# Nsw Xmas Case 2006 - Consumption



## Doc (3/12/06)

As you will all be recieving your cases over the next few days if you don't already have them, it is time for the consumption topic.
Post your consumption reviews here, and your recipes in the RecipesDB.

Beers,
Doc

1. Duff - RyeIPA
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink
3. goatherder - APA
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink.
6. Pint of Lager
7. Doc - Saison - Ready to drink
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (K&K&Fruit)
11. n00ch
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Vanilla Porter
13. Beer Slayer - APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2)
19. Thommo - Bitter
20. Barramundi
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto
23. Nifty - some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle


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## Barramundi (3/12/06)

do we need to review every beer ?? thats a lot of opinion all in one spot ..


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## Stuster (3/12/06)

Doc, I've just gone through all the last posts. There was probably some simultaneous posting and I think this list should include everyone's details of yeast, drinking date and other info. Can everyone post up info up on their yeast etc. (Sorry if anyone's dropped off the list along the way.)

Barramundi, not everyone will post reviews on everyone else's beer, but I find it great to get some feedback on the Xmas case beer. I'm not sure if anybody is going to go the whole berapnopod hog (we'll miss you Andrew) but I'm sure a few will be giving some (sandwiched) constructive tasting notes.

Got my case today. Thanks again to Duff and all the other workers. :super: 

1. Duff - RyeIPA
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle.


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## DJR (3/12/06)

I just tasted my own beer, seeing as though i got 4 bottles back. It's OK to drink now, just make sure it's cold and watch how it's poured. It's got a very high almost weizen carbonation level. Turned out a tad sweeter than i hoped (i only got about 76% attenuation instead of 85 on the last Kolsch i did), but quite a nice drop (if i do say so myself). 

So many beers to choose from now to sample in the coming weeks. Without berp it won't quite be the same though, but at least we can give some rough feedback about the beers :chug:


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## Duff (4/12/06)

I'll try mine tonight and see how it's shaping up. Edited my yeast as well.


1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 (How boring huh?)
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle.


I'll kick the reviews off with:

*Docs Saison*

:super: :super: 

Cheers.


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## Barramundi (4/12/06)

1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 (How boring huh?)
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56

20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..

21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle.


just giving one of the few 'leftovers' of my brew the taste test , im happy with the way it came out will be interesting to see what the more seasoned beer tasters think of it .. although im a little disappointed its a touch cloudy, plenty of carb though....

hope you all enjoy it


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## Duff (4/12/06)

I've just cracked the first one of my contribution and it's ready to go. Tastes pretty good too  

1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 - Ready to drink.
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle.


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## Doc (4/12/06)

Just polishing off Trent's Nut Brown Ale right now.
Great colour, and nice tight white head.
Perfect level of carbonation with great mouthfeel. After another long day my brain is too mushed to write more of a review, other than to say I really enjoyed consuming it over the last twenty minutes as I unwind.

Beers,
Doc


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## Weizguy (4/12/06)

I'm gonna get in early to state that the Weizen #18 is not ready yet. The flavour is there, but a little lacking due to insufficient secondary action (it's a bit flat). The carbonation would do a Brit pale ale proud, but it's well low for a weizen. The beer is great though, so don't stop unless you want to wait for the full experience (after the bottle fermentation is complete).

I poured my beer "mit hefe" tonight. I can still taste the sweet speise, which the yeast is struggling to finish; but there wasn't much yeast after racking and cold conditioning, and racking again to add speise and bottle.

Hope U guys like banana as much as I do. The banana is nicely balanced by hop and clove - Hate too much clove. There is a wheaty/malty/fruity taste to the whole beer. Quite nicely balanced and medium-bodied with a sweet/drying aftertaste and a mild after-bitterness. Luv them Hall. Mit. plugs.
That triple decoction mash really made this a nice beer. Not sure if I could replicate this, but I'd like to try. :chug: 

It reminds me of Schofferhofer or Paulaner, with a little bit of youthful bite. Maybe the bite comes from the weizen yeast, rather than a bottling yeast, or maybe it's just young. Not a bad drop, but I reckon that a bit of warm conditioning and then a few weeks in the fridge will prob do the right thing by this beer.
Carbonation will make this beer drier and slightly more tart. I'll leave it to you. I like it now! :beer: 

I have to save some of this for my brew apprentice, and promised him 4 litres. He's gonna owe me for that favour.

I might make Trent one of these, for his wedding reception.

Well, there ya go. Drink it now, or drink it later..., you'll be happy unless ya hate weizens as much as Batz does. :unsure: 

Beerz
Seth out


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## Josh (5/12/06)

1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 - Ready to drink.
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale - ready to drink 22/12 - Coopers Sparkling Ale yeast
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle.


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## T.D. (5/12/06)

I tried my entry tonight, and I think its improving quite a bit with some time in the bottle. So, I will keep it as "ready to drink" because its fine as is, but if you can you might as well leave it for another couple of weeks. 


1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 - Ready to drink.
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale - ready to drink 22/12 - Coopers Sparkling Ale yeast
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle.


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## Thommo (5/12/06)

Doh.

Just had it tonight TD.

Still bloody nice though. And I'm hopeless at letting beer age. I think I unofficially won the first finished for the Xmas in July Case this year. Already think I'm a shoe in to finish my December case first, (Can anyone else beat 6 beers down already???)

Cheers,
Thommo.

(Off to post in the Tasting notes thread before I forget.)

EDIT:

Dammit.

Now I understand what people mean when they talk about Foruming under the influence. Was in the comsumption thread all along and didn't even realise.

Here's my brief reviews.

Sunday 3/12/06
Went to my brohter inlaw's to be. Had Goatherder's APA, Doc's Saison (Awesome!!! :super: ) and Duffs IPA. Duff, the label was right mate, one hell of a bitter bastard. Luckily my bro inlaw and I were tough enough to handle it.

Tonight, whilst watching the cricket.

Stuster's American Rye, Trent's Nut Brown Ale, and TD's Hunter Valley Pale Ale. In 20 years from now when people ask what were you doing when the Aussies wrestled the Ashes back from the grasp of the whinging poms, I'll be able to say that I was drinking these beers. Thanks guys, made this moment even more awesome. Can't say a bad word about any of these beers.

So from an original swap case of 24 beers from other brewers, I've got 18 left. I'm half thinking I should back off and savour a few more brews over time, and part of me thinks I should try for the record of finishing off a case swap in record time. Stay Tuned.

Cheers,
Thommo.


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## shonky (5/12/06)

Been away for several weeks so apologies for the lack of posts! ...Bottled it pre-gassed the night before Gerard picked it up and had a 'mare with excess foam in the neck!! Scraped in with the 28 bottles so will have no chance to sample my wares until the case arrives. This beer does not fit easily into the style guidelines and, rather than try to describe it, I'll just throw it out there and solicit your honest feedback.



Can't wait to receive the case and try all the wild, weird and wonderful beers described on the thread.



It's going to be a merry 'hic xmas.



Seasons greetings to all contributors and many many thanks to the organisers and case swappers, it's REALLY appreciated.



Cheers



Shonky





1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 - Ready to drink.
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- let it age for a while
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky - Quaffing Cricket Beer - good to drink now
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale - ready to drink 22/12 - Coopers Sparkling Ale yeast
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle. [/quote]


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## Stuster (5/12/06)

Go for it, Thommo. No, I reckon you should save the ones that'll improve with a bit of time.

What an honour that my beer was drunk during that great game today. :super: 

I'm intrigued, shonky. What yeast did you use BTW?

Edit: Must be PUI too. :lol: 

Just sipping on goatherder's APA. It's a nice drop. Amarillo? Lots of floral aroma and flavour but with a good maltiness to balance. I like. :chug:


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## goatherder (6/12/06)

Cheers Stuster.

Good pick, I used a 2:1 mix of Amarillo and Cascade. All hops went in late starting at 20 mins.


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## DJR (6/12/06)

Just sipping on T.D.'s HV Pale Ale at the moment - quite nice. Are you sure that the IBU's and EBC are right, looks more like about 20EBC than 9EBC or whatever it says on the bottle!

Next up in the fridge is Doc's Saison when i get around to it, there's about 4 different types of Kolsch (2 HB versions, 2 commercial versions) in the fridge so it's going to be hard to drink all these entries!


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## goatherder (6/12/06)

Keith's Raspberry Wheat

Poured a very tasty looking guava colour, somewhere between pink and orange. Not much head to speak of but well carbonated - probably my glassware. The first hit on the nose is banana esters but the raspberry shines through on the next sniff. Smells fantastic.

The taste is a really well balanced blend of raspberries and wheatiness (is that even a word?). The tang of a wheat beer is there and the raspberry flavour follows and lingers on. Whilst the nose suggests some sweetness, the finish is quite dry and refreshing, enhanced by a crisp bitterness. The carbonation is lively and suits the style well.

I really enjoyed this beer Keith, it makes for the perfect after work refresher. I reckon it would make a good session beer too, very easy to drink. Cheers.


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## T.D. (6/12/06)

DJR said:


> Just sipping on T.D.'s HV Pale Ale at the moment - quite nice. Are you sure that the IBU's and EBC are right, looks more like about 20EBC than 9EBC or whatever it says on the bottle!



Very interesting that you bring this up actually. I brewed this beer with two mates on a big system in the Hunter Valley (the scaled down recipe is below). I totally agree with you, I was just saying to one of the other guys yesterday that I would pick it as about 18 EBC. I don't know what could have caused it to be this dark. I know that the Hunter water is quite hard compared to Sydney, but could that affect colour? The other possible explanation is that I have a mumma of a burner (300Mj mongolian) for this system and I can't remember perfectly but if I had it on flat out with only a small amount of wort in the kettle I may have gotten some caramelisation happening. But yeah, its a mystery - I'm as baffled as you are!

Anyway, the main thing is I hope you all enjoy drinking it! 


