# 2009 Nsw Xmas In July Tasting Notes



## Cortez The Killer (26/7/09)

Here begins the 2009 NSW Xmas In July tasting notes

A beer list for your information

Member - Beer Name - Style - Alc % - Ready To Drink Date - Other Relevant Info

1. Josh - Oktoberfest Wyeast 2308 - bottled 21/7, don't fridge till 21/8, best enjoyed 27/9-1/10 when the brewer is in Munich smile.gif - delivered to Retsamhsam 22/7 PM
2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock 7.5%, Best if left for a month or so in the bottle..
3. Muggus - Imonab Oat Brown Ale - American-style brown with NZ hops. S-04, 4.7% abv bottled 29th June, best give it a couple of weeks to settle and mellow
4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch - had a couple of months in the lager, bottled late June, still not fully carbed. Put somewhere warm for a few weeks then leave in fridge for a week or two before drinking
5. Gulpa - US Amber Ale. Wy1056. Bottled 3/7/09. Wait at least a week, preferably a few more if you can
6. nifty - some sort of stout, bottled 5/7/2009, 5.3%, Wyeast 1469.
7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness US IPA ~7%abv drink after Aug 15
8. Cortez The Killer - Haggis For Breakfast - Scottish 80/- - 4.8% - 1st August - Recipe
9. Thommo - Belgian Ale, WLP550 (I think). Wait a month
10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong 8.10% - carbed to 3.7 volumes - let settle for a week then ready to go
11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%. Bottled 19/07 Needs 1 more week to carb up, probably won't be at its best for a month or so.
12. Stuster - Southern English Brown
13. Troy Dack - Belgian Golden Strong ~6.4%, bottled 05 JUL 09
14. Monkeybusiness - APA - ready to drink - FGZ to collect and bring up
15. Syd_03- ESB around 6%- bottling later tonight(24/07/09). Best to give 4 or so weeks. 21/08/09
16. andrew.gaul - Some Sorta Porter - bottled on 19/07/2009 best to let age for a month or so
17. jonw - Pooch Drool. American Brown ~4%. Green cap unnumbered. Bottled on the morning of the swap, and will need a couple of weeks to carb up. I'm not attending - Insight's bringing my case.
18.
19. barls - kels special honey ginger beer 4.3% bottled a month ago but might need more time to carb up but should be fine to drink now if you cant wait
20. Gruntus - Not so Sparkling Ale or a Landlordian. Syd_03 to bring my swap (Thanks Jason)
21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA (ready to drink now, but best wait till the yeast settles after transport)
22.
23. redb


----------



## Cortez The Killer (26/7/09)

4. Fatgodzilla - Side swap beer #909

Picked up one of FGZ's side swap beers - bottle marked "909". Discovered this morning it was already cold after travelling back in the esky with ice bricks - so I popped it into the fridge. Poured into a Duvel glass. Gold in appearance. White fluffy head which persists. Wasn't sure what style this beer is. After initial smell and taste am guessing a lager - most likely a pilsner. Then proceeded to spill beer all over a new Macbook Pro laptop to really pick up the volatiles. And rest assured things were very volatile here until everything was cleaned up and the laptop started up again. Thankfully!

Nose full of noble hops - spicy and malty characters coming through. Very clean. Flavour wise there's lots of hop goodness balanced very well with a good malt back bone. Very clean. The balance in the beer is awesome. Medium body along with medium carb, crisp and refreshing. This beer is most awesome. Top work Ian - probably your finest effort I've had to date! And rest assured I'm sure I'll be thinking of this beer every time I use this laptop. 

Cheers


----------



## Fatgodzilla (26/7/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> 4. Fatgodzilla - Side swap beer #909
> 
> Picked up one of FGZ's side swap beers - bottle marked "909". Discovered this morning it was already cold after travelling back in the esky with ice bricks - so I popped it into the fridge. Poured into a Duvel glass. Gold in appearance. White fluffy head which persists. Wasn't sure what style this beer is. After initial smell and taste am guessing a lager - most likely a pilsner. Then proceeded to spill beer all over a new Macbook Pro laptop to really pick up the volatiles. And rest assured things were very volatile here until everything was cleaned up and the laptop started up again. Thankfully!
> 
> ...




The 909 is my Brambling Cross Ale. 

BoPils 64% Marris Otter 36%, 50g Brambling Cross 60 min 20g EKG at flameout, no chill, . 20 litres to fermenter.Windsor yeast 1.038 down to 1.012 . 3.38% ABV 

Style .. the boys at the Case Swap brewing session will tell you I don't brew to style. Guess you'd call it an English Pale Ale or an Ordinary Bitter. Handed a few of these out - go for it boys.

Good news the Macbook still works !


----------



## Cortez The Killer (26/7/09)

Brambling cross...hmmmmm.... I blame it on tongue fatigue. 

Great beer none the less

Cheers


----------



## Fatgodzilla (27/7/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> Brambling cross...hmmmmm.... I blame it on tongue fatigue.
> 
> Great beer none the less
> 
> Cheers




My tasting notes says I didn't like this from the fermenter - seemed to have a strange odour and taste I didn't like. I decided then not to brew with BC again. Seems like the four months it had in the bottle was what it needed to mature. As I said on Saturday, this was my favourite brew at the moment, so I was happy to share :icon_cheers: 

I think I've got 50g of BC left - may do an exact copy and see if I get similiar results.


----------



## Bizier (27/7/09)

I did a strong bitter once with BC and think that my 30-15 min additions were too strong, and they required a bit of age to smooth over, from memory there was a kind of unpleasant hop sweetness. Once there was some age though, it was fantastic, very similar to how the Coopers 2008 is drinking currently.

I think I grabbed one of those Fats, so I look forward to it.

As a note, my 39 (mild) and 40 (English pale ale) are over carbonated due to unpredictable Ringwood behaviour, so maybe pour cold to a jug if you have one to keep sediment intact and let them de-gas a bit. I have been dry excepting Saturday, so had not tried them carbed up til then.


----------



## gibbocore (28/7/09)

Hey all, make sure my IPA is real cold before trying to open, i may have over carbed, wich is odd cause i actually had some LDME still in the bottom of the bulk prime tub, but i opened one at a mates place over the weekend and it was fairly fizzy. Make your mind up, decant if needed.


----------



## syd_03 (28/7/09)

Fatgodzilla what was your 913 and is it ready to drink?

Anyone who got a green cap CPA this is my side swap pale ale, ready to drink, used recultured coopers yeast so feel free to enjoy bright or cloudy.
White cap IPA is my swap beer from the previous easter swap, ready to drink.
Plain black cap coopers bottle is a two can stout, two t othree months old. Probably best to let age a few more months, currently very low carb level.

Cheers
Jason


----------



## Fatgodzilla (29/7/09)

syd_03 said:


> Fatgodzilla what was your 913 and is it ready to drink?
> 
> Anyone who got a green cap CPA this is my side swap pale ale, ready to drink, used recultured coopers yeast so feel free to enjoy bright or cloudy.
> White cap IPA is my swap beer from the previous easter swap, ready to drink.
> ...




913 is an altbier - 47% vienna 38% munich 10% melanoiden 5% crystal 60L, tettnang, on german ale (whitelabs kolsch yeast). One's I had were nice, drink now ! Should pour with large dense head.

I got both the CPA and the IPA so put in fridge and will taste hopefully tonight Jason.

FGZ


----------



## monkeybusiness (29/7/09)

Guys, I tried one of mine last night and it seems its been colder in my garage than I thought and it isn't quite carbed up yet. maybe give it another week in a warm place.

Edit: bottled back in june so lets call it conditioning time. once carbed should be ready to rock.


----------



## syd_03 (29/7/09)

No worries Ian, they are in the fridge aready, was just waiting to see what they were, I'll probably have one tonight too.
Had your s/4 brown porter on monday night from last swap though, nice!


