# Sydney Easter Case Swap - Drinking Reports



## Gulpa (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Belgian Pale Ale or Oktoberfest
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14 (esb). Caleb
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA


No. Havent drunk one yet. Just added drinking date for mine.

Cheers
Andrew.


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## Muggus (4/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> 1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
> 2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
> 3. Josh - Belgian Pale Ale or Oktoberfest
> 4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
> ...


I was about to say you sounded quite keen by posting this thread Andrew. 

Were all beers accounted for?


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## Josh (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14 (esb). Caleb
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA


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## caleb (4/4/09)

Hi again. (and my wife thought I was too keen by posting already... a thread is already started!)

Just wanted to thank everybody, and ask if you can post whether your beer is ready to drink, or a suggested maturity date.

My ESB hasn't carbonated yet, so I suspect it'll take another week or two. Bottling date is on the label and mine have normally carbed by now, but this one seems a bit slow. I'll continue to sample those I have here each week and post results when I think it's ready, so hold off until then.

So, what can I put in the fridge now?


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## schooey (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14 (esb). Caleb
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA


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## Bizier (4/4/09)

2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA

Ready to drink now.


Case Swap American IPA
---------------------
Brewer: Dan 18th jan 09
Style: American IPA
Batch: 23.00 LPartial Mash

Characteristics
---------------
Recipe Gravity: 1.103 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 52 IBU
Recipe Color: 11 SRM
Estimated FG: 1.026
Alcohol by Volume: 10.0%
Alcohol by Weight: 7.8%

Ingredients
-----------
Acidulated Malt 0.11 kg, Grain, Mashed
British brown 0.10 kg, Grain, Mashed
Cane sugar 1.80 kg, Sugar, Other
Carahell 0.11 kg, Grain, Mashed
Carared 0.10 kg, Grain, Mashed
Light D.M.E. 3.00 kg, Extract, Extract
Maris Otter Malt 2.00 kg, Grain, Mashed

Cascade NZ 45.00 g, Whole, 5 minutes
Cascade NZ - @ Bottle 45.00 g, Whole, 0 minutes
Cascade US 120.00 g, Plug, 30 minutes
Centennial - @ Bottle 45.00 g, Pellet, 0 minutes
Chinook - @ Bottle 30.00 g, Pellet, 0 minutes
Cluster 20.00 g, Pellet, 60 minutes
Target - @ Bottle 20.00 g, Pellet, 0 minutes

American Ale yeast 1L from prev batch

Notes
-----
Recipe Notes:
First runnings - boiled 7L with cluster + US Cascade Plugs
Second runnings - boiled 7L with NZ Cascade Flowers
Boiled 7L + 3kg DME
Topped up with water.

Batch Notes:
OG (no sugar, pre-pitch) = 1.068


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## loftboy (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV. Drink now for maximum hoppy goodness.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14 (esb). Caleb
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA


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## Thommo (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale - semi carbed, maybe give it one more week.
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV. Drink now for maximum hoppy goodness.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14 (esb). Caleb
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA

Just updating mine.


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## caleb (4/4/09)

OK, first up Number 05 - "Strong Belgian Ale" - just because it was the first one on the thread to say "drink now".
:chug: 

First impressions are that this is quite a mild, fruity ale. It pours a pale straw color with a white head which quickly subsides, leaving a very lightly carbonated beverage. The aroma is of pineapple and bubblegum, which becomes more pronounced as the beer warms up.
The taste is similar, no suprises there - very fruity with nice pineapple flavors. The aroma and flavor are estery and I'm sure due to the yeast, rather than any hop additions. Bitterness is quite low and any hop useage is subtle and overwhelmed by the fruity estery nature of the yeast.
This beer actually tastes like a Belgian Wit, and is very enjoyable, but totally lacking the depth and spiciness I expected from an "8.5% alcohol Belgian Ale". The only indications of strength is the fact that after finishing the bottle I feel particularly light headed, vivacious and happy, with a big grin on my face and an urge to hum reggae tunes. In short, I'm drunk as a skunk as I type this...

*Summary*
A very fruity ale which drinks like a new Wit, and reveals it's strength later.


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## DiscoStu (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale - semi carbed, maybe give it one more week.
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale - bottled 18/3/09, drinkable now but give it another couple of weeks
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV. Drink now for maximum hoppy goodness.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14 (esb). Caleb
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA

Thanks to everyone who participated, great to see you all and put faces to AHB users. Thanks to FGZ for being the self appointed Case Swap Beer Nazi and keeping everyone organised.

Stu


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## caleb (4/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale - semi carbed, maybe give it one more week.
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale - bottled 18/3/09, drinkable now but give it another couple of weeks
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV. Drink now for maximum hoppy goodness.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14. Caleb - English ESB - "Easter Swap Beer"/Extra Special Bitter - S-04, 6.4% ABV. Wait a few weeks to carbonate. I'll update you.
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA

Just updating my entry in the table.

Also, I have a beer labelled HEF 1/4. Is this "beer 1" from Retsamhsam? HEF sounds like a hefeweizen...


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## tdack (4/4/09)

Caleb said:


> 1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
> 2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
> 3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
> 4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
> ...



Here's mine. It's meant to be a golden ale type. So far the half that went in the keg isn't going too bad, maybe slightly under carbed at the moment.

It was bottled 2 MAR, so if you are game it should be drinkable about now.

Initially was pitched with WLP-007 but that didn't take off, so a few hundred mls of WPL-001 from a previous batch was pitched and it took off well.

I'd also welcome feedback on the recipe.

[codebox]Recipe: Troy's Golden Ale #3

Recipe Overview

Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG
Actual OG: 1.047 SG
Actual FG: 1.010 SG
Actual Apparent Attenuation: 78.0 %
Actual ABV: 4.9 %
Actual ABW: 3.8 %
Actual IBU: 28.8 IBU
Actual Color: 27.8 EBC
Actual Mash Efficiency: 74.9 %

Fermentables
Australian Light Munich 1.750 kg (43.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Australian Crystal 140 0.400 kg (10.0 %) In Mash/Steeped
Australian Amber Malt 0.350 kg (8.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Extract - Wheat Liquid Malt Extract 1.500 kg (37.5 %) Start Of Boil

Hops
UK Northdown (8.1 % alpha) 25 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
US Amarillo (8.2 % alpha) 15 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 30 Min From End
US Amarillo (8.2 % alpha) 15 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 10 Min From End
US Amarillo (8.2 % alpha) 10 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 5 Min From End
US Amarillo (8.2 % alpha) 15 g Bagged Pellet Hops used Dry-Hopped

Other Ingredients
Irish Moss 5 g used In Boil


Yeast: White Labs WLP001-California Ale
[/codebox]


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## white.grant (5/4/09)

I have created a wiki article to ease the updating of drinking tips for the swap beers. Just edit the article using the edit button.

It is here.

cheers

grant


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## Bizier (5/4/09)

Cheers Grant.


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## Fatgodzilla (5/4/09)

Bizier said:


> Cheers Grant.




Good stuff Grant. Have editted some beer highlighting which are ready now, plus made some references to the side bar beers I gave away. 

Great day - enjoyed the time in Sydney. Got home about 9.00pm and thankfully crashed in bed rather than on the highway. 

Have put # 2, 5 & 10 in fridge and will enjoy while watching the footie this arvo. At estimated 10%, 8.5% and 6.1% alcohol, I think that will be all I'll drink this arvo !

I expect Xmas in July 2009 case swap recipes are being thought of as we read !!!

:lol:


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## Muggus (5/4/09)

Looking good there Chaps. Good idea with the wiki Grant.
I'm gonna try a be a good boy and leave my beers for after Easter...probably won't happen...


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## Gulpa (5/4/09)

Caleb said:


> OK, first up Number 05 - "Strong Belgian Ale" - just because it was the first one on the thread to say "drink now".
> :chug:
> 
> First impressions are that this is quite a mild, fruity ale. It pours a pale straw color with a white head which quickly subsides, leaving a very lightly carbonated beverage. The aroma is of pineapple and bubblegum, which becomes more pronounced as the beer warms up.
> ...



Thanks for the feedback Caleb. Im not sure what happened with the carb, I primed it to 3 gravities. It is pretty fruity, but its my first attempt at the style so I have a baseline now and know where I need to focus. The alc certainly creeps up on you :icon_cheers: 

cheers
Andrew.


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## Bizier (5/4/09)

10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA).

I have never tried to materialise my tasting notes before, they have been more of an ethereal affair and I have never put it in writing, so here goes.

Appearance is deep gold, thick head subsiding over time.
Aroma is citrus and maybe peach.
Mouthfeel is thick and resiny, nice.
Taste is a little surprising, I thought it was less bitter than I was bracing myself for, and then there was a pleasant clean sharp 'sting' at the end. Grapefruit and spicy hops, some of whatever I called 'peach' in the aroma follows through to the taste.

Enjoyed it, would buy it in a store, and look forward to the others.

I'd be keen to see what hops you used Loftboy, I am hazarding a guess as cascade, maybe something from NZ or with noble lineage and a little Amarillo?


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## loftboy (5/4/09)

Bizier said:


> I'd be keen to see what hops you used Loftboy, I am hazarding a guess as cascade, maybe something from NZ or with noble lineage and a little Amarillo?



Glad you enjoyed it Biz. Hops were as follows;

Magnum 60min 58 IBU
Centennial 10min 8.3 IBU
Chinook 5min 9.8 IBU
Lots of Amarillo at flameout.

Overall, it was 76.4 IBU. OG was 1.061.

If you're interested in the entire recipe, I can put it into the RecipeDB. Let me know.


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## RetsamHsam (5/4/09)

Caleb said:


> Also, I have a beer labelled HEF 1/4. Is this "beer 1" from Retsamhsam? HEF sounds like a hefeweizen...



Yeah, that is one of mine. I ended up being one beer short so it looks like you ended up with a Hefeweizen instead of the IPA. the 1/4 was the bottling date so give it week or two before cracking it open. 

For anyone else who got one of these or one of the Dunkleweizens in the sidebar swap make sure and leave for a week or two as well.


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## caleb (5/4/09)

For tonight - 
*BREW NUMBER 2 - Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA*
:icon_drunk: 
Well that went down well...

This beer pours a golden color with a nice depth. A thick creamy head develops if poured hard, which leaves pronounced lacing down the glass as drunk. Overall carbonation is fairly low though.

There is a pronounced aroma (as expected for this style) which is both earthy and citrusy. A sweet honey-like aroma sits upfront, followed by citrusy lemon zest and an earthy, slightly spicy undertone.

The flavor is all about the hops here, and is highly bitter with a strong lemon taste, followed by earthy honey-like flavors. The bitterness becomes much more pronounced as the beer warms up, and is probably best served a few degrees above fridge temperature. However, the lemon-zest bitterness may become a bit too much by the end of the glass - when I talk about "citrus" flavors here it really IS like lemon zest, not just juice or a vague "citrus" aroma. 

Underneath it all is this earthy, honey, spicy taste which is similar to a recent batch of beer I brewed. I'm suspecting Summer Saaz hops here, yes? Also lots of Cascade, with perhaps Simcoe as well? How close am I?

I really enjoyed this beer. For my own consumption I would probably make it a little less bitter, but then that may be defeating the purpose of a "double I" PA. Also, for other drinkers, there is a LOT of sediment which is VERY easily disturbed, so pour carefully...

*Summary:*
An enjoyable showcase for hop-heads, with a strong lemon-zest and honey aroma and flavor. Bitter lemons may become too much by the end for those who prefer a milder, sweeter beer.


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## Bizier (6/4/09)

loftboy said:


> Magnum 60min 58 IBU
> Centennial 10min 8.3 IBU
> Chinook 5min 9.8 IBU
> Lots of Amarillo at flameout.



Sweet, I am pretty happy with my guesswork, I tasted cascade, but it was the centennial + chinook that gave that impression, amarillo is the peach and magnum was the noble.

My first ever swap beer, cheers Loftboy



Caleb said:


> The flavor is all about the hops here, and is highly bitter



 I actually think that the alcohol hides a lot of the bitterness, it is nothing like some US IPAs I have had that totally b*tchslap you as soon as you take a sip. I only used a pich at 60 mins, some guys use a ton at 90 or 120.


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## syd_03 (6/4/09)

G'day guys,
Updated the wiki with my side swap beers.