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Hunter Valley Pale Ale (Xmas Case)
Style: Australian Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 28.00 L 
Boil Size: 32.52 L
Estimated OG: 1.046 SG
Estimated Color: 9.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 26.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 87.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
4.24 kg Joe White Traditional Ale (5.9 EBC) Grain 90.9 % 
0.34 kg Joe White Wheat Malt (3.5 EBC) Grain 7.3 % 
0.08 kg Joe White Crystal (141.8 EBC) Grain 1.8 % 
14.13 gm Super Pride [14.00%] (60 min) Hops 17.9 IBU 
16.63 gm Goldings, East Kent [6.90%] (20 min) Hops 6.3 IBU 
16.63 gm Goldings, East Kent [6.90%] (5 min) Hops 2.1 IBU 
0 Pkgs Safale American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-56) Yeast-Ale 


Mash Schedule: 150L System - Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 4.67 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time 
Infusion Add 16.33 L of water at 72.6 C 66.5 C 60 min 


Notes:
------
Last runnings: 2 brix
@ 175L boil gravity: 11.5 brix (1.045)
5L excess from grant added for final boil volume of 180L
165L post boil volume (15L boil off)


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## Keith the Beer Guy (7/12/06)

goatherder said:


> I really enjoyed this beer Keith, it makes for the perfect after work refresher. I reckon it would make a good session beer too, very easy to drink. Cheers.



Thanks for the feedback Goatherder.

Thats what the beer was all about, nothing too flash; just a refreshing drink for a hot summers day.

Cheers,

Keith


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## goatherder (7/12/06)

Stusters American Rye

Pours brilliantly clear, pale golden in colour. Plenty of carbonation which throws a generous 2 finger head. I should have used my weizen glass...

There are some great aromas in this beer. There is a touch of banana at the start which ends up being a little like honey, even a little caramel. Very nice.

I've never had a rye beer before, but I guess this is what rye tastes like. Kind of like a grainy maltiness, very rounded, different to a wheat beer but still very pleasing. The bitterness is perfectly balanced - it lets you know it's there while handing the leading role to the yeast and the malt. The 5.9% is extremely well hidden whilst the beer is cold but as it warms up it becomes a bit more evident. It also got that impression as the bottle got emptier...

The carbonation is quite high which gives a real refreshing crispness to the beer. The mouthfeel is light enough to be very drinkable without becoming watery.

This is a top beer Stuster and a great example of a tasty quaffing ale. It's a style I've never tasted before so thanks for widening my beer horizons by putting it in the case.

GH


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## Doc (8/12/06)

*Duffs American IPA*

Instant hop gratification. Great nose which I guessing is a good dose of late hops, or a handfull of dry hops.
A beer close to my heart, great colour, great balance with huge aroma, flavourness and bitterness.

A+++, move to the top of the case.

Beers,
Doc

PS: Is it based on Denny Conn's RyeIPA as it is close to my version of Denny's recipe.


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## mikem108 (11/12/06)

Put the first 8 or so in the fridge, hmm what to choose.
Saturday night had No1. Duffs American IPA
Very tasty and simlar to a beer I made, is there Chinook in there?

High bitterness alright but balanced by the mouthfeel and malt, carbonation was a little high.

Sunday night was no3 goatherder - APA, big smack of hops nice full rounded malt. 

Its so good to have a massive selection of various handcrafted beers on hand, theres really some great brewers out there!


Tried the "control" bottle of my contribution, I'd say its ready to be drunk from now on.


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## mikem108 (11/12/06)

update

1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 - Ready to drink.
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- Ready To drink from now on. 11/12/06
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky - Quaffing Cricket Beer - good to drink now
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale - ready to drink 22/12 - Coopers Sparkling Ale yeast
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle. [/quote]


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## Keith the Beer Guy (12/12/06)

Duff, I enjoyed your American IPA.

Met all my expectations. 

Gorgeous colour, large white head.

Huge hit of Casade like aroma when you stick your beak anywhere near the glass.

Assertive hop flavour and lingering bitternesss.

Yuuuummmmm, 

Thanks,

Keith


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## Duff (12/12/06)

Cheers Doc, Mike and Keith. The receipe is based on Denny Conn's Rye IPA, but just a little more hops  It is a combo of Columbus and Mt. Hood, I'll post the receipe when I get home tonight.

Cheers.

Nifty: Let me know when you are ready.


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## Keith the Beer Guy (12/12/06)

Duff said:


> It is a combo of Columbus and Mt. Hood
> 
> Cheers.


Blow me down. 

I've not used either of those two guys, and I would have sworn that you had used some cluster in there.

Live and learn, too many hops, too many beers to brew - the problems that we have to put up with  

Cheers,

Keith


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## homebrewworld.com (12/12/06)

I have cracked my Xmas Case in the last couple of days, and man its off to a bloody great start !

No:1 Duff American IPA: Great example of style, loved it.
: 2 Stuster, American Rye....Top shelf, i have never had one before and this style is now on my hit list !
:4 Trent, Nut Brown Ale......Enjoyed it as it warmed up a little.
:5 DJR, Koelsch....Great Beer mate ! Love the yeast combo on this one....i will try this yeast duo soon.
:7 Doc, Saison.....Loved it Doc ! you have got me thinking why havent i made this style of beer myself?
: 16 Stephen......Hoegarden White.....You are right,the yeast in this beer is great !!! LOVE this beer.
: 26 Josh....Sparkling Ale...Very Coopers indeed ! a nice summer beer round the pool for sure...

If the standard of this case keeps up at this rate, us NSW guys will have to be the best brewers in Oz by far !
 :beerbang: 

Cheers


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## T.D. (12/12/06)

Hello all,

I still haven't cracked my first xmas case beer yet, but will be very soon. Duff's IPA will probably be first off the rank. Having tried one of his APAs on the weekend I am quietly confident I am going to like it!

Can I ask, if you are willing to part with your brewing secrets, could everybody post their recipes in the ahb database? 

Cheers :beer:


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## DJR (12/12/06)

homebrewworld.com said:


> :5 DJR, Koelsch....Great Beer mate ! Love the yeast combo on this one....i will try this yeast duo soon.



Cheers for that, i must say that the US56 didn't do much - only added it at about 1014 SG to get some more attenuation since it wasn't moving much. So it's mainly WLP029. That said if you culture up the yeast it will mainly be WLP029 which should be fine for a good general purpose clean ale yeast, just so happens it is also works well in Kolsch :lol:


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## DJR (12/12/06)

T.D. said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I still haven't cracked my first xmas case beer yet, but will be very soon. Duff's IPA will probably be first off the rank. Having tried one of his APAs on the weekend I am quietly confident I am going to like it!
> 
> ...



Mine's up - Xmas Koelsch... enjoy! Devo has already used the malt bill for a Kolsch and liked it, so go get cracking on the mash paddle recipes guys!


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## Barramundi (12/12/06)

still to take the plunge on anyones beer yet figure ill let them sit for a week , although i did have a go at one of my own that i got back just to see how it turned out , im happy i hope everyone else is too...


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## Weizguy (12/12/06)

My weizen is as ready as you are, unless U like 'em real fizzy.

I'll be tasting a Eurostubbie of SethWeizen on Friday. Join me if U dare. C'mon, I need at least one volunteer.
Keith,... on Saturday?
Doc? What if I give you an extra Eurostubbie?
Stuster? I know you're up 4 it.

I'll be posting after the tasting. Maybe late Saturday?

luv that banana/ isoamyl acetate aroma.

Seth/Weizen out


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## Weizguy (12/12/06)

My weizen is as ready as you are, unless U like 'em real fizzy.

I'll be tasting a Eurostubbie of SethWeizen on Friday. Join me if U dare. C'mon, I need at least one volunteer.
Keith,... on Saturday?
Doc? What if I give you an extra Eurostubbie?
Stuster? I know you're up 4 it.

I'll be posting after the tasting. Maybe late Saturday?

luv that banana/ isoamyl acetate aroma.

Seth/Weizen out


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## Stuster (12/12/06)

Surprisingly you are right, Lesseth. I'm up for it. Weizguy's weizen for Friday drinks. What could be better? :super: 

*DJR's kolsch*

Fruity, lightly malty aroma. Tall, fluffy head with great head retention. Golden colour. Fruity flavour. Slightly overcarbonated. A clean beer with light body to style, but a little residual sweetness. It probably needs slightly more attenuation but this is a very drinkable beer. :chug:


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## Keith the Beer Guy (13/12/06)

Les the Weizguy said:


> My weizen is as ready as you are, unless U like 'em real fizzy.
> 
> I'll be tasting a Eurostubbie of SethWeizen on Friday. Join me if U dare. C'mon, I need at least one volunteer.
> Keith,... on Saturday?
> ...



Sounds good to me Seth.

Saturday, after work, a trip to sunny Medowie; what more could a beer drinker want. Count me in.

Perhaps we could share a couple, or dare I say a few, christmas case contributions?

Cheers,

Keith


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## Josh (13/12/06)

homebrewworld.com said:


> I have cracked my Xmas Case in the last couple of days, and man its off to a bloody great start !
> 
> : 26 Josh....Sparkling Ale...Very Coopers indeed ! a nice summer beer round the pool for sure...



Great to hear. How was the carbonation? I only just bottled them before the cut off date.


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## homebrewworld.com (13/12/06)

Yeah, all good Josh!
Carbonation was there !
I have had the case stored in the garage at ambient temp to make sure they get a chance to carbonate, and when i want a beer i put it in the freezer for a fast chill!
So yeah, the freezer is getting a work-out !


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## T.D. (13/12/06)

Sipping on Duff's AIPA now. Bloody nice. Seems to have quite high carbonation (I over-did the head a bit when I poured it) but I wouldn't say its anywhere near "over"carbonated. Huge hoppiness, love it. Bitterness is big too but big in a good way. Colour is a nice solid red, and its crystal clear (who ever said no chiller yielded cloudy beers???!!!).

Top stuff Duff. Really nice drop.


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## goatherder (14/12/06)

DJR's Kolsch

Pours a pale golden colour with some chill haze which fades to an almost brilliant clarity as the beer warms. The carbonation is lively and throws a good size head which disappears fairly quickly. There is a very nice light fruit aroma in behind the hops. The beer tastes very clean with some nice background malt flavour. There is a little residual sweetness there but the bitterness is there to balance it out. The carbonation is quite high, perhaps a bit too high. The mouthfeel doesn't have the dryness that I've tasted in other Kolschs but it certainly isn't unpleasant.

Bloody nice beer thanks DJR, that yeast combo is a winner. I've only had a couple examples of a Kolsch before and this compares very well with them. Nice one.


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## Barramundi (14/12/06)

now that i have the when to drink list printed time to go sort and chill some of these beers for weekend drinking ...


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## Gerard_M (14/12/06)

Unfortunately the below entry has become a bottle bomb as Shonky's case was sitting here awaiting delivery.