I have a bunch of notes from last swap to type up when I get around to it.

Also got some 1056 yeast (cheers gruntus) so making up a starter tonight to get the cube of "altbier" (ameican amber I think we changed to on the day) going friday.

Cheers
Jason.


----------



## redbeard (29/7/09)

Mine is a Bo Pils & is ready to drink. Pretty standard recipe (pils & saz) with a tub of Paddys lager yeast (thanks Gerard). I thought I updated the wiki but cant find the link to it now to check ...


----------



## RetsamHsam (29/7/09)

redbeard said:


> Mine is a Bo Pils & is ready to drink. Pretty standard recipe (pils & saz) with a tub of Paddys lager yeast (thanks Gerard). I thought I updated the wiki but cant find the link to it now to check ...



Wiki

Doesn't look like your entry has been updated yet...


----------



## syd_03 (30/7/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> 913 is an altbier - 47% vienna 38% munich 10% melanoiden 5% crystal 60L, tettnang, on german ale (whitelabs kolsch yeast). One's I had were nice, drink now ! Should pour with large dense head.



Had one last night while watching SWMBO catch up soccer game.

I liked it, nice and dry finish, very enjoyable. I did take some notes but not too detailed, I'll have the other tonight and get a proper report up.



> I got both the CPA and the IPA so put in fridge and will taste hopefully tonight Jason.
> 
> FGZ



How'd we go?


----------



## Cortez The Killer (30/7/09)

Fellas 

Had one of my beers tonight

Slightly under carbed - probably give it another couple of weeks 

Cheers


----------



## white.grant (30/7/09)

Drinking advice on the wiki article or hit the tasting thread from here on in gentleman. 

Will get confusing otherwise. 

 


especially when under the influence of swap beers


----------



## Gulpa (31/7/09)

Its in the fridge for tonight. Looking forward to my first swap beer. Ill let you know how it goes.

cheers
Andrew.



redbeard said:


> Mine is a Bo Pils & is ready to drink. Pretty standard recipe (pils & saz) with a tub of Paddys lager yeast (thanks Gerard). I thought I updated the wiki but cant find the link to it now to check ...


----------



## Gulpa (31/7/09)

*23. redb - Bo Pils*

Open the bottle with a quite pst. Pours a pale gold with a very slight (chill?) haze. Aroma is malty with floral and a slight hint of green apple. Carb is low. Flavour is more floral than the nose suggests with good supporting malt. Bitterness is well balanced with the body. Apple comes through as it warms a bit. Quite a nice pils, I think its just a bit young. Thanks RB.


Cheers
Andrew


----------



## Stuster (31/7/09)

Bizier's Ming's Myrceness US IPA

Wow. A huge hop hit here. A pale beer with a good head, slight haze (hop haze? :lol: ). A strong grapefruit hop smell even on opening the bottle. The taste is definitely grapefruit with a slowly burning hop bitterness which increases if anything in the aftertaste. Clean, with no big malt flavour either. This beer is all about the hops and it really delivers. Great presence without harshness though, which is certainly possible with Chinook, but that might be due to them being homegrown. I really enjoyed this beer and my wife (who's a real hop head) said could I brew something like this. :chug:


----------



## Bizier (1/8/09)

Cheers Stu.

I am just drinking one now and I thought it tastes a little green, so I have updated the wiki to drink after the 15th again.

ED: I should have gone JW Pale over the TF MO


----------



## Cortez The Killer (1/8/09)

*4. Fatgodzilla - Side swap beer #918*

Drank this beer last night at the end of a very long session - so my memory isn't too crash hot. 

I can safely say that this was a smoked beer. And a most awesome one at that. Excellent use of the smoked malt - lots of flavours coming through, but not over powering like some smoked beers I've had. There must be a beer revolution going on down there in Tuross

Have you got a recipe for this one Ian? I'd love to get one of these on tap. 

Cheers


----------



## Stuster (2/8/09)

Well, I'm sorry to say that some of my beers are going to be drain pours. I had tasted a few before the swap and one had a really disgusting vegetal taste :icon_vomit: which worried me. Then after tasting another couple which were fine I thought it must have been just that bottle. Now I've tasted another one with this same taste I'm guessing that one of the two fermenters I used for the batch was harbouring something. So, sorry to all those who have the bad batch.  Will try to make up for it in the next case swap.


----------



## Muggus (2/8/09)

I chucked in a few random side swap beers in amongst the swap beers.
Not sure who got them, but they're caps should be HN (Half Nelson pale ale) and EF (Epic Fail pale ale). Both are APA's with Nelson Sauvin hops, the Half Nelson has some B Saaz, and the Epic Fail has some NZ Cascade too. They're both ready to drink now, without being particularly interesting...


----------



## barls (2/8/09)

i got one of the epic fails muggus. i was the one that put the dark mild in, im actually drinking one now. its a little on the sweet side


----------



## Muggus (2/8/09)

barls said:


> i got one of the epic fails muggus. i was the one that put the dark mild in, im actually drinking one now. its a little on the sweet side


Ah good stuff Barls. I might as well give yours a try while i'm here.

Oh and yeah, the Epic Fail didn't turn out nearly as well as I expected...thus the name...I think it's a bit under-attenuated.


----------



## Gulpa (2/8/09)

*12. Stuster - Southern English Brown, 4.2%, Wyeast 1026*

Opened with a bit of caution. Mine wasnt sink material :icon_cheers: .

Poured with a big fluffy head. Dark brown with ruby highlights. Aroma is chocolate/roasty malts, a touch of fruit and yeast. Flavour is similar, a fair bit of flavour is coming from the yeast. Finishes reasonably dry with a nice roasty finish. Medium body. Med/low carb. Nice beer. Thanks Stuart.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Stuster (2/8/09)

Hurray. Glad some are good, Andrew.  

Really was a bad feeling to open one last night and pretty much tip it straight down the sink. Thanks for the review. :beerbang:


----------



## barls (2/8/09)

just chucked the epic fail and a few other in the fridge so i can try tomorrow.


----------



## Muggus (2/8/09)

Decided I might indulge in a couple of side-swap beers first up.


Beer: Barls - Dark Mild (side-swap)
Date: 2nd August 2009
Details: 750ml twisttop, yellow obolon cap, bottled 16th June 2009

Notes:
Served lightly chilled in goblet.
Nice loud psst upon opening.
Pours a finger-worth of tan head atop a dark brown body with highlighted edges.

Moderate roasted nose; nuts, toast and toffee, faint dark chocolate and liquorice. Hint of hop citrus and earthy spice, and grainy bread. 

Body is reasonably lean, as is the style, low carbonation, smooth texture, possibly the slightest bit soapy but not offputting.

Nice malt driven flavour; roasted nuts, toasted dark grain bread, rich milk chocolate, with some leafy English hop character and subtle undertones plum and dark berries. Finishes with quite a low bitterness and slight roasted dryness.

Well rounded with a nice, easy-going sort of roasted flavour, i'd say like Tooheys Old and it probably has about the same body, but not as sharp and a far better beer! Cheers Barls!


Beer: Fatgodzilla - Brambling Cross Ale (side-swap) 
Date: 2nd August 2009
Details: 750ml crownseal, gold cap "909" (or "bob"?), 3.4%alc/vol

Notes:
Served chilled in goblet.
Loud psst on opening.
Pours a hazy straw coloured body with a sizeable white fluffy foam that hangs around; looks quite lively!

I get plenty of cereally malts upfront, bit of white bread leading onto spicy and floral hopiness of seemingly a non-descript type. Has an underlying yeastiness that I percieve as a slight minerally sharpness.

Lively carbonation lend a slight creaminess to the palate. Body is on the lean side, drying out quite quickly, accentuating the bitterness. 

Pale malt character prominant; biscuity, breakfast cereals, plain white bread. Subtle hop character, touch of spice and lemon rind. A note of minerally sharpness on a moderately bitter finish, somewhat dry, subtle hop fruitiness lingers but very clean overall.