I have a couple I cant remember what they were, First was APA on a gold cap, I think from Grantw?
Second was gold cap with a 2 over HX it think it was a porter or something? Maybe was swap beer 2 with DK from xmas swap?

Third was courtesy of Fatgodzilla, just wondering what was your second batch this year? Cap 902.

Cheers
Jason


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## Fatgodzilla (6/4/09)

syd_03 said:


> G'day guys,
> Updated the wiki with my side swap beers.
> 
> I have a couple I cant remember what they were, First was APA on a gold cap, I think from Grantw?
> ...




902 an English Bitter according to my notes. Will upgrade in wiki.


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## tdack (6/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> 902 an English Bitter according to my notes. Will upgrade in wiki.



Very tasty thanks! It went down a treat last night while I was brewing up my own version of an ESB.


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## white.grant (6/4/09)

syd_03 said:


> G'day guys,
> Updated the wiki with my side swap beers.
> 
> I have a couple I cant remember what they were, First was APA on a gold cap, I think from Grantw?
> ...



Yep that was the Big Bang APA. I think the recipe is in the db under that name. Mikem created it.

Cheers

Grant


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## DiscoStu (11/4/09)

10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05

Deep golden colour with a thick fluffy off white head. Some citrus aromas, smelt inviting.

Well balanced with between the bitterness upfront and maltiness in the background. Great hoppy flavour with citrus notes carrying thru.

Nice job, very tasty drop


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## caleb (12/4/09)

Getting behind on my tasting notes here, so I'll have to catch up. So, in chronological order of consumption up next is:

*04 - "Bright Ale" by Fatgodzilla*

:icon_cheers: 

This beer pours a clear golden color, and is highly carbonated with a billowing white head.

The unmistakable Belgian spicy yeast aroma hits you straight up - this beer smells almost exactly like a Leffe Blonde! I was a little suprized as I was expecting something like a British golden/summer ale here going on the name, but anyway, Belgian style it is. There is no hops aroma, just that rich Leffe yeast aroma, which is very appealing.

However, I found this beer to be _very_ thin bodied, almost watery. There is no malt or hops flavors to back up the yeasty esters, so the end result is, in my opinion, a bit lacking. The result is very dry and fizzy, and thin where you'd what some "thickness" to back up the yeast.

This is not an unpleasant beer - there are no off flavors or anything, but I was left wanting "more". It is similar in taste to a Leffe Blonde, or perhaps a wheat beer, but just too thin bodied. It needs some wheat or specialty grain for more body, perhaps even a higher mash temperature, or something else to give a higher final gravity. Perhaps an extra dash of hops on top of that would also help.

*Summary:*
Leffe Blonde diluted with Pure Blonde. (sorry...  )


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## caleb (12/4/09)

Next in drinking order:

*10 - Iron Horse IPA/APA by Loftboy

:icon_drool2: 

*That's me thinking about this beer!

It is a deep golden/amber color with impressive clarity - probably the clearest home-brew I've had so far. A fizzy head which quickly dissipated was the only let down.

This beer features the classic citrus/fruity aroma of American hops - lots of Amarillo and perhaps... Cascade? Simcoe? There is a very clean taste and aroma to this beer which really accentuates the hops. The bitterness is _very_ high, gotta be around 50-60IBU, with pronounced hop flavors from late addition hopping.

To be honest, this could pass as a commercial beer. If you gave me this and said it was Little Creatures Pale Ale or Bright Ale, it would have passed. Perhaps I'd have thought that they'd improved the recipe a bit, at least increasing the bitterness.

This beer is a perfect example of it's style. Not suprising or innovative (unless you are not used to this style of beer... :blink: ) but extremely well done, and one I'd be happy to pay for.

*Summary:*
A clean, clear, classic example of the hops driven American style pale ale. One for the hop-heads.


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## Josh (13/4/09)

*Fatgodzilla - 902 English Bitter*

Pretty tasty drop FGZ. Was highly carbed, but after I let the first glass settle down I managed to top it up and get a good drink out of it. Don't know much about English styles, but I would order another one. So that's a good sign.


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## Gulpa (13/4/09)

*4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale*

First cab off the ranks from me with this swap.

Pours a clear pale gold with a big head. Head falls down but is persistent. Aroma tells me its Belgian, I would have thought blonde more than bright (what is bright anyway?). Body is quite light with the belgian flavours up front but with a hoppy bite following through. Finish is reasonably bitter for the body. Not sure what the hops are but they add something to the beer, sort of an orange citrus. If it was anybody other than FGZ I would have said there was some orange peel in this beer but I know FGZ would never add fruit to beer B) . Nice beer FGZ, thanks.

cheers
Andrew.


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## Fatgodzilla (13/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> *4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale*
> 
> First cab off the ranks from me with this swap.
> 
> ...




Interesting comments from Gulpa & Caleb on the brew. The hops are Chinook early and Amarillo late which accounts for the citrussy bent. Used US 05 so nothing to suggest the 'belgian" influence - the grain bill was 3kg Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner malt, 1kg JW Vienna and a handful of wheat malt & caraamber which fit well into a belgian pale ale mix. I don't keep mash temp notes (I should and will do from now on) but suggest I may well have mashed low to get such a light body.

No real reason to call it a "bright" ale other than its paleness at bottling suggested it would be a pale sparkling ale type of brew. Maybe I should rename it Oxymoron Ale (Bright Blonde Ale). Whatever, it was and is not really in any BJCP category (though many a kolsch recipe is brewed using US 05)

As I said at the bbq, not looking at excuses but this is one of my poorer efforts at case swaps - I was only just happy enough to submit this brew. If I had time I would have tried again ! Looks like I should have submitted the "902" instead !

Wait till the Red Dingo Ale at the next swap - if I can get what I want, it'll shine !


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## Josh (14/4/09)

*1. Retsamhsam - American IPA 8% ABV 40.5 IBU*

A little darker than the other two. Also highly carbed which meant pouring into 4 glasses and then letting it settle. All those bubbles brought out the strong hoppy aroma which was really nice. Seemed like typical US hops which I am a fan of. Dunno if it's just me but it seemed a little harsh in the bittering. Good malt backbone and a pretty tasty beer though.

*2. Bizier - Strong US IPA ~10% (US05)*

Fresher hop aroma than 1 with less harsh bitterness. You can really taste the alcohol in it, perhaps a little solventy. A nice beer and not so overly carbed which was handy.

*10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV*

Similar hop aroma as the other two. Well balanced for a hoppy beer and a pleasure to drink. Less alcohol flavour which is expected given it's 6% not 8 or 10. For mine the pick of the three.

All three were pretty good beers. I don't drink a lot of big beers, but they were definitely tasty.


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## Gulpa (14/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Interesting comments from Gulpa & Caleb on the brew. The hops are Chinook early and Amarillo late which accounts for the citrussy bent. Used US 05 so nothing to suggest the 'belgian" influence - the grain bill was 3kg Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner malt, 1kg JW Vienna and a handful of wheat malt & caraamber which fit well into a belgian pale ale mix. I don't keep mash temp notes (I should and will do from now on) but suggest I may well have mashed low to get such a light body.
> 
> No real reason to call it a "bright" ale other than its paleness at bottling suggested it would be a pale sparkling ale type of brew. Maybe I should rename it Oxymoron Ale (Bright Blonde Ale). Whatever, it was and is not really in any BJCP category (though many a kolsch recipe is brewed using US 05)
> 
> ...



Hi FGZ,

You are being too hard on yourself. I think it was a nice summer session beer. 

I would have never picked the yeast as us-05. I didnt read Caleb's notes before writing mine so its interesting we both thought belgian style. It will be interesting to see what others see in this beer. Im voting for a mix-up at the yeast factory :unsure: .

Cheers,
Andrew.


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## Gulpa (14/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Have put # 2, 5 & 10 in fridge and will enjoy while watching the footie this arvo. At estimated 10%, 8.5% and 6.1% alcohol, I think that will be all I'll drink this arvo !



And FGZ,

You forgot to tell us how you felt the next day after drinking those :beerbang: 

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (14/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> And FGZ,
> 
> You forgot to tell us how you felt the next day after drinking those :beerbang:
> 
> ...




Been drunk for a week and still sobering up !

Will always be a harsh self critic ( .. he says, reaching for the cat o' nine tails for a spot of self flaggellation.)

Will consult my notes and will report back !


----------



## Gulpa (14/4/09)

*10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV*

Thought I would try this one next. The other IPAs are a bit big for a school night.

Pours dark gold with a slight chill haze. Small head. Aroma is US hops with a malty caramel in the background. Im thinking more an APA until I take the first sip. Definitely IPA bitter. Flavours are very similar to the aroma with quite a spicy finish to it. Flavours linger nicely. Malt comes to the front as it warms. Great balance, nothing out of place. Very nice beer Lofty. 

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (15/4/09)

*10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV*
Only the alcohol content worries me about these types of beers - prefer same flavour with less ABVs. That said, had two Tooheys Extra Drys (to condition the palate) then BAAAMMMM - Everything said previously goes here. Love American hops tatste / aroma and this came in bucket loads. My palate said thank you and so do I. 

Good one !

*5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5%* 

Ditto my comments above on alcohol strength. I reckon this should have been bottled in stubbies, as would have preferred to have had this in two sessions ! That said I emptied the bottle in half an hour ! 

Beautiful simple flavours. Not excessive hot flavoured alcohol wise - actually a nice balance. Had expensive bottles of Belgium's best and this one compares well to me (though, let's face it, my reputation as a judge isn't good !). Thanks. 



Two bottles of brew that makes going in case swaps the very worthy and rewarding exercise it is. Thanks lads.


----------



## Bizier (16/4/09)

Troy Dack - Golden Ale
Pours a mid amber with a beige head that quickly subsides.
Aroma was tropical and peachy stonefruit, I assume amarillo.
I sadly found that there was a roughness that hindered my ability to properly taste this beer, maybe from tannins or a high ferment temperature, I am unsure. I found that I enjoyed the aroma more than the taste, sorry Troy. I look forward to your next one though.

Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
Pale gold with a slight haze. Highly carbed with a thick head leaving a small amount of lace.
I agree that there is a ester funk going on in FGZ town... hard to believe it is US yeast. There is also a pleasant fruity hop aroma.
The bitterness is firmly present, but I find there is a gap where I expected hop flavour to be, I am unsure if this is part of the style.
Body was dry, and I could definitely kill one on a hot day.
Cheers Fats

Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA 8% ABV 40.5 IBU
Mid gold colour with what looks like hop haze. Brilliant fluffy white head that subsides to a happy little foam layer.
Big fruit nose from the hops. I get ripe stonefruit, perhaps plums, even towards ripe strawberries, also some tropical fruits.
Fruit continues into the tase with little surprise, huge late hop character. Resinous, clingy mouthfeel. There was a slightly soapy character that I detected as an aftertaste, which I was not stoked on, but that said, I would still buy this beer if it were in the shops. Good work Rets.


----------



## Josh (17/4/09)

Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale

I'll agree with the other comments and say it was pretty estery, but I quite liked it. I didn't have the list in front of me when drinking. Original thoughts were an English Bitter or even a Belgian Pale Ale. Gotta say I really liked it.

Fatgodzilla - 902 Porter?

Perhaps a little thin in the body, but I love the chocolatey flavours you get from porters and it topped off a pretty good night. I for one am happy with your choice of swap beer. But not unhappy I got the other one too.

SB

I'm not exactly sure which this one is. Perhaps a side swap? Anyway, I cracked it at 2am. It's now 3am and I enjoyed both glasses. Rich and full body, Toasty, a little bit burnt with some nice fermentation flavours. Good work whoever put this one in. Is it a Belgian Strong Dark Ale?


----------



## white.grant (17/4/09)

Josh said:


> SB
> 
> I'm not exactly sure which this one is. Perhaps a side swap? Anyway, I cracked it at 2am. It's now 3am and I enjoyed both glasses. Rich and full body, Toasty, a little bit burnt with some nice fermentation flavours. Good work whoever put this one in. Is it a Belgian Strong Dark Ale?



That'd be my side swap California Common (SB = steam beer). Glad you enjoyed it - from your description it has turned out OK. I'm yet to try this beer - one's going into the fridge now.

cheers

grant


----------



## Josh (17/4/09)

Grantw said:


> That'd be my side swap California Common (SB = steam beer). Glad you enjoyed it - from your description it has turned out OK. I'm yet to try this beer - one's going into the fridge now.
> 
> cheers
> 
> grant


It's a dark steam beer.
Pretty tasty Grant. I haven't made a CC in a while, will have to get some more yeast soon.