27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056

Cheers
Gerard


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## crozdog (15/12/06)

I cracked Duffs AIPA last night. Your right about the bitterness! It certainly was an educational experience for some of my taste buds. :beerbang: Great colour & aroma with lots of carbonation. I enjoyed it but don't think I could drink much more than 1 bottle in a sitting. Maybe that's cause I haven't had much exposure to this style.

Beers

Philip

Updated list
1. Duff - American IPA - WLP029 - Ready to drink.
2. Stuster - American Rye- ready to drink - WLP320
3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.
4. Trent - Nut Brown Ale - Ready to Drink. Wyeast 1028.
5. DJR - Klsch - ready to drink. WLP029/US56 mix.
6. Pint of Lager - Dunkel - ready to drink, give it some quiet time - yeast WL800
7. Doc - Saison - ready to drink - WLP565
8. Homebrewworld.com - APA....Bottled 1/12/06, allow for carbonation time then drink it !
9. Chilled
10. Keith - Raspberry Wheat Beer (Kit and Kilo, Wyeast 3068 + US56, Drink Now)
11. n00ch - Hefeweizen - Ready to drink after 15/12/2006 - Wyeast 3942.
12. mikem108-Wood aged Smokey Choc Porter- Nottingham Ale for primary- and muntons gold for bottling- Ready To drink from now on. 11/12/06
13. Beer Slayer- APA Bottled 1/12/06 ready to drink 23/12/06
14. Linz - Belgian Wit bier (like No16)-T-58-Just finished bottling it, so after 14/12/06 get into it !!
15. Shonky - Quaffing Cricket Beer - good to drink now
16. Stephen - Hoegarden White - Will be ready to drink by the time of the swap. Yeast is cultured from Hoegarden Grand Cru. I've used this before and seems to work very well,
17. Hopsta - Brown Porter - Nottingham yeast - Best give it till after 08/12/06 to ensure enough carbonation.
18. Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2) - contains 3rd gen Weizen yeast (W3068). Warner (Classic Beer Series - German Wheat beer) suggests that you serve it at 8-10C. Thought that I might bottle without removing the weizen yeast, this time. Next time, I'll prob bottle with W34/70, after a few weeks of cc'ing. More? Go to my Spruik your Beer thread.
19. Thommo - Bitter, bottled 30/11/2006. Leave it two weeks. - US56
20. Barramundi - Wanna Be Vintage Ale-S04 Yeast ,bottled 11th November should be good to go when the sediment settles again ive tested it and it seems pretty good to me ... but as with most home brews time is always a good thing ..
21. Barry - Munich Dunkel
22. Berto - English Special Bitter, Bottled 29/11, WLP002
23. Nifty- some sort of Old Peculier - Bottled 13/11/06. Can be drunk now, but as it is supposed to be a low end strong ale, it might get better with age. This is the first time I've brewed this baby, so I'm not sure how it will go. - WLP005 used
24. Gerard_M - Something Dark
25. T.D. - Hunter Valley Pale Ale - ready to drink now - US56
26. Josh - Sparkling Ale - ready to drink 22/12 - Coopers Sparkling Ale yeast
27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
28. Crozdog - PhilsAle. Made with Pils, wheat, crystal, N Brewer, Hallertauer & US56. my 1st attempt @ bulk priming - testing indicates it may be a bit undercarbed, sorry. Ready now. I reckon its a good session / lawnmower beer. Enjoy


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## DJR (15/12/06)

Gerard_M said:


> Unfortunately the below entry has become a bottle bomb as Shonky's case was sitting here awaiting delivery.
> 27. Philmac - American Brown - leave until at least 21/12 - Wyeast 1056
> 
> Cheers
> Gerard



I'll make sure that one goes in the freezer before opening..

Sorry everyone about my overcarbonated Kolsch, it is a nice beer, i agree, but i put too much dextrose in i think  Could probably do with a degree or less in the first step mash temp as well (probably 63 or 64 rather than 65)


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## mikem108 (15/12/06)

Had #2. Stuster's - American Rye- 
last night and couldn't identify the aroma, it had a real Belgian smell about it, very nice carbonation a light bitterness that disappears quickly leaving behind that nice Rye mouth feel.
Now that I see WLP320 was used which explains the phenolic aroma, my Mrs couldn't get enough of this beer.


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## Keith the Beer Guy (15/12/06)

Hi everyone,

I drank *Doc's Saison* the night before last.

I was looking forward to trying this style, and was not disappointed.

Tall and fluffy head, crystal clear beer - all very appealing.

Phenolic clove-aroma with a little bubblegum in the background - very wheat-yeast like. I was wondering at this point whether a saison was going to dissapoint me by simply being a wheat beer in disguise.

After taking a mouthful I realised there was need to worry.

The first thing to amaze me was the very light mouthfeel. It all happens right at the front of the pallet and disappears as you swallow it. I can understand why this beer was drunk for centuries by farmhands as a refreshing brew to give them the energy to get back to work.

The next thing that got my attention was the delicate fruit flavour. I detected pear and perhaps some apple flavour. These flavours just added to the refreshing nature of the beer.

Anyway, drank the rest of the bottle. Enjoyed it mightly.

Thanks very much Doc, I think it's just the kick up the butt I need to put one on over christmas.

Happy Brewing,

Keith

ps. Edited for speeeling


----------



## Thommo (15/12/06)

Thanks for the warning Gerard.

Cracked the lid on my #27 to let some of the gasses escape and then re capped quickly. Didn't sound too bad though. When I tried to take the lid off again to make sure, it started trying to climb out the bottle. I've put it in the fridge and will be trying it this weekend. The way it tried to climb out of the bottle I'd recommend everyone do the same.

I've had two samples of my effort. (#19) It may be a bit undercarbed, even for a Bitter. (Actually turned out more of a Special Bitter.) Someone with more knowledge may be able to give me some hints. It has a bit of carbonation, not much head. I'd probably recommend leaving it another week, just to be on the safe side. Tastes a bit tame to me, and I think I've got to start using something other than Northern Brewer for bittering.

My Case is disappearing way too quick again. Not sure how that happens. Haven't had a bad one yet though.

Cheers,
Thommo.


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## Stuster (15/12/06)

*Keith's Raspberry wheat*

Not a hot day here but for some reason I had this hot weather beer. Good, strong raspberry aroma and flavour, but no wheat beer esters to my taste. Not much of a head which quickly disappeared probably due to the fruit. Excellent red colour from the fruit and a nice, tart aftertaste. Clean flavour, with no wheat esters evident. Very refreshing due to the light wheat beer body combined with the fruit. Good one, Keith. :super:


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## Weizguy (15/12/06)

*Keith's Raspberry wheat*, too:

I had a go at Keith's wheat beer earlier in the week.

Apologies to all that I had food with this, and that factor that may have overridden some of the flavours.

What I did get, is plenty of raspberry and some strong tartness. The beer had a thin body, making it it very drinkable. I didn't get much bitterness, but the beer was balanced by the tartness & phenolics instead.
Certainly, this was better than any sweet fruit&wheat beer that I've had before, as this was not too sweet at all.
Keith has advised me that this was a quaffing ale and not meant to be much more complicated than that.

I feel this beer hits the mark, and as any good beer, it invites you back for another sip after the flavour fades on the palate. Well crafted Kit Keith.  

*Seth Kase Weizen* #18:

Yep, I'm reviewing the progress of my weizen again. First, I notice that the carbonation has increased, and it's close to right now. It holds a good, dense head, but it's less than rocky, IMHO. I smell banana, malt, cloves; in that order...and bread, after I poured the yeasty bits in!
Taking a sip, the body is medium, and I taste breadiness, banana, sweet malt/wheat, bitterness, cloves, and a mildly bitter, tart dry finish.

All pretty much what I wanted...a banana-accented old-school weizen
Please feel free to drink and post, as I'm sure that I missed a few negatives.
This beer is a fairly dry thirst quencher. Should be OK for a BBQ, and it goes with anything, from spicy foods to sweet desserts, I find.

Let me know

Seth out


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## Weizguy (15/12/06)

Bi Bi Miss American Rye

Stuster. Respect!! This is a weird beer.

IMHO, nicer than a Roggenbier. Spicy as an American wheat and yet clovey, like a weizen.

The hopping suited this hybrid style.

I get the hops, I get the yeast, I get the wheat and the rye, and the muted banana and clove from the hops. Dare I say bubblegum?

Quite well balanced, although perhaps a little clovey for my taste. This is probably one I'd try to make.

Lace all down the glass.

Seth out


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## DJR (15/12/06)

Doc's Saison

What a cracker of a beer, textbook example of the style. Definitely one i should be doing myself after trying this style for the first time.

Loads of pear, caramel apples and peppery spice, a good whack of sour malt character and heaps of carbonation on the tongue, even after filling from the keg. Top notch.

I've put some mystery beers in the fridge, i think i have only had 1 or 2 out of them all so far, don't know how some of you are almost finished! :lol:


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## Stuster (16/12/06)

*Philmac's American Brown*

Well, what a disaster. I popped this one in the fridge based on Gerard's heads up. I was opening this warily, thinking of exploding glass, but there was no frothing, just a very gentle ssshhh. Not overcarbed at all. In fact, not yet ready to drink. Intense dark brown, darker than any brown ale. Rich, malty aroma. Strong dark malty flavour, much more porter-like than brown. Tobacco and liquorice.  Thick mouthfeel. It's a shame I opened this so early. It was still quite green. This seems like a porter rather than an American Brown though, philmac. I didn't really notice much hop flavour or aroma over the rich maltiness, though the bitterness balanced the beer nicely. Hard to suggest leaving this one with some obviously overcarbonated, but a shame because this could be a nice beer with more time in the bottle.


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## DJR (16/12/06)

I did the same thing Stuart after the warning - perhaps Philmac was priming with sugar and forgot that he had already added the required dose to the bottle that Gerard had, and added another dose, or there was an infected bottle.... Mine was pretty green too, recapped it and going to wait a bit longer. Might drop even a bit more sugar in it to get the carb levels back up.


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## pint of lager (16/12/06)

My case arrived this morning. Thanks everyone for your efforts. Looking forward to letting them settle and fridging them.


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## nifty (17/12/06)

I finally picked my case up yesterday, thanks Duff.

As there are so many beers to choose from, I decided to just work my down the list, starting with Duffs.