Could have fooled me to believing this was a lager/pilsner of sorts! Certainly has the lean, crisp palate, mouthfeel, colour, and apparent malt character of a young pilsner. Probably almost like an English-style summer Blonde Ale I guess; vibrant, fresh, and light. Was a bit taken back at first, but I took a real shining to it! Thanks Ian, always enjoy your creations!


----------



## barls (2/8/09)

Muggus said:


> Decided I might indulge in a couple of side-swap beers first up.
> 
> 
> Beer: Barls - Dark Mild (side-swap)
> ...


well thats a quite favorable review. im glad you liked it.


----------



## RetsamHsam (2/8/09)

Whats in the bottle with 926 on the lid Fatz?


----------



## Gulpa (2/8/09)

*10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong 8.10%*

Poured pale, Big fluffy head. Aroma is Belgiany  . Phenyls and esters seem quite well balanced, malt also showing. Good carb. Bitterness suits. Flavour follows the aroma, with a touch of sweetness, and im also getting a bit of orange citrus. Malt comes up as it warms. Alc very well hidden. Quite a lot going on here. Very nice beer, thanks Grant.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (3/8/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *4. Fatgodzilla - Side swap beer #918*
> 
> 
> I can safely say that this was a smoked beer. And a most awesome one at that. Excellent use of the smoked malt - lots of flavours coming through, but not over powering like some smoked beers I've had.
> Cheers



Thanks for the compliment, but sorry, no exact recipe. This was a chuck away brew - my notes says its a "Three Malt Alt" - 2.3kg Wey Rauchmalt, 600g Wey Rye and 2.3kg Wey Vienna. Tettnanger. Whitelabs German Ale/Kolsch yeast. End of notes. Chuck away cos the last of my Rauch & Vienna ! Can't give anymore hints on SG etc. I've a few bottles of this left - will keep for the next IBU day ! 



> Whats in the bottle with 926 on the lid Fatz?



I've got it in Beersmith as a Golden Ale - 54% Munich 26%BoPils 13%Wheat 7% Caraamber, Tettnang 31 IBU, Wyeast Edinburgh Ale yeast. Can't remember if I Have tasted it myself yet (last beer I bottled) so hope drinkable. 




> There must be a beer revolution going on down there in Tuross



When the revolution starts comrade, I'll be the first one up against the wall and shot !





> Syd_03 .. Anyone who got a green cap CPA this is my side swap pale ale, ready to drink, used recultured coopers yeast so feel free to enjoy bright or cloudy. White cap IPA is my swap beer from the previous easter swap, ready to drink.



Drank both . bloody good'uns. Shared the CPA with known Coopers drinker who didn't believe it a home brew - reckons it was a brewery issue ! Guts the IPA down by myself - nice hoppiness - very drinkable brew. Just spent the weekend in Sydney drinking various (numerous) craft beers - this one was as good as any I paid good money for. Well done Jason !


----------



## white.grant (3/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> *10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong 8.10%*
> 
> <snip>
> 
> ...



Cheers Andrew. Glad you liked it!

I tried *Ian's side swap 909 *tonight and like previous tasters couldn't believe it wasn't a lager, though am thinking about getting some bramling cross into the freezer. 

The short story is
Pale blonde, hoppy aroma, strong carb, sensing some light malt in the body followed with firm bitterness and a dry finish. 

A satisfying beer.

Thanks Ian.


cheers

grant


----------



## barls (3/8/09)

sitting here enjoying gibbo's ipa.
nice amber colour with a decent hop arroma
really nice even swmbo liked it.


----------



## syd_03 (4/8/09)

syd_03 said:


> Also got some 1056 yeast (cheers gruntus) so making up a starter tonight to get the cube of "altbier" (ameican amber I think we changed to on the day) going friday.



Well got around to the starter on Friday night and got it in the fermenter tonight. Must say my cube smells more like hops than the Hydrometer sample did though. SG was 1054. 



Fatgodzilla said:


> Drank both . bloody good'uns. Shared the CPA with known Coopers drinker who didn't believe it a home brew - reckons it was a brewery issue ! Guts the IPA down by myself - nice hoppiness - very drinkable brew. Just spent the weekend in Sydney drinking various (numerous) craft beers - this one was as good as any I paid good money for. Well done Jason !



Well that is high praise indeed Ian, thanks. Both were kits+kg bits brews, the IPA even used the kit yeast. Glad you and your mate were able to enjoy them. Shame I forgot you were in Sydney this weekend, I was at the SCG and taphouse on Saturday night.


Hmmm sounds like from your review I should be contacting Coopers or you for payment of the beers sampled haha 

On a serious note, I'll have to get you some cash for the swap beer for the Big Brew Day, I got some out at Bunnings on the way there, but forgot to give it to you.



syd_03 said:


> Had one last night while watching SWMBO catch up soccer game.
> 
> I liked it, nice and dry finish, very enjoyable. I did take some notes but not too detailed, I'll have the other tonight and get a proper report up.



Had the other bottle last night.

*4. Fatgodzilla - 913 Altbier (side swap)*

02/08/09

Poured thick slightly off white head atop a golden to amber colour body. Heavy consistent haze, I think I should have cold conditioned this one for a month or so. Head sticks around for length of glass and actually stood vertically 1-2cm above the rim of the glass when poured.

Body is thin to med however the beer maintains its head and laces the glass well; carbonation is med to high. Aroma is slightly fruity but dominated by malt with a toasty/bready note and a small touch of honey/toffee and maybe the tiniest cocoa? Earthy, grassy and slight pine/spice/peppery hop notes back up the malt profile well.

Flavour is somewhat grainy with a full maltiness and a slight hop flavour, very clean dry finish with a lingering bitterness.

Nice work Ian, could sit on this for a while.

Cheers
Jason.


----------



## gibbocore (4/8/09)

barls said:


> sitting here enjoying gibbo's ipa.
> nice amber colour with a decent hop arroma
> really nice even swmbo liked it.



Cheers mate


----------



## gibbocore (4/8/09)

Ballsed up and misread the wiki, i chilled and drunk #15 - ESB.

First think i notice is that the carbonation is perfect, and on the nose it has a fruity aroma, is this a NZ variation on a english hop? Or is it bramlimg cross?

toffee and almost a bit of smoke but thats probably a yeast characteristic i imagine, throw some rum in there too, prbs from the higher alc, as it warms i get a bit more malt and nice grassyness from the flavour hops. More malt would be nice but i'd imagine this would develop if i learnt to read and tried it a few weeks later.

Nice beer mate. Oh and bitterness was spot on for me, 40+IBU?


----------



## barls (4/8/09)

hey stu just cracked yours mines all good.


----------



## Stuster (4/8/09)

That's good to hear, barls.

I opened and rapidly poured away two of the extra bottles of mine last night. :icon_vomit: Seems like most of the bad ones were left with me. Which is good. I suppose. :huh: :lol:


----------



## redbeard (5/8/09)

just cracked another of my bo pils - it had very low carb. The one we had on the day of the swap was good. I bottled from 2 kegs, so im thinking the 2nd keg wasnt quite gassed enough. apologies.


----------



## syd_03 (5/8/09)

syd_03 said:


> Well got around to the starter on Friday night and got it in the fermenter tonight. Must say my cube smells more like hops than the Hydrometer sample did though. SG was 1054.



Well she is ripping along nicely at the moment.



gibbocore said:


> Ballsed up and misread the wiki, i chilled and drunk #15 - ESB.
> 
> First think i notice is that the carbonation is perfect, and on the nose it has a fruity aroma, is this a NZ variation on a english hop? Or is it bramlimg cross?
> 
> ...



Yeah it is a bit young, I think the carb level is ok too, just need a few more weeks to condition and mature flavour wise.

