. The hop flavour works well with the malt flavour - light coloured malt and citrusy hops. Unfortunately, the chlorophenols come out in a very significant way for me. My feeling is that I am particularly sensitive to this because I have made similar beers before (see below). So I would be interested to hear what others say about this beer.

Chlorophenols: I characterise this aroma (mainly) as a plastic-like smell. Its the sort of plastic associated with band-aids or has also been described as (unsoiled) nappies - that sort of plastic. You get it in a beer when you use tap water that has too much chlorine or chloramines in the water. I have had this problem ever since I got back to Sydney and started brewing again a year ago. The strange thing is that I have ONLY had this problem when using cascade hops. I have made about 5 or 6 APAs since then about and 4 of them have had this problem. The last beer I made with cascade hops turned out fine, and I believe thats because I dosed the mash with a lot of sodium metabisulfite, which turns the chlorine and chloramines to chlorides.
So the bottom line is that I am 95% sure its chlorophenols, and 5% thinks it might just be the local version of cascade hops. I am very much interested to hear others opinions on this.

Sorry for taking up the extra bandwidth!

Berp.


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## berapnopod (18/12/05)

Nifty's Some Sort of Aussie Pale Ale 

Aroma: Very light, slightly spicy, slightly fruity aroma.

Appearance: slight haze, light gold colour. medium head of fine white bubbles supported by medium carbonation.

Flavour: Aussie hops with backing malt with a slight dry/roasty hint. Medium esters and very clean overall. Finish is bitter and clean, but not overly dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium carbonation and the typical carbonation bite.

Overall: A very well balanced beer that to my tastes comes close to Coopers Sparkling Ale. Nice estery flavour and good bitterness to finish with. Nice going Nifty!

Berp.


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## berto (18/12/05)

*Nifty's Some Sort of Aussie Pale Ale *

Poured with probably the creamiest head i have seen. Was super thick with extremely fine bubbles with good carbonation below. Mouth taste was a little light on for my liking. Nice tasting beer which went down extremely easy. A little more hop or malt taste i think would have rouded it off a bit and given it a more full taste. But overall a great summer beer for sitting by the pool. 

*Stuster's Pacific Bitter *
Once again poured well with thick creamy head. (Only had 4 of the Chrissy case so far, but all seem to have this so far. Very impressed) Didnt know what to expect from this beer with no real knowledge of the style, so was somewhat darker than i had expected. Reasonably clear in appearance. Slight haze when held to a light. Didnt improve as it warmed so probably not chill haze. 
First half of the glass i had a metaly taste in my mouth. Much like that when necking an old bottle of beer and you can taste the lid. Not sure if its just a personal thing because i invariably seem to get it quite often. Could also be some kind of hop i am sensitive to. But halfway through it disappeared. Hop level was spot on for me. Gave a bit of a kick so you knew it was there, but didnt overpower with a slight malt taste rounding out the beer. Nice beer. 

My biggest problem now is going to be what to make first out of all the beers im tasting ou of this case.


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## Weizguy (19/12/05)

I'll be testing my Weisse sometime this week.

Will report as to it's carbonation and drinkability.

Keith at the lhbs has asked for my last longneck, so I'll taste the remaining stubbie and advise all.

Hope it still doesn't have the spewy rancid wheat aroma that was in it when Shmick tatsted it. Sorry fellas, but it didn't seem to affect the drinkability at the time.
Darn lactic!

Not making excuses, just a heads up... <_< 

Seth 

*Edit...spelling


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## shmick (19/12/05)

A few more comments:

*am's Australian Golden Ale* This one's near the top of my list. Loved the Amarillo hops - lots of flavour without overpowering the malt. One of the best balanced beers I've had so far. Very well done.

*KoNG's Summer Ale*. Interesting for a lightish beer. Thin bodied but still retained a decent flavour. Not really my style but in the context it was designed for I'd say it was pretty good. Very easy to drink.

*Borret's Mild* Very complex, medium in body and subdued hop finish. Fruity plum/chocolate/bubble gum highlights made it well worth sitting back and drinking slowly. Really enjoyed it. Very smooth. Good stuff.

*Redbeard's APA* Sorry Redbeard - not sure about this one. Had a thin layer of fairly dark yeast around the top of the bottle and a strong medicinal aroma. I thought it might have just been one of the newcastle case bottles that was transported upside-down and I missed swirling the yeast back to the bottom. I tried carefully wiping the yeast out but still couldn't drink it. Maybe next year.

*Stuster's Best Bitter* One tough cap. Nearly busted my old bottle opener getting it off. Beer was nice and bitter as I was expecting but had a slight metallic twang to start with - couldn't tell if it was the hops or what was left of the cap. Slight malt flavour without getting in the way. Good to have a bitter beer without the overpowering hop aroma for a change. Very nice.

*Tim's Newcastle Brown* Light bodied, delicately flavoured, low hop flavour and aroma. Very clean. I was expecting a little more malt but it was good drinking none the less. Reminded me a bit of Kent Brown Old that used to be on tap down at the local. Not bad.


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## shmick (19/12/05)

Weizguy said:


> I'll be testing my Weisse sometime this week.
> 
> Will report as to it's carbonation and drinkability.
> 
> ...



G'day Seth

Good to finally catch up the other day.
The weisse would have been fairly young when I tried it as it was only a few days after I picked up the Newcastle cases. It was pretty sour then but I wouldn't want to put anybody off trying it now.

Let us know how it turns out. :chug:


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## Samwise Gamgee (19/12/05)

Thanks for the review Schmick!

I'll be needing to make another batch of that soon, only had 2 bottles for myself after the xmas case  (didn't plan that too well  )


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## Stuster (19/12/05)

Schmick and berto, interesting that you both detected a metallic taste in the beer. Palmer had this to say.



> Metallic flavors are usually caused by unprotected metals dissolving into the wort but can also be caused by the hydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malts. Iron and aluminum can cause metallic flavors leaching into the wort during the boil. The small amount could be considered to be nutritional if it weren't for the bad taste. Nicks and cracks ceramic coated steel pots are a common cause as are high iron levels in well water. Stainless steel pots will not contribute any metallic flavors. Aluminum pots usually won't cause metallic flavors unless the brewing water is alkaline with a pH level greater than 9. Shiny new aluminum pots will sometimes turn black when boiling water due to chlorine and carbonates in the water.



I used only stainless and it was an AG brew using fresh malt so I'm a bit unsure of why this taste is there. :unsure: 

Schmick, you said the cap was hard to get off. Were the caps rusty at all?

:unsure:


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## Weizguy (19/12/05)

Hmmm, maybe the smell is quite normal for the yeast according to Warren in the Kolsch thread.. The German ale yeast is similar to Kolsch yeast...yes?

Good to catch up with U too Shmick. Plenty more opportunities in the future, too.

I don't wanna put anyone off the beer either, but it will improve with age...

Seth


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## warrenlw63 (19/12/05)

Weiz.

I've heard brewers describe the unlagered Kolsch aroma as being like "Lark's Vomit". :lol: They wouldn't be far from the truth IMO. Kolsch is a bit like the caterpillar in the cocoon that comes out a beautiful butterfly. :beerbang: 

How philosophical was that?  

Warren -


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## Hopsta (19/12/05)

My Belgian golden strong ale is ready to drink, i had one on the weekend and am happy with how its conditioned. When i bottled it, it had a very hot alcahol taste that i thought would take a few months to meld properly but its fine to drink now....... enjoy.

P.s i have reviews on some of the beers written down on a notepad at home, i'll get them posted here this week.


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## Trent (19/12/05)

Tried Kungy's amarillo APA the other night. I found it to be a little overcarbonated, but other than that, it was a great drop. Quite a nice citrusy flavour from the amarillo, not too overpowering, just right for my palate (though the missus said it was too bitter, but she says that about any pale ale). Very nice drop, well done kungy. Sorry I dont have better notes to make, I didnt write anything down, as I was in the middle of bbq'ing for guests. But, like I said, it was very nice
ALl the best
Trent


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## Doc (19/12/05)

Tims Brown Ale is going to be a mystery to me.
I came home from work end of last week and my father-in-law had been over and mowed the lawns, clipped the edges and water blasted the backyard pavers, then helped himself to a couple of beers. One was Tims Brown Ale (the others were mine). So I'm reading your reviews of Tims and dreaming of what it might of tasted like 

Having Linz's IPA right now. Going down pretty well too. A good level of bitterness without entering the I2PA territory. I'm not up for over analysing it right now, but my initial thoughts were that it was a little undercarbonated. It also didn't hold head for long either. Opaque deep golden hue, with the opaqueness probably due to the hop level. Easy quick quaffing beer Linz.

Beers,
Doc


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## berto (19/12/05)

*Homebrew worlds Robust porter *

Never had a proper porter before and was expecting something mor like guinness. Wasnt as roasty a finish as guiness with a lot more hop flavour there to drown it out a little. FOund it to be quite nice actually. WOuldnt mind another right now. Was carbonated correctly for style i think, but head retention was poor and went immediately before even getting a swig. 
Was a nice underlying roast taste, and beer appeared quite clear. Hard to tell in a dark beer, but didnt appear hazy if that makes sense. 

Cheers, Rob


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## shmick (20/12/05)

Stuster said:


> I used only stainless and it was an AG brew using fresh malt so I'm a bit unsure of why this taste is there. :unsure:
> 
> Schmick, you said the cap was hard to get off. Were the caps rusty at all?
> 
> ...



Thought of that Stuster 

After the first few mouthfulls I went and checked the cap and bottle neck for rust but it all looked ok including the plastic seal on the inside of the cap. I should have tasted the top of the bottle directly to be sure but didn't think of it at the time.
The cap was pretty tight on the bottle and I couldn't bend it in half afterwards like a normal cap so I figured it just must have been a really tough one.

The twang wasn't that strong, it just lingered in aftertaste along with the hop bitterness which made me think it might have been a combination of hops that didn't agree with my tastebuds. Was pretty much gone towards the end of the first glass.

I've had much worse from commercial beer. The first LCPA I ever had was so bad out of the bottle I couldn't drink it. I had a second one later (same 6pk) out of a glass and it was fine even though it had rust marks around the cap.
This being the case, it might not be coming from the cap.

Maybe somebody else could try it and clean the top of the bottle before pouring just to eliminate that possibility. :chug:


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## Gough (20/12/05)

Some reviews from the few I've tasted so far...

*Pint of Lager's Vienna Lager *- A nice malty lager which I enjoyed drinking. Carbonation seemed fine , head lasted well, some haze. A little stronger hop flavour than I expected given the style but not over the top. Overall, a beer I really enjoyed drinking, as did my father... Looking forward to brewing a Vienna Lager of my own in the new year.

*Doc's Kolsch* - Very clear with good carbonation and a solid head. Much darker than Kolsches I've had in the past. Much hoppier than Kolsches I've had in the past. Top work on the label there Doc by the way... 

*Jase's APA* - Very fiery and took quite a while to settle down, but once it did it was a really enjoyable APA style. A good 'summer APA' - refreshing and at the lighter end of the spectrum. Bad luck on the carbonation but a nice beer there mate.

*Borret's Mild * - Lovely dark colour and aroma, slight haze until it warmed up. Good malt aroma along with hops given the lighter style. Good strong complex flavours with a nice malt/hop balance, especially keeping the 'roastiness' present but not OTT. Carbonation maybe a bit strong for a Pommy style, but I haven't drunk any commercial Milds to compare it to - certainly higher carbonation than a Pommy Bitter/Pale Ale. Enjoyed it a lot as did SWMBO...

Some nice beers so far Xmas casers.  Looking forward to the rest over the Xmas period...

Shawn.


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## PostModern (20/12/05)

Stuster said:


> Schmick and berto, interesting that you both detected a metallic taste in the beer.
> [post="98426"][/post]​



I'm pretty sensitive to metalic tastes and didn't pick it up at all in your brew. Might have been just two unlucky bottles? Has anyone else picked it?


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## Stuster (20/12/05)

Good to hear it tasted ok for you PoMo.  I opened one of my own last night and neither I nor SWMBO (who is much more sensitive to off tastes than I am) could pick up any metallic taste.

Also tried your Witbier, berapnopod. Lightly hoppy, really liked the spicy effect of the coriander etc, perhaps with the lactic sourness. Thick head which went, highly carbonated which fits well with wheat beer styles. It was perhaps slightly too sweet in the finish for me, but overall very refreshing.

SWMBO really liked this one so I may well be making a wit in the New Year. :beerbang:


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## Borret (20/12/05)

I have got through a few of these beers so far but haven't really taken any notes. I also am not one to claim to talk the true lingo and pint point fine details but will give some brief feedback inline with the spirit of the case.