----------



## white.grant (17/4/09)

*No 5. Gulpa Strong Belgian Ale*

16.4.09

Pours clear and golden into my chalice, a strong foam stand leaving a nice lace, pleasant yeast derived phenolic aromas enhancing the pale malt character.

Flavours are subtle pears and spice, the interesting yeast profile backing up, and then the pleasantly warming dry alcohol finish. Very clean, nicely balanced.

A very good belgian strong, really drinkable though at 8.5% and on a school night - I must be mad. Enjoyed every drop.

Thanks Gulpa

cheers

grant


----------



## Fatgodzilla (17/4/09)

Grantw said:


> *No 5. Gulpa Strong Belgian Ale*
> 
> 
> A very good belgian strong, really drinkable though at 8.5% and on a school night - I must be mad. Enjoyed every drop.
> ...




What you whinging about. School holidays !


And you don't go to school !


----------



## Gulpa (17/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> *5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5%*
> 
> Ditto my comments above on alcohol strength. I reckon this should have been bottled in stubbies, as would have preferred to have had this in two sessions !



Thanks for the notes FGZ.

I agree a long neck at that strengh means things can get a bit messy. I think I will cut it back for the next swap. How does an 8.2% 75IBU American Imperial Porter sound :icon_cheers: 

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Gulpa (17/4/09)

Grantw said:


> *No 5. Gulpa Strong Belgian Ale*



Thanks Grant. It sounds like the carb has come up a bit. I will have to put one in the fridge to try.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (17/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> Thanks for the notes FGZ.
> 
> I agree a long neck at that strengh means things can get a bit messy. I think I will cut it back for the next swap. How does an 8.2% 75IBU American Imperial Porter sound :icon_cheers:
> 
> ...




Definitely needs to be put into 200ml bottles :lol: 

In the current BYO magazine there's a recipe for an imperial smoked American stout that I thought of trying - maybe I'll do it and we can compare them .....(he says with 3kg of Weyermann rauchmalt that is reaching its used by date) ..

and I might just bottle them in some Crown Lager stubbies .. probably bring them for the side bar swap !

What hops you looking at to get to 75IBU ?


----------



## Gulpa (17/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> What hops you looking at to get to 75IBU ?



Warrior and Nthn Brewer for bitterness. Bucketloads of cascade for aroma. Also a recipe from BYO, but Ill change it a bit to suit ingredients I have.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Gulpa (17/4/09)

*1. Retsamhsam - American IPA 8% ABV 40.5 IBU*

Pours dark gold. Clear. Big big head. Complex aroma of fruity US hops, slightly resiny with some biscuity malt (munich?). High carb. Flavour is hoppy with stonefruit/citrus and sweet malt. The malt sweetness keeps the bitterness and alcohol in check. No sign of the alc really but I sure Ill notice it soon :icon_cheers: . Another very nice AIPA. Quite different than Loftys and I cant say which one I prefer. Thanks Rets.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Gulpa (17/4/09)

*Grantw - IPA - Side swap beer*

Pours cloudy amber with nice head. Aroma is caramel malt with some yeasty fruit. Medium carb. Flavour is malt driven with a honey type thing going on. Light/medium body. Well balanced bitterness supports the whole thing. Finish is spicy / earthy hops. Nice beer Grant. Thanks. 

I probably should have had this before Retses hop monster.

Cheers
Andrew.


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## white.grant (17/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> *Grantw - IPA - Side swap beer*
> 
> Pours cloudy amber with nice head. Aroma is caramel malt with some yeasty fruit. Medium carb. Flavour is malt driven with a honey type thing going on. Light/medium body. Well balanced bitterness supports the whole thing. Finish is spicy / earthy hops. Nice beer Grant. Thanks.
> 
> ...



Cheers Andrew, glad you enjoyed it. There be 46 IBU in that beer so I reckon it can stand up to a mere APA.  

grant


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## syd_03 (17/4/09)

Well here goes nothing. First time posting a drinking report.

*No.5 - 5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5%*

Poured into a Leffe glass (picture is attached, much darker than it really is due to poor lighting). Interestingly has a wedding weekend wiezenbock label attached still, which confused me initially the day I returned from the swap Drank in 30-40 minutes; feeling very happy now!

Poured a light straw colour, quite clear with a slight cloudiness, which I liked. Poured very thick white fluffy head, which after a minute or two subsided to a very finely bubbled thin persistent head. Carbonation was good, perhaps a little light but I though good for this style. Perhaps head would have remained slightly thicker for duration if carb was marginally increased. Beer exhibited good lacing as glass was inclined. 

Aroma was of yeasty fruity phenols along with nice light malty overtones and a faint but distinct light alcohol. I didnt pick up the aromas others did, but my sense of smell isnt too good. Upon drinking upfront flavour I though was dominated by malt and nice balance of yeast driven flavours including a subtle sweet fruit like taste. This was followed quickly by subtle hop bitterness and spicy flavours. Finish was slight warming alcohol and lingering malt sweetness (definitely no harsh alcohols). Had a nice mouthfeel, which I would best describe as medium, not particularly thick, but definitely not thin or watery.

Very good well balanced tasty ale, compares very favourably with the few Belgian ales I have sampled. Thanks Gulpa.


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## tdack (18/4/09)

Bizier said:


> Troy Dack - Golden Ale
> Pours a mid amber with a beige head that quickly subsides.
> Aroma was tropical and peachy stonefruit, I assume amarillo.
> I sadly found that there was a roughness that hindered my ability to properly taste this beer, maybe from tannins or a high ferment temperature, I am unsure. I found that I enjoyed the aroma more than the taste, sorry Troy. I look forward to your next one though.



Thanks for the comments Bizier. Yes to the Amarillo, 15g in secondary for 2 weeks.

Looking at my notes I think that the ferment temp was probably the cause. Unfortunately I haven't got a fermenting fridge, so it's a tub of water and ice bricks - looks like I'll have to use a few more ice bricks.


----------



## Gulpa (18/4/09)

syd_03 said:


> Well here goes nothing. First time posting a drinking report.
> 
> *No.5 - 5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5%*
> 
> ...



Thanks syd. Great notes for your first time. Sounds like its getting very close to style now except for the carb. Next time I will have the guts to prime it to 4-4.5 gravities.

Re: the muggus label - I only have one set of longnecks for swapping and Im too lazy to remove the labels. Sorry for the confusion.



Grantw said:


> Cheers Andrew, glad you enjoyed it. There be 46 IBU in that beer so I reckon it can stand up to a mere APA.
> 
> grant



Its just that there was some subtly (sp?) there that I could quite put my finger on. And it probably wasnt as light bodied as I thought if it was holding 46IBU.


cheers
Andrew.


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## syd_03 (18/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> Re: the muggus label - I only have one set of longnecks for swapping and Im too lazy to remove the labels. Sorry for the confusion.
> 
> cheers
> Andrew.



No worries Andrew. Its a non issue really, just confused the hell out of me when I was trying to sort out the beers the day I returned from the swap. The amount of beer consumed at the swap probably had something to do with it. :icon_cheers:


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## Gulpa (18/4/09)

*13. Troy Dack - Golden Ale (WLP-001) 4.9%. *

Pours a lovely red colour, almost bright. Head falls away quickly. Light aroma of US hops with a touch of yeast and malt. Low carb. Nicely bitter. Medium body. Flavour is malty with a slight fruity yeastyness. Finish is off dry with a nice tingle from the bitterness/low carb. Good effort for your first swap. Thanks Troy.

Just looked at your recipe on the first page. I could be mistaking the yeastyness for the wheat malt. For my tastes, I would up the dry hops and add a flameout addition to increase the hop aroma. But I like hops and that might not be what you are looking for.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## caleb (18/4/09)

1. Retsamhsam - 12 x American IPA and 2x Rye Pale Ale
2. Bizier- Melon Farm Snakebite IIPA
3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04, Don't fridge before May
4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale
5. Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Wyeast 1388. 8.5% - Drink anytime.
6. Thommo - Pale Ale - semi carbed, maybe give it one more week.
7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09, best after Easter...or longer.
8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale - bottled 18/3/09, drinkable now but give it another couple of weeks
9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May
10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA (American IPA). US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV. Drink now for maximum hoppy goodness.
11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%
13. Troy Dack
14. Caleb - English ESB - "Easter Swap Beer"/Extra Special Bitter - S-04, 6.4% ABV. Should be drinkable now. (but still improving)
15. Syd 03 - Coopers Australian Pale Ale or IPA

Just updating my entry in the table.

My beer, labelled Caleb's ESB, should be ready for drinking now.

However, I have had some inconsistent results with this batch - some seemed OK, then a week later I'd open a bottle that tasted like it came straight out of the fermenter... It's never going to be as fizzy as my usual beers, but the last few have been quite good, and it IS an English "real ale" style so shouldn't be too fizzy anyway. I had a Wychwood Hobgoblin last night and while delicious, it was almost totally flat - this IS more carbonated than that. For best results, pour hard to get a good head.

Weird thing is, I've never had a beer condition so slowly before - normally 1 week and they're full of fizz and ready to go (if not actually at their peak).

Anyway, enjoy, and let us know what you think.


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## caleb (18/4/09)

Been enjoying everyone's effort.

*13 - Troy Dack's Golden Ale*

:chug: 

This is a nice deep amber-red colored beer with a good head.

The aroma is herbal, with scents of grass and licorice. A moderate bitterness balances nicely with flavors of sweet licorice and caramel malts, and leaves a lingering caramel finish on the palette. There is a slight fruity taste floating around in there which I suspect is due to some American hops - perhaps Amarillo or similar? However, I found it doesn't quite "mesh" with the other flavors and would have preferred some English style hops instead as I found overall this beer seems quite "English" to me. 

I found this beer slightly thin bodied but very good overall - it is quite similar to one I brewed around Christmas time, actually.

*Summary*
A nice amber ale which reminds me of my own brews.

EDIT: Just re-read the notes above and it IS a late Amarillo hopping... I reckon you should try this one with Willamette or Fuggles, plus maybe a tad less crystal, a bit more choc-malt, and see what you think.


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## caleb (18/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Interesting comments from Gulpa & Caleb on the brew...Used US 05 so nothing to suggest the 'belgian" influence


WTF?!? Are you serious? :wacko: 
US-05.....
Nah... either your recipe notes are wrong or my entire beer tasting experience is nothing more than an LSD-flashback induced hallucination come back to haunt me from my youth because I was definitely tasting the whole gamut of crazy Belgian/Leffe style yeasts in your brew!
Weird...


----------



## Gulpa (18/4/09)

*2. Bizier - Strong US IPA ~10% (US05)*

Just finished painting so I thought it time to attack this one.

Pours light amber with a tight head. Slight haze. Head falls away to a thin film that laces the glass. Aroma is first caramel then US hops. Carb is low/medium. Big dose of flavour hops with very firm bitterness thats needed to balance the beer. Quite resiny. Initially hops are so full on that it is hard to pick out individual flavours. A malt sweetness starts to show through. The alcohol shows and gives the beer a long spicy finish. A really well made beer, in the full-on-in-your-face style. Thanks Bizier.

One more IPA to go. Its been interesting to compare the different styles of IPA. Each has had their own charms. Im starting to think it might be interesting to do a small single style swap. Its been a great way to learn more about a particular style.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Gulpa (18/4/09)

Caleb said:


> WTF?!? Are you serious? :wacko:
> US-05.....
> Nah... either your recipe notes are wrong or my entire beer tasting experience is nothing more than an LSD-flashback induced hallucination come back to haunt me from my youth because I was definitely tasting the whole gamut of crazy Belgian/Leffe style yeasts in your brew!
> Weird...



Maybe it was a wild yeast infection. FGZ could be the luckiest brewer in Aus to have wild belgian yeast growing in his garage :super:


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## Bizier (18/4/09)

Cheers Andrew, you are very kind.

I tried yours last night when doing a spot of drunken bottling with my neighbour, so my notes aren't so hot, but I enjoyed it very much.