Aroma and flavour hops both EKG. Bittering and/or flavour hops in the Coopers English Bitter can I used as the base are reputably Styrian Goldings.

IBU approx 44.1

Glad you enjoyed it Gibbo, glad it turned out ok, was my first partial.

Cheers Jason


----------



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

I'm a bit disappointed at this stage, 3 bottles, 3 strikes. 

I am less than delighted and am going to call it as such 

*No. 12 Stuster's Southern Brown Ale*

Got an infected bottle -- fair warning - like it makes it ok? -- big pop on opening out of control foamy head, vegetal aroma with canned corn, mouthfeel is spiky, icky and finish is very, very dry.

*Gibbo's Transpacific IPA.* (number not on cap)

Loud pop, with big foamy head, overwhelming passionfruit aroma, plus harsh bitterness or fierce carbonation can't determine which - but it's sweet on the front palate and way dry on finish. Something very wrong with the balance, and I cannot finish the pint. 

next try

*No. 23 Redbeard's Bo Pils*

Bottle filled to within 1 cm of the cap, no fssst on opening :huh: and flat as a tack, big disappointment. It's a pilsener alright, just not as I know it. 

"Epic fail" so far guys. My swap beer will have its flaws, but I can gurantee that it's carbed, clean, and ready to drink. 


If only I was getting the same in return.  

cheers

grant

edit: Maybe harsh but have resorted to wine as there is no drinkable beer in fridge.


----------



## Muggus (5/8/09)

Grantw said:


> "Epic fail" so far guys.


I'm hoping I don't see more of this phrase in this thread! :unsure: 

I was actually considering holding off any tastings for the next week or so until I get back from an overseas trip in October.
Are there any beers that should probably be cracked open before that date?


----------



## gibbocore (6/8/09)

gibbocore said:


> Hey all, make sure my IPA is real cold before trying to open, i may have over carbed, wich is odd cause i actually had some LDME still in the bottom of the bulk prime tub, but i opened one at a mates place over the weekend and it was fairly fizzy. Make your mind up, decant if needed.



sorry to hear that grant. All the ones i had tasted i enjoyed as did friends. Problem is i believe some had blobs of LDME from the bulk prime tank and hence have over carbed, so when you pour it out it will lift the yeast cake and haze up the beer, adding extra bitterness and a flavour to the beer that is not meant for the flavour profile. I suspect Barls got a good one. Perhaps others may need to crack and recap if foam starts appearing upon opening.

Sorry.


----------



## Gulpa (6/8/09)

Grantw said:


> Maybe harsh but have resorted to wine as there is no drinkable beer in fridge.



Hi Grant,

Mine should be ready to go if you need a beer in the fridge. I'll update wiki. Tried one mine the other night - clean and carbed (at least the bottle I had was 

Also a bit dissappointed there are not many beers in the swap that are ready to go. Maybe we should change the swap rules that entries should be ready to drink within a week or two of the swap.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Josh (6/8/09)

Grantw said:


> I'm a bit disappointed at this stage, 3 bottles, 3 strikes.
> 
> I am less than delighted and am going to call it as such
> 
> ...


Having read this I popped one of my Oktoberfest in the fridge for QA purposes. Not overly carbed and could do with another few weeks in the cellar. But the flavours are there. You could enjoy it as early as 2 weeks time if you're getting antsy. Personally I'd wait until mid-September


----------



## white.grant (6/8/09)

It's OK guys, I've taken off the tanty pants now. 


cheers

grant


----------



## gibbocore (6/8/09)

chill and drink #14 APA. I found it to be delicious.

Love to know the recipe for this one as it carried the malt very well, almost honey like with a good bitterness. Amarillo?


----------



## Gulpa (7/8/09)

*21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA*

Pours amber with a big fluffy head that laces the glass. Slight haze. Nice aroma of fruity US hops. Citrus and passionfruit, slightly herby. Carb is medium high. Very lively on the front part of my tounge. Almost spicy. Hops dominate the flavour with a bit of sweet malt at the end with some hop resin (weird that Im getting almost the opposite to what Grant got). Medium body. Well balanced. Nice beer. Thanks Gibbo.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Gulpa (7/8/09)

redbeard said:


> just cracked another of my bo pils - it had very low carb. The one we had on the day of the swap was good. I bottled from 2 kegs, so im thinking the 2nd keg wasnt quite gassed enough. apologies.



I really liked the one at the swap day, well carbed with a lovely floral aroma. The swap bottle seemed quite different from that.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (7/8/09)

*12. Stuster - Southern English Brown*

Opens with a large pop. Not a gusher thankfully. And no off flavours when sniffing the bottle. Pours with a large billowing tan head. Very dark, almost black in colour. Deep reddish hue when held to the light, clear. Aroma is roasty, with some malt and caramel coming through. Some dark fruit esters coming through perhaps plum, sweet smelling. 

Caramel flavours coming through in flavour, some roast. Sweet, but not in a cloying way. Some dark fruits coming through. Clean crisp finish. Starts with a medium body which drys slightly toward the end. Carbonation medium to medium low. Body medium. Bitterness is probably a bit high for style, but this could be coming from the dark malts. Little to no hop flavours. 

Tastes like a much bigger beer. Very nice on a cool night. Would love to pull this one through a beer engine. Really enjoyed this one. Top beer.

Cheers


----------



## gibbocore (8/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> *21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA*
> 
> Pours amber with a big fluffy head that laces the glass. Slight haze. Nice aroma of fruity US hops. Citrus and passionfruit, slightly herby. Carb is medium high. Very lively on the front part of my tounge. Almost spicy. Hops dominate the flavour with a bit of sweet malt at the end with some hop resin (weird that Im getting almost the opposite to what Grant got). Medium body. Well balanced. Nice beer. Thanks Gibbo.
> 
> ...




Thanks mate, that's good to hear


----------



## Stuster (8/8/09)

Thanks for the review, Cortez, and glad it was a good beer for you.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (8/8/09)

*10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong*

Pours with a large white head into a Duvel Glass. High carbonation. Gold in colour with a slight haze in beer. Fruity nose, perhaps a touch of apple/pear, good belgian phenolics coming through. Slight alcohol and spice. 

Flavourwise I'm getting fruits, pears and oranges. Nice body for style, light with a dry finish. Alcohol warmth comes through after a few sips but is not pronounced - very devilish. Some spiciness. Good bitterness both from hops and phenolics. 

Very approachable big beer. Complex with delicious warmth and spiciness. I think I feel a siesta coming on. Top beer Grant. 

Cheers


----------



## Cortez The Killer (8/8/09)

*14. Monkeybusiness - APA*

Poured into a Duvel glass very hard to get a head to form. Carbonation seems fairly low. Pours an opaque orange, with almost a reddish hue when held to the light. Hazy, not clear. Nose has plenty of US hop aroma, pine, citrus and a touch of grapefruit. Very appealing. Some malt in the background coming through. 

Flavour not as hoppy as the nose would suggest. Medium body, perhaps a touch under attenuated or under bittered, some sweetness coming through. Leaning slightly toward the bitter side. Low carbonation may be letting this beer down a touch. Getting more pine than citrus. Nice maltiness almost caramel quality to the beer which may indicate the beer falls in the American Amber category. 

Overall I think this is a very tasty beer falling short of a APA and is more like an AAA. While the hops come through when tasting there are some nice caramel/malty overtones present. Very nice beer none the less.

Cheers


----------



## Cortez The Killer (8/8/09)

*21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA*

Pours a copper colour with a large white head. Hazy appearance, probably due to the high hopping. Aroma is more like a packet of "C" hops than a beer - passion fruit, some other citrus. Medium-high carbonation. Flavour is fruity, almost like a fruit punch with a respectable bitterness to follow. A most tasty awesome beer. Intense to say the least. Probably the fruitiest IPA I've ever had. Medium body, with a good strong malt backbone to combat the hops. Some caramel / malt goodness but this takes a back seat when compared to the hoppy goodness. Medium dry and fairly bitter finish. Clean. Hoppiness lingers and lingers. I'm burping pure AA and fruits. Overall surprisingly smooth. Not a session beer, but a most awesome beer none the less.