*Duff's Kolsch* I realy enjoyed this beer. Contrary to your comments mine sample was actually quite clear for an unfiltered beer and had the correct 'more subtle' balance of flavours that I assciate with a kolsch. Nice work.

*POL's Vienna lager.* I am unfamiliar with this style but according to the guidelines a little too hoppy I'm guessing. The malt and bitterness I did find nice, but was surprised by the haze present considering you used JW malts. I possibly tasted some yeast character in this beer that didn't belong there. It did have a long time to settle before drinking so is not the haze but could also be isolated to my bottle.

*Jase's APA * After I let it sit and settle down I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. Nice american hop presence and bitterness with a bit of malt to support it. Nice easy drinker.

*Trents Porter* I'd actually say this is one of my favourites so far. Having tried the coconut version which blended beatifully with the roast it was interesting to try this 'san's coconut' version as you put it. The residual sweetnes is still there but not cloying and the beer enjoyable righht through. A nice balance of flavours and very easy drinking. A top beer from such a simple recipe too. B) 

*Doc's Kolsch* Nice and clear, and well presented as I expected but perhaps a touch darker and bold in flavour/bitterness than I would expect from a kolsch. Other than that it drank reasonably well.

*Gough's Amber* Alot of crystal up front but balanced nicely with subtle hop presence and a firm bitternes. A nice beer mate, perhaps not one of your more outstanding ones, but I did enjoy it.

*Stuster Pacific Bitter.* My memory has faded on this one a little but I don't recall any metalic taste. The hop combination used is something my taste is unacustomed to and so there was an imbalance that stood out but I could not pin point it directly. It may be what others are commenting on but I couldn't say for sure. Closer to room temp this beer seemed to bablance out as the malt came into play and I enjoyed the second glass more than the first. Overall still well constructed. The flavours I note may well be yeast related as I haven't had experience with this strain either. 

Thanks to all you guys for these beers. All have been enjoyed and has been worth the effort.

Thanks to the guys for their feedback on the mild so far. Glad you enjoyed it. As Gough said it may be a little on the high carb for a pommy beer but having not brewed it before I was unaware of just how flat to make it. Probably show's up more due to it's low gravity. I'll defnately knock the prime down a notch next time.

Cheers

Borret


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## Tim (20/12/05)

Doc said:


> Tims Brown Ale is going to be a mystery to me.
> I came home from work end of last week and my father-in-law had been over and mowed the lawns, clipped the edges and water blasted the backyard pavers, then helped himself to a couple of beers. One was Tims Brown Ale (the others were mine). So I'm reading your reviews of Tims and dreaming of what it might of tasted like
> 
> [post="98508"][/post]​




Sounds like Bad news Doc, but at least you didnt have to do the lawns yourself!  

Nifty's Pale Ale.
I really enjoyed this one. I found it to have a lot more malt, body and mouthfeel that I was expecting, however it tended to be well balanced. More of a malt driven Aussie PA, than a fruity one.

Stusters Pacific bitter.
I also found the unusual 'metallic' taste which i think is from the hops, which are quite upfront and more APA in style that an english bitter. Maybe the hops were not fresh? I also found the beer to be slightly tart, which accented the peculiar hop taste. Overall, i found it most pleasant to drink.


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## berto (20/12/05)

Just a small ask guys. I think it was mentioned at the start of the thread, but could everyone please post what yeast they used. If your name is already there with it entered thats fine. I just wanna assemble a good sized yeast bank. Gotta go to the brew shop again to get some more bungs and airloacks so i can drink quicker with the yeast culturing up afterwards. 
Is there another good method i can use here where i dont need an airlock? Is it possible to add say 7g dextrose to each bottle and recap, then repeat a few days later?


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## homebrewworld.com (20/12/05)

Sorry Guys ! :angry: 

I tasted my contribution to the case last night..........
Well apart from embarased  , i am really sorry it was'nt a good beer for you guys.
I guess thats what i get for a bit of a half assed organised at the last min brew.
I would jump in on xmas case again, and will next time enter a beer i can be really proud to put my name and lips too.

cheers
homebrewworld


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## Borret (20/12/05)

berto said:


> Just a small ask guys. I think it was mentioned at the start of the thread, but could everyone please post what yeast they used. If your name is already there with it entered thats fine. I just wanna assemble a good sized yeast bank. Gotta go to the brew shop again to get some more bungs and airloacks so i can drink quicker with the yeast culturing up afterwards.
> Is there another good method i can use here where i dont need an airlock? Is it possible to add say 7g dextrose to each bottle and recap, then repeat a few days later?
> [post="98741"][/post]​



Berto,
you could pour in your starter/culture wort and use it to suspend the yeast sediment and then tip it into a sanitised PET bottle and shake the crap out of it to aerate as usual. Just keep check on the pressure in the bottle or leave it just cracked once it's active.

On a more important note (I assume by the above you haven't cultured before) don't use just dextrose to culture yeast. It contains no nutrients. Use a malt extract only based wort of gravity between 1030 and 1040 for culturing and it must be boiled for 10 mins and chilled before adding to the bottle to avoid any infection issues. If you want to add extra nutrients to this you can either use a specific nutrient blend or just add a small pinch of dried yeast to the boiling wort (so it kills it) 
Do a search on culturing yeast and have a good read before heading down this path as it does take some time and it's better to get it right than have bogus malnourished yeast to ferment your hard earned beer. Cleanliness is the most important factor here.

BTW all the yeasts are listed on the first post now for anyone who hadn't noticed.

Cheers

Borret.


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## Stuster (20/12/05)

Sorry to hear the beer is no good homebrewworld.  It does happen so I suppose it's odds on that it would happen to somebody. 

Berto, I always use Oztops with a plastic bottle for my starters. It's a bit pricy for just starters, but could be useful if you want to make up some alcopops for any non-beer drinkers.


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## Gough (21/12/05)

And another one down...  

*Duff's Kolsch* - Bloody good beer this. Lovely balance, light dry malty aroma. Quite clear with the just the slightest haze on chilling - only probably noticeable because it is a very pale style. Well brewed mate. Clean flavours, lager like but with just a little more oomph. Maybe a touch fuller bodied than I remember drinking in Koln, but only a touch if that. My favourite from the case so far. Top darts Duff :beerbang: 

Shawn.


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## berapnopod (21/12/05)

Twelve Caesers Brewery Amarillo American Pale Ale - I am assuming thats Kungy's.

This one opened with a "pop"!

Aroma: Rich citrusy hop aroma with some underlying candy sweetness. Spicy and earthy. Medium/high esters. After writing down the appearance details, I noticed a very slight celery aroma in there. I vaguely remember celery aroma is indicative of something (oxidation), so I'll look it up and let you know... After a bit of searching I can't find out how you get celery aroma in a beer. Maybe it is DMS, but I am not sure. In any case, its at such a low level that the brewer shouldn't worry about it.

Appearance: Very high carbonation - poured foamy. It almost looked like champagne in the glass when it first got in there. After a minute or two, the head has settled down to a medium/thick layer of medium and fine bubbles, supported by vigorous carbonation in the beer. Excellent clarity - almost brilliant.

Flavour: Rich flavour initially with and equal balance of light and crystal malts against a delicious US hop flavour. Finish is dryish and assertively bitter. The bitterness is just enough to stop this one being cloying in the finish.

Mouthfeel: full body. high carbonation gives a carbonation bite, as well as a bubbly mouth, that is noticeable, but not so bad as to be significantly detracting. Definite alcohol warmth.

Overall: What a great beer, Kungy! I wish I had the whole batch. This has a great hop flavour and aroma, as well as a good level of bitterness, I am definitely going to try Amarillo hops next time I do a US-style beer. The hops are well balanced in the flavour with a nice malt profile. The only problems I see is the carbonation is too high - if you were adding sugar to the bottles, I would say you only need half that amount. The other thing is it tastes like its a little underattenuated. Better attenuation would dry it out a bit more and accentuate the hops. But as it is, I am really enjoying this one - thanks Kungy!

Berp.


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## Doc (21/12/05)

A nice mild 38degC here today, so I opened Sam's #2 Golden Ale when I got home.
Poured nice and clear, good carbonation, nice head. I'm getting a ginger taste that I'm guessing is from the Amarillo, but on a hot day like today in a lighter beer it makes it all nice and refreshing. Good body, and well balanced.
I'm really enjoying it Sam. Even more so in that it is your second AG.

Beers,
Doc


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## Trent (21/12/05)

Tried a few beers in the last few days
Redbeards APA - I am very sorry to report that I couldnt finish this beer. It looked fine, but there was a strange flavour that I could only describe as a possible infection, though it wasnt overcarbed, so that could rule out a bug. It is quite possible, and more than likely, that I got a dud bottle. Sorry Redbeard, its just the way I found it to be, but I look forward to trying your next brew in the next case swap

Linz's Oz IPA - This was a nice beer, though as others have said, it wasnt as hoppy as I would expect from an IPA. That said, though, the boat trip from Oz to India may well be a bit shorter, therefore less hops are required to keep it good than are required from England ;-). My girlfriend said it tasted like it had some raspberry in it (bet ya never thoguth ya'd hear that!). I could faintly detect it aswell, but I may have been imagining it. Towards the second half of the bottle, I felt I could detect a slightly soapy flavour? Not too sure what it was, as it wasnt there in the first glass, maybe it was a yeast flavour. I dont kow, but it did detract from my enjoyment of second glass. All over though, quite a nice beer, but it could do with a little more bittering hops next time, and some more hop aroma, IMO. Also, maybe the coopers yeast isnt so good for an IPA? Try the same recipe with an english yeast, and see if the results vary. Nice body and good carbonation. 

Berapnapods Witbier - Quite a pale colour, and pretty fiery carbonation, though I think this is a hallmark of the style. I could detect a little aroma from the orange peel and coriander seed, and the taste was quite tangy and refreshing. I had only had one witbier before, in the states after a glass each of RIS and a double IPA, so was quite looking forward to this one. Very smooth, quite well balanced and it certainly didnt taste like a 5.5%. Are witbiers fermented at low temps? It was medium to low bodied I think, but full of flavour, and after a hot day at work, I found it to be delicious. Its hard to pick a favourite amongst this lot of beers, but this one is right up there. The girls at my house have decided this is the one they want copied for "their" beer, but I doubt they will get to drink much of it! Perfect summer beer, I reckon, very well done. About to go back through this thread to find the recipe, so if ya havent posted it, could ya please do so?

I am heading away for a few weeks over xmas, but look forward to trying the rest of the brews when I get back (and stealing as much yeast as possible!)
All the best and merry xmas/happy new year
Trent


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## PostModern (21/12/05)

berto said:


> Is there another good method i can use here where i dont need an airlock? Is it possible to add say 7g dextrose to each bottle and recap, then repeat a few days later?
> [post="98741"][/post]​



My method is to sanitise the lid and surrounds, pour the beer leaving the yeast intact, then add about 200ml of cool boiled water to the bottle then recap with a sanitised lid. I then put the bottle into the fridge until I want the strain. Most yeasts can be captured this way, provided there isn't any other wildlife in the bottle already. If there is, you can always tell by the suss smell when you make the starter.


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## berapnopod (21/12/05)

Trent said:


> Berapnapods Witbier - Quite a pale colour, and pretty fiery carbonation, though I think this is a hallmark of the style.



Some of the bottles ended up being overcarbonated and the carbonation shouldn't be that high.



> Are witbiers fermented at low temps?



They're fermented at normal belgian temps. My one was at ambient temperature during october/november. That was probably in the low 20s.



> The girls at my house have decided this is the one they want copied for "their" beer,



Not wanting to sound sexist or anything, but......

I have found that women tend to prefer the low bitterness beers. I know that my wife likes me to brew this one. So I think the witbier is a good start for trying to get the ladies turned on to good beer :beerbang: 

Berp.


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## redbeard (21/12/05)

a few people have had problems with my xmas case beer. however nothing definitive has been said. couldwe narrow it down a bit:

- the syd water chloromines
- the combination of williamette & cascade
- the yeast was overstressed
- infection
- just dont like the taste
- other

perhaps some (bjcp) judges could put in their 2c worth ?

definitately keeping a bottle for the next comp ;-)


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## kungy (21/12/05)

Thanks for the feedback berapnopod. Its good to know that despite the stress that i have had about creating a good beer for the Xmas case, that i really can relax about brewing and drinking the resulting beer in the future.

FYI i had a look at http://members.tripod.com/~mksgrist/_vti_h...ff_flavors.html and it could be DMS indeed that your tasting. Nice work, i would have trouble being so eloquent at picking that.