No. 5 Gulpa - Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Pours an attractive pale gold colour.
Very floral aromas, some yeast funk.
The flavour was very big pear and soft sweet fruits and berries. Andrew threw in an awesome call of kiwifruit, which is spot on I reckon.
I thought the alcohol was very well concealed, and given the dry body, this was very drinkable and disappeared quickly. Dangerous.
Good work


----------



## Bizier (18/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> Maybe it was a wild yeast infection. FGZ could be the luckiest brewer in Aus to have wild belgian yeast growing in his garage :super:



Hey Fatz, I know where you could buy some cheap cherries that would make you a killer Kriek.


----------



## Josh (18/4/09)

FYI - After having a successful day on the punt, I decided to celebrate with an Oktoberfest beer. It is ready, so feel free to stick your number 3 in the fridge and drink away.


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## white.grant (19/4/09)

*No 15. Syd03 AusPA/IPA

*13/4

Pours clear into my nonic with a fluffy white head and a honey body, fresh citrussy hops on the nose. There is some sharpness to the flavour that I can't easily identify, though a firm hop bitterness finishes off an enjoyable beer. Did you say this was a kit? If so its one of the best I've had. Thanks.

*No. 10 Loftboy IPA*

16/4

Pours a picture, fluffy head, honey/amber hued body, carrying a piney, minty, hoppy aroma. Lovely and fresh. Flavours are well balanced on a firm mouthfeel, palatable hop bitterness on the finish. Very nice. Thanks Lofty.

*Side swap - Josh's Saison*

18/4

Pours a honey amber and clear into a chalice, carb is low with a sparse head. Nice yeast phenolics coming up over a sweet malt background. Flavours are alternatively yeast/malt on a spiky bright mouthfeel. I'm sensing some alcohol now and my nose is tingling. Finish is nice and dry. Thanks Josh



cheers

grant


----------



## Fatgodzilla (19/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> Maybe it was a wild yeast infection. FGZ could be the luckiest brewer in Aus to have wild belgian yeast growing in his garage :super:



The only belgian yeast I'm growing is an attempt to harvest that from Gulpa's strong belgian ale ! 



> Nah... either your recipe notes are wrong or my entire beer tasting experience is nothing more than an LSD-flashback induced hallucination come back to haunt me from my youth because I was definitely tasting the whole gamut of crazy Belgian/Leffe style yeasts in your brew!
> Weird...



I can confirm that I've never used any belgian or saison style yeasts. There is a possibility that the yeast was not US 05 but S-04 (I'm using up a lot of old yeasts to make way for a new batch coming soon) but the notes say US 05. Good suggestion for the day at Ret's - tasting while tripping ! Maybe not .. :excl: 

I will say that the brew was fermented a bit hot that would add to the estery / funky feel but belgian yeast .. no. Call it the Hand of God !




> Hey Fatz, I know where you could buy some cheap cherries that would make you a killer Kriek.



You'll keep :icon_cheers:


----------



## loftboy (19/4/09)

Thanks for the kind remarks on the IPA that I put into the swap. I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out.

For those that are interested, the recipe is based on a Jamil Z version in 'Brewing Classic Styles'. I've put it into the RecipeDB if you want a closer look - http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...&recipe=747


----------



## Gulpa (19/4/09)

14. Caleb - English ESB - "Easter Swap Beer"/Extra Special Bitter - S-04, 6.4% ABV.

Put this in the fridge as I felt like drinking an english ale.

Vigorous pour gave a nice tight head. Aroma is fruity/pear with malt in the background. Low carb. Flavour is quite similar to the aroma with spice in the finish. Quite sweet malt which is not quite in balance with the bitterness. I suspect this needs a couple more weeks for this to shine. It shoule be a nice ESB when ready. Disappointed I didnt wait with this one. Thanks Caleb.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## syd_03 (20/4/09)

Grantw said:


> *No 15. Syd03 AusPA/IPA
> 
> *13/4
> 
> Pours clear into my nonic with a fluffy white head and a honey body, fresh citrussy hops on the nose. There is some sharpness to the flavour that I can't easily identify, though a firm hop bitterness finishes off an enjoyable beer. Did you say this was a kit? If so its one of the best I've had. Thanks.




I assume this was the green cap from your desciption of it, wasnt my swap beer was the side swap (I think the missus put a 15 so people would know it was from me still).

I have noticed the same taste as well when I drank clear and am not sure what caused it either. I found when I drank it cloudy the cultured yeast seemed to lessen that sharpness.

Yes indeed it was a kit, thanks for the compliment Grant, glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers 
Jason


----------



## Bizier (22/4/09)

No 15. Syd03 IPA

I tasted this last night, slightly sideways after a stint at the Red Oak cafe, so tasting was slightly impaired.

Good work on the ferment, reasonably clean. The beer was refreshing, and to my palate, slightly acidic, which made it very drinkable.
I finished it wondering where the hops were though, it was not really an IPA despite the kit's name, but it was enjoyable.

If you do this again, I think it would be fantastic with a *huge* whack of late and dry-hopped EKG.


----------



## syd_03 (22/4/09)

Bizier said:


> No 15. Syd03 IPA
> 
> I tasted this last night, slightly sideways after a stint at the Red Oak cafe, so tasting was slightly impaired.
> 
> ...




Cheers for the comments Dan.

I bet at 6.4% ABV it helped you on your sideways direction :icon_cheers: , glad it was easily consumed. How is the carb going? Havent had one to check yet.

I did throw in 30 g fuggles for a 20- 25 minute boil and 30g into the fermenter, should have been around the high 30 to low 40s mark in IBU. I guess all the extra malt dominated or the fuggles are too subtle, are EK golding more bold in flavour?

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers 
Jason.


----------



## Bizier (22/4/09)

When I said a big whack... I wasn't talking 30g additions. 

IPA in my opinion has no upper limit on late hop additions. I have to confess and qualify that I am a hop head. I added just over 300g of hops to my swap beer, and I still feel it could have done with more.

EKG are definitely not more bold than fuggles, they are more floral and 'English' for lack of a better adjective, Fuggles is kind of grassy and earthy. If you want to bitter your UK beers to a higher IBU maybe think of other UK hops like Target or Challenger. Pilgrim hops also look great for UK IPA bittering with a bit of kick.

No memory of carb other than it was pretty good for the style, and I prefer low carb (not the skinny beers).


----------



## Gulpa (23/4/09)

Bizier said:


> I added just over 300g of hops to my swap beer



That explains a few things from my tasting.



Bizier said:


> and I still feel it could have done with more.



 That would be starting to approach extreme.  

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Muggus (24/4/09)

Finally getting around to tastings.
Here's the first of them over the last couple of days.

*Brew: 10. Loftboy - Iron Horse IPA *
Date: 24/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml crownseal bottle gold cap "10" US-05. Bottled 1/3/09. 6.1% ABV

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in schooner.
Nice loud pop. Pours a good inch of thick offwhite foam atop a slightly hazy copper body. Sparce lace paints the glass for the journey.
Very nice hop driven aroma; zesty citrus rind (typically grapefruit), mown grass, pine, slight herbaceousness leads on to a detectable caramel malt sweetness.
Medium bodied, creamy texture with quite a lively carbonation. It has a sticky maltiness that is lends some sweetness then is somewhat totally descimated by the bold, drying bitterness that manifests itself midpalate.
Hop character opens up even moreso on the body. Orange sherbert, mandarin, passionfruit, pine needle, rockmelon, tobacco leafiness, a nice toffeeish malt presense hangs in the background. Finishes particularly spicy and woody with a strong bitterness that just lingers on and on!
Woah! What a beer to start the case off with! I'd say, with confidence, particularly after recently trying many amazing worldclass commercial APA/IPA's, this certainly would compete with the best of them!
Great stuff Loftboy, this one's a keeper!

*Brew: 13. Troy Dack - Golden Ale *
Date: 23/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle red cap "13" (WLP-001) 4.9%. Bottled 1/3/09

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.
Loud sort of psst upon opening. Pours a bubbly offwhite head atop a reasonably clean particularly reddish golden body.
Subdued but clean aroma. Some grassy/leafy hop, a touch of bitter orange and citrus rind. Malt seems almost undetectable at this point.
Body is reasonably lean, racy carbonation, drying texture that seems to enforce the bitterness.
Malt flavours pop up on the body, cereals, bread, biscuit, golden syrup sweetness. Hops are restrained but pleasant, some earthy notes, citrus and grass about it. Hint of berry fruits on a moderate bitter finish.
Quite a nice session beer. Nice flavour that's in good balance and clean overall. I like it, cheers Troy!


----------



## Gulpa (24/4/09)

*15. Syd 03 - IPA- 6.4%*

Popped this one into the fridge with a bit of hesitation after biz's and grant's notes as I wasnt sure what to expect.

Pours a nice light amber colour. Nice head that falls down and laces the glass. Slight haze. Complex aroma, earth hops with a slight fruity/yeast note in the background verging on belgian. Medium low carb/body. Flavour contines aroma with a slight sharpness that I found adds to the complexity. Difficult picking out individual flavours but its kind of bitter/sour fruit/marmalade thing going on thats very engaging. Im with Biz that the bitterness is probably not to style. However, its a great special bitter and I suspect a fair bit of effort has gone into its making to get this result. The only thing missing from this is Maris Otter but Im sure you will sort that out soon enough. :icon_cheers: . Very nice beer. Thanks Syd.

Regards
Andrew.


----------



## Muggus (25/4/09)

*Brew: 4. Fatgodzilla - Bright Ale *
Date: 25/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml twisttop bottle gold cap "4" 

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.
As i'm cracking open this beer I can't help but think to myself "You better not have given me a gusher Fatz". Luckily that's not ENTIRELY the case, as I stare at the half pint of white foam in front of me. It EVENTUALLY dies down into quite a nice clear, lively golden body.
Phenolic nose, plenty of clove, pepper and bread, possibly even a touch of coriander! Bit of citrus rind in there too, sure this isn't a Hoegaarden clone!?
Body is on the lean side, verging on watery. Carbonation is reasonably lively, texture is quite soft going down very easily.
Get some orange/lemon sherbert character upfront (hops?), more clove and coriander, hint of banana, some cereal malts play in the background. Finishes dry with a medium bitterness and lingering bread note.
Not sure what you were going for here Ian, maybe you mislabelled some bottles!?
But in all honesty, this actually is quite a nice beer, definately goes down a treat on a nice sunny ANZAC day. Cheers!


----------



## white.grant (25/4/09)

*No. 2 Biziers US IPA (strong)

*(now)*

*Pours a lovely honey colour, slight haze with an impressive foam stand. Aroma of hops, some minty/woody, others spciey perfumey.

Flavour continues with the complex hop arrangement and adds some big sweet alcohol. A battle ensues with hops fighting manfully against the stronger, sweeter alcohol notes. I think the alcohol wins. Hell of a beer, a bit out of balance, but a hell of a beer.

cheers

grant


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## white.grant (26/4/09)

*No. 3 Josh's Oktoberfest

*25.4.09

Pours into stein clear honey colour with a nice big foam head. The nose finds malt forward with some noble hop aroma. Bright mouthfeel carrying malt breadiness and spice notes. Its all festive and wonderful. Really nice beer, enjoyed it alot.

cheers

grant


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## Josh (26/4/09)

14. Caleb - English ESB - "Easter Swap Beer"/Extra Special Bitter - S-04, 6.4% ABV. 
Pretty nice beer. Nice fruity esters balanced with malt and hop bitterness. Well done.

6. Thommo - Pale Ale
Light colour, light body good carbonation. It was an alright beer, but I picked up a bit of funkiness. Not sure what it is, but there's some sort of twang going on there. I still finished the bottle


----------



## Josh (26/4/09)

*9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May*

Whoops!

I take it you wanted the smokey character to ease up a little bit Schooey? It's a little too up front right now so take heed, don't open yours now. That being said it's a well made beer and I bet when it ages more it'll be an absolute ripper.


----------



## Bizier (26/4/09)

Grantw said:


> A battle ensues with hops fighting manfully against the stronger, sweeter alcohol notes. I think the alcohol wins. Hell of a beer, a bit out of balance, but a hell of a beer.



Cheers Grant, I really think it could have done with more early hops. I have my eye on the Pliny clone in JZ's book "hop monster"... 57g each Warrior and Chinook at 90 mins. After tasting mine, I really had to back down from the "Imperial" title. I might do the hop monster or something similar for the next swap.

ED: thanks for the valuable feedback


----------



## Josh (26/4/09)

*7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09*

Wow. Love this beer. Spicy phenolic aromas and flavours and finishes nice and dry making me want to drink more. Just another beer from you Muggus that I can't get enough of.