When I read the label, it said it's "a bitter bastard" and "I hope you like your hops". Well it wasn't joking.

My first swig nearly took my breath away. This was some much more hoppier than any beer I ever make. What a top beer and a great start to the case.

Thanks

nifty


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## Stuster (17/12/06)

So a day late, but I tried Les's weizen last night. Not really a proper review, sorry Les, due to circumstances within my control.  

Big rocky head that faded through the glass. Seemingly a bit of chill haze, but that enhanced the look as far as I'm concerned. Lots of mainly banana initially, with more clove to balance as the beer warmed up. Medium body, which was different to most weizen's I've had/made. This was definitely a plus as far as I was concerned. Still to style according to the book, and it rounded out the beer really well.

Thanks for this one, Lesseth. It has converted my wife to weizen's (a long time hater of the style). Now I may make this style again, but will I be able to match this example, or fall tragically short in my wife's estimation. h34r: :lol:


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## crozdog (18/12/06)

Reviews from the weekend:

Stuster - American Rye. 
I really liked this. It was complex, balanced & well carbonated. Numerous flavours including banana & clove permeated at different times. Can I have another?

goatherder - APA, 
Heaps of carbonation, great aroma, complimented by the high bitterness & alcohol. I gave some to a mate to try - i think it was too much for him, he could only describe it as strong & bitter!! h34r: Despite me not being a huge fan of this style (mainly as I can't drink much of it), Top marks goatherder. 

Beers

Crozdog


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## Barramundi (18/12/06)

ok heres my first 'review' for beers in the case swap excuse my amatuerish ignorance gents ...


1st of the rank was keiths raspberry wheat , i like it !! never had a beer like this before but it certainly is a nice one for a summers day by the pool or BBQ , dont think its quite a cricket watchin beer it is after all pink , great flavor, well carbed , great coloring and clarity ...

next was goatherder, with an APA, nice beer ,high on the bitterness , great browny color and clarity ,carbed up nicely, good all round beer even if a touch bitter for my tastes ...

is an APA supposed to be this dark?? , this isnt a criticism i honestly dont know so im askin the question


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## shonky (18/12/06)

Can't believe I mentioned the cricket and my beer in the same sentence. Not fun being an ardent pommie cricket fan in Sydney today. Thinking of changing my description to "good for sipping in the garden on a summers afternoon".

Well done Aussie cricket fans, you kicked arse - bring on The Ashes 2009.

I get my case from Gerard tomorrow - can't wait to get stuck in. Off to NZ for xmas (probably not a bad thing with boxing day test looming) so will not get a chance to sup on too many until the NY.

Merry xmas all case swappers and all other AHBers. Cheers to a great brewing year 2007!

Shonky


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## Stuster (18/12/06)

I thought it was definitely in the range for an APA, barra. The guidelines for an APA are from 10-28 EBC. That's supposedly dark amber whatever that is. Googling does not seem to find me a good beer colour chart. Anybody know of one? This page has one in the top corner. That's in SRM, so 5-14 is the range for APAs.


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## goatherder (18/12/06)

Barramundi said:


> next was goatherder, with an APA, nice beer ,high on the bitterness , great browny color and clarity ,carbed up nicely, good all round beer even if a touch bitter for my tastes ...
> 
> is an APA supposed to be this dark?? , this isnt a criticism i honestly dont know so im askin the question



Cheers Barramundi. According to beersmith, the colour is about in the middle of the style for an APA. It surprised me a bit too that the guidelines are so broad for this syle.


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## nifty (18/12/06)

I had Stusters American Rye earlier.

I've never tried 1 of these before, interesting flavours, nice colour. It was finished before I knew it.

thanks

nifty


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## T.D. (19/12/06)

I also had Stuster's American Rye last night and I was really impressed. It was the first time I have ever tried a beer with rye malt in it and I think it made for a very interesting flavour (in a good way!). I had it with pizza and it went down a treat. If I can get my hands on some rye malt I would be very keen on making one of these beers for myself. Top stuff Stuster!

Going to knock the top off Goatherder's APA tonight. I am going through a bit of an APA phase at the moment so I'm looking forward to this one!


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## Barramundi (19/12/06)

goatherder said:


> Cheers Barramundi. According to beersmith, the colour is about in the middle of the style for an APA. It surprised me a bit too that the guidelines are so broad for this syle.




thanks for the info guys !


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## goatherder (19/12/06)

TD's hunter valley pale

Nice clear beer when poured, amber to copper in colour. A smallish white head which lingers well. The aroma is very clean with a great malty hit to it. The taste doesn't let it down, plenty of malt there with some nice caramel sweetness. There is also a bit of spiciness from the hops along with the perfectly balanced bitterness. The carbonation is spot on for the style leaving a very drinkable beer.

Top marks TD, this is a beer that's right up my alley. I've made a few bitters before but I've always used an English yeast to do it. I'm really pleased to have tasted one with US-56, it really puts a different spin on the hops and yeast when there aren't any esters there to dominate. Cheers.


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## nifty (19/12/06)

Goatherders APA

Very nice, with a strong bitterness and strong floral? hop flavour. Great carbonation and colour. 

many thanks

nifty

edit - Just got to 100 posts, it's taken a while...


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## Barramundi (19/12/06)

goatherder said:


> TD's hunter valley pale
> 
> Nice clear beer when poured, amber to copper in colour. A smallish white head which lingers well. The aroma is very clean with a great malty hit to it. The taste doesn't let it down, plenty of malt there with some nice caramel sweetness. There is also a bit of spiciness from the hops along with the perfectly balanced bitterness. The carbonation is spot on for the style leaving a very drinkable beer.
> 
> Top marks TD, this is a beer that's right up my alley. I've made a few bitters before but I've always used an English yeast to do it. I'm really pleased to have tasted one with US-56, it really puts a different spin on the hops and yeast when there aren't any esters there to dominate. Cheers.





what he said , great beer TD , this would be a good one to watch the poms lose an ashes series with ....
am i correct in guessing that by the picture on your label of a big boiler type device that this is an all grain beer??


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## Barramundi (19/12/06)

Pint Of Lagers Dunkel , well ive never had a dunkel before and have no idea what its supposed to taste like / look like but i do know that i liked this beer a lot , not too bitter not too sweet , just right for my taste buds , good job POL...


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## T.D. (19/12/06)

Barramundi said:


> what he said , great beer TD , this would be a good one to watch the poms lose an ashes series with ....
> am i correct in guessing that by the picture on your label of a big boiler type device that this is an all grain beer??



Yeah, it is an all grain beer that was brewed on a big (150L) system I have at my parents' vineyard in the Hunter Valley. The boiler in the photo is a modified stainless 44 gallon drum. 

Glad you liked the beer. I fermented another batch of it with S-04 and I must say I thought it was quite a bit better than the US-56 version. Shame I couldn't have put that one in the case, but you can't win 'em all!


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## pokolbinguy (19/12/06)

Hey T.D

sorry to be off topic but where abouts in the Hunter Valley is your parents vineyard? I live in the Hunter (Pokolbin)... could be a possibility breweing get together in the future?

Pok


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## T.D. (19/12/06)

goatherder said:


> TD's hunter valley pale
> 
> Nice clear beer when poured, amber to copper in colour. A smallish white head which lingers well. The aroma is very clean with a great malty hit to it. The taste doesn't let it down, plenty of malt there with some nice caramel sweetness. There is also a bit of spiciness from the hops along with the perfectly balanced bitterness. The carbonation is spot on for the style leaving a very drinkable beer.
> 
> Top marks TD, this is a beer that's right up my alley. I've made a few bitters before but I've always used an English yeast to do it. I'm really pleased to have tasted one with US-56, it really puts a different spin on the hops and yeast when there aren't any esters there to dominate. Cheers.



Thanks Goatherder. I tried your beer tonight and I loved it! Great red-brown colour, and when I held it up to the light it gave this nice ruby-coloured glow through the glass - great stuff! The aroma hit me straight away. Is it something like cascade or amarillo at flameout? The hop flavour seemed to have some more grapefruit flavours there though (any chinook, or similar, in there?), but I may be getting it confused with the beer's good strong bitterness. Overall a great example of the style. As I said I am currently going through an APA phase at the moment and I enjoyed this beer as much if not more than any others I have had recently. Thanks mate! :beerbang:


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## T.D. (19/12/06)

pokolbinguy said:


> Hey T.D
> 
> sorry to be off topic but where abouts in the Hunter Valley is your parents vineyard? I live in the Hunter (Pokolbin)... could be a possibility breweing get together in the future?
> 
> Pok



We are in Mount View - very close to Pokolbin! Definitely up for a brew day up there some time, I'll keep you posted on when I next plan to brew!


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## DJR (20/12/06)

Beer Slayer's APA

Sweet malt aroma with some definite Amarillo in there too. Quite hazy.

Flavour is upfront sweetness from Munich & Crystal, along with a nice fresh cleansing palate that is pretty full. Might just be a little too sweet for the amount of bitterness in there (which is a little low). Might have just tried it a bit too early? Good summer quaffer beer, more like a James Squire-style Golden ale than an APA. Loads of Amarillo in there which i always like! :chug:


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## Josh (20/12/06)

Duff's American IPA

You're not wrong about it being hoppy. More hoppy than anything I have made. Not sure I would ever go that far. But it didn't last long in the glass so it must have been good.


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## nifty (21/12/06)

I had Trents Nut Brown Ale last night.

When I first tried this, I wasn't sure about it. To me it sort of tasted a bit odd. I think I was drinking it too cold, because as it warmed up it, the flavours started to come out. It was a very nice beer.

Thanks

nifty


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## Stuster (21/12/06)

Funny you should mention that, nifty. I had T.D.'s pale ale a couple of days ago and at first was not sure I liked it at all. Then realised as you did that it was just the temperature so left it ten minutes and then enjoyed it very much. Luckily my wife didn't like it, so I had to take up the slack. :chug: 

I'm drinking Trent's Nut Brown right now. Great beer, Trent. Good to see you persevering with the 1028. :lol: It's such a distinctive yeast. I think it goes better in combination with the darker malts. Esters are obvious in the aroma. Good sized, fluffy white head and perfect carbonation for the style. An excellent beer for a cooler night. :super:


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## Weizguy (21/12/06)

*3. goatherder - APA, Wyeast 1056, Bottled 11/11. Drink sooner rather than later.*

What an impressive head. It's thick and creamy and will not subside.
Big piney hop hit. Not a malt aroma to be had, unless it's hidden by the hop.
Creamy mouthfeel, with bit of hop astringency (high co-humulone?), and a bit of hop sting.
Medium-high carbonation. Malt, hop and resiny sweetness with fruity/woody flavours. The hops bite and bite again on the aftertaste. Lingering. A sweetness lingers, too.
Well-crafted for easy consumption. I can imagine this to be an easy-swilling ale.