Also i have tried in addition to Kongs beer, Beer Slayers Amber Ale and Docs Kolsch, and they were both very nice beers that to me were very drinkable indeed. 

I think the beers we produced are in the big schemes of things quite exceptional and i'm greatly looking forward to unleashing full flavoured and honest beers upon my mates this Friday night. Its something we should be greatly proud of in this online community.

Will


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## berapnopod (22/12/05)

redbeard said:


> a few people have had problems with my xmas case beer. however nothing definitive has been said. couldwe narrow it down a bit:
> 
> - the syd water chloromines
> 
> ...



Your options have been narrowed down as above - I am 95% sure of this.
Thats 2c from this bjcp judge  

Berp.


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## Trent (22/12/05)

Redbeard
In my opinion only, I would say it was an infection, but then again, I have no real idea of what chloramines taste like, and Berapnapod sounds like he knows what he is talking about, so I will probably go along with his judgement. Last weekend I brewed a double batch (45L) of APA, using an "emergency" stash of dried US-56. Yeast died or something after pitching, and after 36 hours or so I thought I could detect a faint infection taste, at 48 hours it had gotten stronger, there was no krausen, but a strange foam on the surface that the bubbles seemed to burst in slow motion, and the gravity had dropped 3 points. It was gonna get worse, so the whole lot went down the drain.  . About 3 hours later, I opened your beer, it had the same aroma and flavour as the beer I had just turfed. That is why I think it was an infection. Whatever it was, there was something fairly wrong with my bottle, I just didnt wanna sound like I was bagging out your effort. You asked for specifics, though, so I found it almost medicinal, extremely tart, but not in a good way, with a flavour that tasted infected. I am sure your sanitiation is up to scratch, and the fact it wasnt overcarbed rules out a gusher bug, so maybe Berp is right. Everyone brews a dodgy batch from time to time (or at least I do), it just sucks it was for the xmas case. I am sure your next addition will be alot better, and I look forward to trying it.
All the best
Trent

EDIT - Redbeard, have you tried it since you read the reviews, and if so, how did you find it? Did it taste OK, meaning some of us got dodgy bottles, or were you asking for specifics so you can avoid that problem for next time? T.


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## berto (22/12/05)

* Gough's Cleanskin Amber Ale *

Poured well from the bottle to the glass with a nice head forming. Setlled reasonably quickly, however a solid ring has remained to the bottom of the glass, so pretty good retention there. 
Colour seems pretty dark to me. Kind of a Newcastle brown type of colour. Possibly what its supposed to look like im not sure. 

At first, had a big bitter hit to the mouth with plenty of hops. Dont know how to describe this, but there was no taste at the back of my mouth. Took another swig, and another just to be sure, but there was nothing. As a result, wasnt enjoying it all that much id have to say. but about a minute after putting it down had a wonderful taste left in my mouth. So took another moutful. Same again. Did this up until now. Nearly at the end, but since it has warmed, that taste is now at the back of my mouth, and it tastes sensational. Obviously the fridge is too cold for this style beer. With it that bit warmer it is a fantastic beer, but it still isnt that warm. SUch a fine line we tread. 


Cheers, Rob


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## Darren (22/12/05)

Nothingf like a bit of hops in the mouth. Can hide anything


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## Trent (22/12/05)

Borretts Mild
Poured a nice dark colour, but was overcarbed for the style, as others have pointed out. Suited the term mild in nearly all facets, there was nothing overpowering about the beer, quite a nuetral taste, but still plenty of flavour (if that makes sense). Very full bodied for a low alcohol beer, my only complaint would be (like I have noted on some of the other beers) is the yeast flavour seems to be a little strong, but that is most likely my sensitivity to a certain type of yeast, it only ever seems to happen to English ale strains (1968, WLP 013, and now this). That said though, it is much les predominant that it was in Jase's APA or my strong ale that I tried tonight. I must admit, that I made a mild a few weeks ago that is very average (and thats being really nice about it), this one is the only other mild I have tasted, and I find it to be excellent. I think that mild's just arent gonna be quite my cup of tea, but this was a really good beer, and I enjoyed it alot. I think this was one of your first few attempts at AG Borret? Very well done, mate. And thanks also for the extra ya threw in the case.
Thanks also to Doc for his extra aswell, though I havent downloaded the software that will let me view anything, I look forward to checking it out after I get home.
All the best
Trent


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## Darren (22/12/05)

Great to see the philanthropy of home brewers. Wish I had the patience to bottle and contribute to the SA case.
good work guys

cheers

Darren


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## berapnopod (22/12/05)

Borret's Mild 

Aroma: Malty nose, a hint of roasted grains, a hint of chocolate. Some hops in there as well.

Appearance: Beautifully clear, deep rich red colour, thick lasting head of tan bubbles.

Flavour: Initially a hint of hops in the flavour but quickly turns into a decidedly malty flavour which is caramelly and creamy. Finish is not too dry and just short of being cloying, as it should be. Low bitterness is just right for this style, it keeps the beer from being too sweet, but does not play an upfront role.

Mouthfeel: light body - quite thin, but thats what you expect for a mild. Very creamy mouthfeel.

Overall: A good example of a mild, with the rich malty backbone and well balanced thin body and light hops. Perhaps the carbonation is too high for this style, but I don't feel it detracts from this beer. Nice one Borret!

Berp.


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## Stuster (23/12/05)

I also had your beer tonight, Redbeard, or at least a few sips of it. I recognised the taste immediately as I have recently made a beer which tastes exactly the same.

In my case, I am pretty sure it is not chloramines. I made a 30L batch and split it into two fermenters, 3L starter was split between them. One batch came out fine, the other had that medicinal taste which yours has. Sorry that this happened to be your Xmas case, but you are not alone.


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## berapnopod (23/12/05)

Stuster said:


> I also had your beer tonight, Redbeard, or at least a few sips of it. I recognised the taste immediately as I have recently made a beer which tastes exactly the same.
> 
> In my case, I am pretty sure it is not chloramines. I made a 30L batch and split it into two fermenters, 3L starter was split between them. One batch came out fine, the other had that medicinal taste which yours has. Sorry that this happened to be your Xmas case, but you are not alone.
> [post="99168"][/post]​



Hmmm. You'll note that I did leave my self a 5% squirm-out clause. h34r: 
I guess theres no way to explain how you would get cloramines in one wort and not the other. So it must be an infection. But the aroma is very similar to chloramines. 
The other confusing thing was that it only happened to me with cascades. Stuster, can you tell me what sort of beer you made that had the problem?

Berp.


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## Weizguy (23/12/05)

Just advising that the Medowie Weisse from the Teninch brewery is now carbonated (as of this morning).

There is a slightly cheese-like aroma that I will blame on the Lactobacillus, but the flavour is OK. Slightly tart, dry and spritzy, and quite pale.

Serve it in a wide chalice, if U have one. Maybe test a small portion with some raspberry or other syrup (GI Lime, ? ha ha ha)

I look forward to how everyone reacts to this beer. I got feedback from the the State comp that I had phenolics in it. I couldn't taste 'em, but there was plenty of sour or tart lactic flavour on a dry background.

Let me know what u get out of it.

Big Seasonal cheers to all, and especially case contributors.
Big ups to Doc, whose gift plays well in my new DivX-supporting DVD player on the big telly. Just great!

Santa Seth


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## berapnopod (23/12/05)

homebrewworld.com's Porter 

Aroma: hoppy aroma is dominant with a hint of harshness and a faint whiff of something I can't place, but reminds me of the ocean. A little underlying malt.

Appearance: Dark brown/black - opaque. Medium tan head of fine bubble supported by medium/high carbonation.

Flavour: Smooth malty flavour up front with an underlying bitterness that balances out the beer well. Finish is lightly dry and lightly bitter. Right at the end there is a subtle drying out of the mouth that is almost harsh and toffee-like, but not to significant to be bad. The "seaside" aroma doesn't translate into a flavour.

Mouthfeel: meidum to med/full body. medium high carbonation gives a carbonation bite and a bit of a foamy mouth. Definite alcohol warmth, which I think is probably the reason for the final bit of dryness in the flavour description. Very smooth texture.

Overall: Yes, there is some odd sort of aroma in there, and I have no idea what it is, but if I had to guess, it smells more like either a hop ot a yeast byproduct. Other than that its a good porter - this aroma doesn't persist into the flavour, at least not that I can detect. Good hop bitterness supports the smooth malty flavours.

Berp.


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## berapnopod (24/12/05)

Weizguy's Weisse 

Aroma: Somewhat cheesy aroma upfront, with a hint of sourness, and strong fruityness.

Appearance: Straw colour, hazy and a very fine head that forms a thin ring around the glass. Sorry about this, Weizguy, I put your beer in the fridge about a week before reading your post that its ready, so its come out undercarbonated for me.

Flavour: Light and sour, as it should be. Cheesy aroma persists as a flavour as well. I think the sourness can be stronger than this. Good fruity esters give the beer a nice twist. Bitterness is very low (as it should be) and right in the back. Finish is very clean and dry, but as I mentioned, could be a bit more mouth puckering. Just a hint of grains in the flavour too.

Mouthfeel: Very light body - again, as it should be. Not enough effervescence (my fault).

Overall: This is a good example of the very difficult to make Berliner Weisse style. It has a good clean sourness to it, although I would have liked more. Wish I had left it longer outside the fridge to get a better carbonation on it. The cheesy aroma and flavour do detract from the beer, though. I believe this is either isovaleric acid or butyric acid. They're produced either from using old hops (unlikely in this case) or having a wet mash at around 30-40C for a long time. So I think it comes from the mash. I don't know too much about how to make a Berliner Weisse, and I don't know whether the cheesy aroma/flavour will dissipate with time. So I can't really suggest a way around it. It seems puzzling that cheesy flavours are not seen in the commercial examples, but we're always told that Berliner Weisses use a sour mash. So I don't know how they do it.

Enough babbling, great beer all the same and my hat is off to you for tackling something as difficult as this.

Berp.


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## berto (25/12/05)

* Weizguy's Weisse *

Had this one last night. Interesting... :lol: 
I shouyldnt have read the other reports first. I dont like cheese. So the smell had me turned of before i started. Still seemed a little low carbed .No head retention. 
Nice light colour. Was a touch thicker than i was expecting. had a syrupy sort of skin over the top it seemed when you poured it. 

Was actually easy drinking, and left your palette clean. Could easily take the next mouthful. But not somehting i think i would brew, but good to try i think


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## berapnopod (25/12/05)

Merry Christmas to all. And because of the special day, I thought I would try out...

Hopsta's Belgian Golden Strong Ale 

Aroma: Candy aroma with a bit of hops. Good ester profile and some alcohol detected in the nose.

Appearance: Thick head of off-white, fine bubbles supported by very high carbonation. Brilliant clarity, beautiful golden colour.

Flavour: Strong esters prevail. Pow! A big punch of alcohol! Creamy malt flavour and a hint of toffee with medium/low hop bitterness in the background, as it should be. Finish is strongly alcoholic and dry, with a lingering bitterness. Some solventy character evident right at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium/full body, high carbonation lends a bite as well as a bit of a foamy mouth. The alcohol is very warming and provides a dominant character for the beer.
There's a touch of hotness in there as well, which suggests higher alcohols.

Overall: An assertively alcoholic belgian beer. The hops are in the right place. The malt is in the right place. There's a good deal of attenuation in there and some sugar hints, as I would expect from a good belgian beer. The carbonation is a bit on the high side, even for this style, but I don't think it detracts from the beer. I do think the alcohol side of things is high though. By that I don't mean 9.5% is too high, but theres an element of solvents and higher alcohols that lead to the hotness at the end and tend to make the beer alcohol dominated. This is usually attributed to high fermentation temperatures. I know Belgians are supposed to be fermented at higher temps than other ales, o this might be a choice of yeast strain. I am not familiar with WLP570, so don't know how it does at higher temps.

I think I am focussing on the alcoholic content too much on this one (I tend to pick out one attribute in a beer and spend half my time talking about it). I have nearly finished a glass, so you can guess at how accurate my appraisal will be now. I don't want to focus on it too much, I think this is a great beer, Hopsta. Maybe a tweak is in order for perfection though.

Berp.

PS. Hoo boy! I am enjoying this one. Not looking forward to cooking xmas dinner though.


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## PostModern (26/12/05)

Celebrated Christmas with a few Christmas case beers. Here's my feedback:


*Borret's Mild*
This was a nice dark mild with a good malt backbone despite the low OG. Nice peaty flavour from the yeast. I found the yeast presence a little bit dominating, but as I sipped thru the glass, it grew on me. Was a great beer to cool down with on Xmas eve, after preparing some Xmas food. It was a little too "characterful" for the Mrs.