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## Josh (26/4/09)

Josh said:


> 6. Thommo - Pale Ale
> Light colour, light body good carbonation. It was an alright beer, but I picked up a bit of funkiness. Not sure what it is, but there's some sort of twang going on there. I still finished the bottle


Is there two number 6s?

Drinking another 6. Which is most definitely an American Pale Ale. The freshest of hop aroma and flavour and a delight to drink. I'll guess Chinook hops as it is exactly the same flavour as the smell coming off my Chinook cones on the vine. A lovely beer, well done Thommo I think?


----------



## Josh (26/4/09)

*11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2% - drink after easter*

Dark with red highlights, thin tan head. Nice malt, creamy texture. Really drinkable porter this. I am enjoying it a lot.


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## Bizier (26/4/09)

Grantw - 11 - Heart Attack Porter

Pours a light black with great ruby highlights

Nose was a little full on at first, probably because the first pour was about 16 degrees in a small portion as the rest chilled further in the freezer. Strong plum pudding and raisin, chocolate liqueur, also a slight solvent.

Mouthfeel is a fantastic medium, not exactly dry nor sticky or slick, slides down beautifully and leaves a sense that beer has been consumed, but also welcomes more.

Taste is initially sweet, but is backed up by spiciness, rye cracker, toast, prune and plum, also something like condensed milk in there. I really enjoyed the restrained hops (EKG?) backing the roast up just enough to even the keel in a reasonably sweet beer and adding to the fruit medley.

I really enjoyed this beer, and I think it is a great take on the style, plus I am normally a baltic or bitter or dry roasty porter person. I was more impressed with this than the porters I had yesterday at the ANZAC thing at the taphouse. It was interesting that there was a questionable millisecond in both aroma and taste, but was intantly overcome. I assume you pushed the yeast a little on this for ester production? Marvellous balance and drinkability, I would buy this beer if it were commercial. Cheers Grant.


----------



## Gulpa (26/4/09)

*8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale *

Pours a dark amber/light brown colour. Hazy. Nice head. Aroma is very smokey and something else i cant put my finger on. Flavour is similar, smokeyness covers other flavours. Note sure if this is smoked malt or something the yeast is throwing. 

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## DiscoStu (27/4/09)

Gulpa said:


> *8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/-, Wy1728 Scottish Ale *
> 
> Pours a dark amber/light brown colour. Hazy. Nice head. Aroma is very smokey and something else i cant put my finger on. Flavour is similar, smokeyness covers other flavours. Note sure if this is smoked malt or something the yeast is throwing.
> 
> ...



No smoked malt in the grain bill, it's all coming from the yeast. Haziness is due to the fact that I forgot the Irish moss which I seem to do on about 1 in 3 brews, even highlighted it in bright green on the brew sheet.


4.35 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 85.45 % 
0.25 kg Amber Malt (43.3 EBC) Grain 4.91 % 
0.12 kg Chocolate Malt (800.0 EBC) Grain 2.36 % 
0.02 kg Roasted Barley (1350.0 EBC) Grain 0.39 % 
30.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] (60 min) Hops 14.9 IBU 
15.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] (30 min) Hops 5.7 IBU 
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 
0.35 kg Brown Sugar, Light (15.8 EBC) Sugar 6.89 % 
1 Pkgs Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) [Starter 500 ml] Yeast-Ale 


Cheers
Stu


----------



## Muggus (27/4/09)

Josh said:


> *7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09*
> 
> Wow. Love this beer. Spicy phenolic aromas and flavours and finishes nice and dry making me want to drink more. Just another beer from you Muggus that I can't get enough of.


Wow what a rap! Thanks Josh!
To be honest, I wasn't too sure how this one would turn out and really did alot of ummming and ahhhing about submitting it in the swap.


----------



## Gulpa (27/4/09)

DiscoStu said:


> No smoked malt in the grain bill, it's all coming from the yeast. Haziness is due to the fact that I forgot the Irish moss which I seem to do on about 1 in 3 brews, even highlighted it in bright green on the brew sheet.



Thanks Stu,

It seems that yeast can give quite varying results.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Muggus (27/4/09)

*Brew: 15. Syd 03 - IPA- 6.4% *
Date: 27/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle white cap "IPA/15" 

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.
Good opening and pour. Nice inch of fairly thick white foam that seems to wanna hang around. Body is amber with a consistent haze.
Reasonably subdued aroma. Some bitter citrus/marmaladey hop sharpness in there, bready yeast note and a slight malt sweetness.
Moderate carbonation, medium bodied, quite smooth most the way, gets a bit metallic towards the end.
A hop presense on the body, bit of grapefruit, bitter orange, earthy/leaf spice. Malt body gives a slight toffeeish character and balances out nicely. Bready yeast note makes an appearance towards a somewhat sharp bitter finish.
Quite nice besides the metallic note on the finish. Alcohol is well hidden, probably lacking the malt body and/or hop character of an IPA though. Good stuff either way Syd. Cheers!


----------



## white.grant (27/4/09)

Josh said:


> *11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2% - drink after easter*
> 
> Dark with red highlights, thin tan head. Nice malt, creamy texture. Really drinkable porter this. I am enjoying it a lot.






Bizier said:


> Grantw - 11 - Heart Attack Porter
> 
> Pours a light black with great ruby highlights
> 
> ...




Thanks Guys, glad you enjoyed it. 1068 is a great little yeast and does all the hardwork.

cheers

grant


----------



## Muggus (28/4/09)

*Brew: 3. Josh - Oktoberfest *
Date: 27/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle gold cap "3" 6% - Wyeast 2308 - Bottled 03/04

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.
Though i'd crack open something festive for what is (according to my logs) officially the 250th homebrew i've tried and tested to date.
Big psst upon opening, had to keep an eye on it as it slowly rushed up the neck. A slow pour rewards me with a tall, thick creamy white head atop a lively looking burnished gold body. Clarity is quite good.
Aroma is exceptionally grain-like, reminisant of the smell of freshly cracked pilsner grain. Quite sweet and husky cereal, slight doughy undertone, only an afterthought of floral hop.
Good creamy carbonation, smooth texture, body is quite full but possibly a bit lean for the style. Clean overall palate.
Flavours become more refined and focused on the body. Sweet biscuity malts, light caramel, honey and golden syrup, vanilla, a touch of pepper and cinamon. I really get the impression of taking a bite of something like a sponge cake when eating it, without the huge sweetness. Finishes with a touch of bready yeast and floral hop, drying things out lending to a mild bitterness.
Really a style I haven't had a chance to try a great deal of, and am quickly finding a variation amongst. I'd guess this would be a paler example, really nice focused pale malt character that is quite often overlooked in beers for darker grains. Very enjoyable Josh. Definately something i'm considering brewing this winter!


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## schooey (28/4/09)

Josh said:


> *9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale, WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09, Don't drink until at least the scond week in May*
> 
> Whoops!
> 
> I take it you wanted the smokey character to ease up a little bit Schooey? It's a little too up front right now so take heed, don't open yours now. That being said it's a well made beer and I bet when it ages more it'll be an absolute ripper.



I haven't tried one yet, Josh, so I'm not sure about the smokey flavour. There is nothing in the grain bill that should contribute towards this, so maybe it's a yeast characteristic.. I used the Ardennes yeast, having never used it before, so maybe someone can shed some light on whether it is known for throwing those type of flavours?

I was more getting at carb levels with the waiting thing. After my last two bottled beers ended up being over carbonated, I erred on the side of caution when bulk priming this one. I figure it probably still has a week or two to get to the carbonation level i wanted. I expect the one you tried wasn't that well carbed?

Cheers for the feedback anyway, Josh, much appreciated. I might whack one in the fridge to try over the next week and see what I find


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## caleb (28/4/09)

*Number 6 - Pale Ale

:icon_cheers: 

*Pours a nice deep amber red color with a creamy head.

There is an earthy, herbal aroma I'd associate with Fuggles or similar hops. The taste is initially malty with licorice and crystal malt flavors, followed by a slightly earthy herbal English hops taste - Fuggles, or perhaps Willamette?

I found this a little like a JS Amber Ale, but more bitter with a licorice/crystal flavor and less "nutty". Overall a very pleasant beer to drink.

*Summary:*
A nice English brown ale style beer, with a herbal aroma and flavor.


----------



## caleb (28/4/09)

*15 Syd03 - IPA

*This beer has a nice deep copper color with a creamy head which leaves good lacing down the glass as it is drunk.

The aroma is quite mild, however the flavor is something else entirely. It is very floral and aromatic, almost perfume-like in flavor. This flavor is actually quite reminiscent of James Squire IPA in this regard, but it is even more floral and perfume-ey. It is also quite bitter, but suprisingly clean on the palette afterwards. However, I think the hops are slightly overdone here and the floral note could be cut back a bit as the overall impression was slightly out of balance. I am curious to know exactly what was done here though, as you mentioned Fuggles being used, but was that all? Were they just boiled in water for 20 minutes then mixed in with the kit?

I understand this is based on a Coooper's kit, but it is quite original and stands up very well to the other beers in the swap. Extra hop additions have made this different from the standard can recipe, and it shows a perfectly good beer can be made with a kit can as the base.

There was a very very slight medicinal taste in the background, barely perceptable. However, maybe pay close attention to sanitation in the future to stop this errupting into a full blown infection...

*Summary:
*A floral, perfumey IPA with plenty of late hops and an example of a good kit beer.


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## caleb (28/4/09)

:icon_vomit: 

It is with great sadness and disappointment that I must report on beers:

7. Brutus Belgian Ale
8. Scottish 80/
9. Belgian Pale Ale

They are all infected with an overpowering medicinal taste - the classic band-aids/iodine/antiseptic flavor which I have experienced in a batch of my own as well.

Sorry guys, I don't think I can finish any of these, and the band-aid flavor overpowers anything else so I can't really say much more about them.

Sorry. Always remember - cleanliness is next to beer-godliness...


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## Muggus (28/4/09)

*Brew: 14. Caleb - English ESB - "Easter Swap Beer"/Extra Special Bitter *
Date: 28/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle gold cap "ESB" S-04, 6.4% ABV Bottled 24/3/09

Sampling notes:
Served moderately chilled in pint.
Good opening, pours a small offwhite head atop a hazy copper body.
Nice aroma, good balance between hop and malt; citrus marmalade, earthy spices, some ripe stone fruits competing with sweet biscuit, toffee and honey malts. Faint spicy bread note in the background.
Solid body drives home the abv, carbonation is nice and low, sticky malt texture.
Nice sweet malt upfront, honey, biscuit, golden syrup. Hops come in later on, bit of grass, spice, slight woodiness and grapefruit/bitter orange zestiness. Finish is quite well rounded, moderate bitterness with a lingering sweetness.
A tasty drop Caleb. Nice malt and hop flavours, possibly a touch underbittered for my liking, but very good nonetheless. Cheers!


*Brew: 11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter *
Date: 28/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml twisttop bottle gold cap "11" (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%

Sampling notes:
Served moderately chilled in pint.
Loud pop. Pours a ruby highlighted black body with a collar of light tan head foam hanging around.
Robust roasted malt nose. Plenty of mocha coffee, roasted nuts, meaty grain husk, charcoal and wood, vinous dark fruits, spicy rye bread.
Full body, rich layered texture, carbonation reasonably low. Grain astrigencies subdued, quite a smooth ride.
Nice well-rounded flavour, plenty of malt in there. Nuts, burnt toffee, charred wood, mild roast coffee, cereal husk, undertones of liquorice vinous berries and earthy spice. Finishes moderately bitter, aftertaste of dark grain bread.
Yum, what a lovely dark ale. Smooth, superb balance, flavour is certainly enough to entice without going overboard. Love it Grant!


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## caleb (28/4/09)

On a more positive note:

<b>11 - Heart Attack Porter</b>

:icon_drool2: 

Oh yeah! This opened with a big "phzzt", and poured with a lovely deep ruby red/black color with a creamy coffee colored head.

This is quite a complex beer, with delicious toffee, chocolate and caramel flavors melting into the lovely malty sweetness. As I savor it I am remined of coffee creams. It is sweet and satisfying, like that jar of lollies your grandfather used to keep on the shelf. If there is such a thing as "comfort beer" then this is one.

