# Vic 2015 Xmas Case Swap TASTING



## DJ_L3ThAL (6/12/15)

Well, surely someone had a traveler on the way home? My head hurts...

1. Idzy - Weizenbock - Ready March 2016 8.8% ABV
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Bottled 25-10-15.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian golden strong. Bottled 2/12/2015
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon. 
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer -Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now. 
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!!


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## MartinOC (6/12/15)

Can everyone who hasn't already done so please put-up a suggested sampling date on their beer so we can work-out an appropriate order of attack.


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## VP Brewing (6/12/15)

1. Idzy - Weizenbock - Ready March 2016 8.8% ABV
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian golden strong. Bottled 2/12/2015
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon. 
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer -Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now. 
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!!


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## idzy (6/12/15)

1. Idzy - NZ Pale Ale - Ready February 2016
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian golden strong. Bottled 2/12/2015
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon. 
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer -Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now. 
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!!


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## Mayor of Mildura (6/12/15)

1. Idzy - NZ Pale Ale - Ready February 2016
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian golden strong. Bottled 2/12/2015
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15 .... Ready to drink
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer -Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!!


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## JB (6/12/15)

1. Idzy - NZ Pale Ale - Ready February 2016
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian Golden Strong 11% - bottled 2/12/2015 - leave this til autumn, if patient go for winter
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15 .... Ready to drink
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer - Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!!


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## Grainer (6/12/15)

Grainer -Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink

So Ill critique my own cause I had it in the fridge - Hopefully I am non-bias.

Appearance.. Looks good. Golden, crystal clear (came out of the keg) Off white/yellow tinge fluffy white head.

Armoa: Cooked corn kernels, florals from he polenta, A corn character that may be mistaken for DMS but deliberately introduced through the grain bill.

Taste: Hmm Corn kernels come to mind .. popcorn favour is no so much there, which is disappointing. Seems the popped corn kernel has introduced more flavour than the white bit. Polenta has introduced a distinct corn and floral, which was sort of expected. Low bittering 

Mouthfeel. Slightly creamy with Medium carbonation

Would I brew it again?? *NO*.. but it was freakin AWESOME fun making it ...but it ain't my thing, I don't like floral type beers of any kind. I cant find the receipe so I cant remember what hops went in it... Next time something more to my liking that I would go back for seconds and thirds..


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## Grainer (7/12/15)

2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.

Appearance: Straw to Golden, Crystal, Small to medium head that laces glass.

Aroma: some corn aroma DMS ? some pils malt aroma, No noticeable hop aroma 

Taste: attenuated malts with slight sweetness, slight mineral water taste upfront with slight sulfur type taste at the end. Low bitterness. Slight peppers and florals on the tongue

Mouthfeel: Crisp, low to medium mouthfeel with a sharp tanginess left on the tongue.

Don't drink too many so cant really comment on how good it is.. but not my thing .. comments are only what I am drinking


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## Grainer (8/12/15)

6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15 .... Ready to drink

Appearance: Magnificent. Red hue on pour which darkens to black in the glass. Laced with a generous head of brown goodness.

Aroma: Intense sweet chocolate .. I actually did a line with it an nearly choked ! lol Minimal roasts.. chocolate is dominating. No faults

Taste: Chocolate, chocolate chocolate.. Mild roasts with a sharp edge and lingering bitterness much like dark chocolate.. if this is what you were trying to achieve.. you nailed it. Gorgeous silk mouthfeel with lingering tastes of roasts and dark chocolate. Medium to medium full mouthfeel. Medium to medium low carbonation adds to nice mouthfeel. However dry sharpness detracts a little but age may mellow this out.

Thinking I should have aged this a little longer now cause I am sure it would have improved even more and rounded out, I am wondering if there is a hint of green apple in the end of the taste but very subtle.. but not sure..lets see if anyone else picks it up, maybe i am wrong? It may just be the roast I am picking up...My wife is better at this part and she is out shopping.

But still i love it... I love stouts


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## Mayor of Mildura (11/12/15)

10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.

I grabbed a random bottle from the fridge. Cracked it open and got a waft of tropical fruit. Poured a bit hazy. Taste. Sweet baby Jesus! what an assault on the mouth! Sour and hoppy. wowzers. That was unexpected.

Freekin awesome.


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## MartinOC (11/12/15)

#12 - Grainer's Cream Ale.

I agree with your own critique. Clean & drinkable, but not a style that appeals to me to go back for more.

It's rather dry/corn/grainy in the finish with little in the way of character that would induce me to drink a lot of it. I guess that's pretty characteristic of a lot of mainstream American stuff that uses the cheaply-available adjuncts.

I've got a cream-ale yeast that I spun-up from frozen as an experiment & thought I'd have a go at the style, but now I think I'll pass.


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## MartinOC (12/12/15)

#2 - VP Brewing - Kolsch

Clean straw colour with a fine bead. Head disappears pretty quickly (could be my glass), but foam clings to the glass.

I'm not getting a lot off the nose, but that's appropriate for the style.

Nice balance of malt sweetness with the obvious tart sourness of wheat up-front with plenty of body/mouthfeel.

Mid-palate is a dance between the malts & hop flavour. Bitterness then starts to come-through & lingers to the end.

The finish is dominated by slight wheat sourness & hop flavour/bitterness, with the malt fading-off gradually (which just makes me want to take another sip!), but still perhaps a little too slowly. If I have a criticism, it would be that the finish is a little too full & needs to be drier to nail the style.

Nice one Centurion!


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## VP Brewing (12/12/15)

MartinOC said:


> If I have a criticism, it would be that the finish is a little too full & needs to be drier to nail the style.
> 
> Nice one Centurion!



Centurion?? Was this your 100th beer today? FG wouldn't go below 1.010 from what I remember. Even with a long mash of 64. Although I'm pretty sure I under pitched too. 
Not sure about the head issue. The half of the batch that I kegged had the same problem. Might try to step mash the next version. 
There's no way I could describe a beer in so many words. Cheers.


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## mmmyummybeer (12/12/15)

1. Idzy - NZ Pale Ale - Ready February 2016
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian Golden Strong 11% - bottled 2/12/2015 - leave this til autumn, if patient go for winter
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15 .... Ready to drink
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer - Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!! -- Keep Cold and Drink Fresh !!!