*Doc's Kolsch*
A really refreshing beer. The colour is interesting, darker than I thought it would be, but a nice coppery hue. The taste was a great balance between malt and hops for so highly bittered a beer. Mrs PoMo and myself both enjoyed this immensely.

*Berapnopod's Wit*
I had this beer while preparing Xmas lunch. Love the pale colour and refreshing drop of wit. I thought the corriander and orange were a little subdued, but I'm basing that on having tasted very few different wits, and I was taste testing some reasonably flavourful dishes at the time. It poured nicely and had a nice firm head that lasted well down the glass. Great beer.

*Pint of Lager's Viena Lager*
Had this mid afternoon while pretty merry on beer and wine, so my impressions are sort of clouded. The beer was nice and clean to drink, despite the haze. This didn't detract from the taste, as I'm quite accustomed to hazy beer. I enjoyed this brew a lot.

*Kungy's Amarillo American Pale Ale*
Nice strong brew with pronounced Amarillo hops. I'm starting to like these hops since tasting this and Sam's Aust Golden Ale. I could still taste the malt underneath the big hops up front and sure noticed the alcohol kick too. Had this beer between courses at our arvo Xmas feast. Very nice drop.


It sounds like I spent two days cooking eating and drinking beer... hmmm, that's what I did do  Thanks to the Christmas case contributers for a great way to enjoy "special" homebrew at Christmas!


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## berapnopod (26/12/05)

Berto's Wheat 

Aroma: A hint of chlorophenols. Some wheat aroma, a little toffee malt aroma, a little clovey aroma. Not much in the way of banana esters (I heard WLP380 is a low ester producer). Just a bit of alcohol in the nose.

Appearance: Golden colour, hazy/cloudy with a thick off-white head of medium to fine bubbles supported by high appareant carbonation in the beer.

Flavour: Wheaty flavour overall, balanced with subtle supporting bitterness. Theres a little bit of clove phenols in there as you would expect for a hefewiezen, but no banana.
Finish is dry and quite hot, suggesting the presence of higher alcohols - a result of the high fermentation temperature.

Mouthfeel: Thin body - suprisingly thin considering the flavour levels. I'm thinking I might be perceiving a thin body because of the hotness in the beer which dries out your mouth quickly. Carbonation is medium/high, which is as it should be. Some alcohol warmth present.

Overall: This wheat beer has many elements in the right place, but a few subtle oddities. The main one is the hotness which dries your mouth out at the end of each gulp. I think this is because of a high fermentation temperature. I *think* the body is also unusually thin, how was the attenuation? There's a good wheat flavour in here and some clovey phenols, plus maybe a touch of banana esters, but I would have liked to have the last two stronger. There is a hint of chlorophenols in the nose - at least that is what I am perceiving it as, and I am prepared for someone else to tell me its a very low level infection. The carbonation, colour and cloudiness are all spot on. If I may be so bold as to say the following: I think you can make great improvements to the flavour, including maltiness and clove esters by performing a decoction. In fact, a triple decoction works great. I have tried this a couple of times and both hefes turned out very close to the originals. Perhaps a short cut (at least for the maltiness) is to use melanoidin malt.

Getting carried away again.

Its a nice beer berto - thanks!

Berp.


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## nifty (26/12/05)

Hi everyone

Well, I've finally had a chance to taste some of the xmas case beers, amd I must say, I'm excited (not Big Kev excited but almost). 

I've never tasted another homebrewers' beer until now so it's great to see what I should be aiming for and compare the beers I've been brewing with the xmas case samples. Now I know what my beers should taste like and I'm looking forward to trying other styles of beer, a lot I've never tried before.

I don't have any experience with different types or styles of beer so I'll just make a few remarks about them.

Jase's apa - this was my first ever non nifty homebrew. Once the head settled down it was a very nice beer. 

Kungy's 12 Ceasars APA - great beer, love the amarillo. It sounded a bit gassy when I opened it, but poured ok.Very nice.

Berapnopod's AstroBeer - this is the first wit beer I have ever tasted and I liked it. I really enjoyed the pale colour and delicate flavour (does that sound right ?).

Tim's Brown - Really enjoyed this one.

Gough's Amber Ale - The first couple of sips tasted like honey? Anyway a great beer.

Trent's Porter - smoooooth. A lot smoother than I make. Wish I had more of these. Actually I wish I had more of all these beers

So, I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the rest of them.

Many thanks to eveyone that made this happen and to all the contributors.

cheers

nifty


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## PostModern (28/12/05)

Hi *Nifty*,

I did a dark fridge lucky dip into the Xmas case last night and came up with your bottle of *"Some Sort of Aussie Pale Ale"*. I drank it right after a bottle of Coopers Sparkling. I really enjoyed your beer. Nice hint of hops, with the distinctive Aussie PA palate. Nice and smooth and clean. Enjoyed it heaps. I will definately be brewing a copy of this soon. The only complaint - needs more dog.


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## berto (28/12/05)

berapnopod said:


> Berto's Wheat
> 
> Aroma: A hint of chlorophenols. Some wheat aroma, a little toffee malt aroma, a little clovey aroma. Not much in the way of banana esters (I heard WLP380 is a low ester producer). Just a bit of alcohol in the nose.
> 
> ...




Well I'd say youre pretty right with a lot of what youve picked up there. Fermentation temp was fairly high due to unexpected fridge problems whilst away. Attenuation seemed alright. Was at 1.014 when bottled so im not sure about the thinness of it. I tried to mash at a lower temp though to try and overcome some thicker brews which have come out. This is only a partial brew however so ill give some of the other things a whirl now im pretty much gonna be AG. 
About to do a search on a decoction mash as ive got a pretty ordinary tun and see this as a way of overcoming heat loss and wrong temperatures.


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## berto (28/12/05)

* Kungys 12 Caesars amarillo APA *

Poured quite heady and was surging from the bottom of the glass. May have been a little overcarbed i suspect. 

Nice light colour. Held its head for ages. had to fight through the bloody thing to get to the beer. Very strong hop aroma. First taste, and BANG. Yeah theres some hops in there. Its the hoppiest beer ive had. ever. 

After the shock of the first few mouthfuls, you get very accustomed to it. Wonderful taste from the amarillo. Just gotta use mine up now. 

Im not into all this beerspeak, but seemed there was a good malt/hop balance with a smooth transitions between taste with a lingering hop taste left in the mouth. 

Top beer Kungy. Something i think i might try and replicate. 

Cheers, Rob


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## berto (28/12/05)

* Duff's Kolsch *

Poured the best of anything ive had yet. Perfect carb. levels for my pouring style. nice 10-15mm head with tiny little bubbles much like you would expect on a stout, but with a much thinner body. 

Colour seemed pretty similar to Doc's, maybe a bit lighter. All i have to compare it to. Unfortunately im not taking pics to compare them all. Maybe i should start photogrpahing each of the beers i pour to compare. 

Extremely malty character. i get an aftertaste of a lolly from when i was a kid but dont know what it is. Beautiful beer though. Once again comparing to docs, there is a huge difference in bittering. Not too sure on personal preference only having 1 of each to compare. 

Could possibly do with a little more hop flavour up front, but thats more of a personal preference thing. Also a possible side effect of having a hoppy APA immediately beforehand.

Fantastic beer Duff.


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## berto (28/12/05)

* Trents porter *
Poured well with a thick head which disappeared quite quickly. Extremely dark. What i initially expected from a porter before hombreworlds beer. 

No massive smell when sniffed. 

Took a sip, and WOW. Huge roasty flavour. Extremely powerful, but not a lot of hop flavour there to back it up. Not that i could detect anyway. Was all roasty for mine. 

still, a very nice beer. Something i could sit and drink quite easily, but not on a night this damn hot. Feels like its 40 degrees.


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## berapnopod (29/12/05)

Postmodern Porter 

Aroma: Light malty aroma with some faint english hops.Medium/low esters. Otherwise clean

Appearance: Excellent clarity. Very fine head forms a thin ring around glass. Dark red/brown colour.

Flavour: A very complex mouthful! Start is smooth and malty with underlying hop flavour, then comes an assertive bitterness that lasts through until the end. The finish is dry and bitter and has a very good alcohol warmth a few seconds after swallowing.
There are subtle toasted grain notes in there as well as a bit of caramel. Mild hop flavours. Just a slight touch of sourness.

Mouthfeel: Medium/full body. Carbonation is high for this style and gives a carbonation bite, which also might be responsible for the slight sour tinge. Good alcohol warmth which shows no signs of hotness, but just a warmth that builds up in your cheast and envelops your head (I like that feeling .

Overall: A beautiful brown porter, thanks PostModern! The malt flavour is subtle and well balanced with the hop flavour. The beer overall appears to be well crafted. It goes down very easily and has a nice warming feeling at the end. I really don't have any criticism of this beer except for the lack of head, which could always be my glass or lips or whatever. Excellent stuff, PostModern!

Berp.


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## sosman (29/12/05)

berapnopod said:


> Postmodern Porter
> ...
> [post="99903"][/post]​


And of course being a porter of the Postmodern kind, I expect to see entirely different experiences from other individuals.


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## PostModern (29/12/05)

sos, every taster will have his own expeience on the creation. Hopefully most of them will think "Porter"

Berp, thanks for your comments. I'm chuffed. I was worried earlier in this thread that it was under-primed, but you are right, a touch too much CO2. I enjoyed my second glass from the Xmas case last night more as it was a little bit flatter. A bit too bitter, tho, hey?

*Gough's Cleanskin Amber Ale*
Got this beer in the glass right now. It's a little cold, so the chill haze is extremely evident. It has a colour I associate straight away with Amber ales, which heightened my anticipation of the beer. The hops are up front but pleasant. Willamette is a great hop for this style. Nice beer definately balanced towards the hops. Looking forward to sipping it warmed up.

EDIT:


> Looking forward to sipping it warmed up.



Damn. It didn't last that long. Wish I had another.


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## Gough (30/12/05)

Thanks PoMo, glad you liked it. Definitely drinks (and looks :lol: ) a little better a bit warmer, say 10 degreesish, and the malt comes out a bit more as well, but this time of year in the weather we are having at the moment, a cold beer is a good beer.  I like Willamette in general and especially in this style so threw a few in...

Thanks again,

Shawn.


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## Doc (30/12/05)

*Kungy's Twelve Caesars Brewery Amarillo American Pale Ale*

Perfect beer for a nice hot arvo (41 degC).
Great pppfttt on opening the bottle.
Great pour with great long lasting tight white head.
Very clear and pale appearance.
Fantastic Amarillo aroma.
I'm really enjoying it as I love hoppy beers.
My only comment would be to add some Melonoidin or Munich to give it even more of a malty body, but I guess then it would be as easy drinking would it 
Top beer Kungy.

Beers,
Doc


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## pint of lager (30/12/05)

Help!

My Christmas case had a minor hiccuph on it's journey, some of the bottles had a diesel shower. They had a wash with some solvent to remove the diesel, then a rinse. All labels were still legible when I put them away. Today, I discover one is now impossible to read.

The crown seal is gold with no identifying marks.

The label is a white stick on, rectangular in shape with sharp, not rounded corners. 37mm by 105mm. There appears to be some orange texta markings. 

Does anyone recognise this bottle?


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## Doc (30/12/05)

At least they were still intact.
That would be Berto's Wheat beer.

Beers,
Doc


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## berapnopod (30/12/05)

Kong's Benchong Mild Summer Ale 

First, a question, Kong... How did you cap this one? Do you need a special capper and/or caps for these bottles?

Aroma: Strong citrusy hop character - almost like grapefruit. Can't get much else in the nose. It poured foamy.

Appearance: Thick lasting head of large bubbles supported by high carbonation. Clear. Straw colour.

Flavour: Hop dominated flavour as well. Some underlying malt in there too to give it a good balance to a bitter beer. Finish is decidedly bitter, hoppy and dry.

Mouthfeel: medium/light body. high carbonation gives a slight carbonation bite. Slight hint of hotness and alcohol warmth.

Overall: A very refreshing hoppy beer. I like the low alcohol in this one and certainly does make a summer ale. Apologies for the quick cutoff, dinner time.

Berp.


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## berapnopod (30/12/05)

Shmick's Australian Strong Ale 

Aroma: Rich malty aroma with some esters and some alcohol.

Appearance: Clear. Deep red/brown colour. Thin off-white head composed of medium sized bubbles forms a thick ring around the glass.