Fuggles (I think?) were the perfect hop choic here - well blended and balanced. The hops don't jump out at you here, but then in this sort of beer they shouldn't. They are just a balancing bitterness in the background to compliment all those lovely malty flavors floating around upfront. This beer is definitely all about the malt, as a porter should be.

I really enjoyed this beer, and think it is honestly as good as anything I've had. I could favorably compare it to the James Squire Porter, or perhaps Lord Nelson's "Nelson's Blood". If this were available as a commercial beer, I would definitely buy it when in the mood for a dark porter type beer. First class effort.

<b>Summary:</b>
A wonderful sweet malty example of the porter style ale, and as good as anything you could buy.


----------



## white.grant (29/4/09)

Gosh, thanks Muggus and Caleb. Glad you enjoyed it. 

cheers

grant


----------



## Gulpa (30/4/09)

*7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale, 6.0%, WLP500*

I was curious so I put this one in the fridge tonight.

Pours Amber with redish tinge. Nice creamy head that falls down and laces. Hazy. Aroma is belgian phenols, coffeeish malt with some fruityness coming through. Flavour is similar, quite yeasty with the coffeeish malt standing out on the finish. A touch of spicyness/ginger/apple. Medium/high carb. Bitterness is unobtrusive. This beer is quite savoury and dry with the dryness masking any base malt flavours. For my tastes, I would prefer a touch more body. Nice beer, thanks Mike. 

My bottle was not infected. It certainly has some belgian funk but it didnt detract from the other flavours that are present.

cheers
ANdrew.


----------



## Bizier (30/4/09)

*3. Josh - Oktoberfest*

Drinking the second glass of this as I type... smiling.

Pours an extremely bright deep amber with a slight reddish hue. There is a soapy white head that subsides quickly to a single fine beaded layer of foam, but it very easily roused back to a giant three or so finger stand.

Aroma is sulphury lager yeast and mild pilsner malt, nothing I can detect in the hop dept.

Mouthfeel is filling, high carb against a thickish liquid, but rolls away quickly and very pleasantly

Taste is very clean and crisp lager characters as the aroma indicates. There is a soft creamy pilsner malt, which is very nice and not at all 'grainy'. The hop presence is definitely firm, and I would like to see how this tastes after a few extra months of lagering (hint hint). 

The beer is very well balanced, and very well crafted. I could happily drink this any and every month of the year and pretend it is October. Carb is a little high for my personal taste, but gives a reason to swirl the glass and smell the goodness. Great work Josh.


----------



## caleb (30/4/09)

*3 - Oktoberfest

*I was interested in this as I've never actually tried this style of beer before. (Probably due to the lack of beers labelled as such in the bottle shop).

I really enjoyed it, to be honest.

It was a beautiful orange amber color, nicely carbonated, with a good head.

The overwhelming impression I got from this beer was "mandarins". There was a lot of other stuff going on - I remember sweet biscuity malts and a very well balanced product overall. However, the overwhelming flavor and aroma was mandarin, not just "citrus" but actually mandarin orange. Flavor, aroma, everything. Not overwhelming or out of balance, but a definite feature that stuck in my mind. (and was the ONLY note I wrote for this beer - one word - hence the lack of detail compared to my other reviews).

I assume this was from the hops used, and you didn't actually add mandarin peels to the boil, but maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe it was all the yeast, via the same high sorcery of yeast magic that _almost_ turned Fatgodzilla's US05 into an exotic Belgian yeast.

Can you tell me, PLEASE, what hops you used to get this delicous flavor? (Or what other trick did it.)

*Summary:
*Mandarin orange biscuit deliciousness.
Probably number three or four in rank out of the whole swap.


----------



## caleb (1/5/09)

Final Review from me,

*Number 1 - Hefeweizen*

Yes, I know most of you got something else as number 1, I got a hefeweizen... someone was 1 beer short.

Honestly, I hate to finish on a bad note, but this beer suffered some of the same problem that wrote off 7, 8 and 9 for me.

HOWEVER, it was not quite as bad. I was able to finish the whole bottle, but it was kinda borderline. There was a nice weizen type beer sitting underneath, with the usual mix of spicy, citrusy, phenolic, yeasty goodness, but something medicinal was creeping in and threatening to turn the whole thing into ER ward 5B.

Sorry to bear bad news... but that's about all I can say here. Keep an eye on sanitation in the future.


----------



## caleb (1/5/09)

Just a note to those whose beers I may have bagged... PLEASE don't take it personally. I still like you all as people, AHB members, and brewers. AND I would still do the whole case swap thing again with all of you.

However, I figure that it does no good to any of us as adult brewers to say "ooohh I loved this so much" while secretly tipping it down the sink. I see one of the main reasons behind the swap is to get a dozen or so honest reviews of our product and how it is perceived, so that we may grow and improve as beer brewers.

So, thank you all for participating, and feel free to rip apart my own product and expose any and all flaws to the public. (and yes, I would have increased the bitterness if I did it again.)

(of course, I'll feel warmer and happier if you do post "oohh I loved this so much"  )


----------



## Fatgodzilla (1/5/09)

Gulpa said:


> Hi FGZ,
> 
> I would have never picked the yeast as us-05. I didnt read Caleb's notes before writing mine so its interesting we both thought belgian style. It will be interesting to see what others see in this beer. Im voting for a mix-up at the yeast factory :unsure: .
> 
> ...




Re my Bright Ale (#4). Did a stocktake reconciling Beersmith to actual on hand. Interestingly, I have a US 05 extra on hand, but am missing a Coopers reconstituted yeast. Given everyone's comments, I am now of the opinion the yeast used was the Coopers, fermented warmish over summer (probably over 21C), hence throwing up a number of the funky fruity tastes mentioned. I tried my last bottle of the batch last night and I can see where a few of you are coming from - it had a "belgian" type background. I'm happy now it was the Coopers yeast.


Sorry for being indecisive, but as said before, I didn't brew this one with the case swap in mind - it was meant to be a general consumption brew, so the notes were inconclusive. I also often change my mind between a formulated recipe on Beersmith and the actual brew. Gotta tighten my brewing processes !

Still have the majority of beers in storage - going away to South Australia for a fortnight next week and will take these brews along.


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## Bizier (1/5/09)

7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale

Poured a red brown with a large bubbled off white head that subsides quickly to a thin sheet.

The aroma is a cinnamon and maybe clove spiciness (I couldn't decide if the latter was psychosomatic), there is a large whiff of yeast phenolics I am not fond of.

The mouthfeel was dry which accentuated a woody taste, and accentuated the rough yeast flavours. There is a nice fruityness to the alcohol taste, but I had to look hard to find it, there is also some hot alcohols in there. I also found a kind of subtle smoke flavour in there. Very present bitterness.

I think that the beer was interesting, but yeast needs to be kept in check. If this were a little sweeter with more mouthfeel and more subtle yeast contributions, it would be a fantastic beer in my opinion. My palate has a lot of trouble getting past strong yeast tastes to find malt characters, so I was left desiring those 'brown' malt tastes and dextrines. Not infected.

Cheers Muggus


----------



## caleb (1/5/09)

Well, I still had some of no.7 left in the fridge, and other reviews have prompted me to take it out and give it a second shot...

I have to say that the "off" flavors are far more subtle than I first thought... 8 and 9 were much stronger. In fact, even number 1 had more of it than this, and I did finish that.

Overall, I agree with Bizier's assessment above. I'd say that perhaps some yeasty overtones and fusel alcohols have enhanced the off flavors - the medicinal/bandaid flavor was only really present as an occasional hint or aftertaste rather than being overwhelming.

The beer did have a nice spicy, clovey alcoholic warmth going for it. Perhaps any undesirable flavors were all down to warm fermentation, although I still suspect _something_ else has crept into the wort at some stage.


----------



## Muggus (1/5/09)

Caleb said:


> The beer did have a nice spicy, clovey alcoholic warmth going for it. Perhaps any undesirable flavors were all down to warm fermentation, although I still suspect _something_ else has crept into the wort at some stage.


I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head there with the warm fermentation comment there Caleb.
The beer did endure a few hot days where the beer probably crept up to the mid-20's in temp. 
Haven't actually tried any recently, but at last taste it certainly did have alot of peppery and spicy phenols, which is no doubt a side product of big variations of fermentation temps. 
More body would have helped, but my mashed worked out to be a bit cooler than I would have liked. Might have actually worked a bit better as a Belgian Strong with a bit more to it rather than just a regular Belgian ale...but I thought I might give it a go.

Thanks for the helpful feedback lads!


----------



## tdack (1/5/09)

Caleb said:


> Just a note to those whose beers I may have bagged... PLEASE don't take it personally. I still like you all as people, AHB members, and brewers. AND I would still do the whole case swap thing again with all of you.



Thanks for the informative and thoughtful critiques. I'd rather be told that my beer was no good because of ......... than just be told "It was Poo!".

Constructive criticism is more beneficial than anything.

I had two reasons for going in the case swap:

1. Taste other peoples beers
2. See what other people thought of mine (and trust me, I was waiting for the first review with nervous anticipation)

And with both of those I hope to improve what I make, not just for future swaps but for my taste buds as well.

So, again, thanks to all who have posted well thought out reviews of the beers that they have tasted, I've found it to be a great learning experience - it also gives me an idea of what to be looking for when I get around to tasting them all.

Cheers,
Troy.


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## Gulpa (1/5/09)

*11. grantw - Heart Attack Porter (Wyeast 1028) 5.2%*

Opened this up while sparging tonight. Thought I would get time to get boil going with plenty of beer left to do tasting notes. Unfortunately there is not much left. Slips down too easy.

Pours dark with ruby highlights. Nice tan head. Aroma of dark roasty malts with some nice fruit hiding in there as well. Perhaps some coffee. Medium carb. Flavours are similar with nothing standing out, really well integrated. Bitterness suits the medium body. The MO starts to peek out as it warms a bit. Seamless is probably the perfect descriptor. Great beer, Grant. Agree with others, one of the highlights this swap. Thanks for sharing.

Regards,
Andrew.


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## white.grant (1/5/09)

Shucks gulpa. Drinking before the first hop addition is high praise indeed.  I am really happy that you enjoyed the porter though. 

I really enjoy the swaps and the feedback. Things may not always work out so great, but a beer shared is a friend made and as Troy posted earlier it can be a nervous wait, but well worth it. 

Pretty sure the xmas in July case will be a cracka...


cheers

grant


----------



## Gulpa (2/5/09)

Grantw said:


> Shucks gulpa. Drinking before the first hop addition is high praise indeed.  I am really happy that you enjoyed the porter though.
> 
> I really enjoy the swaps and the feedback. Things may not always work out so great, but a beer shared is a friend made and as Troy posted earlier it can be a nervous wait, but well worth it.
> 
> ...




Agree. Swaps are awesome. It gives you a chance to experiment without actually brewing a particular beer. My brewing has improved lots since I started swapping. Even the not so good ones have a lesson in them.

Cheers
Andrew

PS. I just made p140 in the camra book. Darker than expected but I think it will be a good one. Ill bring it along to the july swap for a taste.


----------



## Gulpa (2/5/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Re my Bright Ale (#4). Did a stocktake reconciling Beersmith to actual on hand. Interestingly, I have a US 05 extra on hand, but am missing a Coopers reconstituted yeast. Given everyone's comments, I am now of the opinion the yeast used was the Coopers, fermented warmish over summer (probably over 21C), hence throwing up a number of the funky fruity tastes mentioned. I tried my last bottle of the batch last night and I can see where a few of you are coming from - it had a "belgian" type background. I'm happy now it was the Coopers yeast.
> 
> 
> Sorry for being indecisive, but as said before, I didn't brew this one with the case swap in mind - it was meant to be a general consumption brew, so the notes were inconclusive. I also often change my mind between a formulated recipe on Beersmith and the actual brew. Gotta tighten my brewing processes !
> ...



Interesting yeast. Ive never considered the Coopers yeast. I might have to have a play with it some time.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Bizier (2/5/09)

This is the first time I have really sat down and tasted other people's homebrew as well, and it has been great.

Part of me wants to brew another IPA, but bigger. At the same time, some of these beers, especially Josh's and Grant's, have inspired me to shoot for something with a bit more finesse and balance. Cheers.

I think that everyone has done a good job brewing for this swap over summer, battling with the heat. I am looking forward to the July one, especially with ambient temps considered for those without dedicated fermenting fridges.