Quite a complex beer. Reminds me of some of my old DME APA's. This is no discourtesy to goatherder, as both his and my beers were tasty and clean and complex. If you're short on time, it 's OK to use light DME for an APA, especially if performing a full boil.

The hop lingers a little too long, but that's prob just me. Or maybe it's the entire beer that lingers.

I'd be happy to be greeted by a Yankee sized pint glass, off the tap, in an Arrogant Bastard/ "Fizzy yellow beer is for wussies" glass, after a hard day at work. Topless barmaid, hmmmm...

Quite drinkable, but I have a problem with the hop astringency. Prob just the type of hop. I get the same thing when making these. W1056 does accent the hop, prob by downplaying the malt.

Nice enough. I made a similar-tasting one for a Superbowl party a while back.


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## nifty (22/12/06)

DJR's Klsch

Beautiful pale colour. I saw an earlier post in the hop of the week thread saying something about a perfumy taste. Although there are different hops in the Klsch, this was the first impression I got when I first tasted it.

A very nice beer

thanks

nifty


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## Barramundi (22/12/06)

over the last couple of nights i too have sampled trents nut brown ale and it got the thumbs up all round even the g/f liked it and she is hard to please as far as beers go , also had Docs Summer Saison , man what is in this beer its great , very quaffable indeed , very summer , very good ...


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## berto (22/12/06)

Wel i started on my case tonight. 
I had a bottle of mine which was only half full but it seemed to condition up ok. I backed well off the bittering i gave this beer last time, and I'm regretting it. I wanted something mor bitter than this, but not as bitter as the last time i brewed this beer. Has a bit of a coopers vintage taste to it, and am reasonably happy. Probably another 2 or 3 weeks wouldn't hurt. 

*Keiths Raspberry Wheat*
Overall Keith i found the beer pretty good. I'm not sure of the yeasts you use are true wheat yeasts or not? I would like to try it with only a true wheat yeast, as i found it a little to dry to finsih, but apart from that it was an easy drinking beer. Would definately give it a go, but maybe swap the yeast for somethnig a little more fruity. 

*Thommo's Bitter*

Thomo i have no idea what went into this, or how it was brewed. I'll do a bit of a search now and see if i can find something more about it. I don't know what the taste in it is. Nothing like any beer I've had before, but i enjoy it. I'm not even sure if it is hop or malt driven in the taste, but I;m guessing it is the hops. Good effort on the beer. Could possibly do with a little more bitterness, but maybe it's right as it is. Thoroughly enjoying this one at the moment.


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## nifty (23/12/06)

I had POL's Dunkel last night

I had no idea what to expect with this one, it's another style I've never tried before. I was a bit surprised when I poured it, I didn't realise this was a dark beer. 

I enjoyed this beer, thanks

nifty


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## nifty (23/12/06)

Dos's Saison

Another style I've never tried before. This was a very nice beer. Nice light coloured, plenty of carbonation, nice taste.

Thanks

nifty


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## Trent (24/12/06)

Gday all
My internet carked it a few weeks back, so I have been going pretty much without, so havent taken good notes on the beers I have tried. Can anyone tell me if Crozdog's beer is a potential bottle bomb or not? I am now in canada, and wont be home till aust day, and would prefer to get a friend to go over to my place and open the bottle for himself rather than have it explode on me before I get back! Sounds like there was only 1 or 2 bottle like that, so fingers crossed.
Anyway DUFF's IPA. This was nice and bitter and really hoppy. PLenty of flavour and aroma, but I seemed to get a grassy note right at the end there. Didnt taste like the usual hops, and I think I have since read you used Mt Hood or something? Anyway, I can see why everybody loves it.
STUSTER's Rye. I dont know what exactly it was about this beer, but I bloody loved it. Only had 4 so far, but this one is a real standout. Alot paler than I was expecting (only other rye beer I have had was dark), but I thought it was excellent.
GOATHERDER's APA - I thought that this was a very well crafted beer, not too big, nor too small, just something ya could drink all night, and still know that you are drinking a very good beer, with enough hop aroma and flavour to make you appreciate it, but not so much as to punch you in the face. Well done.
DOC's Saison. I wasnt sure what to expect of this one (as with most people, I would reckon). I was actually expecting it to be a bit tarter and spicier than it was, but that is not to detract from the beer. I thought it was very well made, and emminently quaffable. The bottle was empty in double time, and I was very sad to see the end of it, and wshed I had some more. Thankfully, I was one of the lucky bastards to get enough viable yeast in the bottom, and the yeast is now sitting in the fridge after consuming a 100mL starter, and will be stepped up when I get home.
If these 4 beers are a good indication of the quality of all the beers in this case, I wish I hadda drunk em all before I came o/s. Top work, thanks for sharing em.
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (24/12/06)

Actually
I think I have tried 5
I also drank Kieths Raspberry wheat. I thought it was a great hot weather beer, though I could taste the extract in there (I made several raspberry beers in my extract days, and this was fairly similar, but better than my efforts!). I would probably prefer to see it fermented with straight 1056, rather than 3068, but I loved the colour, and thought the raspberry flavour was spot on. Very nice job, Kieth, thanks for sharing. 
Gotta run and pull my Oatmeal stout outta the snow before it gets too cold!
Trent


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## nifty (24/12/06)

*Keith's Raspberry Wheat*

The case for me this year is full of firsts, here is another beer that I've never tried before.

When I first poured this one, my missus (who hates beer) said "ooh, that looks ok" and said something about a berocca as she walked off. 

Anyway, this was a very easy drinking beer, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised by it.

Thanks

nifty


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## Stuster (24/12/06)

Had a couple more of the case. I'm not sure about your bitter, Thommo. It was certainly a drinkable beer, but I don't think the US56 works that well with a bitter. It seemed to leave the beer a bit on the thin side, a bit of a doughnut beer if you know what I mean. That said, I was happy enough to drink it all up. Probably a good session beer.  

Also had Duff's IPA. This was some beer. I loved it Duff. A really strong hop aroma, flavour and bitterness but fully balanced by the rich maltiness. I think that it was DC's rye IPA, right? If not, I'd love to see the recipe. I could rave lots more about it, but basically I thought it was perfect. :wub:


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## goatherder (27/12/06)

Thanks for the great feedback everyone, especially Les and TD for the detail. I'm glad you all liked it. The recipe is in the db.

Doc's Saison

Pours a big fluffy white head which subsides slowly. Pale golden in colour and brilliantly clear, showing off the lively carbonation. The aroma is complex with the dominant one being fruity - citrus I think. The beer is moderately sweet and very soft in the mouth. The fruity flavours come through along with a nice rounded maltiness and just a little bit of spice. The bitterness is just enough to make itself known but not overpowering. There is no sign of any tartness or sourness as can sometimes be expected of the style. The finish is tending towards dry, leaving this a very drinkable beer.

Thanks Doc, this is the perfect beer for me today - I've just spent the day working on the farm and I was very ready for a beer. I wish I had a few more bottles of such a tasty, drinkable beer. Nice work.


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## goatherder (27/12/06)

Duff's American IPA

Nicely carbonated, this one pours brilliantly clear, deep copper in colour with a tight white head which refuses to go. The nose is a solid smack of hops - plenty of citrus and tropical fruit notes with a lingering sweetness, almost like toffee. There is buckets of hop flavour in this beer. I'm not sure how to explain it, this is the first time i've had a beer this hoppy. It kind of coats your mouth with a resiny kind of feeling and the flavour just keeps on going. I can see what people mean when they say piney. I can detect a bit of malt flavour there but it doesn't really stand a chance. The slight sweetness helps to balance the bitterness and make you want to have another mouthfull. The bitterness is assertive but certainly not over the top. I think the carbonation is spot on for this beer, it helps to break up the very full mouthfeel.

I gave my wife a taste who is normally very good at describing aromas and flavours. Her faced screwed up and her eyes watered - I don't think she'll be tasting dinner tonight. I suspect I may be affected by a degree of lupulin shift, the bitterness didn't bother me much at all.

Cheers for top shelf beer Duff. Again, I've tasted a beer in this case which I have never had before. I can certainly see the attraction of highly hopped beers now I've had a chance to taste one. This was an exceptionally well crafted beer with loads of character and I enjoyed it completely. Would you mind posting the recipe in the DB?


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## T.D. (27/12/06)

I had Trent's Brown Ale on Christmas Eve. My sister lives in Canada and we have spent a few Christmases over there in the past. This beer is very similar to the beers that they make over there (good for the cold weather!). So anyway, I saved it for Christmas eve (which coincidently was cold in Sydney) as a bit of a tribute to my sister (who had to work in Canada over christmas). It really took me back. I could have almost been in a bar in Calgary sipping on this brew while it snowed outside! Great stuff!

Great beer Trent! I really enjoyed it!


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## goatherder (27/12/06)

Trent said:


> Can anyone tell me if Crozdog's beer is a potential bottle bomb or not? I am now in canada, and wont be home till aust day, and would prefer to get a friend to go over to my place and open the bottle for himself rather than have it explode on me before I get back!



Trent, I think you are talking about Philmac's beer - Gerard advised in this post. I put mine in it's own box in the garage away from the other beers and I haven't had a problem thus far. My garage is somewhat warmish so I reckon Gerads's might have been a once-off. Anyone else had a drama?


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## Barramundi (27/12/06)

mine is still intact ... garage isnt cold , sits about 22-24 degs most of time


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## Linz (27/12/06)

No puddles in the garage here as yet.......