Flavour: Initially a malty flavour which develops to a strongly bitter taste, finishing dry, bitter, with a touch of residual sugar, giving a cloying feeling - OK in a beer like this. The bitterness lingers for a long long time and I can still find it hiding under my lips after finishing the mouthful.

Mouthfeel: Full body, with medium/low carbonation. Good and strong alcohol warmth. A touch of astrongency from the high hopping level.

Overall: Decidedly bitter strong ale. The bottle says 50 IBUs, but I would have though there would be more here. In any case, I like the bitterness at this level, but it is a touch too strong as it masks other characteristics of the beer. In which case, I would say increase your hop flavour, as well as your malt flavour. Other than that, I think this is a great beer that I am gonna enjoy sipping away at!

Berp.


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## Doc (2/1/06)

I'm thinking of splitting the recipes off to another topic. Wading through 14 pages to find a recipe for the beer I'm drinking is getting a bit much.
Thoughts ?

Doc


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## berapnopod (2/1/06)

Doc said:


> I'm thinking of splitting the recipes off to another topic. Wading through 14 pages to find a recipe for the beer I'm drinking is getting a bit much.
> Thoughts ?
> 
> Doc
> [post="100462"][/post]​



Good idea, Doc.
Sorry for majorly contributing to the 14 page clutter, but thoroughly enjoying it 

Berp.


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## berapnopod (2/1/06)

Stickler's Old 

Aroma: Light malty/chocolatey aroma with some alcohol.

Appearance: Had a dark tan head of large bubbles when poured, but collapsed quickly. Dark brown/black. Opaque.

Flavour: Malty up front with some underlying hop character. Just a hint of roast. Finish is dry and mildly bitter. No overwhelming in any aspect of the finish, which shows good balance. There is also a subtle cloying affect after drinking the beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium to med/full. High carbonation gives a carbonation bite as well as a bit of a foamy mouth. I think this is too high. Good smooth/creamy texture.

Overall: Very nicely balanced beer. I really like the creamy texture to it and it goes well with the chocolate malt flavour. The carbonation is a bit high. Not sure what happened with the head - could be my glass. But a well rounded beer all over. Nice going, Stickler!

Berp.


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## Stuster (2/1/06)

Great idea Doc. I have had exactly the same problem.

Berp, I have found your reviews really educational and have also found myself trawling through those 14 pages looking for your review of the beer I am drinking. Maybe we could siphon off your reviews too.  Thanks for doing them. :super:


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## berapnopod (2/1/06)

Stuster said:


> Great idea Doc. I have had exactly the same problem.
> 
> Berp, I have found your reviews really educational and have also found myself trawling through those 14 pages looking for your review of the beer I am drinking. Maybe we could siphon off your reviews too.  Thanks for doing them. :super:
> [post="100468"][/post]​



Sounds like a good idea to siphon off mine as well. I am all for it, although I have no idea how it is implemented. But anyone out there with the power and knowledge, I say go for it!

...oh yeah, and willingness 

Berp.


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## Weizguy (3/1/06)

G'day,

This is my second attempt at my first beer review. _PC issues_...don't wanna talk about it, suffice to say that I was about to post last night and the PC locked up. Hope I can recapture the sentiments.
BTW, this is not my first taste of the Xmas case, but I'll get back to those others later.

Redbeard's Imperialist Pale Ale

To answer your question young Red, the odd flavour in your beer is not a wild yeast infection, in my opinion. In my experience with yeasts which are POF+ (phenolic off-flavour positive), including the three W's - Weizen, Wit and wild yeast, I don't get the same flavour from your beer. Comparing it to my weizen last night and the Hoegaarden clone the night before, it stimulates different parts of my tongue, and actually gives me a chlorine-y aroma and taste. So I declare it to be chlorophenols and would blame it on Sydney Summer water or perhaps bleach sanitising of your brew/bottling vessel(s)?
* Note: I hope chlorophenols aren't toxic in these amounts, coz I have consumed about 4 cm of beer to provide this evaluation. Sorry fella, the rest must feed the bacteria in my septic tank. I left the beer in the glass overnight and the aroma has only dissipated slightly.*

Back to the beer: - The beer demonstrates a thin, creamy persistent head, with good lacework down the glass. Not much hop aroma is detectable under the initial chlorine aroma.

Other tastes aside, I get malt with a balance of hop. This is no over-hopped APA, for sure. No real hop flavour, as it's probably masked. If anything, I would call this a malt-driven beer, as the hop balance leans that way, to my tastebuds. Good, strong malty backbone, supported but not dominated by subtle hop bitterness and flavour (I think).

Mouthfeel: Malty, creamy and delicate. Reminds me of nitro-gassed pommie beer.
Not to mention the carbonation, which is obviously muted and well suits this beer. The maltiness lingers on the tongue, with llittle alcohol evident.

In the last few sips, about half hour later, and with a warmer beer I get some of the hop flavour. It's a little flowery and perfumey. Did U say that you had Willamette in here? Very nice, and it suits the style well.

During this tasting, I went and opened a stubbie of my Weizen, which was brewed for the National comp, to cleanse my palate. Did the job admirably too, and allowed me to get more out of Red's Ale, over 30 or so minuutes of sipping and evaluation.

Overall, a nice sipping ale with plenty of body. Not a quaffer, but more of an after-dinner beer to be sipped like a fine port. I would have bottled it in stubbies if I made it for anything other than the Xmas case.

Shame about the "other" flavour. I look forward to your beers in future, and the real experience of malt and hop that you were hoping to provide.

As suggested elsewhere, maybe we could do an Xmas in July case, and U could make this again?

Cheers

Seth


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## redbeard (3/1/06)

> So I declare it to be chlorophenols and would blame it on Sydney Summer water or perhaps bleach sanitising of your brew/bottling vessel(s)?



ok, this rings a bell. i used bleach to sanitise the bottles. i did rinse them out but obviously not enough, and/or i used too much bleach. not having 'bottled' for x years, was out of practise. my bad. sydney water probably doesnt help either.

thanks Weizguy for the detailed review despite an off putting flaw.

cheers


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## Weizguy (3/1/06)

You're welcome , Redbeard.

Seems that I may have provided a piece of useful feedback. Big first 4 me.

When I sanitise bottles. I add 1 capful of bleach to my kitchen sinkful of water and submerge bottles in it for 10 minutes. Then I drain and rinse with hot water, placing the bottles neck-down on a clean tea-towel in a cardboard or plastic strorage box. Sometimes I may leave them for a few days before bottling, but usually within 24 hours.

BTW, I usually smell the bottle opening to detect remaining bleach. If it's still there, I rinse the inside of the bottle again (as well as the outside, to ensure that the bleach smell isn't coming from there).

R U gonna make the beer again?

Seth out


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## berto (3/1/06)

* Kongs mild *

Poured with a thick creamy head. Tight white bubbles which lasted the entire glass. Very light straw coloured beer below. 

Initial appearance indicates it is a quaffing beer due to being so light. Im yet to have a light beer which is full bodied. Maybe with experience itI will find one. 

Find it interesting that you used a strong ale yeast for what is essentially a mid strength. Any particular reason? 

Has a dominant hop flavour. Im not a huge fan of the initial hop flavour, but as it subsides in your mouth find it to be quite pleasant. 

Definately a beer best served cold whilst sitting in the sun around the pool or the likes. Good flavour for a mid strength beer too. 

Cheers, Rob


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## berto (3/1/06)

* Sam's Golden Ale *

Poured a little darker than i would have thought, although i think it is quite similar to amber ales I've had previously. Maybe a tad lighter. Reasonably clear. Slight haze to it though. 

Not too sure of the aroma when sniffed, but wasnt overly strong. Had a thich head which held for a long time. 

Took a sip, and I knew i had tasted something like this before. Now call me crazy, but it tastes like musk sticks. Im about to go check the recipe for it for what hops you have used, but i am getting a strong musk flavour which hasnt eased for the last 15 minutes as the beer is warming, however it started extremely cold. 

Strong hop flavour in there which i think dominates over any malt flavour, but im not sure. I may be able to taste something malty in there, i just can't detect it. 

Interesting hoppy beer. Wish i had another to try a bit warmer and see if i get some different flavours. However still went down very well. 

Cheers, Rob


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## Hopsta (4/1/06)

*Kungys Amarillo APA*

Hazy golden appearance nice head large bubbles floral hop aroma flavour is true to style very
refreshing on a hot day. Nice one Kungy!

*Niftys Very nice Pale Ale*

Lives up to its name very similar to coopers pale ale thoroughly enjoyed!

*Kongs Benchong*

Dont know what a benchong is but damn this was a nice beer. Light amber appearance tight small bubbles good head sweet aroma very confusing but refreshing taste bastardization at its best! Another great summer thirst quencher.

*Berapnopods Wit*

Small head nice amount of carbonation not much aroma can taste slight clove and spice beautiful wit Ill have to give this recipe a go myself. Great beer Berapnopod thanks.

*Pomo Porter*

Small head very dark black colour mild toasted aroma really nice porter. I havent brewed a porter as yet but this has encouraged me to do so. Thanks Pomo.

*Shmicks Aussie strong ale*

Little head cloudy appearance pronounced toffee and caramel aroma nice amount of bitterness melds perfectly with sweet caramel taste, definitely on the to brew list.

*Sticklers old*

Big foamy light brown head large bubbles nice toasted aroma pitch black in appearance tastes quite reminiscent of tooheys old with a bit more hop flavour . I really enjoyed this beer.

*Stusters Pacific Bitter*

Good head aroma could be POR hazy golden appearance crisp aussie ale taste. Nice brew.

*Duffs kolsch*

Slight haze fine tight knit creamy head. Really nice beer went down nice with BBQ chilli prawns. One of my favourite beers of the case.

Now I did have some more reviews written down on various pieces of paper which I have lost, other memorable (memory being the key word) beers which I must mention are* Docs Kolsch *very nice and *Sams golden ale*, Sam that was a beautiful beer Ill have to have a look for the recipe if its in here? All the beers in the case had their qualities, thanks to all, cant wait till xmas case 2006!

P.S My Belgian golden strong ale is ready to drink now, dont worry about the 3months I stated earlier, my error in judgment.. let me know what you think.


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## berapnopod (4/1/06)

Axle's Amber Ale - by BeerSlayer 

Aroma: Light hop aroma with an underlying caramel/crystal malt aroma. Maybe a bit of raosted grains too?

Appearance: Clear. Brown/red colour. Poured a bit foamy and now has a thick head of off-white bubbles that are very fine and supported by high carbonation in the glass.

Flavour: Balance of flavours is just on the hoppy side with some good malt character. Its hard to judge the flavour in this one because the carbonation is so high (see mouthfeel). The finish is moderately bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Carbonation is over the top. This gives a strong carbonation bite as well as a very bubbly mouth. The unfortunately overpowers most of the other characteristics of this beer.

Overall: You have a sound recipe here. Good malt/hop balance and I think the bitterness is at the right level. Cut back on the carbonation next time and I think you'll have a great beer.

NOTE: after a while of drinking this, I am getting an odd flavour in there. Its so weak I can't put my finger on it. I am not game enough to say this is a hint of infection, but it would explain the high carbonation, so I wonder if the carbonation was always high like this, or has it developed over the last few months since you made it?

Berp.


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## PostModern (4/1/06)

Hopsta said:


> *Pomo Porter*
> 
> Small head very dark black colour mild toasted aroma really nice porter. I havent brewed a porter as yet but this has encouraged me to do so. Thanks Pomo.
> 
> ...



Cheers. Are you sure it was my porter tho? Mine is a reddy/brown colour. Trent's was a really nice robust porter.

I drank your Strong Ale on new years day. Apologies for not posting comments (and everyone elses that I drank that day) but I went thru a good part of the case on NYE and New Year's day (damn wasn't it hot????!!!??!). Remember your Strong Ale tho. Everything after it was a blur, but really enjoying drinking your brew. Excellent drop. Really nice and smooth for its strength.

To everyone in the case, thanks for your contributions. It was a great way to taste a lot of beers and a welcome addition to the holiday season. I second (third? fourth?) the motion to have a Christmas in July Case.


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## berto (5/1/06)

* POL's Vienna Lager *

Poured with a large head with large bubbles. Has slowly diminished, but now smaller bubbles below. Surged for a while when first poured, giving a good appearance, but carbonation was not over the top from what i could tell. 

Nice colour, yet a little hazy. Hasnt improved with the beer warming up. had to let it sit a while. I couldnt taste it at all over the curried snags i was eating. 

Good level of bitterness which hits you. Possibly a little too much. Undecided on this at the moment. Was very smooth though, blending well with the malt. Just had another go. Id say there is a little much bittering there for my likes. Others may disagree here though. 