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## MartinOC (12/12/15)

VP Brewing said:


> Centurion?? Was this your 100th beer today? Nah, it was #3 (I had to go & get SWMBO from her work Xmas party in the city).
> 
> FG wouldn't go below 1.010 from what I remember. Yeah, you're looking for 1006-1008 ish.
> 
> ...


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## Grainer (12/12/15)

23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.

Appearance Bright, Low head that dissipates rapidly. 

Aroma: Sweet pilsner malts, Sazz hops?? Mild hop aroma, not sure if I get chestnuts??maybe mild if I guess hard.. really need them beside me to be sure.

Mouthfeel: Light and dry with a bit of twang.

Tasts: Sazz hops dominate.. I think thats what they are?? With a unique flavour I cant quite describe,, probably the chestnuts? But maybe still missing the mark.. not sure how you get more flavour of chestnuts into it??

Quite a pleasant drink and I could easily drink this on a hot day.. a bit better than previous versions of the same thing I have tried ..


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## AJ80 (12/12/15)

mayor of mildura said:


> 10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.
> 
> I grabbed a random bottle from the fridge. Cracked it open and got a waft of tropical fruit. Poured a bit hazy. Taste. Sweet baby Jesus! what an assault on the mouth! Sour and hoppy. wowzers. That was unexpected.
> 
> Freekin awesome.


Thanks mate. Really glad you liked it.


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## mudd (12/12/15)

1. Idzy - NZ Pale Ale - Ready February 2016
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian Golden Strong 11% - bottled 2/12/2015 - leave this til autumn, if patient go for winter
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15 .... Ready to drink
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
8.
9.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer - Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
13.
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt (ready to drink - but should keep for a month or too if your scared)
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
16.
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
20.
21.
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!! -- Keep Cold and Drink Fresh !!!


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## Grainer (13/12/15)

10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.

Appearance: Orange, Cloudy, Minimal head that fades quickly and lightly holds the rim of the glass, Appeares under carbonated for a berliner.

Aroma: Peach and apricots dominating, sweet.

Taste: Peach and apricot and mild sour twang that accentuates fruit notes. 

Mouthfeel, Medium light and under carbonated for both styles. Residual sweetness. Needs much more carbonation for the styles.

​Overall quite pleasant and has potential to be a very nice drink, but needs work on the some finer details e.g. cloudiness, sweetness and carbonation. I would drink this again if it didn't have the sweetness and more carb ...everyday !


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## MartinOC (13/12/15)

10. AJ80

Preface: I don't like sour beers - personal preference.

Absolutely gorgeous subtle aroma of sweet peaches.

Taste is fruity/acidic like young or under-ripe fruit without the sweetness. Moderate bitterness.

Carbonation is low, but I know that's how AJ likes them, so no complaints (since it's brewed for personal satisfaction rather than pleasing others).

I couldn't drink a lot of this, but that's just down to my own personal preference, not an indictment.


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## Grainer (14/12/15)

14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt (ready to drink - but should keep for a month or too if your scared)

Appearance: Quite unexpected that It is a lighter colour beer. Typically Rauchbier are a darker colour amber to dark. Obviously you weren't trying to hit the typical style. Very little white head, but it laces the periphery of the glass. Hazy for what should be a clear beer.. maybe time is needed.

Aroma: Mild smoke flavour with bacon and ham hocks. 

Taste: Mid smoke with little malt driven flavours. Mouthfeel is good to light..gives the appearance of watery at the end, but nice upfront. I would like to see a little more substance in the beer from the malts as this compliments the smoke. Not sure if this works and needs more complex malts to compliment the beer. Good to experiment tho to see what the malts do.

Overall: No obvious faults. I am surprised of the little smoke character as I was sure my last manuka smoke beer had more smoke than this one and mine was only like ~ 60% smoke malt, maybe it has a smoke taste threshold??? Hmm you got me thinking maybe I need to supplement my own Manuka smoked receive if I want stronger smoke.. maybe a little mesquite smoke with it.

Heres my last receipe I gave away to Beerco. it did well at the last Bayside Brewers Oktoberfest and is now a staple at my house. Mind you I really prefer the Bavarian Lager Yeast over the Marzan yeast.

http://www.beerco.com.au/blog/4-dogz-brewery-manuka-smokin-marzen/

Thank you now I know what 100% smoke tastes like, but I would suggest complementing the smoke with more complex malts. Good job


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## MartinOC (14/12/15)

#7 - B&T's Altbier.

Gorgeous deep, burnished copper/orange with a fine bead & creamy head that lasts all the way to the end of the glass.

Little in the way of hop flavour/aroma & bitterness is appropriately low (mid-20's?).

It started-off great, but as I progressed through the glass, it developed a dry/minerally/ashy/roasty character, which I believe is inappropriate for the style.

Lovely to begin-with, but a bit of a struggle later-on....


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## idzy (14/12/15)

Good work on the tasting notes boys. I believe the positive/constructive feedback will be appreciated by all the swappers.


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## JB (15/12/15)

*10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.*

Fair warning, could be worst beer review ever ...

I've just smashed this one & to my novice brett palette my second comment is 'wow', my first comment is 'mother-freaking'. First the sourness karatefied me in the back of the throat, then the citrus sucker punched me in the taste buds, feeling as if they were challenging me to a duel @ high noon. And I accepted, oh my did I accept!

The further I journeyed through this beverage, the rounder & more combined the sour & citrus characters seemed to meld. I think after a while it lulled me into a false sense of security, because on the next sip - BANG! here comes the boom - karate citrus & sourness again Holly Holm'ing me across my freaking taste buds. The one thing I notice about sours in general, that I'm just starting to get into recently is they way they seem to transform as you drink them, the flavours become combine and fuller as you progress, I think it's ace. 

So, I dug this beer, but I'm still trying to nail the taste elements, I get the definite IPA characteristics, but not sure if it's just the Berlinner adding the fruity acidity / bitterness at the back end of the experience. So I would love to know the background of this one. Is it a blend of a fermented IPA & BW? Is it a sacc primary & brett secondary ferment? Which strains? How did you sour?