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## Trent (28/12/06)

Thanks for putting my mind at ease guys, and my apologies to Crozdog for mistaking the beers (it doesnt even SOUND like Philmac!) I am glad that people are liking my beer, and I cannot wait to get home and try some of the others, sounds like nearly all of the offerings are gonna be top shelf.
All the best, and happy tasting
Trent


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## nifty (28/12/06)

I had a bit of a session on xmas day drinking these beers along with some of my own and some "essential oils" that friends of the outlaws make, so the impressions of the beers are a bit vague -

n00ch's hefeweizen - nice, pale colour, light flavoured. An easy drinking beer, it was very nice thanks.
Linz's wit beer - an easy drinker, I thought I would knock this over before going on to the porter. Another good beer, thanks.
mikem108's wood aged smokey choc porter - nice, roasty?? flavour, I'm not sure I could taste the smokey wood, but an enjoyable beer, thanks.
Beer Slayer's APA - nice and hoppy and bitter. A very nice drop, thanks.

cheers

nifty


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## goatherder (28/12/06)

16 - Stephen's - Hoegarden White

A pale gold beer which is sparklingly bright - did you filter this one?. There is a dense white head which settles to 1/2 a finger, fed by the ample carbonation. The aroma is a highlight - lots of fruity esters, spiciness and a little sweetness. The sweetness continues into the taste, followed by a lovely creaminess which coats the mouth with flavour. There is a restrained hop bite towards the finish, complemented by the subtle citrus flavour which just adds to the refreshing qualities. The finish is long and is neither dry nor sweet, just balanced.

Top beer Stephen, thanks for sharing it. That Hoegarden yeast is a cracker, it gives the beer loads of character. I reckon I'll give it a try when I have a go at a wit. The perfect beer for seeing off Warney and Glenn at Melbourne. Cheers.


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## Josh (29/12/06)

I had all five of the wits from the two swaps on Boxing Day along with a bottle of Hoegaarden for comparison. From this case, *Stephen's Hoe clone* was fairly clear. Not a bad thing, just different to the other ones I tried. Tasted really good though and I'd definitely go back for more. *Linz's Wit* was another fine example. Little blurry on everything regarding this beer, must've been the last one, but I can remember thinking I could drink a few more of these watching the cricket.


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## Weizguy (31/12/06)

Before I finish the bottle, I'm gonna give my impressions of *Doc's Saison.*

Up front, I'll say that I built this up in my mind to be a very fruity, tropical punch, almost un-beery ale.

Well, the fruit flava is not as I expected, but it's there in quantity and well-balanced. Well done Doc (although I'm sure you don't need my assurances to know that U make great beer).

The aroma reminded me of my weizen (which I consumed before this ale) with its fruity, malty and somewhat gassy, soapy (CO2?) aroma. No soap in the flavour though, but plenty of fruit. I got passionafruit, banana, pineapple, guava and bubblegum. Oh yeah. Malty ale aftertaste, and very balanced bitterness. Wish I had more. Definitely tastes like beer, and a great beer, too.

I have the wyeast Saison, which ferments a little dryer. I say bring it on. 1 batch 4 me, and 1 for Trent's Oz wedding reception. I need to get a new keyboard, as this one keeps spelling Saison with 2 o's.

I gotta brew one soon. Just need to ferment my 4 jerry-canned worts/beers. Dunkelweizen first, then Kolsch, then NNL Sparkling blond, and my HAG Deutsche pils (with massive Mittelfrueh - late addition).

Happy noo Beerz, and good luck to your familiez
Seth  

P>S> It's good weather in NSW tonight for the #18 weizen. Chuck it in the freezer now and open it at midnight. U won't be disappointed!

Edit: added one apostrophe and an "s". Also changed an apostrophe to a comma,


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## shonky (1/1/07)

Happy New Year to all fellow brewers.



I'm very distressed to report that my entry to the case seems to have become infected. As reported earlier I didn't have any to try as I only managed to 'squeeze the 28 bottles out. I had 3 or 4 bottles returned (thanks Gerrard) due to drop outs.



Cracked the first one, strange yeasty (crap homebrew) smell and taste - Yuck.



It was also a lot more gassed than I expected and had quite a bit of yeast at the bottom of the bottle despite this beer being filtered and gassed in kegs prior to bottling (wasn't primed).



Hoped to goodness that it was a one off and cracked a second and third with my brewing mate - bollox! They are all the same. Pretty baffled as we had drunk well over a keg of this beer and it was absolutely fine.



Haven't had an infection in any beers for years although only keg my beers and have never tried bottling from the keg before (what a nightmare that was - over 4 hrs). My feeling is the beer was infected with a natural yeast int he fermenter and it only took hold after being left to warm in the bottle - but only a hunch.



Sincere apologies to all case swappers - I've given you all a dud!!!  



This was my first case swap so v. embarrassed and disappointed but will try and make up for it with a cracker of an entry in the next one - if I'm allowed a second chance.



Can't wait to get stuck into all your entries and if anyone has an inckling as to what could have sent this beer south so quickly I would love to hear from you.



One very sheepish virgin case swapper - h34r: 



Shonky


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## nifty (1/1/07)

I had your beer the other day, Shonky, and it tasted ok to me..

I thought it was a nice beer.

nifty


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## Duff (1/1/07)

Shonky,

Mine was fine mate. I only have one bottle of the case left. All in all I think this years has been one of the best as far as quality goes with some very good brews tasted. I also had no problems with philmac's.

Hopefully they are just a couple of bad ones which you opened.

Thanks to those who have enjoyed my IPA, will post the receipe in the database.

Cheers.


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## Stuster (1/1/07)

I've had a few more of the case. Doc's Saison was a good beer. Very easy drinking, nice fruity notes, and great yeast which has just got started on a new brew.  

Crozdog's PhilsAle was another easy drinker. My memory is a bit hazy for some reason  but it was a lightly hopped beer, clean, with pleasant, subtle flavours. Nice one, Phil. Perfect for a summer afternoon.

Josh's Sparkling Ale. Caramel and toffee malt aroma. A bit hazy, good head. Balanced, taste of PoR at the end. Medium mouthfeel. A better copy than the real thing IMO. More maltiness and a better aroma. Did you use sugar?

I agree with you, Duff. All the beers I've had so far have been good or better. Good brewing everyone. :super:


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## T.D. (1/1/07)

I'm with Duff, my bottle of the "Cricket Quaffer" by Shonky is not infected. When I saw the post I stuck it in the fridge straight away. As I popped the top off it I was anticipating a big release of pressure but it was just the same as any other beer. Then I tasted it and was very pleasantly surprised! Not only is my one not infected but it tastes bloody good! I can see exactly why it was intended to be a beer for the cricket - would go down perfectly as the Aussies smashed the Poms all over the SCG!! Shame I didn't keep it till tomorrow!

And yeah I agree the beers I have had so far have all been really good! I am a little disappointed that my entry didn't turn out as nice as previous versions of the same beer but you can't win 'em all!


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## shonky (1/1/07)

That's a relief! But weird! I'm thinking now that my case may have got a bit cooked in Gerards flashy new ute while he was busy making deliveries.

Hope that hasn't spoiled any of the others. Will post my reviews as they get drunk in Jan.

Phew....

Shonky


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## Josh (1/1/07)

Stuster said:


> Josh's Sparkling Ale. Caramel and toffee malt aroma. A bit hazy, good head. Balanced, taste of PoR at the end. Medium mouthfeel. A better copy than the real thing IMO. More maltiness and a better aroma. Did you use sugar?



Yeah I used sugar. Sorry the recipe isn't up yet. Will add later on. Here it is now though...

3.7kg JW Pale malt
350g Wheat malt
70g Dark crystal c.250ebc
mashed at
65C 50mins
68C 10mins
75C 15mins

600g Sugar added to boil

21g Pride of Ringwood 10.4% 60mins
12g Pride of Ringwood 10.4% 20mins

OG 1.050
Fermented 18-20C
racked to secondary 2 days in cold fridge


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## homebrewworld.com (1/1/07)

Sorry Shonky..............but i got the infection in your beer big time. 

I have been really slack this time keeping notes on the beers,but have had a printout sitting on the corkboard in front of my computer (where i drink most of my beer) and i have keep all comments to a few words next to the entrants name. And yep your says infected..........sorry mate but i recon you may have picked it up during filtering at a guess. <_< 

I filter sometimes, but always really worried about infection. I know i shouldnt be,but hey it is another transfer,and the odds then increase in the homebrew situation.

I agree that this years beers have been fantastic, and us NSW guys really need a pat on the back this time.

Anyway shonky,it happens to all of us............and those who say it doesnt tell little white lies !  

Cheers 
HBW


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## Doc (1/1/07)

Hey Shonky,

Had yours in the first week of the case. It wasn't infected, but I think my one was on its way out. It was pleasant drinking, but not up to your usual standard. No harm done, I'm still standing 

Beers,
Doc


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## goatherder (2/1/07)

n00ch's hefeweizen

Deep gold in colour and showing off the typical hefe haze, this beer poured beautifully into my Erdinger world cup glass. The generous head filled the top of the glass and lasted to the very bottom. The first aroma was of fruit - not so much bananas but more like peaches or nectarines, maybe even some pineapple. As the beer warmed up the clove-like phenols increased, becoming the dominant aroma. The flavour is nicely rounded, with a hint wheat flavour. Again the cloves are at the front with the esters now showing the classic banana flavours. The bitterness is noticeable and the finish is quite dry, keeping the beer very refreshing.

Cracking beer n00ch, just what I was looking for tonight. I'm brewing my very first weizen this weekend, I hope it's as good as this one. Cheers.


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## Weizguy (2/1/07)

numbers 11, 15 and 26 into the fridge tonight.

Looking forward to "n00ch's hefeweizen", and I hope to see if this was the beer that he asked me for brewing info about. Either way, some great beers to be consumed soon.

Beerz

Seth


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## goatherder (4/1/07)

18 - Weizguy - Kmas Kase Weizen (Seth Weizen #2)

Deep gold and hazy with a tight white head, this is a great looking beer. Maybe it's my fantastic looking Schneider glass, maybe it's just the beer.  The aroma is balanced between the banana and the cloves with neither managing to dominate. As the beer gets warmer there are some citrus notes coming through, along with a slight tartness which is also in the taste. I love this in a weizen. The bready wheat flavour is prominent, this is definitely a wheat beer. The phenols are strong in the flavour, complimenting the bitterness which is spot on for the style. The beer has that classic weizen mouth-coating effect, making the flavour linger. The finish is quite dry, perhaps a little too dry for my taste, but still very drinkable and refreshing.

Thanks Les, I'm very pleased the Weizguy put his best foot forward for this case. I've got a 3068 starter stirring away in the fridge, I'm getting very excited about using it in anger this weekend after tasting 2 top samples this week. Cheers.