Has a hoppy aroma when you put your nose to it which is quite pleasant. No idea what the hops used are. Will have to check the recipe for that. 

Overall a very pleasant beer which i could drink continuously if it was a shade less bitter.


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## berto (5/1/06)

* Beranopod's Astrobrew Witbeer *

Poured well. Beautfiul light colour. Not much hop aroma at all. Head was smallish bubbles and lasted well. 

Pretty clear. Not completely, but close. 

WOW. Very different taste. Only other time i can describe a beer with a taste sensation like this was the Berliner Weiss. This is a different taste however, but still has the same effect of taking you away from what you are used to. 

Very fruity sort of taste toward the end. From the rhind and corriander i guess. I was never keen to try these in a beer before. Ive made stir frys with corriander and they were bloody dreadful. But this has brought me around. Wonderful summer beer for by the pool. If i were to be drinking it all night i would probably ease off a little on both corriander and rhind and make it a touch more subtle, but try and keep the taste there all the same. 

I remember trying a beer like this at Castle Hill Tavern one night called White pointer. Would love to give you more details. But if you ever saw a group of bartenders from a neighbouring establishment at the tav on a thursday night, you would know why my memory defeats me. I honestly thought i was buying wine when i went to the bar. I was told to buy, and dutifuly did so. Why they wanted 6 bottles i had no idea. But soon enough realised it was beer i was getting. 

But back to this beer. Very nice fruity blend. Not sure what others will think, being away from the more trad. styles of most beers in this case. But its something i might have to try some time now i think. 

I can see myselfy buying a fair few 15L fermenters for 10 L batches so i can try a few different things. 

Cheers, Rob


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## berto (5/1/06)

* Beer Slayer Amber Ale *

Poured darker than i expected. I think i have fond this of all the Amber ales. Maybe my thoughts of what one would look like are different to what they actually do look like. Poured with a good head and medium sized bubbles. 

Good hop aroma. 

Overall flavour is predominantly hop based with a slight malt profile building towards the end of the mouthful. 

Nice easy drinking beer you have here beer slayer.


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## berapnopod (6/1/06)

Sam's #2 Golden Ale 

Aroma: Mild citrusy hop aroma. Some underlying malt and a touch of spiciness. Overall, a very clean aroma.

Appearance: Medium head of fine and large bubbles. Retention seems solid. Gold colour, clear.

Flavour: Assertively bitter right up the front there. Hop flavour is muted in comparison. Some malt flavour too that balances out the hop flavour. Bitterness follows all the way through to the finish which is strongly bitter and clean with some lingering hop flavour, as well as the bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium/light body, maybe a touch on the thin side? A little alcohol warmth. The carbonation is on the high side with a clear carbonation bite and some foaming in the mouth.

Overall: I really like this beer, Sam, although the bitterness is too high. What I mean by that is its out of balance with the rest of the beer characteristics, like the hop flavour and malt flavour, as well as esters. Obviously I would suggest bringing down your bittering hop rate, but I would also suggest leaving the bitterness where it is and just bumping everything else up: double your late hop additions, add more grains to the tune of about an extra 30-50% and I think you'll have a great IPA on your hands!

Berp.

EDIT: after a bit more of this, the bitterness is growing on me and doesn't stick out so much. In fact, its getting better all the time


----------



## Weizguy (9/1/06)

Me again. Second attempt again. Must be doing something wrong each time I post a review. Hard to save every few minutes. Might need to try making a word processing document first, then post from it. Aaaaah...maybe.

*Axle's Amber Ale from the Whacky Brewery:*

First perception - bit gassy when opened. Not a prob for a Weizen-fancier.
Poured carefully and got a nice creamy head on my pint.

Appearance was good. I liked the colour. Not sure if it's to style. So what?

The aroma gave me hits of amber malt extract and caramel. Hint of hops may have been there, but strongly camouflaged beneath the malt. Liked it, too. Reminded me of something. It took a while to work it out, but we'll get to that soon.

The taste was bit bubbly (almost weizeny), and the bubbles were large, and then I got the malt. Amber, it was. Well-balanced bitterness wove itself amongst the malt and they went down my throat side-by-side. I assume that the hops was a meld of bitterness and flavour hop, which suited the malt backbone. Plenty of amber and caramel too, with a lingering maltiness and bitterness

On the second pour, I got a large head, as I thought may have lost a bit of gas, and I poured it roughly, without due respect. Did I mentioned the lacing down the glass, which was fair. Glassware was rinsed before pouring, so that may have affected the lacing, perhaps.

...And the overall impression. Good brew. It came to me that this reminded me of homebrews that I've made, and others that were not made by me. Hope this isn't taken in a negative way, but it reminded me of homebrew. Good homebrew. Pleasant memories of drinking in the sun while playing Boules.

As with the previous evaluation, I pre-consumed a 1.25l bottle of my Hoegaarden clone. This appears not to have done anything to my tastebuds, as I feel I got a pretty clear snapshot of the beer, except for maybe getting the serving temp a it cool.

Just went back in this thread to look for a recipe. Couldn't find one.

Either way, fine beer, and I'd suggest less carbonation or a keg with nitro-gas would give this beer the head it would have in a pom pub.

Cheerz
Seth


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## berto (9/1/06)

* Tim's Brown Ale *

Ill be quick. i think ive been rambling in a lot of my earlier posts. FANTASTIC. Wonderful hop flavour belnding with the malt. Nice deep colour. Can be drunk nice and cold at normal fridge temps around 3degs. 

Good head retention. 

Hop flavour to the nose. 

Cheers, Rob

Edit:
As this beer has warmed, im getting a rogue taste. Not sure if its an infection or a strong alcohol taste in the mouth.


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## berto (9/1/06)

* Sticklers Old *

Not a fan of old. This may somewhat hamper my opinion as ive read other posts saying this is a bit like it. 
Pours with a good head with largish bubbles. settles to small-medium size with a thick layer across the top. Holds right to the bottom of the glass. 
Nice black colour. nice roast flavour. slight amount of hops in the scent, and a touch in the taste too. Pretty well balanced. Maybe a little lacking in mouthfeel. Could do with being a bit heavier, but i suppose it would then be more of a stout. Actually hops could be too dominating. may need more of a malty/roasty base flavour. Sorry thinking out loud hear. 

Nice beer all the same Stickler, I was pleasantly surprised. Cheers, Rob


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## berapnopod (10/1/06)

Gough's Cleanskin Amber Ale 

Aroma: Delicious hop aroma, melds very nicely with the malt aroma. Some esters, otherwise very fresh and slightly spicy aroma.

Appearance: Very fine ring around the edge of the glass forms the head. Hazy. Amber colour.

Flavour: Flavour is more on the malt side with a toffee flavour in there as well as a small amount of the underlying hops. Finish is dry and clean with a mild bitterness that nicely balances out the malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium carbonation, with some smoothness partly a result of the carbonation, but also part of the grain character. A hint of alcohol warmth, as you would expect for 5%ABV. After the finish, the beer is astringent. This could be because of the hops used, but also could be problems with excessive sparging. Have a look at this link for more details.

Overall: An excellent example of balance in a beer, well done Gough! The hops and malt go very well together. I consider the astringency not a major problem in the beer, and is quite all right when you use a high amount of hops, particularly at the end of the boil. It doesn't impact on the beer too significantly, certainly not as much as the wonderful flavour!

Berp.


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## berapnopod (11/1/06)

Tim's Brown Ale 

Aroma: Light malt aroma with some toffee. Not much else I can get in there.

Appearance: Medium light tan head of medium and fine bubbles that lasts long. Clear. Dark amber colour.

Flavour: Malty flavour initially with toffee/caramel notes. No hops that I can detect. Finish is malty, warming and with a medium bitterness that only presents itself right at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium to med/full body. Carbonation is high. No big carbonation bite, but it certainly gives you a lot of foam in the mouth, and that tends to mask other characteristics. The beer also has a very distinctive smooth/silky feel to it - very nice!
There appears to be a good alcohol warmth in this beer - more than I would expect for something 5%. So how much alcohol is in this one, Tim?

Overall: A distinctive beer with a good malt flavour, lovely silkiness The bitterness is in the right place since it doesn't interfere with the malt and just appears at the end where it stops the beer becoming too cloying. I think you could improve it by decreasing the carbonation, but apart from that, its a great beer!

-------------------------

...and that brings me to the end of my xmas case. I've really enjoyed doing these reviews, and I hope I haven't offended anyone too much. I'm looking forward to the next opportunity :beerbang: 

If you entered a beer in the xmas case, but haven't seen me review it yet, then your bottle must have been misplaced. So you should PM me and I'll give you an address to send your beer h34r: 


Berp.


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## beer slayer (11/1/06)

Well Done Berp :super: 

Great hearing you comments on all the beers it has been very informative. 
A great effort on your part :beerbang: 

:beer: 
BS


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## Tim (13/1/06)

Thanks Berp!
It may be up to 5.5% alc, due to bottle priming which i didn't account for ( i usually keg, hence the slight over carb).
Tim


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## KoNG (13/1/06)

OK... been a while since i've written anything down when tasting, so this is all memory... short and sweet.

TRENTS PORTER... i loved it, would probably rate it is the best brew i have tasted in the case. pity i had to drink one of my porters after it.. ha ha

GOUGHS AMBER ALE... i had this after a mates stout, which was obviously a bit silly, but i found it a really nice beer.. just the right amount of malt to go with the bitterness.. from memory poured nice and clear too..!

BERTO'S WHEAT.... unfortunately i couldnt drink this one, for me i think it had an infection... or atleast i hope it did, because i ditched a whole brew that had the same profile as yours berto... maybe i am just sensitive to chlorophenols (thats what B-pod noticed). Bummer. Mrs KoNG didnt notice it so much, so maybe i am very sensitive..!?!?!

POL's VIENNA LAGER... i've only ever had one other VL and that was at RedOak, so i dont know the style to well, but i love RedOaks.. and enjoyed yours too POL. The only thing i noted was that it was not as malt driven (compared to RO's version). And thats what i like about their version. anyway.. take that with a grain of salt...

done.... 

Berapnapod... the bottles are champagne and you use a Tirage bell and caps (yes special caps).. they are a little more expensive.... but worth it to use champagne bottles which are much more durable..!

berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the bastard mixed up type theme.... 

Beers
KoNG


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## Duff (13/1/06)

KoNG said:


> berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the bastard mixed up type theme....
> 
> Beers
> KoNG
> [post="102394"][/post]​



Just given me a good thought to do a 'Wanita Wheat' :lol: :lol: h34r:


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## warrenlw63 (13/1/06)

KoNG said:


> berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the bastard mixed up type theme....
> 
> Beers
> KoNG
> [post="102394"][/post]​



Or a Katoey in Thai. Or as the locals like to call 'em ladyboy! :blink: 

Warren -


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## KoNG (13/1/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> KoNG said:
> 
> 
> > berto..... a Benchong you ask..??? is a balinese word for she/man (tranny type person) i just thought it suitable with the bastard mixed up type theme....
> ...



i hate the cheeky little smirk they give when saying "ladyboy" or similar...?!?!
it leaves me wondering if

a) they are infact one... or
B) they think you are looking for one  

(sorry for OT)


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## KoNG (13/1/06)

SHITE...... that cool guy in the sunnies above was meant to be a "b" with a bracket around it (i'm DEFINATELY NOT into benchongs.!!)


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## berto (31/1/06)

* Linz's OZ IPA *

Big hop aroma when i poured it. 

Had a nice head, didnt last overly long though. 

Found the taste to be quite strong at first, but have since got used to it (followed a roasty lager). Definately hop dominated, and judging by the other beers, Id say either cascade or amarillo. Leaning to amarillo based on its popularity at the moment and it had a taste a bit like one a remember. 

Nice beer Linz. 

Thats the end of my case guys. Thoroughly enjoyed it. And looking forward to a July case. Should i open a new thread and strart trying to get things organised?

Cheers for the great times guys. Rob


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## Weizguy (31/1/06)

berto said:


> * Linz's OZ IPA *
> 
> Big hop aroma when i poured it.
> 
> ...


berto,

still going on mine. Want to give each the attention it deserves, but...

by all means see how U go with interest for July.

FWIW, I'm in (unless I'm barred because of the Berliner weisse - ha ha). happy to contribute English mild, American wheat, choc porter or Arrogant Bastard clone.

Still some posts to go here. If U haven't posted yet, I'd like to see at least an acknowledgement that you drank and survived, and your general overview of quality. Not mine specifically, but for the case as a whole. That would be great to see.