Excuse all the questions, you know I still have my sour L plates on


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## AJ80 (15/12/15)

JB said:


> *10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.*
> 
> Fair warning, could be worst beer review ever ...
> 
> ...


Really chuffed you enjoyed the beer mate. This is what I like to call a 'cheaty sour'. I took all of my runnings as normal and then soured the beer in the kettle for 48 hours. This was done by dunking a hop sock full of uncracked Pilsner malt in the un-boiled wort, sealing her up and keeping it at 40C for 48 hours. After this, remove the grain and boil/hop away for 60 mins as per normal. Doing it this way it allows a degree of wildness to enter the brew, but the boil sanitises everything which means you can ferment safely with a neutral yeast (I used the mangrove jacks US west coast ale) having killed all the bugs. Best of both worlds - sour beer without dedicated equipment or waiting months and months for lacto/Brett to do its thing plus a stack of hops not interfering with the souring lacto. 

The grist was 60/40 Maris otter and wheat malt and the hops were a blend of Amarillo, mosaic and chinook (dry hopped with all three at a rate of 1.5g each per litre).


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## mudd (16/12/15)

Grainer said:


> 14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt (ready to drink - but should keep for a month or too if your scared)
> 
> Appearance: Quite unexpected that It is a lighter colour beer. Typically Rauchbier are a darker colour amber to dark. Obviously you weren't trying to hit the typical style. Very little white head, but it laces the periphery of the glass. Hazy for what should be a clear beer.. maybe time is needed.
> 
> ...


cheers Grainer. I'll read your notes when Im next having one. Intent of the beer was to go over the top on the smoke- I agree much more subtle than I expected. Couple of the beers were bottle conditioned more recently. I'm not generally overly fussed on clarity, interesting if clarity would cloud the smoke flavour at all.
Malt freshness for this particular malt could also contribute to less smoke. I had this for 3months stored in airtight container.


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## Black n Tan (17/12/15)

MartinOC said:


> #7 - B&T's Altbier.
> 
> Gorgeous deep, burnished copper/orange with a fine bead & creamy head that lasts all the way to the end of the glass.
> 
> ...


That sounds a bit disappointing  , but appreciate your comments . The IBU are meant to be about 50, although I agree they seem much lower: the style guidelines indicate that there should be significant hop bitterness but should be balanced by the malt complexity. I think polyclar VT stripped my hop flavour: I will drop it from my next brew to confirm that is what is going on. As for the dry/minerally/ashy/roast character I am not sure. I don't really get it in my kegged version, so interested to see if others agree with your assessment. You didn't smoke a rollie half way through?


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## Mayor of Mildura (17/12/15)

Black n Tan said:


> That sounds a bit disappointing  , but appreciate your comments . The IBU are meant to be about 50, although I agree they seem much lower: the style guidelines indicate that there should be significant hop bitterness but should be balanced by the malt complexity. I think polyclar VT stripped my hop flavour: I will drop it from my next brew to confirm that is what is going on. As for the dry/minerally/ashy/roast character I am not sure. I don't really get it in my kegged version, so interested to see if others agree with your assessment. You didn't smoke a rollie half way through?


*Caveat* I had this after aj's beer so i was impaired. Probably not much help. I enjoyed it though. I should have had it first.

Interesting your comment regarding the ibu's. In my memory it reminded me of a super Irish red ale.


my notes ...

7. Fizzy. Copper. Good head. Dry. Smells like something . Malty as balls. Good


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## Nullnvoid (17/12/15)

I think there is one review we are all waiting on


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## MartinOC (17/12/15)

Nullnvoid said:


> I think there is one review we are all waiting on


Yeeukkkk! Bleech! Utter crap! Whatever possessed you to put THAT shit in bottles?!?!?!!?

Insert participant's particulars here: ->


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## AJ80 (20/12/15)

12. Grainer -Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink

Brilliant clarity and pretty decent head retention. Not much on the nose and get the corney/grainy thing on the palate. Quite easy to drink and a clean ferment. Nil popcorn (I imagine that'd be hard to get into a finished beer...maybe a 'dry pop corn'?).


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## Grainer (20/12/15)

Was dry popped but the kernel dominated ... i actually didnt mind it .. it was easy to drink once i got used to it..


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## Mayor of Mildura (23/12/15)

14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt

I cracked this one a few minutes ago. I think I can hear the cfa sirens approaching. Holy bajoogems there is a bush fire in my glass.


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## MartinOC (24/12/15)

14. Mudd - Rauchbier.

For someone who's not a fan of Rauchbier's without a food accompaniment, I'm finding this surprisingly very drinkable as-is.

Having smelled this malt as it comes out of the bucket every time I process an order at Clever Brewing, I was expecting it to be much bigger & bordering on smoked oysters intensity, but it's actually quite subdued compared to the fresh malt itself. I guess it loses some of that in the brewing process.

I could happily drink a few of these. Great experiment!

PS. I'm eating now & it's just as good.


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## MartinOC (24/12/15)

Thought I'd bring this down a bit so folks don't have to go trawling-back through pages for it. Don't forget to add your suggested drinking-age/dates..

1. Idzy - NZ Pale Ale - Ready February 2016
2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink.
3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
4. JB - Belgian Golden Strong 11% - bottled 2/12/2015 - leave this til autumn, if patient go for winter
5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout - Bottled 20-9-15 .... Ready to drink
7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.
10. AJ80 (Portlander Weiße - west coast IPA vs Berliner Weisse) - ready, best drink soon.
11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.
12. Grainer - Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt (ready to drink - but should keep for a month or too if your scared)
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015
17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015
22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish
23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.
24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!! -- Keep Cold and Drink Fresh !!!


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## MartinOC (24/12/15)

23. DJ's Chestnut pilsner.

First impression is that this is a very nice pilsner....but there's something "else" there.

Body is very full & rather too sweet for a pils (ie. it's not a quencher with that expected cleansing, bitter, hoppy punch). Still, there's something "else".

I'd be hard-pressed to identify it specifically as chestnuts, but there's a creaminess/nuttiness to the body/flavour.

In a comp. as a specialty, it would be marked-down as not expressing the character of the "special" ingredient.


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## MartinOC (26/12/15)

OK, someone is going to have to do it & I've "stepped through the door" a few times....