----------



## Bizier (2/5/09)

*9. Schooey - Belgian Pale.*

Pours a dark brownish amber with a quickly thinning white head, lacing the glass with spectacular regularity.

The aroma is complex, dusty dry fruits, sulphur and perhaps apricot, but also a portentous hint of medicine and smoke.

Mouthfeel is great with lower carb, as per my perference, and a nice balance of dextrinousness (!).

Unfortunately the medicine and burnt smokey flavour dominate my palate, and that is the end of the show for me, sorry Schooey. I am unsure if this is fermentation temp or infection related.

I look forward to your next offering Schooey. Sorry I did not wait another two weeks, I am an impatient bastard.


----------



## Gulpa (2/5/09)

*3. Josh - Oktoberfest 6% - Wyeast 2308*

Pours gold. Nice white head that falls down when drinking. Aroma is appealing biscuity malt with a very slight hint of fruit/yeast/grainyness. Med/high carb. Flavour is malty, munichy with the high carb giving a nice bite, drying out finish a bit and nicely cutting the malt richness. Bitterness is in balance with everything. Another seamless beer. Great beer, Josh. I could drink a few of these. Thanks for sharing.

Only two left now.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Josh (2/5/09)

Thanks for the feedback guys. As I said at the park, I had a couple of pints straight from the fermenter and was pretty happy with the results. I've added the recipe to the database HERE but here's a quick rundown from my notes.

45% BB Galaxy
35% Munich
20% Vienna
66C mash for 90 mins
0.75g/L Spalt 20 mins
Spalt 60 mins up to 27IBU
90 min boil
Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager 2L starter, fermented at 10C
OG 1.055 FG 1.010

I brewed another Oktoberfest re-using this yeast but with 45% JW Pilsener, 45% Munich, 10% Vienna as I didn't have much Vienna left.


----------



## schooey (2/5/09)

Bizier said:


> *9. Schooey - Belgian Pale.*
> 
> Pours a dark brownish amber with a quickly thinning white head, lacing the glass with spectacular regularity.
> 
> ...





I'm buggered if I know where the smokey dominance is coming from. There is no peated or smoked malt in the grain bill. I fermented it at a reasonably coolish 20C for the Ardennes yeast. I guess with the medicinal flavours people are tasting it has to be coming from infection, which is a bit upsetting. Although, in my experience, infections usually lead to gushers, but the carbonation has still been quite low.... so I'm lost

My apologies to anyone who has tried it and has had a bad experience, I can only hope I give you something more worthy next time. I have one in the fridge that I mighttry tomorrow and see if I can pick up the same flavours being described.


----------



## Gulpa (3/5/09)

*6. Thommo - Pale Ale*

Pours amber/red. Slight head. Aroma of US citrus hops with a touch of caramel in the background. Medium low carb which suits the beer. Medium low body. Flavour is citrus hops, yeast is there with a bit of chocolate/roast malt at the end. Bitterness is in balance with the beer. Nice beer, thanks Thommo.

One more to go, I leave schooey's for a couple of weeks and let you know what I think.

Regards
Andrew


----------



## Gulpa (3/5/09)

schooey said:


> I'm buggered if I know where the smokey dominance is coming from. There is no peated or smoked malt in the grain bill. I fermented it at a reasonably coolish 20C for the Ardennes yeast. I guess with the medicinal flavours people are tasting it has to be coming from infection, which is a bit upsetting. Although, in my experience, infections usually lead to gushers, but the carbonation has still been quite low.... so I'm lost
> 
> My apologies to anyone who has tried it and has had a bad experience, I can only hope I give you something more worthy next time. I have one in the fridge that I mighttry tomorrow and see if I can pick up the same flavours being described.



Schooey,

Dont worry about it too much. Shit happens. A few swaps ago I had issues with bottle sanitation. Some were infected some not. Disappointing at the time but there were no death threats  . It just made me want to do better next time.

cheers
Andrew.

re: gushers - sometimes, sometimes not.


----------



## Muggus (3/5/09)

*Brew: 1. Retsamhsam - American IPA *
Date: 3/5/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml twisttop bottle gold cap "1" 8% ABV 40.5 IBU

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.

Big psst on opening. Pours a big moussey offwhite head atop a lively copper-gold body.

Nice fragrant hop aroma, Pepper and spice, citrus peel, pine, floral herbacousness. Hint of grainy malt and golden syrup sweetness in the background.

Slight creamy texture, body seems a bit lean for strength, carbonation is bit high and prickly somewhat accentuating the bitterness and dryness. Some alcohol warmth present on the finish.

Plenty of American hop character, very unfront and aggressive, wood/pine and spice seem most prominant, some bitter citrus and grass. Underlying malt backbone comes through a bit more on the body, quite nice light caramel and breadiness about it. Dried apricot and sultana come through with warmth. Finish with detectable alcohol spice, bitterness is high and assertive, lingering grassiness.

I quite enjoyed the flavour of this one, solid American hop flavour with a nice malt backbone that is often underdone in this style. Only thing I could fault is body, could probably be a bit denser to soak up that big abv. Besides that great stuff, cheers Rets!


----------



## Bizier (3/5/09)

schooey said:


> I'm buggered if I know where the smokey dominance is coming from. There is no peated or smoked malt in the grain bill. I fermented it at a reasonably coolish 20C for the Ardennes yeast. I guess with the medicinal flavours people are tasting it has to be coming from infection, which is a bit upsetting. Although, in my experience, infections usually lead to gushers, but the carbonation has still been quite low.... so I'm lost
> 
> My apologies to anyone who has tried it and has had a bad experience, I can only hope I give you something more worthy next time. I have one in the fridge that I mighttry tomorrow and see if I can pick up the same flavours being described.



It happens. I've had 2 definite infections (neither gushers) in my lowly 33 batches, which is a significant failure rate. You have a HERMS setup, temp control and are obviously neither a luddite or philistine. I really look forward to your next swap beer Schooey.


----------



## Josh (4/5/09)

schooey said:


> I guess with the medicinal flavours people are tasting it has to be coming from infection, which is a bit upsetting. Although, in my experience, infections usually lead to gushers, but the carbonation has still been quite low.... so I'm lost
> 
> My apologies to anyone who has tried it and has had a bad experience, I can only hope I give you something more worthy next time. I have one in the fridge that I mighttry tomorrow and see if I can pick up the same flavours being described.


Perhaps if you have any left, enter them in comps under Rauchbier  Always look on the bright side of life Schooey.

I hope it isn't an infection problem... made up a starter split between your Wyeast Ardennes and the WLP500 Trappist from Muggus' Belgian. Currently fermenting a Belgian Pale Ale. Was planning on then re-using the yeast from that for my first really high gravity Belgian.

Took a sample from the Pale tonight and things seem okay so far... fingers crossed.


----------



## Muggus (4/5/09)

*Brew: 2. Bizier - Strong US IPA *
Date: 4/5/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers crownseal bottle gold cap "2/BIZ" ~10% (US05)

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.

Decent pop. Pours a tightly packed finger-worth of white foam atop a hazy orange-amber body.

Citrusy hops straightup on the nose; grapefruit, bitter orange, unripe stonefruits and melon, touch of herbaceousness and cinnamon spice, more towards the fruit end of the spectrum with the Yankee hops, as opposed to woody and grass, as than often can be. Faint whiff of malt sweetness. 

Big mouthfilling body BAM! Creamy texture with a nice moderate carbonation. Very well rounded and balanced with malt sweetness and hop bitterness seemingly on par with each other. 

Lovely juicy hop flavours dominate the body; orange, nectarine, grapefruit, raisin, cinnamon, rockmelon, pine, touch of grass and floral notes. Malt background is slightly detectable with a touch of golden syrup sweetness. Finish is highly bitter, yet smooth with a lingering spice and alcohol warmth...that has remained dormant until now!

Wow! Another fantastic IPA in the swap! Excellent flavour and tremendously well balanced for its strength. Love it Biz, cheers!


----------



## schooey (4/5/09)

Josh said:


> Perhaps if you have any left, enter them in comps under Rauchbier  Always look on the bright side of life Schooey.



Jeez... Thanks, Josh... :unsure: 



Nah it's all good. I just would really like to know what happened... The only thing I did different this swap to any other time is use a no rinse sanitiser when bottling. I was a little anal after the last NSW swap where it seemed a few people picked up bottle infections. Not sure that this would account for the smokey flavour though.... If I get a chance a bit later I'll dig outthe recipe so maybe some one can give me some advice on where it may have come from


----------



## schooey (5/5/09)

Recipe: BPA I
Brewer: Schooey
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 18.93 L 
Boil Size: 26.05 L
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 8.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 27.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 120 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
1.75 kg Pilsner (Weyermann) (1.7 SRM) Grain 41.2 % 
1.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (3Grain 23.5 % 
0.75 kg Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (3.0 SRM) Grain 17.6 % 
0.25 kg Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 5.9 % 
0.25 kg Carafoam (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.9 % 
0.25 kg Caramunich I (Weyermann) (51.0 SRM) Grain 5.9 % 
30.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (90 min) Hops 20.2 IBU 
12.00 gm Styrian Goldings [4.80%] (30 min) Hops 5.3 IBU 
20.00 gm Saaz [4.00%] (5 min) Hops 2.1 IBU 

Fermented at 20C with WY3522


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## Bizier (5/5/09)

Muggus said:


> Love it Biz, cheers!



Cheers a bunch Muggus.

It is a bit disappointing that the initial rockmelon character is quite faded. It was HUGE when I bottled. I think I will need a randall type decive.


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## Muggus (5/5/09)

*Brew: DW 1/4? Not sure! *
Date: 4/5/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Reschs twisttop gold cap "DW / 1/4

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in pint.

Offwhite head atop a slightly hazy amber body.

Aroma has a bit of sweet toffeeish malts with some metallic skunk about it.

Medium-to-lean body, carbonation is quite spritzy drying out the beer and accentuating the metallic off-notes.

Nice toffee malts to begin, some notes of spice leading onto what i'd best describe as "Aussie macro skunk" metallic bready flavours.

Not really sure what this is. Tastes somewhere between JS Amber Ale and Tooheys New when warm, hmmm.
Wasn't exactly sure who to thank or what do think about this one, but uh cheers anyway!


----------



## RetsamHsam (6/5/09)

Muggus said:


> *Brew: DW 1/4? Not sure! *
> Date: 4/5/09
> Beer info: Brown 750ml Reschs twisttop gold cap "DW / 1/4
> 
> ...



That sounds like my Dunkleweizen


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## white.grant (8/5/09)

*Sideswap Rye 11/3 on cap

*drinking this beer now and really enjoying it, can't recall now who crafted it. Has a light hoppy aroma, and really well balanced flavour, malt and hops working together to make a very refreshing and well made beer.

Thanks

grant


----------



## RetsamHsam (9/5/09)

Grantw said:


> *Sideswap Rye 11/3 on cap
> 
> *drinking this beer now and really enjoying it, can't recall now who crafted it. Has a light hoppy aroma, and really well balanced flavour, malt and hops working together to make a very refreshing and well made beer.
> 
> ...


that was my rye pale ale with NS hops.. Glad you enjoyed it. I am currently drinking one of the side swap beers, it had WB on the cap. Drank the first half pretty warm, nice and malty, appearance is awesome and has a nice red hue. I'm guessing the ABV is pretty high, what style is this? I have my money on weizenbock..


----------



## Gulpa (9/5/09)

*Muggus - Centennial Barley Wine - side gift  *

Incredible beer. Sorry I dont really have tasting notes, I was watching a movie. The floral/citrus US hops with the malty sweetness went really well together. Carb was good and laced the glass (i thought barley wine had trouble carbinating). Layered complexity. I still have my glass with the yeasty dregs and it still smells awesome a day later. Thanks Mike.

Cheers
Andrew


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## white.grant (10/5/09)

RetsamHsam said:


> that was my rye pale ale with NS hops.. Glad you enjoyed it. I am currently drinking one of the side swap beers, it had WB on the cap. Drank the first half pretty warm, nice and malty, appearance is awesome and has a nice red hue. I'm guessing the ABV is pretty high, what style is this? I have my money on weizenbock..