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## nifty (5/1/07)

Just finished homebrewworlds apa, geez, I enjoyed that one.

many thanks

nifty


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## Barramundi (12/1/07)

Had shonkys , cricket quaffer beer last night , basically it is what it says a good beer to quaff whilst watchin cricket although at the time i wasnt , what exactly was this beer / style etc...

nice clear beer that held a good head and was well carbed...


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## goatherder (12/1/07)

14 - Linz'z Wit - Pale golden with heaps of carbonation and a head to match. Lightly spicy aroma with a background sweetness. The classic witbier flavours are all there - a hint of citrus, subtle malt and a great balance between sweet and dry. The finish is crisp and dry making a really refreshing beer. Cheers Linz, this is just what I was looking for while watching the cricket on this stinking hot afternoon.

13 - Beerslayer's APA - A most excellent copper colour with an ample head. There is a solid citrus hop note to the aroma, very clean. The aroma suggested a hops-only affair but the malt really comes through and scotches that one completely. What I like about this beer is that it is dry enough to be really drinkable. My case APA was way too sweet - I was aiming for something just like this but missed it completely. Top beer thanks Beerslayer, I loved it.

17 - Hopsta's Brown Porter - This beer looks everything a porter should look - tight, off-white head, deep brown, bordering on black with beautiful ruby highlights. Loads of choc-malt on the nose, blended with some subtle yeast esters. Sweet toffee and caramel up front in the mouth with the choc following, enough bitterness to keep things in order, this is a very tasty beer. Thanks Hopsta, you've showed me that a porter can be a really drinkable beer if made properly. Nice work.


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## Hopsta (12/1/07)

goatherder said:


> 17 - Hopsta's Brown Porter - This beer looks everything a porter should look - tight, off-white head, deep brown, bordering on black with beautiful ruby highlights. Loads of choc-malt on the nose, blended with some subtle yeast esters. Sweet toffee and caramel up front in the mouth with the choc following, enough bitterness to keep things in order, this is a very tasty beer. Thanks Hopsta, you've showed me that a porter can be a really drinkable beer if made properly. Nice work.



Great! I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review! I've yet to get my case, its still sitting at Gerards place waiting for my next order, shouldnt be too far off. Looking forward to trying all these tasty sounding beers.


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## goatherder (13/1/07)

22 - Berto's ESB - Pours deep copper in colour, a little hazy, with a small, long lasting head. The nose has some nice esters with a big toffee and caramel hit at the end. This beer coats your mouth all over with a good balance of hop flavour and caramel malt. The bitterness is assertive yet crisp and there is just a hint of alcohol. This is a very tasty beer thanks Berto, I thoroughly enjoyed it.


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## mikem108 (15/1/07)

Don't be scared fellas no.12 is drinking ok. The smokey aroma is almost gone but bitterness from the dark grains seems to have increased in recent weeks might even be described as a tad harsh. I'm keen to hear what others think.

I had a few bottles whilst away on holidays and didn't keep notes but suffice to say I haven't hit a bad one yet!


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## crozdog (15/1/07)

I've tried a few more over the last 2 weeks:

Trent & POL. You've convinced me I must brew some dark beers. I was raised on black beers, but gave them away when I moved to Sydney 23 years ago.

Ben, sure it's carbonated enough?  Once it stopped foaming, I enjoyed the 1/2 glass I ended up with.

HBW.com & Beerslayer - great APA's for my palate. not OTT with hops like most others I've tried. Thanks

Keith, your raspberry wheat K&K was an interesting pink colour, sweet with a pleasant malt backbone & no K&K "tang". My mate Chris loved it, but it was too sweet for me.

Hopsta - please post your recipe. I loved this & want to give it a try.

Stephen your hoegargen grand cru was excellent. What's the recipe?

Shonkys, cricket quaffer beer was an easy drinking session beer - wish I had some more. My mate Chris said he wished they served it in the members @ the SCG instead of VB.

Thommo, your bitter needed more carbonation for me.

Thanks guys for all the great beers to date. Anyone tried mine yet?

beers

Crozdog


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## berto (15/1/07)

Thanks Goatherder, I'll have to put another in the fridge and see how it is now. I wasn't overly happy with it at first as i bastardised another recipe and this ended up further away from the original than i had planned. It tasted a little low on hops to me at the beginiing, but hopefully that has balanced out a little.


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## Barramundi (15/1/07)

i had Duffs brew last night and well the label says it all, it certainly is a bitter one alright ... perhaps a little much for my tastes but nontheless a quality beer, heaps of flavor behind the bitterness too, held a head to the bottom of the glass and carbing was great...


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## shonky (16/1/07)

Hi Barramundi, thanks for the feedback. As posted earlier at least some of my bottles have gone way south, may have been some kind of infection when bottling. It took around 4 hrs to bottle as this beer was gassed in the keg and then bottled - fine if you are doing one or two to take out to dinner but a test of endurance when doing 28! My brewing mate and I were sinking a few as we were bottling, as you do, but could barely right the numbers on the bottle by the time we got to number 28! I'm glad at least some of the case swappers have received a drinkable bottle.

Anyway, I digress, you asked for the style etc. This was a bit of a mis-matched style. It was a german pils malt bill, with German style hops (Tassie Hallertau) but fermented with a San fran yeast at ale temps - ~ 18c. 
V happy there are some that are enjoying it, apologies again for those that got a duff.

I've been supping on a few of the case beers and have really enjoyed all the beers so far, FWIW here are some comments:
13-Beer Slayer, v nice APA mate, lovely on a summer afternoon when brewing, which was when it was drunk. Nicely hopped, slightly earthy hop flavours, any english hops mixed in with the American? Cheers B Slayer went down a treat

19 - Thommos bitter - Ahhhh how's the nostalgia? Crystal clear with thick long-lasting head. Malt driven bitter, some amber or brown malt maybe, giving those roasty flavours? really well-balanced easy-drinking bitter. Took me back half way across the world. Thanks Thommo.

26- Josh's sparkling ale - I know it's not a competition and all of this is highly subjective but if I was awarding any prizes for best in show I can't see Josh's entry being beaten (would love to be proved wrong). This was sensational. Better than any coopers sparkling I've tried but the similarities are very clear. Not sure what gives this one the x factor for me, just a really well-rounded quaffability, looks great and definately packs an alchoholic punch, not sure of the gravity Josh but wouldn't be surprised if it is even higher than coopers. Didn't taste really strong, just felt it after drinking half the bottle (shared it with a mate who also loved it) This was one beer I was VERY disappointed to see the end of, thanks alot Josh.

3- Goatherder APA. thoroughly enjoyed this one a really assertive bitterness and aroma, huge hop bill on this one I'd guess. Haven't tried an APA with the complexity of aromas that this one had. Loads of interesting facets to this beer and went down really well. Thanks Goatherder this was tops!


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## Josh (16/1/07)

shonky said:


> 26- Josh's sparkling ale - I know it's not a competition and all of this is highly subjective but if I was awarding any prizes for best in show I can't see Josh's entry being beaten (would love to be proved wrong). This was sensational. Better than any coopers sparkling I've tried but the similarities are very clear. Not sure what gives this one the x factor for me, just a really well-rounded quaffability, looks great and definately packs an alchoholic punch, not sure of the gravity Josh but wouldn't be surprised if it is even higher than coopers. Didn't taste really strong, just felt it after drinking half the bottle (shared it with a mate who also loved it) This was one beer I was VERY disappointed to see the end of, thanks alot Josh.



Thanks very much for the kind words. I've put the recipe up now. Sparkling Ale


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## goatherder (16/1/07)

25 - Josh's Sparkling Ale - Hazy amber in colour with a big fluffy off-white head which laces the whole glass. There is a subtle banana hint on the nose along with good solid malt aroma. There is a little pleasant grainy note in there as well. The taste has some sweetness up front with rounded malt the dominant flavour. The bitterness is spot on and the finish is just a shade on the sweet side. Comparing this to CSA, I find this one a little fuller in body with slightly less carbonation - both of which help to make it incredibly drinkable.

Josh, I can't help but echo shonky's praise for this beer. It is perfectly balanced and easy to drink, a shining example of the style. My pick of the case so far, cheers.


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## nifty (16/1/07)

I'll also echo the other comments about Josh's beer, I had this on the weekend and it was a cracker. There was not enough of it.

On the weekend I also really enjoyed Stephen's Hoegarden White, a very nice beer.
Hopsta's Brown Porter was a nice drop too.
Barra's Vintage Ale, a very nice beer as well, enjoyed that one.

Bugger, I've only got a couple to go.

Thanks all


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## Barramundi (18/1/07)

goatherder said:


> 25 - Josh's Sparkling Ale - Hazy amber in colour with a big fluffy off-white head which laces the whole glass. There is a subtle banana hint on the nose along with good solid malt aroma. There is a little pleasant grainy note in there as well. The taste has some sweetness up front with rounded malt the dominant flavour. The bitterness is spot on and the finish is just a shade on the sweet side. Comparing this to CSA, I find this one a little fuller in body with slightly less carbonation - both of which help to make it incredibly drinkable.
> 
> Josh, I can't help but echo shonky's praise for this beer. It is perfectly balanced and easy to drink, a shining example of the style. My pick of the case so far, cheers.




what they said ...had this one tonight , great beer josh definately close to the original , would be good to have done a side by side taste test ... must be the poolside atmosphere or something .... definately couldve had more of this ....

also had mikes smoky porter the night before and found that to be quite enjoyable , full of flavour , the 'smoke' came out as the temp of the glass got a bit warmer , very nice indeed well finished beer....


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## mikem108 (23/1/07)

no23. SOme kind of old peculiar.

Never had an old peculiar before so didn't know what to expect but found it to be very enjoyable.
Poured a nice dark choclate colour with a slightly off white head which didn't last very long. The carbonation was just right. Lovely smokey/roasty notes on the palate, appropriate bitterness, a well balanced beer.


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## Barramundi (25/1/07)

had DJR's kolsch a day or two ago , dont know what a kolsch is supposed to be like so i wont pretend to, nice tasting beer good head formation only thing i could call it on was possibly over carbed but maybe thats the style of the beer ,

also had beerslayers APA tonight , again a well constructed all grain beer , taste,color ,clarity, carbed it had the lot 

the case is nearing its end now , must be time for another swap soon ...