Bandicoot Rusty Pale Ale:

Lovely copper colour, with decent lacing/head-retention.

The nose gives no indication of what's to come, which is a rather dark-crystally & hop-bitter initial attack. That then dissipates as you get through the glass.

By the end of the glass, I'm still enjoying the bitterness, but the crystal is still (to me) a bit overpowering the flavour & it finishes kinda dry without an obvious malt or hop backbone. 

OK, I've broken the seal.....Everyone else's thoughts can now ensue whilst I take refuge in a fire-bunker somewhere in Canada.....


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## Grainer (26/12/15)

lol I was living them till later.. was moving onto 22 later


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## Mardoo (26/12/15)

About 22...That was a fustercluck of a bottling session and I lost a few litres in a mishap. I had to drain down to the bones of the fermenter to get barely enough for 24 bottles (and one stubby) into the priming bucket. Hence a few hop bits in some of them. Sorry. Annnnnd I wasn't real stoked with the three batches I fermented as possible swap beers so decided to BIAB brew up a very flavourful liter of wort to use to speise the beer for carbonation, hence the sediment. Am I happy now? Yeah, I'm pretty surprised, but it came out well in the end, relatively speaking. I only got three bottles leftover from the swap and I've had one and the stubby. No signs of infection, and honestly pretty enjoyable, but they're pretty particulate-heavy bottles to be fronting for a swap. My apologies in that regard, but the experiment in flavour alteration post ferment when bottling doesn't seem to have been a complete failure, so all good. Reminder to self: brew age-able swap beer in February.


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## Grainer (27/12/15)

Lol my next swap is getting close to end of ferment ... started earlier on this one..


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## MartinOC (27/12/15)

#22 - Mardoo's 1954 Pale Ale.

Me Likey! OK, I stuffed-up & got a bit of errant particulate matter in my glass in the 2nd pour, but I'll go with the 1st one...

Nice fine bead, Brussels-lace all the way to the bottom. Glorious amber colour & clear.

Nose & flavour were a bit subdued initially, as I turned-down my chesty to about 5C the other day, but as it warmed-up, it just got better. Nice grippy bitterness & hop flavour that just keeps giving. I initially thought it was a bit too sweet for overall balance, but I was wrong.

Curious where the 1954 comes into it, given that Centennial wasn't grown until 1974 & released in 1990????


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## madpierre06 (27/12/15)

mayor of mildura said:


> 14. Mudd - Rauchbier- 100% Gladfield Manuka Smoked Malt
> 
> I cracked this one a few minutes ago. I think I can hear the cfa sirens approaching. Holy bajoogems there is a bush fire in my glass.


If you don't mind a blow-in adding a couple words...one of our fellas broguht along a keg of Manuka Rauchbier to our swap, and it was bloody lovely. Can see why this one got the wraps it has.

Out.


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## Mardoo (27/12/15)

MartinOC said:


> Curious where the 1954 comes into it, given that Centennial wasn't grown until 1974 & released in 1990????


Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad it satisfied. My post-ferment manipulations a were a real long shot, for sure. An interesting experiment in adjusting a bottled beer post-ferment, but I'd rather get it right in the first place. 

The "Centennial" of the "Southern Cross" Eureka flag was on or about 1 December,1954. The word play just stood out for me and I happened to have bottled on December 1. If I hadn't mentioned it those were the hops I used.


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## MartinOC (27/12/15)

Mardoo, that's just obscure referencing/naming! Whatever you were smoking when you were bottling, I want some!!

Excellent beer, nonetheless...


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## Mardoo (27/12/15)

You're going to have to smoke my brain in that case.


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## Grainer (27/12/15)

22. Mardoo - 1954 Pale Ale - Centennial/Southern Cross - Drink New Yearsish

Appearance: Hazy, Amber-Copper, Off white head that fades and laces the glass

Aroma: Lemon zest and Pine, Caramel malts, sweet. Could do with a little less sweetness and a little more pine/Lemon character to make it pop.Malts are trying to dominate this drink which is inappropriate for the style, the hops should stand up.

Taste: Sweet caramels malts with pine and lemon rind flavours. more hops would help with this.. I would increase the bitterness slightly and dry hop a little more - this will help me remember this drink and make me want to come back for more.

Mouthfeel: Medium - Probably attributed to the sweetness left in the malts. Leaves a dryness in the mouth upon completion and bitterness lingers but not enough. Carbonation is good to maybe a little low. Maybe leave another week everyone and this may help to give it a little boost over the warmer week.

Overall, There are no noticeable faults present, and it is easy to drink, but thats not what I am after.. I would like to see a little more bitterness (very very slight increase) and the hops to dominate over the malts as there is a lot of competition between the two in this beer. Good attempt but give me more hops please.. YOB will be happy with this ! ......YUUUMM ... I smell Black Angus Sausages in the background and this is now ruining my sense of smell... !!

EDIT: Second pour had quite a bit of sediment as expected increasing the cloudiness - Tried to be very careful but the fu&in beer beat me !


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## Grainer (27/12/15)

3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks

Appearance: Pale Orange... may be the bad mood lighting.. Yeasty & Hazy, very little head ..pretty much nil but it laces the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Strong fruity esters of Sweet Banana .. very low phenols if present, Banana, Banana. Oh and did I mention Banana. No hop aroma .. all yeast driven No malty aromas.

Taste: Bananarama heaven. not much else here.. I actually like it... It is different to what I would usually drink and hence I like the unusual *BUBBLEGUM* *BANANA BANG!. *This is stretching BJCP, but meh .. who gives a shit about that!. Slight sweetness complements the bubblegum banana.

Mouthfeel: Medium, well carbonated, could possibly do with a tiny bit more. Well balanced for what it is.. This is a yeast driven beer. Oh did I mention Banana? Creamy... 

​Overall.. Ohh Martin.... This one I actually don't mind and after a FULL day cleaning the shed this is what I needed.. A refreshing hit in the face with a Banana Weizen. If this was more balanced towards clove and less bubblegum/banana, I tell you what you would have a descent beer on your hands.. Good work.

Edit.. Pretty colours to accentuate


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## Grainer (28/12/15)

7. Black n Tan-Dusseldorf Altbier-CPBF 3/11, should be ready to drink by the time you drive past Seymour.

Appearance: Dark amber with off white medium creamy head that slowly dissipates and laces the glass.