I think that might be the beer I swapped for your Rye :icon_cheers: . If it is, it is a Weizenbock, just under 8%. It was my first big beer.

cheers

grant


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## RetsamHsam (10/5/09)

Grantw said:


> I think that might be the beer I swapped for your Rye :icon_cheers: . If it is, it is a Weizenbock, just under 8%. It was my first big beer.
> 
> cheers
> 
> grant


sounds like the one, was in a 500ml bottle. Mind if i grab the recipe off you?


----------



## white.grant (10/5/09)

RetsamHsam said:


> sounds like the one, was in a 500ml bottle. Mind if i grab the recipe off you?



No worries. The fermentation is the most important thing, I ramped 3068 up through a weizen and dunkelweizen and then dropped this on top of most of the dunkelweizen cake. I still took 3 weeks to ferment out to finish at 1021.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Whyzenbock?
Brewer: Grant
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Weizenbock
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L 
Boil Size: 30.96 L
Estimated OG: 1.088 SG
Estimated Color: 13.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 30.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
4.53 kg Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 53.11 % 
2.30 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 26.96 % 
1.00 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 11.72 % 
0.30 kg Caraaroma (130.0 SRM) Grain 3.52 % 
0.30 kg Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 3.52 % 
0.10 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 1.17 % 
45.00 gm Hallertauer [5.70 %] (60 min) Hops 30.2 IBU 
1 Pkgs Weihenstephan Weizen (Wyeast Labs #3068) Yeast-Wheat


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## Muggus (12/5/09)

Gulpa said:


> *Muggus - Centennial Barley Wine - side gift  *
> 
> Incredible beer. Sorry I dont really have tasting notes, I was watching a movie. The floral/citrus US hops with the malty sweetness went really well together. Carb was good and laced the glass (i thought barley wine had trouble carbinating). Layered complexity. I still have my glass with the yeasty dregs and it still smells awesome a day later. Thanks Mike.
> 
> ...


Thanks Andrew! Glad you enjoyed it. 
I think I have some notes on that pilsner you gave me...might dig them up...either way it went down a treat!


*Brew: 8. DiscoStu - Scottish 80/- *
Date: 11/5/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml twisttop gold cap "8" Wy1728 Scottish Ale - bottled 18/3/09

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in mug.
Decent pop, pours a murky sort of copper body. Creamy white foam sticks around for most of the journey leaving bands of lace.

Seems to have a metallic phenolic yeast note, somewhat spicy, bready and smokey, that can be common place in warm/stressed fermentations. Some underlying caramel maltiness detectable, but the yeast overpowers.

Full bodied, moderate carbonation, body has a nice smooth creamy texture. Dries out quite a bit by a metallic bitter yeast note.

Malt flavours are more prominant on the body; rich caramel sweetness, honey, biscuit, sweet cake. Subdued yeastiness, still plenty of pepper and spice, hint of smoke and sharp metallic notes. Finishes quite sweet, moderate bitterness.

Bit of a shame about the yeast fault, because it seems like a nicely made and tasty beer underneath. 
From past experiences, i've had a few beers with such faults after being exposed to a few days in warmer weather during primary fermentation. Might not be the problem here, but it's a bit unfortunate when it happens.
Cheers Stu!


----------



## Muggus (12/5/09)

Not far to go...

*Brew: 9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale*
Date: 12/5/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml Coopers bottle black cap "NINE" , WY3522, 5.1% ABV, bottled 3/4/09 

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in mug.

Only a small pop on opening. Hazy amber-gold body with a small cap of dense offwhite foam. Whisps of lace weave the glass on the way down.

Peppery yeast aroma, odd undertones of dried apricot, damp wood, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg spice. Faint indicater of floral hopiness and cereal malts.

Medium bodied, carbonation is subdued, quite a lean texture slight malt stickiness. Has a wierd drying sensation that lingers on the tongue.

Nice bit of biscuity malt sweetness starts off the palate then hit with ALOT of clove, like seriously chewing on a whole clove! Well, maybe not that intense, but it's very prominant. Bit more spice follows, some dried fruit and citrus, i'm somehow reminded of Gluhwein! Slight woody quality lingers on a mildly bitter finish.

Intriguing to say the least. Some might find the clove character in this beer a bit overpowering but I quite like it. It'd probably work a bit better in a bigger beer, but then you lose the drinkability of this style. Certainly not infected, just interesting phenolic character!
Nice stuff Schooey, I dig it!

And here's one I dug up...
*Brew: Pilsner by Gulpa*
Date: 9/4/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml screwtop bottle gold cap "PL"

Sampling notes:
Served lightly chilled in pilsner glass.
Nice persistant thick fluffy whiote head atop a pale golden body with a slight haze.
Grainy malt aroma, water cracker biscuit-like pilsner maltiness about it. A light but nice floral citrus hop character blends in very nicely.
Medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation, drying texture throughout.
Plenty of biscuity, cereally malt on the body, only slightly sweet, bit of bread leading towards the finish that brings out a bit of herbaceousness, spice that lingers with a moderate dry bitter note.
An enjoyable pils. I'd probably go as far as to call it a Helles, had more malt body and less bitterness that you'd expect to find in a standard Pils, but i'm not complaining!


----------



## Gulpa (13/5/09)

Muggus said:


> *Brew: Pilsner by Gulpa*
> Date: 9/4/09
> Beer info: Brown 750ml screwtop bottle gold cap "PL"
> 
> ...



Thanks for the feedback Mike. I agree it doesnt quite hit the mark. Nice enough but doesnt have that crispness that you would normally associate with pils. I was going through the "lets not make it too bitter" phase which followed my "lets make it really bitter" phase  

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Muggus (14/5/09)

Can't say i've saved best to last...

*Brew: 7. Muggus - Brutus Belgian Ale*
Date: 12/5/09
Beer info: Brown 750ml twisttop bottle gold cap "7",6.0%, WLP500, bottled 16/3/09

Sampling notes:
Served chilled in mug.

Quite a loud psst upon opening. Pours a hazy amber body with an fluffy offwhite head that dies into a fingers worth of persistant foam.

Hops come through on the aroma, pepper, bitter citrus, a bit of grass. Underlying phenolics seem subdued since last sample, bit of metallic spice and woodiness, sweet breadiness that seems to allude to maltiness.

Medium-to-full body, moderate carbonation, slight creaminess to the texture which is somewhat taken down a notch by a drying note.

Malt body is upfront, bit of wholegrain bread, dough, brown sugar, somehow not as sweet as expected. Dried fruits combine with woody/earth spice, plenty of pepper and cinnamon in the works, bit of apple, citrus and overly ripe fruit. Finishes particularly yeast, subtle milky/creamy dryness with a moderate bitter note that lingers.

Quite an odd ale. Certainly another beer that would translate better into a full-blown "Belgian Strong" catagory, mainly due to lack of body to carry phenolic flavours. Also has an odd hop twang (B Saaz) that is probably more misleading than anything else.
Having said that, I think like alot of other Belgian-style ales, the yeast character in this beer will mellow and intergrate and will probably benefit from some short-term bottle aging. (3-6 months)


----------



## schooey (14/5/09)

Muggus said:


> Not far to go...
> 
> *Brew: 9. Schooey - Belgian Pale Ale*
> Date: 12/5/09
> ...



Cheers for the review, Muggus, excellent feedback as always... after reading it I think the penny has dropped for me. I'm pretty sure I chose this beer to start playing with water chemistry and by the sounds of it I may hve gone a little overboard. I added some CaCl to this one, and I'm thinking I have added too much which has over accentuated the cloviness and phenolics thrown by the yeast. I was pretty sure the samples I kept for myself weren't infected, but I wasn't sure what was going on. I'm kinda relieved in one hand, and still a little disappointed in the other.. ahh well, lesson learned


----------



## caleb (30/5/09)

Um... so has anyone drunk mine yet? I've only seen two reviews...


----------



## white.grant (31/5/09)

Happy to oblige, seemed to have lost track of impressions posted.

*Calebs ESB

*7.5.09

Poured vigorously into a nonic for a thick creamy head and a golden, slightly hazy body.

Nice ripe melon aroma, am sensing sweetness. Low carbonation carries malty sweetness , soft toffee and honey up front moving on to a bitter finish that lingers. As the beer warms in the glass the malt sweetness intensifies and brings out a gentle alcohol warmth. Nice one Caleb.

Cheers

Grant


----------



## white.grant (31/5/09)

I've got a few more.

*No. 1 Retsamham's IPA

*Well carbonated, pours clear honey into a nonic with a monumental foam stand. Aroma is all about the hops. Sipping, the hop flavours are assertive but balancing out with the sweeter malt notes underneath before lingering bitterness on the end palate. Nice one.

*No. 4 Fatgodzilla's Bright Ale

*Opens with a fzzt and pours clear and light into a nonic with a big fluffy head, that strangely keeps on fluffing.
Pleasant aroma of light malt, followed up by some hop notes and yeast phenolics. Very bright mouthfeel, evaporating quickly on the tongue, flavours are quite astringent with a harsh bitterness. Not sure what to make of this one Fatz, its not quite right.

*Thommo's Pale Ale

*Pours light copper with a slight haze and strong head. Aroma's of fresh fruity hops and some underlying malt. Bright mouthfeel, satisfying hop flavour dominating the malt to a long bitter finish. Cheers Thommo.

*Discostu's Sideswap Belgian Dubbel

*Pours dark into chalice with a strong off white head. Nice aroma's translating to flavours of pear, dark lemon, darker malt toast and dry alcohol notes on the finish. Very crisp and drinkable. Thanks Stu


----------



## DiscoStu (11/6/09)

So I cracked of my case swap entries the other night and I could smell the phenolic medical smell as soon as the cap came off. I actually tipped it down the sink. This does appear to have a fault, I suspect the ferment temp got away from me in the early stages and stressed the yeast as Muggus suggested rather than infection.

Anyway apologies to everyone in the swap, I'm not happy about it but there's bugger all I can do except put in an exceptional entry in the next case swap I summon the courage to enter. 

mea culpa  

Stu


----------



## white.grant (11/6/09)

No worries Stu :icon_cheers: . 

The xmas in july swap is on the 25th July and has plenty of room. Get back on the horse.

cheers

grant


----------



## Fatgodzilla (11/6/09)

DiscoStu said:


> So I cracked of my case swap entries the other night and I could smell the phenolic medical smell as soon as the cap came off. I actually tipped it down the sink. This does appear to have a fault, I suspect the ferment temp got away from me in the early stages and stressed the yeast as Muggus suggested rather than infection.
> 
> Stu




Found a few case swap beers in my box and yours was there DS .. will crack over weekend and see if my bottle is infected too .. if not, might help diagnose problem eg was infection inside bottles maybe .. anyway time to see.




> No. 4 Fatgodzilla's Bright Ale
> Opens with a fzzt and pours clear and light into a nonic with a big fluffy head, that strangely keeps on fluffing.
> Pleasant aroma of light malt, followed up by some hop notes and yeast phenolics. Very bright mouthfeel, evaporating quickly on the tongue, flavours are quite astringent with a harsh bitterness. Not sure what to make of this one Fatz, its not quite right.



You may help solve something here Grant. Two problems - the astringency and the harsh bitterness - two seperate problems ? Astringency is possibly too hot sparging water. Have taken better control of that. Anything else jump top mind ?
Harsh bitterness - reckon its a hop bitterness ? I have a theory that by no chilling, I've been exposing hops to prolonged boiling temps, therefore excessive bitterness ? Makes a mess of my Beersmith calculations. 

Keen on your opinion


----------



## white.grant (11/6/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> You may help solve something here Grant. Two problems - the astringency and the harsh bitterness - two seperate problems ? Astringency is possibly too hot sparging water. Have taken better control of that. Anything else jump top mind ?
> Harsh bitterness - reckon its a hop bitterness ? I have a theory that by no chilling, I've been exposing hops to prolonged boiling temps, therefore excessive bitterness ? Makes a mess of my Beersmith calculations.
> 
> Keen on your opinion



I'm no expert Ian, but my thoughts, based on the tasting notes I made, I don't think there was a problem with the wort production, likely more of a fermentation issue. 

I felt that the beer had good appearance and a nice malty aroma, energetic head notwithstanding, so its been made well and come through primary fermentation OK. I'm thinking that we're looking at something going awry during secondary fermentation and most likely introduced at bottling. 

Not sure what process you use to prime and bottle but I'd start there and work backwards looking closely at everything between the finally enclosed bottle and the end of the primary ferment. 

Come to think of it, about time I got a new bottling wand....

cheers

grant


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