Sethule out


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## PostModern (31/1/06)

I reckon about 70% of the beers in the case were "good" to "great", 20% were drinkable and 4-5 went down the drain. Sorry to say, yours was one of the 4 or 5, Seth. I don't think you should be banned from the next case, nor should anyone, for that matter. From reading your posts on here, I was looking forward to a great beer from you. I just think you should put in something you think is really good rather than a cheese-smelling experimental next time.  And berto, I could do without the WLP380


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## Weizguy (1/2/06)

PostModern said:


> I reckon about 70% of the beers in the case were "good" to "great", 20% were drinkable and 4-5 went down the drain. Sorry to say, yours was one of the 4 or 5, Seth. I don't think you should be banned from the next case, nor should anyone, for that matter. From reading your posts on here, I was looking forward to a great beer from you. I just think you should put in something you think is really good rather than a cheese-smelling experimental next time.  And berto, I could do without the WLP380
> [post="105821"][/post]​


Thanks PoMo,
That's the sort of feedback I wanted.
My beer actually worked well the first time, and that was my second go at it, expecting the same results. The very first batch never had that smell/taste, and I had read that it would go away. Wrong! The problem occurred with the speise used for bottling, and by the time I bottled, it was too late to make another batch. I think I've apologised before, so I won't do that again.The real beer was in there, and I'm sure I know the fix.
Anyway, I'll make another batch (quality-assured this time) to go as freebies with my contribution to the next case. Just so people can see that there was a beer in there somewhere.
Anyone else got feedback? I won't put on the flame-suit, coz I need any comments on my beer, as well as the case in general. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger.
I reckon the case, and ongoing cases are a great concept.
Seth cheesmaker


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## Trent (1/2/06)

Gday All
Tried quite a few beers since the holidays ended, kept notes on most of em, and the only beers I have still to go are ones I am going to steal the yeast from and am waiting for a bung and airlock to be empty.

PO-MO'S PORTER - Alot paler in colour than I was expecting, but it was also the first brown porter I have tried. Its 2 days later (when I wrote the notes) so my memory is a bit hazy. Cant recall exactly carbonation and stuff, but it was a nice clear brown colour. It was very well balanced, as neither the malt nor the hops stood out above one another, it was quite an easy drinking beer, though for my palate, I usually prefer a little more choc malt in there. Apart from that, I cant really fault this beer, good stuff.

KONG'S BENCHONG - Very light in colour, overcarbed on first pour, settling to highly carbed. Maybe a bit of carbonation bite. Very fruity/spicy, with some sort of other flavour that I cant quite pick. Fruitiness is reminscent of Amarillo? Reasonably thin bodied, as you would expect from a lighter beer, quite refreshing to drink, though I found it to be much better icy cold, as oppsed to when it warmed up a bit. Quite a good summer quaffer, well done

BEERSLAYERS AMBER - Nice amber colour, didnt take any notes, but I recall it being a nice malty beer, but there was quite a strong yeast in there that I have only gotten from Wyeast 1968, and even then, only very occasionally (for instance, I couldnt taste it in Po-Mos porter), did you use 1968 or whitelabs equiv? Apart from that, I do recall it being a nice beer, sorry I cant be more specific

WIEZEGUYS BERLINER WIESSE - Very low carbonation, pale straw colour. Stron blue cheese aroma to begin with that settles to an aroma that is still unmistakably cheeselike, mixed with a tart smell. Reasonably thin bodied, cheesy aroma translates into the beer, but slightly more subdued. Definitie tartness there, almost slightly tingly on the tongue. Not something I could drink all night, but good for a hot arvo if the cheese flavour wasnt so dominant. IMHO, it isnt as good as your previous effort, I found the cheese flavour too distracting, but I could taste the beer under it, thats for sure (only cause I have tried your last one). Considering this style is apparently so hard to make, you have done very well, looking forward to trying the fault free one in July. 

I'll post some more later
Trent


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## Duff (1/2/06)

I finished off my case a couple of weeks back with Weizguys Weisse and Hopsta Belgian. I've never had a weisse before but like the others the strong cheese aroma definately hits initially, minimal carbonation, but actually a quite light bodied 'refreshing' beer. I did mix mine with a bit of raspberry cordial which dulled the cheese a little, but overall I actually didn't mind it. Big kudo's to Weiz for giving it a go :beerbang: I harvested the yeast, is it 1007?

Following Weiz's was the big number from Hopsta to finish on. It did have a sharp alcohol flavour to it which I'm sure would have mellowed if it had been left for a couple of months. Definately warmed my body a bit but I found it well balanced and something that I think will only get better with age. Another beer I haven't tried before but is on the list of to do's during autumn.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I'll definately be in for a Xmas in July case.

Cheers.


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## Gough (1/2/06)

I'm with Duff on this one. While there was a definite 'cheesy' aroma to Weiz' beer I don't think it was sink tipping material - seems a bit harsh. I've tasted a series of Weiz' attempts at this and other 'soured' styles and the majority have worked really well. The one in the case wasn't his absolute best, but it wasn't a total shocker IMHO. As Duff said, kudos to Weiz for having a go at a style that many of us, myself included, probably wouldn't try to brew, let alone have the bottle to submit to the Xmas Case :beerbang: 

I've finished the case now and really enjoyed the whole experience. I didn't see it as a competitive thing so won't list what I thought were the 'best' beers, but I will say that I really enjoyed the majority, in particular Duff's Kolsch and Kong's 'light'. Well brewed everyone - 'twas a happy Xmas  

Shawn.


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## KoNG (1/2/06)

Guys'n'gals
i'm nearing the end of my case too, i think i have 3 bottles left.! weizguys is one, hopsta's belgian strong another and i think Shmicks Aus strong Ale.
i think i have made comments on most of the beers, 1 or 2 were consumed at times where making notes or remembering the finer points was not possible h34r: , so sorry if i skipped yours. 
i think i'll keep hopsta's a little longer as a few have mentioned some more time would do it well.
i did have Duff's Kolsch a week or so ago. While siting back and enjoying it, Miss KoNG quaffed a little (read: half of it) and straight away said "oh thats your number (6)" ... of course it wasnt, but it did answer a frustrating question! a while back i did a partial lager, which i must have mixed up something along the process because it didnt turn out anything like i'd expected... and i had been wondering what to call it when mates asked what they were drinking.... NOw dont get me wrong they all love the beer as i do, but saying its a czech pilz wasnt going to cut it. So now i have brewed a "Kolsch" :lol: 
Hooray for me.

KoNG.. out.


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## Borret (1/2/06)

Without wanting to sound as f I am jumping on the band wagon I will jump in here with my 2 bob also.

Wiez I back you all the way with contributing something out of the ordinary to the christmas case. To not call it a good/well crafted beer would be missleading as you obviously went to alot more trouble to brew it than alot of us did for the case. Brewing outside the square.  
Yes the cheese aroma was there but I did not find it so offputting. The first sitting I was not so inspired by the beer and tried it with both raspberry cord and without. However I then shelved it (back in the fridge) and tried it a week later (Note: I don't normally do this). Not sure what happened over a week in regards to oxidisation or whatever from it being a half bottle or just a week in the fridge lagering.... BUT. what I drank on the second sitting was a totally reformed cheeseless and a very refreshing sour brew. It had somehow cleaned itself up a bit and not a drop of it touched the sink and I did enjoy it. I would definately be interested in sampling some future incarnations of this brew for comparison with this one.

As for the rest of the case I have enjoyed it overall in the lighthearted non competetive spirit it was concieved in..Definately a selection of quality beers to be foundthere. I still have a few to go but the standouts for me have definately been trent's porter and Kongs summer brews. Strangely enough from what UI have seen of their recipies both are very simple brews. Nice work guys

Shameless support for the Newy guy over  

Brent


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## Samwise Gamgee (1/2/06)

I've still got 23 bottles to go h34r: 

It's ok though, I was on no alcohol over Xmas and the detox has just finished.
Onto the tastings!


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## KoNG (1/2/06)

oohh.. and i'm keen for the July case aswell.!
Sam (cant do your tricky S..??) wont need to do the July case, he'll still have the Xmas one.!


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## T.D. (1/2/06)

Yes, I'm keen to participate in the July case as well. I was really disappointed to discover teh Xmas case concept after it was too late, but I'm definitely up for any future efforts! Does anybody know of where you can get a 25 bottle carton???


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## Tim (1/2/06)

Just out of curiousity, who got the two Vienna's I put in?
What did they think?


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## Weizguy (1/2/06)

T.D. said:


> Yes, I'm keen to participate in the July case as well. I was really disappointed to discover teh Xmas case concept after it was too late, but I'm definitely up for any future efforts! Does anybody know of where you can get a 25 bottle carton???
> [post="105896"][/post]​


He he...25 bottle carton? Yep, make one from timber for yourself. 5 X 5.
Have been making 6 pack holders for a while. used a cardboard unit as a template.
Apologies for O/T.


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## PostModern (1/2/06)

Geez, I hope I wasn't too critical or rude  I've been told I'm too blunt sometimes, appears last night was one of those times. I haven't got any experience with Berliner Weiss, so my expectations of it were radically different to what I tasted. Maybe my case was handled differently, I dunno, but I was unable to drink Seth's beer. From reading others' comments, it is most likely my untrained palate that made it a tipper rather than an interesting change. I just couldn't get past the cheese enough to get interested in the rest of the flavours/aromas.

I didn't for a minute mean to devalue the time and effort you put into the brew, Weizguy and I apologise if I came across wrong. h34r:


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## KoNG (1/2/06)

seeing though you are a mod PoMo.. i would think it suitable you give yourself a 3 week ban...!


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## Borret (1/2/06)

Na, we'll just refer to you as 'PoMo from Wagga' for a few months..... 

Did I mention the war........


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## Samwise Gamgee (1/2/06)

> Sam (cant do your tricky S..??) wont need to do the July case, he'll still have the Xmas one.!




hehehe hopefully I would've cleaned them up by July..............but then again...............we can only wait and see!


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## Trent (1/2/06)

I hope that my last post didnt make it sound as though I tipped Seths beer, cause I finished it all, and it wasnt under duress. I did find the cheese flavour a little offputting, but I have tasted it (his wiesse) before and know it to be good. Great idea, Borret, letting it sit for a week. I still have a few left to go, one of them if Tims Vienna. I didnt realise they were so rare tim! I am gonna pinch the yeast, so it may be a few more days until I get around to it, but I will post my review when I try it. Will post the rest of my reviews later tonight, gotta go get the rest of the stuff to make sushi before the boss gets home!
All the best
Trent


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## Tim (1/2/06)

Hey Trent,
Yeah I only included two, as I dropped two bottles of the brown ale and had to make up the numbers. So count yourself lucky Trent!


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## PostModern (1/2/06)

Borret said:


> Na, we'll just refer to you as 'PoMo from Wagga' for a few months.....
> 
> Did I mention the war........
> [post="105914"][/post]​



Did someone say "ban"? Hmmm.

Anyway, with all due respect to Seth, I'll stick to my motto "Beer in a glass, cheese on a cracker". But I do look forward to the perfected Weiss.


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## Weizguy (1/2/06)

PostModern said:


> Anyway, with all due respect to Seth, I'll stick to my motto "Beer in a glass, cheese on a cracker". But I do look forward to the perfected Weiss.
> [post="105961"][/post]​



Aaah, PoMo...Respect is a word taken too lightly these days. But I believe you are genuine on this.
I certainly respect your opinion, and probably would have done the same to that beer (down the sink), had I not tasted (and enjoyed) my first batch. The beer was odd, and I admire anyone with the determination to get through it. It will be the last one in my Xmas case that I will drink, hoping it gets better, but I reckon there are 2 chances (ha ha). :unsure: 

Well done, PoMo. I asked for feedback, and you were on the ball, providing it.  

Thanks to those who defended my beer, too. At this stage, I'm happy to declare the beer "wrong", and (at least) close to "undrinkable", if that makes anyone else feel better about being unable to consume it.
If my first sample of Weisse was like that batch, I wouldn't have consumed it. Scary stuff. And I wouldn't have made a second batch for the Xmas case. Here's hoping for third time lucky. Think I'll make a lacto cuture this time, instead of a sour mash, and start the batch in plenty of time to "Quality Assure" it before I unleash it on the case-sters. Some may still not like it...