Aroma: Amber malt driven with subtle sweetness and pretty much no hop on aroma. raisins and earthy on the nose similar to a woody tawny port.

Mouthfeel: High eppervescent fine bubbles, similar to sparkled mineral water/champagne feel. Medium mouthfeel.

Taste: Malt driven Munich or Vienna? with a large dryness. Very much agree with Martins previous comments on the mineral/ash comments (I think this is accentuated by the high carbonation), these get more pronounced as you progress through the beer and also leaves a dryness in the mouth that almost dries the mouth out. However.. this is appropriate for the style sorry Martin. I don't get the roasts tho.

BJCP: [SIZE=9pt]No roasted malt flavors or harshness. - I [/SIZE]don't[SIZE=9pt] get the roastiness, but there is a perceived harshness to the beer.[/SIZE]
BJCP:Light sulfury or minerally character optional.

Having said all this, there is a harshness to the beer that does not attract me. I like the malt characters but the sparkled mineral water high eppervesance puts me off a bit, especially when it lingers in the mouth due to the dryness.


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## Grainer (28/12/15)

Oh is anyone going to review?? this feels like only Myself, Martin and JB are giving this a go ???

Drink up boys and comment... doesn't matter if your not a judge.. just put down all your comments as possible and be honest..

Drink the beer for what it is.. If its to a style of BJCP judge it on BJCP.. if its some weird or made up that the brewer made up judge it to what the brewer said it was, not to BJCP.

Try this format it works for me and is also helpful for people to understand what you are thinking.

*Appearance: *on the pour and 1 min after or during the experience
*Aroma: *Describe everything you smell - swirl the glass and take a few large sniff.. just don't inhale the beer like I do sometimes!
*Mouthfeel: *descrive carbonation and lightness/thickness of the beer
*Taste: *Describe in as many words as you can
*Overall comments: *did you like it, any improvements/faults comments to improve the beer the way you would like to drink it? remember it is all about your impressions not the brewers.. its YOUR review.


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## Grainer (29/12/15)

24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!! -- Keep Cold and Drink Fresh !!!

Appearance: Copper/Amber - Dark for style, Very little head, but it laces the glass, Clear, a little haze.

Aroma:Hop dominant - Citrus, a little tropical - American styled. One directional hop aroma.

Mouthfeel:Medium to lMedium-full with high bitterness tending towards IPA territory. 

Taste: Very hop dominant, pushing the boundaries of the style, with accentuated crystal malts.

Overall: Hops slight outcompeting the malt profile. Too close to an IPA to be a Pale ale.. Would like to see a little less bitterness and less full hops and finish a little dryer. Slickness to the beer.. hoppy beer may be masking possible Diacetyl - got a friend to help with this on a brew day.. would like to see if anyone else can pick this up..??


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## Mayor of Mildura (29/12/15)

A few notes of the beers that I have tried so far.

12. Grainer - Popcorn and Polenta Cream Ale - Friken weird.... Ready to drink
Dirty blonde. Little bit Hazy. Earthy dusty smell . Vanilla sweet Packaged candy popcorn taste. If you hadn't have said what was in it I never would have picked it. So maybe mind over matter. I wasn't a massive fan but it was interesting none the less.

2. VPBrewing - Kölsch. Ready to drink. Kolch 2.

Slight chill haze. Fizzy. Enjoyed this. Needs to be a little bit drier to be really spot on.

23. DJ_L3ThAL - Chestnut Pilsner v4 - Pre-lagered, drink now.
Chestnut pils. Looks rad. Clear pale. Bit under carbed. The chestnut isn't in your face. In fact it isn't obvious at all. There is something there in the flavour and aroma though. Good stuff.

24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!! -- Keep Cold and Drink Fresh !!!

No notes on this one. I shared it with my old man Christmas day. It seemed to evaporate though. It was very nice. The aroma seemed like pineapple to me from memory. Dad reckoned it reminded him of hop hog.


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## Grainer (29/12/15)

24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!! -- Keep Cold and Drink Fresh !!! - Belgian Blonde

Appearance: Crystal clear, amber with laced head.

Aroma, Faint belgian character complemented by subtle by malts. This is very well balanced beer

Taste: Well balanced and good mix of esters and phenols. Very nice beer and great example of the sale.. credit here.

Overall.. This one hits the mark and is a very good beer. Well done.


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## AJ80 (29/12/15)

24. Host spot - rusty pale ale

Beautiful burnished colour and thin head which lasts. Tropical fruits on the nose. Really enjoying the firm bitterness and I think it's up to the quite prevalent dark speciality malts (the two are melding nicely as the beer warms in the glass). Very enjoyable. Had the privilege of sampling this beer direct from the tank during the swap beer and loved it then too.


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## MartinOC (29/12/15)

Grainer said:


> 3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
> 
> ​Overall.. Ohh Martin.... This one I actually don't mind and after a FULL day cleaning the shed this is what I needed.. A refreshing hit in the face with a Banana Weizen. If this was more balanced towards clove and less bubblegum/banana, I tell you what you would have a descent beer on your hands.. Good work.


Yup! & thanks. That's exactly what I've been trying to achieve this year with a few low-ABV weizen experiments erring towards something I can just slosh down my neck whilst I collect firewood without taking my legs-off with a chainsaw :blink: . BJCP be buggered!

I've been trying to get cloves rather than banana & bubblegum & it was only during "D&M" conversations in Echuca h34r: that B&T steered me towards over-pitching & under-aeration to get what I want.

Next batch this weekend...


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## Grainer (31/12/15)

1. Idzy - Weizenbock - Ready March 2016 8.8% ABV
15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015

This label fell off Awesome Fury.. so I will be gambling with this and the no label by idzy OMG.. this is gunna be a disaster I just know it.. I will judge the beers for what they are when I open them..... Going to try open the right one today..(I will go for the lighter coloured one from the bottle)


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## Mardoo (31/12/15)

Good luck Grainer. Our hearts are with you. Terrible, terrible. It must be hell.


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## Grainer (31/12/15)

5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale - quick review this one..

Very Dark copper/Amber, brown head, smells like vegemite and amber malts sweet malts. Hazy.