Please send a full keg of this post-haste. 

Arise Gibbo, King of Hops, Master of IIPA's!

Cheers


----------



## gibbocore (8/8/09)

Wow, than kyou. Let me know if you want the recipe.


----------



## Gulpa (8/8/09)

*20. Gruntus - Not so Sparkling Ale. *

Gold with a nice head that falls away to a thin head that lasts. Almost clear. Aroma is sweet malt with notes from the yeast. Taste is what I would expect from a Sparkling Ale. Medium malt body with a touch of fruityness coming from the yeast, with hops taking a back seat. Very clean. Medium carb. Good supporting bitterness in balance with everything else. Very nice beer. Could see myself knocking back quite a few of these. Thanks Grant.


Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Bizier (9/8/09)

Had a little session with Mr Vitalstatistix last night...

*FGZ 906 *(side swap)
Mild?
A deep dark brown with beautiful marmelade orange highlights and a tan head that dissipates relatively quickly.
Low aroma, slight notes of muddy (Tuross?) water. A warm grainy note is present and a fruity note of UK yeast, no discernable hops on the nose.
Higher than expected roast notes on the tongue, the beer is almost like a small porter. I get a bit of dark fruit taste, which is reinforced by an impression of acidity that I get. I think the beer could have been a lot less carbonated, I find the roast and carb and suspected acidity to add a sharpness that got in the way of my enjoyment, but definitely a clean and tasty beer overall Ian.


*FGZ 909* (side swap)
Your Bramlager  ?
I can see where others going with the lager call. Very spritzy pour, a straw with a white frothy head that subsided pretty quickly. The word acetylaldehyde was mentioned pretty quickly by tasting company and I agree, and also think a little sulphur.
Again, high carbonation hinders my tasting enjoyment (if you are the swap nazi, I must be the high dissolved CO2 nazi). There is a firm but pleasant bitterness, and a fruity note from the hops. I am assuming that you have only used MO, because of the colour and a big nutty base malt flavour and lack of special grain flavours. Very refreshing, a little too much so for a winter's night, but I would absolutely murder one in the heat.


*21. Gibbo's IPA*
Aaaaahhhh....
BIG hops on the nose, floral and fruity with a backing element of European spiciness and lemon/grapefruit rind.
Taste is a big lemon zest, a great balance between considerable sweetness (aided by fruity hops) and a strong and ballsy lingering bittereness. There is passionfruit and a definte ersatz peach essence, followed by a taste of real fresh mangoes on my burp. There is also a vegetal herb flavour here which is not something I usually enjoy, but it is really working here.
Appearance is a very hazy gold portentous of hops to come, with a lacey lacey head chasing the quickly disappearing beer.
My kind of beer mate, ripper!


----------



## white.grant (9/8/09)

Coupla awesome beers here gentlemen

*No. 5 Gulpa's Amber Ale*

Pours a clear golden colour with dense foamy head persisting, Fresh hop aroma, slightly spicy/peppery notes then a malty respite before a prolonged bitter finish. Great balancing act here between the hop aroma/flavour/bitterness and malt balance. Happily quaff this beer until I fall over. Nice one Andrew, really enjoyed it.

*No. 7 Bizier's Ming's Myrceness USIPA*

Just finishing this now and my notes says under aroma - "wife snatched beer away and wouldn't give it back"

Pours clear, light amber, wonderfully hoppy aroma with a thick persistent head that laces the glass. Flavour commences an exercise in bitterness but in a good way, some subtle malt sweetness appears every now and then to be blown apart by the decisive and prolonged bitter finish. I can't taste the alcohol but believe me when I say I can feel it. Rapidly becoming comfortably numb. Thoroughly enjoying this beer, awesome job Dan. 

*NB*
I note that the tasting notes are revised to the 15/8, my printed version is from a week or so ago and am glad it is, pretty good right about now. Don't wait atmo.

Cheers

Grant


----------



## Gulpa (9/8/09)

*3. Muggus - Imonab Oat Brown Ale - American-style brown with NZ hops. S-04, 4.7% abv bottled 29th June*

Pours dark amber/brown. Nice tight head. Quite hazy (oats?). Aroma is US hops, resiny pine in front of the citrus with a bit of caramel malt in there as well. Maltyness comes up as it warms. Flavour follows with same, shows some restraint with the hopping, nicely balanced between malt and hops. Medium body. Sweetish malt finish. Clean yeast. Carb is about right. The dark malts are not really showing through for me, so Id probably put this more in Amber territory (borderline). Nice beer, thanks Mike. Another beer I could drink quite a few of. Quite similar to my swap beer.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (9/8/09)

*4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch*

Pours pale gold. Slightly hazy. With medium head which dissipates to thin head. Aroma has some light fruits, apples. Some hop aroma and some malt. Medium light body. Medium low carbonation. 

Flavour very smooth. Some fruity sweetness, balance well with a light bitterness. Finishes medium dry. Some hop flavour coming through - noble at a guess. Very clean. Very easy drinking. Great summer and session beer.

Cheers


----------



## Bizier (9/8/09)

Grantw said:


> I note that the tasting notes are revised to the 15/8, my printed version is from a week or so ago and am glad it is, pretty good right about now. Don't wait atmo.



Cheers Grant.

The revision was more about insurance, and I feel that it might just dry out still a teeny bit. That said, I will be drinking one in about 5 mins. I am just trying to pre-empt the golden little spot where the bottle ferment cleans up, but the hops are still in good nick.

I might call this a WifePA after both your and Stu's comments  I mistakingly thought that the IBU would be a deterrent. I will approach a perfumer tomorrow to see if I can put hops in aftershave...


----------



## Fatgodzilla (10/8/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch*
> 
> Pours pale gold. Slightly hazy. With medium head which dissipates to thin head. Aroma has some light fruits, apples. Some hop aroma and some malt. Medium light body. Medium low carbonation.
> 
> ...




Have just put my bottle in fridge to see if carbonated enough. Sounds borderline. Would expect more carbonation to retain large fluffy head. Was lagered for several months prior to bottling several weeks before the swap - not at optimal super chill but cold enough, however forgot the polyclar so expecting some chill haze (though also possible the yeast will remain in solution). The kolsch yeast (Whitelabs) seems to throw a consistent sweet beer as this taste dominates several other versions of this brew. Hops Tettnanger. Sounds like it has hit what I was looking for - as an alternative to all those fine APASs and IPAs and Belgians in the swap.


----------



## Josh (10/8/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Thanks for the compliment, but sorry, no exact recipe. This was a chuck away brew - my notes says its a "Three Malt Alt" - 2.3kg Wey Rauchmalt, 600g Wey Rye and 2.3kg Wey Vienna. Tettnanger. Whitelabs German Ale/Kolsch yeast. End of notes. Chuck away cos the last of my Rauch & Vienna ! Can't give anymore hints on SG etc. I've a few bottles of this left - will keep for the next IBU day !


*Fatgodzilla 918 side swap beer.*
I just cracked open the first beer from my case. I've never used Rauchmalt and only tried a few smoked beers in general. I guess the black colour comes from the Rauchmalt?

Malty and noticeably smokey without being a glass of bacon. A little fruity and chocolate flavour as well. Really nice beer FatzG.


----------



## Josh (10/8/09)

*21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA*
Pours a deep golden colour with a thick off white head. Big whack of citrus on the nose. Summer fruits dominate the flavour. Mainly grapefruit and passionfruit. A healthy enough malt backbone supports the flavour. But as I swallow, the hop dominant flavours don't continue into a bitter finish which I think would be benficial.