So, is it difficult to make cheese at home? :lol: :lol: 

Seth out


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## KoNG (2/2/06)

i had SHMICKS Aus Strong Ale last night....
on first pour there was quite an alcohol aroma, which was also quite evident on first sip... very warming, maybe a little over powering.
myself and Miss KoNG both had a glass and it just so happened we only got a chance for a sip or 2 before our laksa was ready.
i dont drink beer very often with my dinner (except when ata restuarant and the meal would go well with whats on offer)
so anyway.... the beer was picked back up after consuming the laksa.
the beer had transformed for both of us after sitting and warming a little. i was a little aprehensive earlier on... but after dinner i enjoyed it much so.
the end
(nice little bed time story) 

Cheers
KoNG


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## Trent (15/2/06)

Well
I have finished my xmas case now, all bar Hopsta's GSA, but I think I will leave that one a little longer, more time cant hurt it, I believe I heard a few comments that it would get better with age? Anyway, here are my last few reviews

STICKLERS OLD - Slightly overcarbed on first pour, very dark colour. First sip tasted kinda metallic to me, for what reason though, I couldnt say. Nice body and mouthfeel to it. It tastes like it has a bit of roast barley in it, which I rarely use as I dont really like the flavour it imparts  . Apart from not quite being my cup of tea, I think that it is quite a good example of the "old" style (as in tooheys old, not Old Ale)

POL's VIENNA - Quite a lovely pourer. Nice amber colour, a little bit hazy. Quite malty and sweet up front and quite a firm bitterness. I think I could detect a bit of hop flavour in there, but little to no aroma. I have only had Negra Modelo to compare it to in style, so it is much paler than I was expecting from a vienna, but still a very nice beer. Well done.

BERTO'S WHEAT - Amber in colour, darker than I would expect for a wheat. Low head, but plenty of carbonation. Slightly astringent (?) nose, translates into a sour flavour in the beer that says "low level infection" to me, but I am not very well versed in wheat beers, so it could be the intended flavour. I know that some wheats are sour, so maybe this flavour is from lactobacillus, or something like that? Low-med body, and could be a very refreshing beer, but I had trouble getting past the sour flavour enough to fully enjoy the beer. I am assuming that was the intended flavour, though, as it certainly wasnt as overpowering as I would expect an infection to be

DUFF'S KOLSCH - Pale in colour, chill haze obvious. Good carbonation, nice pillowy head, fruity kinda nose. Very sweet and malty on the palate, but a very faint fruitiness (but I could be wrong). This is a very tasty beer and I am quite impressed with it.

TIM'S VIENNA - Low to medium carbonation, pale amber colour, and absolutely crystal clear. The clearest homebrew I think that I have ever come across, I can read my notes right through it! Very little to no hop aroma. Malty flavour with a reasonably firm bitterness, and some sort of bite that COULD be carbonation bite, but I am not sure, it feels tingly on the tongue and throat though. As with POL's effort, alot paler than Negra Modelo, but still quite nice. I dont know the style well enough to offer much advice, but for mine (and it is only my opinion), and would aim for a slightly higher FG for some more sweetness in there, though that could be out of style. Great beer to try though, thanks for sharing it.

STUSTER'S BITTER - Nice amber colour, with some chill haze. Good carbonation. Nice hop aroma, good firm bitterness and a good hop flavour. Nice clean yeast, it allows the malt and hops to both shine through, I thought this was an excellent beer, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the xmas case swap, and ESPECIALLY to those that organised it, did the "ferrying" and for the extra's. I cant wait for the next case swap, though we may have to start doing 2 cases of stubbies, cause it seems there are probably at least the same amount again that will want to be in the next one :beerbang: 
All the best
Trent


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## berto (15/2/06)

You mean 4 cases of stubbies Trent.


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## Trent (16/2/06)

Right you are, berto. Lucky I am not the one doing the organising, eh?
All the best
Trent


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## Weizguy (16/2/06)

Trent,

At the moment, no one has put their hand up for the job.
I'd be happy to nominate you, if you can coordinate from your remote location. :lol: 

Seth


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## Trent (17/2/06)

Seth, 
I dont think I could organise an orgy in a brothel with a fist full of hundreds, so I dunno how I would go getting something as important as beer to the right people  ! And I was thinking, I DID mean 2 cartons of stubbies, 48 brewers, one stubby from each brewer, though it is a little too little maybe. I just figured that with all the interest after the last case swap was done, I would be surprised if there werent 48 brewers wanting to get in on the next one. So it will probably be either 2 seperate case swaps going, or go to stubbies, cause I think that 4 cases per person would be a little too much to ask the organisers and ferriers to do. Besides, most batches only go about 2-2 1/2 cases, so if we were all gonna get the same beer, we'd have to halve our portions. Not the best idea, I suppose (less beer), but an idea none the less.
I'll shut up now
Trent


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## Doc (5/3/06)

Just cracked Weizguys' Weisse.
Sorry Weizguy, but I am a little dissapointed after the previous B Weisse I had of yours.
And just to referesh my memory I still had a stubby of your B Weisse in the yeast starter fridge I'd forgotten about. 
So I did the side by side. Definitely two completely different ends of the spectrum for the same style of beer. 
Did the sour mash get hotter or go for longer with the Xmas case ?
Mark also palmed me your Light Wheat the other week which I thouroughly enjoyed. Some fantastic wheat flavours in that beer. My preference (against style) is for a little more body, but that didn't stop me savouring every last drop of that baby.

What are you looking to contribute to the July case ? How about an Imperial Dunkel Weizenbock ? 

Beers,
Doc


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## Doc (5/3/06)

Onto my last beer of the case.
Hopsta's Belgian GSA.

I've really enjoyed the beers from the case. There have been a couple that have really stood out and this is one of them. 
I love my strong ales (bugger the lagers), and what better way to finish a Sunday arvo in the yard than with a Belgian GSA before bed.
A really complex ale that changes considerably as it warms up. Great raison notes on the aroma, with some higher alcohols and phenols on the taste buds. Well balanced and nice and warming. Wishing it was winter 
Great drop.

I have to go and dig out the recipe from the Recipes topic now. Top work Hopsta.

Beers,
Doc


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## Doc (5/3/06)

Followup: Finishing the bottle now and I've got a hankering for cheese. Weird. Must be bedtime as I've finished all the cheese 

Doc


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## Hopsta (6/3/06)

Doc said:


> Onto my last beer of the case.
> Hopsta's Belgian GSA.
> 
> I've really enjoyed the beers from the case. There have been a couple that have really stood out and this is one of them.
> ...



Thanks for the review Doc, glad you enjoyed it  i havent gotten around to posting the recipe yet, i'll do it tonight when i get home.


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## Hopsta (8/3/06)

For those that are interested, here is the recipe for my Belgian GSA. Its a fairly large partial mash, but its easy enough to convert it to AG you wanted to.....

Cheers,
-Hopsta :beerbang: 


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Hopsta's Belgian GSA
Brewer: Nathan
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (0.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L 
Boil Size: 13.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.087 SG
Estimated Color: 15.4 EBC
Estimated IBU: 23.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
3.20 kg Light Dry Extract (15.8 EBC) Dry Extract 48.5 % 
2.00 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (3.9 EBC) Grain 30.3 % 
0.20 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 3.0 % 
0.20 kg Wheat, Flaked (3.2 EBC) Grain 3.0 % 
77.00 gm Hallertauer, New Zealand [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 21.1 IBU 
21.00 gm Saaz [4.00%] (20 min) Hops 2.0 IBU 
14.00 gm Saaz [4.00%] (1 min) Hops 0.1 IBU 
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 
1.00 kg Candi Sugar, Clear (1.0 EBC) Sugar 15.2 % 
1 Pkgs Belgian Golden Ale (White Labs #WLP570) [StYeast-Ale 


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 2.40 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time 
Saccharification Add 6.26 L of water at 77.0 C 70.0 C 40 min 
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 10 min 75.6 C 10 min 


Notes:
------
After seconday ferment, rack to cube cc for 2 weeks to clear then rack to keg or bottle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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## berapnopod (8/3/06)

Hopsta said:


> 77.00 gm Hallertauer, New Zealand [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 21.1 IBU



That doesn't sound right. By my calculations, you should get something like 75IBUs from this hop addition.

Also, I didn't see anything on what your FG was (or ABV). Do you have that number available?

Berp.


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## Hopsta (8/3/06)

berapnopod said:


> Hopsta said:
> 
> 
> > 77.00 gm Hallertauer, New Zealand [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 21.1 IBU
> ...



Berapnopod, its a 13ltr boil hence the 77 grams. I have the OG and FG at home somewhere will edit my post with those details when i find them. Either way i remember it coming out at 9%.


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## berapnopod (9/3/06)

Hopsta said:


> Berapnopod, its a 13ltr boil hence the 77 grams. I have the OG and FG at home somewhere will edit my post with those details when i find them. Either way i remember it coming out at 9%.



I still get way more IBUs than you. I am assuming you put all the sugars together into the boil (13 litres). So the boil gravity should be something like 1.145. 77g of 7%AA for 60 minutes should give 92IBUs. Diluted to final volume of 23L gives 52 IBUs.

I don't remember the beer coming out too bitter, so I must be missing something out. What is it?

Berp.


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## Borret (9/3/06)

Berapnopod,

Are you including loss's to trub etc in your calcs. Alot of hops left to settle in that there undiluted wort.

Failing this you'd better give beersmith a call as it's their programme that really did the calcs.....Hopsta brewed it that way and it worked so I guess...he's all right.

Brent


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## Stuster (9/3/06)

Berp

Promash gave me an IBU of 55 for the undiluted 13litres with a boil gravity of 1160, giving around 31IBUs for the 23 litres of 1090 wort. This seems about right to me. I think it's the poor hop utilisation at this gravity that throws out the figures.

Cheers
Stuart


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## Weizguy (9/3/06)

Doc said:


> Just cracked Weizguys' Weisse.
> Sorry Weizguy, but I am a little dissapointed after the previous B Weisse I had of yours.
> And just to referesh my memory I still had a stubby of your B Weisse in the yeast starter fridge I'd forgotten about.
> So I did the side by side. Definitely two completely different ends of the spectrum for the same style of beer.
> ...



Doc,...late reply (due to lack of a home PC, ATM).

The prob with the Xmas case beer was the speise (for priming), which developed the odd flavour. It was initially boiled, then frozen, but was thawed for a little too long before the bottling was done.
Next time, I'll use a lacto culture (already started).
Yep, a lack of body is what you might expect with a light beer,...and seeing that it was my first attempt at a light wheat, I'm pleased enough. BTW, Mark didn't remember to tell me that he gave U one. Thanks for the feedback. More body next time, and a lower ferment temp too.

For the July case, I plan to make Gerard's Choc Porter, as he was kind enough to share the recipe, and it's a top beer...+ the Sour Weisse of course.

May save the IDW for another time, if that's OK, although it would be a nice Winter drinker.

Seth out


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## DrewCarey82 (15/6/06)

Weizguy said:


> DrewCarey82 said:
> 
> 
> > Reading this I am so jealous I didnt get in....
> ...



Hahaha didnt miss out this time, been reading this thread and its making my mouth water cant wait to see all these great beers and better still taste them.

Only thing is my labels are very plain and my missus who printed them off at work spelt Saaz - Sarz!!! oh well it will still taste the goods for u fellas.


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## Weizguy (10/7/06)

Duff said:


> Well it's a beautiful sight in my garage at the moment with 36 cases of beer gracing the floor all sorted and ready to go. Will have to start with one or two tonight, sorry for all those who haven't got theirs yet
> 
> My Kolsch is ready for drinking whenever you are ready.
> 
> Cheers.


I'm ready tonight, and so is the Kolsch. And so is my thread-reviving penchant.

I thought that I'd refer to one of Berp's early reviews, of this specific beer, for contextual support.

Berp could detect German hop aroma and some esters. The hops are still there, and the esters too. The last bit in the bottle with yeast, smells a little sulfury. Overall the beer smells great.

The beer is now only mildly hazy, and bubbles have mellowed after a couple of months in my fridge. the head seems to last longer than Berp found, too, and I have a small amoount of lacing in my glass.

As Berp realeted, the Koelsch was a little cloying and overly malty early on. There is now still a lot of malt backbone to this pale golden ale, but it's not cloying to my palate.

Carbonation is still about right. Having never tasted one in Koln (too lazy to find an umlaut), I can't say that it right or not. It tastes good to me though. 

I have purchased a Reissdorf Kolsch, and this one is still fresher at about 7 months, and drinkable but perhaps a little under-attenuated; as Berp suggests. I recall that the commercial beer was a little more crisp

I have to concur with Berp here where he writes "if anyone else out there wants to know what a Koelsch tastes like, this is pretty damn close - well done Duff!"

Well done. I'll have to scout the recipe section for both yours and Doc's recipes.

Seth out


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