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## Barramundi (8/2/07)

#27 philmacs brown ale , after all the panic of this one possibly blowing its lid i let it settle for quite a while and finally fridged it ...

this one was the pick of the swap so far for me , top taste great head , good levels of carb ...

have had several others too which were all up to standard , looks like we hit the jackpot on quality beers in this swap , i hope mine was up to scratch as not many have mentioned it in a review as yet ...


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## Stuster (8/2/07)

Still waiting on yours, Barra. I'm sure there are others doing the same. And after a few weeks, people forget to post their reviews. h34r:


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## crozdog (8/2/07)

i cracked #27 philmacs brown ale last night. Excellent drop sir. Well done. This is the ist American Brown I've tried & found it to be very porter like. Yum. Can you post the recipe?

Like Stuster said, I must put my hand up for being slack on a few responses eg Doc, Stuster & i enjoyed your Saison a couple of weeks ago when we had a bit of a belgian session. From memory, Linz's wheat was in there as well. Barramundi, I enjoyed yours too.


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## DJR (8/2/07)

Barramundi said:


> had DJR's kolsch a day or two ago , dont know what a kolsch is supposed to be like so i wont pretend to, nice tasting beer good head formation only thing i could call it on was possibly over carbed but maybe thats the style of the beer ,



Nope, definitely overcarbed, i think i bottled it and it still had another couple of points to go. Wasn't a bad beer once you got past the huge carbonation 

I still have about 16 bottles left, that must be a record  Not enough time to drink them all!


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## crozdog (8/2/07)

DJR said:


> Nope, definitely overcarbed, i think i bottled it and it still had another couple of points to go. Wasn't a bad beer once you got past the huge carbonation



Ben,
My kids were so impressed with the beer fountain that they made me take a photo:


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## Linz (8/2/07)

crozdog said:


> From memory, Linz's wheat was in there as well.



Atleast this one didnt explode like the very first beer I passed on to you!!!



DJR said:


> I still have about 16 bottles left, that must be a record  Not enough time to drink them all!




I havent cracked one of them yet!!! and no self openers yet either


Planning on fixing this 'problem' in the next weekend or two!


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## Duff (8/2/07)

Damn Linz, I'll be down on the weekend to help out  

I've finished all mine, and I think it has been the best case swap yet as far as quality goes :beerbang: 

Well done everyone :beer: 

Cheers.


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## Linz (8/2/07)

try the weekend after.........


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## Stuster (8/2/07)

I agree with you, Duff. The best case so far. :super: 

I've still got a few left, but not long now before they're all gone. Then it's time to start planning for the next one.


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## Barramundi (8/2/07)

crozdog said:


> Ben,
> My kids were so impressed with the beer fountain that they made me take a photo:




i didnt get a foam fountain as such but it was quite angry on the pour , missed out on a label too must have fallen off in transit not too worry ...

as for lack of time to drink them all Ben welcome to parenthood ....


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## T.D. (8/2/07)

crozdog said:


> i cracked #27 philmacs brown ale last night. Excellent drop sir. Well done.



I had this one tonight with a home made pizza. Great beer. Having had so many "light" beers over the summer months it was great to get into this one. Great balance - malt, hops, carbonation... all spot on.

I have been saving some of the darker beers for cooler weather but hell I can't wait any longer!


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## Thommo (8/2/07)

T.D,

I can't believe you lasted this long. I've been hanging out for the next case since early January. :blink:

EDIT:

Forgot to echo the sentiments on how good this case was. Thanks guys for the great beers.

Cheers,
Thommo


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## Doc (8/2/07)

My case was gone before xmas.
The only bit I'm not looking forward to for the next one is bottling it 

Doc


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## goatherder (15/2/07)

19 - Thommo's Bitter

A deep golden colour and almost crystal clear, this beer pours with a small but persistent head. There is a solid hop note on the nose, followed by a nice toffee caramel aroma. There is an assertive bitterness which balances well with the up front malt flavour. There is hint of sweetness at the end. The carbonation is perfect for the style. Thanks for putting this one up Thommo. I'm a big fan of a bitter, it's a beer I love to make and drink. This is an excellent example of one. Would you mind posting the recipe?


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## stephen (15/2/07)

I too have been very slack in responding to the various beers in the case, however, I will sum them all up with one word - Fantastic!

My new girlfriend enjoyed, if not all, most of them. To add to this, it was a great way to introduce her to the fact that there are more beers in this world than Toohey's or VB, which she really enjoyed. I'll have to be honest though, the one beer that really stood out was Doc's Saison. Well done Doc and too all who contributed. 

Thank you,

Stephen


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## Doc (16/2/07)

stephen said:


> I'll have to be honest though, the one beer that really stood out was Doc's Saison. Well done Doc and too all who contributed.



Thanks Stephen. Really happy you enjoyed it.

Beers,
Doc


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## Josh (16/2/07)

stephen said:


> ...... I'll have to be honest though, the one beer that really stood out was Doc's Saison. Well done Doc and too all who contributed.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Stephen



I'll agree with Stephen on this one. I only had Doc's Saison two nights ago and it was a ripper. I only have one beer to go and that is nifty's Old Peculiar. Waiting until my mate who lived in the hometown of OP comes round to give it a go.


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## mikem108 (16/2/07)

Had PhilsAle last night and it was most enjoyable especially after a biatch of a day at work, slightly overcarbed but very well balanced beer not too bitter with a very nice malt balance.


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## Linz (18/2/07)

Well, we demolished the case in one evening!!

Thanks to Little Squares, Homekegger1, Grant, Franko, Pumpy and Jimi who all asissited in empying the bottles with precision

Along with other posters opinions, we all felt this was a quality collection of brews


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## Hopsta (18/2/07)

Well i only just got my case delivered the other day. Thanks heaps Gerard for dropping that off!
I've actually cut down dramatically on the drinking and am putting brewing on hold for about 6months so this
case will probably last me till next xmas! Im sure theres a few beers in there that will be lovely after they've aged a little, "Barramundi's wanna be vintage ale" especially.

Cheers,
- Hopsta


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## goatherder (2/3/07)

28 - Crozdog's PhilsAle - Spectacular white fluffy head which refuses to disperse. This beer is far from undercarbed. This is a very pale beer, light golden. The clarity is excellent with just a touch of chill haze which clears quickly. There is a subtle lemon-lime hop aroma which I find very appealing. There is some nice sweetness up front, some maltiness and more of that yummy lemon-lime thing in the mouth. I can detect an almost minty flavour in the finish - I guess this is the northen brewer talking. The beer is very crisp in the mouth, thanks to the balanced bitterness and the assertive carbonation. The bitterness finishes very quickly, adding to the crispness yet the sweetness and lemon linger on. Top beer thanks Crozdog. It works perfectly as a session beer yet there is enough complexity to keep it really interesting. Nice one.


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## goatherder (2/3/07)

23 - Nifty's "Some sort of Old Peculiar" - This is a dark beer, almost opaque with ruby and amber highlights. The head is off-white and heading towards tan, small yet persistent. The nose is complex with some obvious choc-malt and caramel. There is also a fruity background which I dectect as berries, maybe raspberry or blueberry. The chocolate continues through in the flavour along with some sweeter maltiness. The finish tends towards the bitter end of the spectrum while still leaving the beer in balance. There is a very satisfying alcohol warmness to this beer, perfect for cooler evenings like tonight. The carbonation was medium low, complementing the beer nicely. I reckon as an Old Peculiar this beer makes an excellent Robust Porter. My experience with Old Peculiar was way less choc and a lot more crystal/caramel/toffee. Either way, it's a blood nice beer Nifty, loads of character and very drinkable. Cheers.


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## goatherder (3/3/07)

27 - Philmac's American Brown - Very dark brown, verging on black with red highlights. A nice two finger tan head stands up after pouring which shrinks slightly as the beer disappears. Some really nice dark malt aromas, mainly chocolate, combine well with some moderate citrus hop aroma. This is echoed in the flavour. The hops dominate the front of the palate, without being too bitter. As the hop flavour subsides, the roasty chocolate flavour follows, lingering on well into the finish. The slightly sweet finish is balanced well by a lemony bitterness, keeping this beer really drinkable. The carbonation is excellent, adding a crispness to the mouthfeel and keeping the head well presented during the glass. I'm a big fan of this beer Philmac, really well made and loads of flavour. I wish I had a few more.


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## crozdog (5/3/07)

GH,

thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, the northern brewer works well in this combined with the Hersbrucker (or was it Hallertauer) <_< sorry, can't remember at the moment. 

:beer: 

Crozdog


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## Josh (11/3/07)

goatherder said:


> 23 - Nifty's "Some sort of Old Peculiar" - This is a dark beer, almost opaque with ruby and amber highlights. The head is off-white and heading towards tan, small yet persistent. The nose is complex with some obvious choc-malt and caramel. There is also a fruity background which I dectect as berries, maybe raspberry or blueberry. The chocolate continues through in the flavour along with some sweeter maltiness. The finish tends towards the bitter end of the spectrum while still leaving the beer in balance. There is a very satisfying alcohol warmness to this beer, perfect for cooler evenings like tonight. The carbonation was medium low, complementing the beer nicely. I reckon as an Old Peculiar this beer makes an excellent Robust Porter. My experience with Old Peculiar was way less choc and a lot more crystal/caramel/toffee. Either way, it's a blood nice beer Nifty, loads of character and very drinkable. Cheers.



I gave my mates a taste of Nifty's Some Sort of Old Peculiar last night. They have all lived in England and been fans of Old Peculiar. The consensus was this was a little too sweet. I haven't seen the recipe, but it tasted like a lot of crystal in there.

I've only had one glass of OP and it was a long while ago so I can't really compare. This was well made, just not my style. If I was to brew it for myself, I'd use less of the sweet specialty grains and make it a tad more bitter.

Each to their own though, that's one of the great things about brewing. We can make what we like and tweak the recipe for our own liking.

Cheers,


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## Hopsta (25/6/07)

I had "Barramundi's Wanna Be Vintage Ale" on Saturday night, it wanted to be a vintage so i let it be! Tasted great, crystal clear perfect carbonation and rocky head held all the way till the end of the glass.
This beer had a woody aged flavour to it, did you add oak chips or anything? Anyway i really enjoyed it! Thanks Barra! I've included a photo taken on my phone.

Theres still a couple more xmas beers left over, but not many, surprised they lasted this long!


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