The second glass has disappeared in no time, so it's definitely drinkable. Thanks Gibbo.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (11/8/09)

gibbocore said:


> Wow, than kyou. Let me know if you want the recipe.


Hi Gibbo

Wouldn't mind a peek at the recipe

Cheers


----------



## gibbocore (11/8/09)

Here ya go.

Gibbos Trans-Pacific IPA 
American IPA 

Type: All Grain
Date: 13/05/2009 
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Brewer: Gibbo 
Boil Size: 30.29 L Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment 
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.0 

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU 
0.20 kg Light Dry Extract (15.8 EBC) Dry Extract 3.3 % 
3.50 kg Pale Malt, Ale (Barrett Burston) (5.9 EBC) Grain 57.4 % 
0.80 kg Munich Malt - 10L (25.0 EBC) Grain 13.1 % 
0.80 kg Wheat Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.0 EBC) Grain 13.1 % 
0.30 kg Carahell (25.0 EBC) Grain 4.9 % 
0.30 kg Carared (39.4 EBC) Grain 4.9 % 
0.20 kg Caramunich Malt (160.0 EBC) Grain 3.3 % 
20.00 gm Super Alpha [13.00%] (60 min) Hops 27.6 IBU 
30.00 gm Simcoe [13.00%] (10 min) Hops 15.0 IBU 
6.00 gm Galaxy [15.00%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 10.5 IBU 
6.00 gm Simcoe [13.00%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 9.1 IBU 
30.00 gm Galaxy [15.00%] (60 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops - 
40.00 gm Simcoe [13.00%] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops - 
1 Pkgs US05 American Ale Yeast-Ale 



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG 
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG 
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.7 % 
Bitterness: 62.2 IBU 
Est Color: 21.3 EBC 


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 5.90 kg 
Sparge Water: 12.19 L Grain Temperature: 22.2 C 
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C TunTemperature: 22.2 C 
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH 

Name Description Step Temp Step Time 
Mash In Add 15.39 L of water at 74.2 C 66.0 C 60 min 
Mash Out Add 8.62 L of water at 96.2 C 75.6 C 10 min


----------



## Muggus (12/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> *3. Muggus - Imonab Oat Brown Ale - American-style brown with NZ hops. S-04, 4.7% abv bottled 29th June*
> 
> Pours dark amber/brown. Nice tight head. Quite hazy (oats?). Aroma is US hops, resiny pine in front of the citrus with a bit of caramel malt in there as well. Maltyness comes up as it warms. Flavour follows with same, shows some restraint with the hopping, nicely balanced between malt and hops. Medium body. Sweetish malt finish. Clean yeast. Carb is about right. The dark malts are not really showing through for me, so Id probably put this more in Amber territory (borderline). Nice beer, thanks Mike. Another beer I could drink quite a few of. Quite similar to my swap beer.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words Andrew. I'd have to agree with you on the name...more amber than brown.

Kicked off the case with a cracker of a beer by Gibbo.

Beer: 21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA 
Date: 10th August 2009
Details: 750ml crownseal Coopers bottle. Gold cap w/ label "Gibbo's Trans-pacific IPA 5.9%"

Notes:
Served lightly chilled in pint glass.
Convincing psst on opening.
Dense creamy offwhite head floats majestically atop a copper body. Only the slightest haziness straightup.

Very nice hop nose, packed full of plenty passionfruit, ripe nectarine, grapefruit, pineapple and melon. Not overly woody or grass, which is always nice. Some malt hangs around in the background, biscuity and caramel-like, seemingly only to compliment the hops.

Moderate soft carbonation lends a smoothness to the texture, body is full and has a slight malt chewiness, though probably a bit less that expected from the style.

Once again hops are the main event on palate. Lots more passionfruit, ripe stonefruit and bitter citrus, very well intergrated with caramel malts. Finishes a touch grassy, clean yeast profile, hint of minerally dryness and reasonably high yet welcoming bitterness lingers.

Really well balanced hop and malt character, one of those beers that borders on APA and IPA; not as much body and bitterness as an IPA but certainly packs the flavour punch. Excellent beer either way, really sets the mark high for the rest of the case. Cheers Gibbo!


----------



## gibbocore (13/8/09)

wow, cheers mate, this is the first feedback i've ever really had on my Homebrew, so i'm pretty stoked to hear all the kind words.


----------



## Muggus (13/8/09)

Knocked off a few more last night.

*Beer: 23. redb - bo pils*
Date: 12th August 2009
Details: 750ml screwtoo bottle. Gold cap "23"

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.
Good pop, pours out quite a text-book finger of white foam atop a clearish gold body.

Clean malt nose, slightly cereally, pleasant hop presence; floral and herbaceous, with hints of vanilla and earthy spice.

Medium-to-lean body, relatively low carbonation, slight dryness balanced well with malt sweetness.

Vanillary maltiness upfront, nice sweet biscuity quality about it that I find quite tasty. Hops are subdued but in good balance, more floral notes, touch of herb, almost minty. Finishes with moderate-to-low bitterness, clean drying finish.

Beautifully balanced pilsner; lovely prominant malt flavours with some nice touches of hops. Incrediably quaffable and tasty. Cheers Redbeard!

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

*Beer: 12. Stuster - Southern English Brown *
Date: 12th August 2009
Details: 750ml screwtop bottle. Gold cap "12" 4.2%, Wyeast 1026

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.
Loud psst upon opening. Pours a foamy light tan head atop a deep amber body with highlights.

Smell is a wee bit metallic upfront, leading me to think I may have one of those dreaded infected bottles that have been mentioned. 
Looking past that, I get some roasted malt character; nuts, dark chocolate, dark grain bread, damp wood? ok that one is a bit wierd. Hint of spicy hop twang in there, but i'm really not sure.

Quite racy carbonation, body is reasonably light on, had a metallic drying note that leads on from the nose.

Interesting, and somewhat familiar (had a few infected/off beers of my own in my time) roasted malt character upfront; a twisted combination of dark chocolate, liquorice, cola and old leafy vegetables. Spicy finish, quite medicinal with hint of bitter orange leading onto a reasonable bitterness.

Couldn't really say what went wrong, but this certainly isn't as anywhere as bad as some of the beers i've stuffed up! It's still drinkable. And by the sounds of it I might just have a dud bottle. Thanks Stu.


----------



## Bizier (13/8/09)

3. Muggus - Imonab Oat Brown Ale

I am a little taste impaired this evening, but I wanted beer, and in particular this beer. Muggus, you have absolutely taken the award for the coolest name, so props, it took me a while, but not after I saw the label. Awesome!

Opened with a loud noise bordering a bang... and proceeded to pour with a truly epic foamwad:







The froth is more bitter than I expected and gives a big resinous spicey/piney hop impression.

On the nose I get some biscuity malt and a distinct note of proper strawberry which is interesting, kind of like a crumble dessert or something.

The taste is a big resin bomb upfront that dominates, but other flavours eventually become apparrent, notably that strawberry crumble thing.

I am really enjoying the mouthfeel, it shows that silkiness that you look for with the oats, and for a beer that I thought was going to be like champagne, it is definitely carbonated appropriately, enough but not overboard (no pun intended).

I think it is a little one dimensional for a sipping beer, and perhaps could be maltier, but I could drink a bunch of this, and would happily order it among exotic beers. It provides enough interest and drinkability that you want to go for more to clarify your thoughts on the matter as to exactly where the crumble is coming from.

Good work Muggus.


----------



## gibbocore (14/8/09)

7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness US IPA ~7%abv drink after Aug 15

Took a sniff as soon as i popped the cap, and i was impressed with what i could smell. piney resinous citrus goodness.

Pours golden straw, ambitious head that lasted the whole glass. Sweet caramel malt combined with mountains of stonefruit and lemon lime, cleaned out by what seemed like a lingering bitterness which was actually enjoyed. Didn't realise it was 7% until i was laughing a little to loudly at Tvburp.