Tastes pretty good, Carbonation ok. Haven't had many irish red ale but from memory this is a little different. Seems clean on first glass, but my heads not quite in this atm..

cheers


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## MartinOC (31/12/15)

I just found the two unmarked bottles as per Grainer's dilemma & I'm having one now. It's definitely not a Weizenbock, so logic dictates it's AF's APA.

OK, I'll take one for the team.....

Slightly hazy (meh...) with a healthy carbonation.

For an APA, this smells suspiciously like English hops to me - Fuggles if I was to be pressed to pick it.

Carbonation is full, with a light-medium body. Perhaps a bit light on the body from over-attenuation?

The initial flavour is good (both from malt & hops), but I'm definitely not getting US-based hops anywhere here. 

Mid-palate is still giving me English hops with a very robust bitterness (about 40+-ish IBU).

The finish is dry & well-balanced. The bitterness lingers beautifully with good hop flavour. No obvious flaws.

I'd actually like it more if the carbonation wasn't so high. I can't help thinking that this was actually an ESB that went too far?


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## MartinOC (1/1/16)

Whoops! I just went & opened the other unmarked bottle (assuming it's Idzy's?) in a moment of panic/weakness.

There seems to be two alternatives to this - NZ Pale Ale & Weizenbock??

Anyway, the colour is very pale, almost like a Pils & carbonation is HUGE!!

The nose is definitely not wheat & if anything, smells a bit "extracty" & phenolic/infected.

Mouthfeel is low-medium & very much dominated by the carbonation. The malt flavour (no wheat detected) quickly gives-way to a definite & quite clean bitterness that then sticks-around in the after-palate. I think we can safely assume this isn't a weizenbock!

Aftertaste is a very nice balance of hop bitterness & flavour (I can't pick the actual hops themselves). There's some obvious residual alcohol here, too.

I just went for a second-pour from the bottle & noticed that there's a "ring of confidence" in the neck of the bottle, which probably explains the excess carbonation & phenolic/infected nose. Shame, as it's otherwise quite a drinkable/quaffable effort. 

Given the infection (& if anyone else has one in their bottle?), I'd suggest drinking this one ASAP before it turns into a gusher.


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## VP Brewing (1/1/16)

I've had all but number 4. I won't do good tasting notes but will just do my top 5 favourites. 
In no particular order:
3. MartinOC - weizen. Good carb and nice banana.
6. Mayor of Mildura - stouty stout. Very roasty and chocolatey. 
14. Mudd - rauchbier. This beer has made me like smoke beers for the first time. I have hated any smokey beer until having this one. Now I want more.
22. Mardoo- 1954 pale ale. Very nice. Nearly my ideal beer. 
23. DJ_L3ThAL - chestnut pilsner. Little too sweet but still very tasty.


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## Mayor of Mildura (1/1/16)

5. Micbrew - Irish Red Ale
The bottle had fallen over in the box and it leaked. So i was left with half a bottle.

... Murky brown. Good carb . Clean aroma and taste. Touch of malt. Very nice. Not a style that I normally enjoy but this was a cracker. Cheers Mick.


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## mudd (1/1/16)

VP Brewing said:


> I've had all but number 4. I won't do good tasting notes but will just do my top 5 favourites.
> In no particular order:
> 3. MartinOC - weizen. Good carb and nice banana.
> 6. Mayor of Mildura - stouty stout. Very roasty and chocolatey.
> ...


Gateway smoked beer who'd have thunk it.


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## Mayor of Mildura (1/1/16)

24. Host Spot - oh they were so generous!!!

I had the Belgian and the dark ale last night. Both very good. The Dark ale is the best of the three by a million miles.


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## Grainer (1/1/16)

11. Midnight Brew (+ Bruce the old man) Amber Ale bottled 27.11.2015.

Appearance: Dark Amber/copper.. A little on the dark side. Very little head, with a brown tinge. Cloudy.

Aroma: Caramel sweet malts: Red malt characters present.

Taste: Up front bitterness & harshness dominates over the malts, but very much drinkable. Bitterness done not linger too much. Pine, Caramels and low fruit esters.

The aroma vs flavours are not well balanced and confuses the beer I think.. either go for malts or hops given the style. Not my type of beer, but well made on first impressions.


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## Mayor of Mildura (1/1/16)

3. MartinOC - Whilst we're all getting apologetic, slightly undercarbed Weizen. Drink in a few weeks
Cloudy blonde. Fluffy head. Nice carb. Bananarific. Touch of malt in the taste. Very nice.


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## Grainer (1/1/16)

No name?? - Sorry cant tell you who's it is.. I guess that is a good thing considering it may be infected??

Off white head, deep amber/copper very little hop aroma except sweet malts, very cloudy.

Strong alcohol, larger mouthfeel, Medium to high bitterness. Has a slickness to it similar an infection - Diacetyl?


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## Mayor of Mildura (3/1/16)

Grainer said:


> No name?? - Sorry cant tell you who's it is.. I guess that is a good thing considering it may be infected??
> 
> Off white head, deep amber/copper very little hop aroma except sweet malts, very cloudy.
> 
> Strong alcohol, larger mouthfeel, Medium to high bitterness. Has a slickness to it similar an infection - Diacetyl?


Maybe 17. Whiteferret Red IPA Bottled 1-12-2015 ?

Mine had a sticky taped label.

Low carb. Muddy brown. Astringent and peppery . Little aroma. Alcohol that warms my belly.


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## Mayor of Mildura (3/1/16)

15. Awesome Fury - APA Bottled 21-11-2015 ( I think. I got a stealth bottle too).

Darkish copper. Good foam. Touch of hops on nose. Clean tasting. Pretty easy drinking during the cricket. Cheers mate.


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## AJ80 (3/1/16)

#7 - B&T's Altbier.

Deep copper colour, brilliant clarity and great head retention. Nil hop aroma, but there is some malt sweetness on the nose. Not overly bitter and it is balanced well with the malt. Deep malty flavour and really enjoyable. Didn't really get the ashy/mineral/roasty thing myself. Great beer, thanks for sharing.


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## Black n Tan (3/1/16)

Glad you enjoyed it. I am drinking one myself right now.