Thanks for the beer, it was very much enjoyed.


----------



## Stuster (14/8/09)

I had Gibbocore's IPA last night and very nice it was too. I thought it was a pretty balanced beer actually. There was a good whack of hops of course, but the bitterness was very smooth and there was a nice body and maltiness underneath. The hops - initially the aroma seemed like gooseberries to me, then there was a grapefruit and brown sugar sort of taste/aroma, along with something like nectarine. Pretty complex anyway and way better than the all Galaxy beers I've tasted before. Nice and dry to finish and really an excellent beer to take the edge of a Thursday night. Cheers Gibbocore. :beer: 

(After looking at the recipe again, I'm surprised as it didn't seem like such a high IBU beer. Guess that's the smoothness of the Super Alphas for bittering.)


----------



## Muggus (14/8/09)

Bizier said:


> I am a little taste impaired this evening, but I wanted beer, and in particular this beer. Muggus, you have absolutely taken the award for the coolest name, so props, it took me a while, but not after I saw the label. Awesome!


Cheers Biz! Thanks for the kind words and glad to hear someone caught onto the name.


----------



## gibbocore (14/8/09)

Stuster said:


> I had Gibbocore's IPA last night and very nice it was too. I thought it was a pretty balanced beer actually. There was a good whack of hops of course, but the bitterness was very smooth and there was a nice body and maltiness underneath. The hops - initially the aroma seemed like gooseberries to me, then there was a grapefruit and brown sugar sort of taste/aroma, along with something like nectarine. Pretty complex anyway and way better than the all Galaxy beers I've tasted before. Nice and dry to finish and really an excellent beer to take the edge of a Thursday night. Cheers Gibbocore. :beer:
> 
> (After looking at the recipe again, I'm surprised as it didn't seem like such a high IBU beer. Guess that's the smoothness of the Super Alphas for bittering.)




Cheers mate, yeah the Super alpha really are a smooth bittering hop, i've made the mistake of using them as a single bittering hop addition in a CPA and it was too smooth and neutral.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (14/8/09)

*5. Gulpa - US Amber Ale*

Pours a deep amber almost copper colour, with slightly off white head which persists and clings to the glass. Clear. Hoppy aroma with lots of pine and citrus some grapefruit. Nice malt and caramel in the background. 

Flavourwise there's lots of hop goodness. Nice assertive hop bitterness. Hearty malt backbone to balance the hops well. Citrus, passionfruit, some grapefruit and pine. Initial sweet malt moving toward nice caramel flavours coming through. Superbly balanced, showcasing great hopping. Very clean. Medium body and finish with medium carbonation. 

This is a great beer. Very sessionable. 

Please send crateful at once.

Cheers


----------



## Gulpa (15/8/09)

13. Troy Dack - Belgian Golden Strong ~6.4%, bottled 05 JUL 09[/b]

Pours a darkish copper colour with a nice fluffy head that dissipates. Belgian aroma, seems phenyls are dominant with nice toffee malt in the background. Flavour is follows this, very nice mix of fruit and spice, some mineral with a nice toffee, slightly sweet malt finish. Gets some raisins as it warms a bit. Bitterness suits style. Carb is OK but could be a bit higher so it retains the head. Overall, very nice Belgian strong ale. Enjoyed it very much. Thanks Troy.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Gulpa (15/8/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *5. Gulpa - US Amber Ale*
> 
> Pours a deep amber almost copper colour, with slightly off white head which persists and clings to the glass. Clear. Hoppy aroma with lots of pine and citrus some grapefruit. Nice malt and caramel in the background.
> 
> ...



Thanks Cortez. Very glad you enjoyed it.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## tdack (15/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> 13. Troy Dack - Belgian Golden Strong ~6.4%, bottled 05 JUL 09[/b]
> 
> Pours a darkish copper colour with a nice fluffy head that dissipates. Belgian aroma, seems phenyls are dominant with nice toffee malt in the background. Flavour is follows this, very nice mix of fruit and spice, some mineral with a nice toffee, slightly sweet malt finish. Gets some raisins as it warms a bit. Bitterness suits style. Carb is OK but could be a bit higher so it retains the head. Overall, very nice Belgian strong ale. Enjoyed it very much. Thanks Troy.
> 
> ...



Thanks! I was a little sceptical about how this would turn out. I made my own candi sugar for it and also did a single decoction during the mash. I didn't end up hitting the final numbers i was aiming for so the ABV % is down a bit. I did try a bottle of it after about 2 weeks and thought it passable, glad to hear it has improved a little in the bottle then.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (15/8/09)

*13. Troy Dack - Belgian Golden Strong*

Poured into a Chimay glass. Deep amber to copper in colour. Off white head which persists. Aroma full of Belgian phenolics which are detectable a long way away from the glass. Up close there's some nice malt / caramel aromas. Stone fruits and spice. 

When tasting I'm getting lots of Belgian goodness. Plums, raisins and stone fruits. Malty sweetness upfront, balanced well with bitterness and the phenolics. Medium body with almost malty sweet finish. Very complex with a lot going on. Warming in the belly. Carbonation medium low. 

I wouldn't be putting this beer in the golden strong category but rather as a very tasty Belgian Dubbel. Top beer!

Cheers


----------



## Gulpa (15/8/09)

*14. Monkeybusiness - APA ~5%*

Pours a hazy gold colour. Small head that drops to a thin film. Aroma is subtle, biscuit, cream with a slight orange hop aroma. Hops come up as it warms a bit. Reminds me of something I cant quite put my finger on. Citrus and spice hops come through with the flavour followed by a firm bitter finish. Malt is in the background. Low carb. Medium light body. Yeast clean and neutral. Nice beer at the subtle end of the APA spectrum. I quite like the subtle end but it probably wont be hoppy enough for the big APA lovers. Thanks MB.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## tdack (15/8/09)

*12. Stuster - Southern English Brown*

Not infected! Went down a treat, very tasty. I haven't got the taste buds or the words to match some of the other reviews, so I'll just say I enjoyed


----------



## white.grant (16/8/09)

Beautiful day today, spot o gardening and am sitting now enjoying the change into evening with a glass of 

*No. 4 Fatgodzilla's Kolsch

*The lid practically fell of this one but still managed to produce a light fluffy head that dissipated over a hazy dark straw, aromas are wonderful-- grainy, bready - just like mashing in. Flavour follows and while carb is low, mouthfeel is bright revealing a medium, noble bitterness on the finish. Some subtle caramel notes appear as the glass warms adding to the malty complexity. Lovely beer Ian. Well balanced and delicious.

cheers

grant


----------



## Gulpa (16/8/09)

*7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness US IPA ~7%abv REVISED: Back to 15th Aug *

Its the 16th so I thought I would give this one a go.

Pours pale gold with a big fluffy head that drops a bit but laces the glass. Clear. Aroma is pinapple juice with some citrus, stonefruit, and a hint of grass. Pineapple on the first taste with some very assertive bitterness following this up. As you get used to the bitterness the stone fruit emerges along with a pleasant sour citrus and some other stuff. Medium body. Medium low carb. Bitterness lingers and lingers. Malt is trying to peek out from behind the hops. Awesome beer Dan, nailed the balance this time :icon_cheers: . 

What is it with this beer? The missus never drinks beer but likes the aroma and taste of this one ("but it does have that beery flavour at the end").


Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (16/8/09)

*23. Redbeard - Bo Pils*

Poured very hard into a Hoegaarden Grand Cru glass to create a head. Appears to be under carbed. Pale gold in appearance, very clear. Head dissipates quickly. Spicy hops on the nose along with malt. Very clean. 

Lots of spicy hop flavours, balanced well with a nice malt background. Nice bitterness coming through, crisp and clean. Medium body. Low carbonation letting this beer down a tad. Perhaps a hint of diacetyl coming through as the beer warms. 