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## AJ80 (15/1/16)

11. Midnight Brew - Amber Ale

Wonderful Amber (duh) colour, slight haze and thin, but persistent head. Malt sweetness in the aroma (nil hops). Flavour is subtle hops with more malt sweetness. Low carbonation (which I love). Ripping beer mate, very enjoyable.


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## AJ80 (16/1/16)

6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout

Well, never has a name for a beer been more accurate. This is definitely a stout Stout. Pitch black with a thin dark tan head that hasn't really hung around. Burnt toast and coffee of the nose (breakfast stout anyone?). Flavour reminiscent of more burned toast and bitter dark chocolate. Plenty of body in the beer too and loving the low carbonation level. Deep bitterness, but tastes in balance to me. Very enjoyable beer mate, top notch.


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## [email protected] (16/1/16)

Hi all, I've recently moved to VIC from WA. Just started getting back into brewing. I used to do kit and kilo about 5 years ago and now I've started back up doing partial mash. Was hoping to get involved in the vic homebrew community. Are there clubs organising case swaps like this or is it all through AHB?

Cheers
Shaun


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## Mardoo (16/1/16)

Welcome out this way Shaun,

The case swaps are just organised by local brewers. There are also some clubs that organise internal swaps. There are open competitions organised by clubs, and internal club-only competitions. There's all kinds of permutations. Have a look at this thread for the upcoming July 2016 swap. Whereabouts are you located, and I'm sure someone can recommend a local club or help you get in touch with some local brewers. The swaps are a damn fine thing indeed. Cheers!


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## [email protected] (16/1/16)

I'm kinda living out of a suitcase at a friends house for now but hoping to find a rental in Northcote/Thornbury before a container full of stuff (including my brewing gear) arrives in a container in a week or two. 

Sadly I'm guessing I won't be able to make it to the swap in Shepparton you gave the link to.


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## Mardoo (17/1/16)

The next one after that will be in Melbourne in November/December, here's the thread:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/index.php?/topic/88971-Vic-2016-Xmas-Case-Swap

If you find a place to land somewhere around Northcote the Merri Creek Mashers would be your closest club. You can contact them through their thread on this forum, or they have a Facebook page/group I think. There's also the Worthogs on the north side, but I don't know much more than that about them.


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## manticle (17/1/16)

Worthogs are greensborough/diamond creek/eltham direction. Unless they've changed very recently, they meet at individual members' houses rather than a central point.

Merri mashers would be a definite for a Northcote region resident.

I'm no longer in Vic Slawson but I can vouch for the swaps being a great event - even if you attend as a non-swapper.


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## Grainer (17/1/16)

Slawson said:


> Hi all, I've recently moved to VIC from WA. Just started getting back into brewing. I used to do kit and kilo about 5 years ago and now I've started back up doing partial mash. Was hoping to get involved in the vic homebrew community. Are there clubs organising case swaps like this or is it all through AHB?
> 
> Cheers
> Shaun


Nah Mate.. clubs do case swaps as well..I know a few guys from Merry Mashers nd they are a good up and coming club.


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## idzy (18/1/16)

MartinOC said:


> Whoops! I just went & opened the other unmarked bottle (assuming it's Idzy's?) in a moment of panic/weakness.
> 
> There seems to be two alternatives to this - NZ Pale Ale & Weizenbock??
> 
> ...


My bottles were brand new unused ans should look pristine.

No weizenbock bottles in the swap. I changed it out and updated description in previous thread and this one, but the weizenbock lives.

In terms of carbonation, this was carb dropped in bottle from a slightly carbed keg so might be over carb'd. Hopefully not infected, but anything is possible.


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## Grainer (18/1/16)

Had the same thing


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## idzy (18/1/16)

Bummer


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## mudd (21/1/16)

Finally got my beers off Yob. Thanks once again for muleing them mate.
Ready for the long weekendB)


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## mudd (21/1/16)

23. DJ_L3ThAL - chestnut pilsner. 
Bottle seemed slightly undercarbed. Poured with little head. Lovely light golden straw colour. Slight haze although I transported this beer last night.
Don't get much on the nose, possibly due to low carbonation.
Slightly sweet, higher carbonation would help, I would like it a bit drier.
Slightly nutty flavour that is well balanced- is that chestnuts?
Nice drop.
Cheers Mudd.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (22/1/16)

Thanks mudd!

Sadly it was my first CPBF'ing exercise so I lost a fair bit of carb in that process. The yeast was w34/70 and i think it contributed a bit more to the mouthfeel than i like, did another batch with s23 which i preferred. The chestnuts were raw, so their contribution is supposed to be very mild so I'm pleased so far with the feedback that its very subtle and gets peole thinking. As that was the appeal of the original bridge rd beer i was trying to clone


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## VP Brewing (26/2/16)

Just had the number 4 Belgian Golden Strong by JB. Made us think of when we were in Poperinge in 2007. Wicked, wicked beer. This style is on my list now.


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## JB (28/2/16)

VP Brewing said:


> Just had the number 4 Belgian Golden Strong by JB. Made us think of when we were in Poperinge in 2007. Wicked, wicked beer. This style is on my list now.


Sweet! Thanks for the review Mr VP.

I hadn't tasted it recently, so not sure if the sharp fusels had smoothed out? How was the carb?


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## VP Brewing (28/2/16)

JB said:


> Sweet! Thanks for the review Mr VP.
> 
> I hadn't tasted it recently, so not sure if the sharp fusels had smoothed out? How was the carb?


Carb was spot on. The only fault I could find was there wasn't enough. Wish I didn't share it.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (29/2/16)

Good excuse to brew it again and again and again


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## DJ_L3ThAL (12/3/16)

3. Martin's Weizen

Slightly undercarbed is probably being nitpicky, I found carb OK. However it's probably because I held onto it for so long but it lost some of the phenolic banana that I recall in the glass you gave me at the case swap (which I loved!!!). This was still a very nice Weizen, thank you 

11. Midnight Brew's Amber Ale

Nice one mate! Enjoyed it watching a late night movie last night. Only criticism is it could be 'deeper' or richer in malt backbone, but if you were leaning more on quaffable side then you were successful


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## technobabble66 (12/3/16)

Hey MB, would you mind throwing up your Amber recipe ^^?
Always keen to see different versions of Amber recipes - one of my current obsessions is nailing 2 different types of Amber (a caramelly one & a toasty one, then either with lots or subtle hops).


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## Midnight Brew (12/3/16)

Cheers for the review Nath, glad you enjoyed it.



technobabble66 said:


> Hey MB, would you mind throwing up your Amber recipe ^^?
> Always keen to see different versions of Amber recipes - one of my current obsessions is nailing 2 different types of Amber (a caramelly one & a toasty one, then either with lots or subtle hops).


I was really disappointed with this brew and learnt a thing or two from it. To me I got no clear distinction between malt and hop character, I felt it was a bit muddied. Looking back through my notes this is the first brew I used mains water in for 1.5 years and lost 10% efficiency rather then the usual rainwater. I think I used just too many malts in this one also, instead of my simple approach I went the kitchen sink route again and with a few JW malts (no longer use them) and was disappointed.

I get exactly what you mean with the two types of amber ales. I feel that can be achieved through ingredients and water profile but again I struggle to get it to where I need. Getting that fine balance is still something I'm trying to achieve.

Anyway here is the recipe:
JW Pils 69.5%
Wey Munich 20%
Caraaroma 5%
Caramunich III 5%
Carafa special I 0.5%

Water was my balanced profile
Ca 95.5 
Mg 9.4 
Na 0.0 
SO4 127.3 
Cl 102.4 
HCO3 0.3

Mash 66/72/78 for 60/10/Raise bag


Hops were Magnum FWH to 7IBU
Centennial in each cube , Chinook in one Coloumbus int he other to 20IBU
Dry hop around 2g p/l total of hops accordingly

Wyeast Greenbelt at 19C

If I were to do it all again id be going 90% Base (probably TFFMMO) and 10% caraaroma or special b :icon_cheers: , mash to suit profile I was looking for and water to either hop driven or malt driven. Hopping wise Id go a small amount at FWH and rest in cube, perhaps up the cube and skip the dry hop. 30 EBC seems to be the right colour, sometimes Ive put in a tad RB (0.5%) and sometimes I dont, this can be the difference between deep amber and red depending on the grain bill, boil, ect. I go 0.6 bitterness ratio for more malt driven and 0.75 for hop driven with lots of late hops.

I'll get there one day, trial and error along with understanding ingredients. I'm obsessed with all these experiments and they're paying off knowledge wise.


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## mudd (12/3/16)

3 Martins Weizen.
Also tried this one last nite. Held up well. Obviously a well brewed beer. Bit more carbonation would have been nice. Apologies Martin on not drinking it fresher.


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## technobabble66 (12/3/16)

Cheers, MB !

10% drop in efficiency?! Why do you suspect? - pH issues?

Great to see the recipe, plus your extensive commentary. Very useful!
I typically have the same problem: kitchen sink recipes.
Yeah, i'd guess there's too many cara-thingies.
And i'm not sure about the Pilsner malt thing in Ambers. I find it lends a honey/golden syrup element that should work in an Amber, but something never seems to gel to produce that in this style. I'm guessing some of the other malty elements (e.g.: Munich) blur it too much so that element is lost and all you end up with is just a deficient maltiness from the Pils. Not sure on the JW thing either - i've always shelled the cash for German/UK stuff, but it may make no difference (lots of others make top beers with JW. Supposedly).
I reckon it surely has to have Munich, so that should be right, i s'pose. Though, again, i've suspected it might be muddying things in some of my other beers, as much as i like Munich.
I'm starting to believe the "Caramel Amber" version might be similar to an ESB: basically MO + Pale/Med crystal. *Maybe* with some Munich or Amber.
Whereas the Toasty Amber might be similar but with some Choc malt and less Light/Med crystal.

I'm starting to wonder about the benefits/potential of cube-graining for the toasty element...

I don't drink or brew enough to rush through several different versions to get a firm grip on what the hell is going on with the recipes for these 2 versions. So i'm merely speculating, and looking to gradually nail it over time. But i thought i'd just share where i'm up to at the moment :icon_cheers: I'm similarly obsessed with these "experiments". (though currently distracted by this pesky Belgian Candi Syrup conundrum).

Agree on the 30 EBC. I'd probably say more like 25-30 EBC, depending on whether you want a mid-depth or dark Amber.
I'm currently at a point where i think: if the majority of colour is coming from Med Crystal (maybe choc too) then it's a tan/brown. If its coming from CaraAroma &/or Roast Barley/Midnight Wheat, it'll be red.

I'd be very keen to see how the 90:10 MO:CaraAroma/SpecB goes. I'd guess more the "caramel" version, but with deeper raisiny flavours.
Hey, you should do a double batch: do 1 with hops & Greenbelt, the other with a good Belgian yeast and sugarz to target a Dubbel.


Fkn Greenbelt.
I feel like Billy Zane, thinking "Wyeast, when you gonna drop Greenbelt on us, buddy?!"


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## mudd (11/4/16)

4. JB - Belgian golden strong. Bottled 2/12/2015
Wow, strong banana on the aroma, nicely brewed beer. Strong Belgian flavour, if I'm not mistaken a bit too much of a kick for a week nite.


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## mudd (11/4/16)

AJ80 said:


> 6. Mayor of Mildura - Stouty Stout
> 
> Well, never has a name for a beer been more accurate. This is definitely a stout Stout. Pitch black with a thin dark tan head that hasn't really hung around. Burnt toast and coffee of the nose (breakfast stout anyone?). Flavour reminiscent of more burned toast and bitter dark chocolate. Plenty of body in the beer too and loving the low carbonation level. Deep bitterness, but tastes in balance to me. Very enjoyable beer mate, top notch.


Well I tried this when brewing sat nite. So black I couldn't see anything through 200w halogen worklight on the shed. Massive roast and chocolate which I loved. Poured thick - I was expecting it to to be very high bodied but actually was more on the more drinkable did. Really loved it- would be awesome by the pint.


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## JB (12/4/16)

mudd said:


> 4. JB - Belgian golden strong. Bottled 2/12/2015
> Wow, strong banana on the aroma, nicely brewed beer. Strong Belgian flavour, if I'm not mistaken a bit too much of a kick for a week nite.


Cheers mate. Just a tame 11% Belgian, perfect any day in my book


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