Overall a very tasty, easy drinking sessionable beer. Top beer!

Cheers


----------



## Gulpa (17/8/09)

*4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch*

Pale gold, slightly hazy. A nice head that dissipates. Lovely malty aroma, bready yeast. Nice complex malty flavours, with a nuttiness coming through. Slight fruit in there as well. Smooth bitterness seems appropriate to the light body. Low carb. Delicious. Someone else said it before and I agree, your beers keep getting better and better. Thanks FGZ. 

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Bizier (17/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> What is it with this beer? The missus never drinks beer but likes the aroma and taste of this one



Maybe it is a "lawnmower beer" in it's ability to be cutting everyone's grass


----------



## Bizier (17/8/09)

5. Gulpa US Amber

I was really impressed with this beer Andrew. My notes were a bit sparing, but it left a definite impression on me. Very pleasant hoppy nose, following through to a clean resiny grapefruit that foils a toasty biscuity malt platform. I (slightly embarassingly) wrote "similar to LCPA but better" on my notes.
This was extremely drinkable, a pleasure to try, and a very professional beer that I know many people would enjoy. Great work mate.


I have to say that I had a bit of a merry weekend involving a wedding and a Vitalstatistix brew day with me serving no purpose onther than breaking any hope of concentration. I am sorry to report that Grant, your bottle Golden Strong is missing, and police are currently presuming it to be empty. I am sure it contributed to the great time being had.


----------



## white.grant (19/8/09)

Bizier said:


> I am sorry to report that Grant, your bottle Golden Strong is missing, and police are currently presuming it to be empty. I am sure it contributed to the great time being had.



:icon_cheers: 

Locked onto a couple of very enjoyable beers last night


*No. 13 Troy Dack's Golden Strong*

Poured dark honey on a medium carb into my Duvel glass, tight frothy head slowly subsiding. Very pleasant belgian aromatics with hints of caramelisation and tantalising not quite raisin. Flavours follow the aroma with pear and light stewed apple coming across on a dry finish. Really liked this beer Troy, as Cortez mentioned earlier, I don't think its a golden strong but its a great dark strong or even a dubble. Very yummy. Thanks Troy

*No. 20 Gruntus' Not so sparkling Ale
*
Pours light gold with good carb, capped by a generous foam. Aroma's slightly fruity, with some light malt notes, (am thinking I have served it a bit too chilled) but very promising, take a couple of sips, and mmmmm, bright carb highlighting the fruity yeast flavours over a good malt presence and balanced bitterness on a dry finish. Mmmmmm. It sparkled for me Grant, great beer.

cheers

grant


----------



## tdack (21/8/09)

*21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA*

Oh Wow! I really enjoyed this, I'll just say that I agree with the other positive comments. An awesome beer that went down a treat and had me wishing for another bottle. Thanks.


Also, thanks to Grantw and Cortez for the reviews, the challenge now is to repeat it and make another


----------



## barls (21/8/09)

*8. Cortez The Killer - Haggis For Breakfast - Scottish 80/- - 4.8% *
had this last night very nice almost didnt get my glass back from swmbo. 
nice malt balance.


----------



## Stuster (21/8/09)

Barls, I had your Honey Ginger Beer last night. Strong ginger aroma, along with some sweet honey notes. Slightly cloudy, bright gold. A solid ginger bite in the mouth, along with some sweetness, very clean and bright. Would be great for a summer afternoon. Nice one. :beer:


----------



## barls (21/8/09)

would you say better than the previous version or still no major change.
good to hear it was as it should be though mate.


----------



## white.grant (23/8/09)

Near enough to a summers day today so shared the Honey Ginger Beer with SWMBO. Wish I hadn't offered her any, but we both really enjoyed it. Good ginger bite and really refreshing, went down well with our bbq lunch. 

Nice one Barls. How do you make it?

cheers

Grant


----------



## barls (23/8/09)

if i told you its out of a can would you believe me?
actually this is the 3rd version to the recipe ( k&k to what it is now)
heres the current version the honey used was ether white box, orange blossum or clover.

Batch 3 of honey ginger beer mk 2

Dates
Date Brewed: 1 Jun 2009 Date Racked: 21 Jun 2009
Date Packaged: 21 Jul 2009 Date Ready: 21 Jul 2009


Recipe Overview
Target Wort Volume Before Boil: 20.00 l Actual Wort Volume Before Boil: 20.63 l
Target Wort Volume After Boil: 16.00 l Actual Wort Volume After Boil: 15.00 l
Target Volume Transferred: 16.00 l Actual Volume Transferred: 15.00 l
Target Volume At Pitching: 40.00 l Actual Volume At Pitching: 40.00 l
Target Volume Of Finished Beer: 38.00 l Actual Volume Of Finished Beer: 40.00 l
Target Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.029 SG Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.034 SG
Target OG: 1.039 SG Actual OG: 1.035 SG
Target FG: 1.005 SG Actual FG: 1.006 SG
Target Apparent Attenuation:: 85.8 % Actual Apparent Attenuation: 82.4 %
Target ABV: 4.4 % Actual ABV: 3.8 %
Target ABW: 3.5 % Actual ABW: 3.0 %
Target IBU (using Tinseth): 4.6 IBU Actual IBU: 4.4 IBU
Target Color (using Morey): 3.7 SRM Actual Color: 3.7 SRM
Target Mash Efficiency: 75.0 % Actual Mash Efficiency: 90.1 %
Target Fermentation Temp: 18 degC Actual Fermentation Temp: 18 degC


Fermentables
Ingredient	Amount	%	MCU	When
Australian Export Pilsner Malt 2.000 kg 34.5 % 0.7 In Mash/Steeped
German Carahell 0.600 kg 10.3 % 1.3 In Mash/Steeped
coopers ginger beer 2.000 kg 34.5 % 1.4 End Of Boil
Sugar - Honey 1.200 kg 20.7 % 0.5 End Of Boil


Hops
Variety	Alpha	Amount	IBU	Form	When
NZ Pacific Hallertau 6.0 % 10 g 4.6 Loose Pellet Hops 60 Min From End


Other Ingredients
Ingredient	Amount	When
Whirlfloc Tablet 2 In Boil


Yeast
Coopers-Ale Yeast

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Extract with Mini-mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (64C/147F)

Step Type	Temperature	Duration
Rest at 64 degC 60
Raise to and Mash out at 77 degC 15
but shhhh dont tell anyone about it.


----------



## nifty (23/8/09)

I kicked off the case with Gibbo's Trans Pacific IPA, a big hoppy beer. 

Thanks Gibbo, a very tasty beer, lots of hops in those burps.

cheers
nifty


----------



## Gulpa (23/8/09)

*6. nifty - some sort of stout, bottled 5/7/2009, 5.3%, Wyeast 1469.*

Thought I should drink the stout before it gets too much hotter.

Poured with a nice compact tan head that falls down to a thin one. Aroma is roasty caramel with some darkish fruit lurking. Flavour wise the roast is out the front, caramel is also there with a really well balanced bitterness. Lowish carb. Medium full body. Smooooth. Really enjoyed it. Very nice stout. Thanks Nifty.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## white.grant (24/8/09)

barls said:


> if i told you its out of a can would you believe me?
> 
> but shhhh dont tell anyone about it.



Really? I had a mental image of you grating a kilo of ginger, but don't worry your secret is safe with me.

cheers

grant


----------



## syd_03 (24/8/09)

Had one of mine last night and I think it is right to go.

Looking forward to comments on this one, my first partial, still a kit base though.


----------



## nifty (24/8/09)

I tucked in to *Muggus's Imonab Oat Brown Ale* earlier. I really liked this beer, I think it reminded me of the Kent Old Brown from years ago.

cheers

nifty


----------



## nifty (25/8/09)

*4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch
*
I had Mr Zilla's Kolsch last night. I don't know anything about this style of beer, but I really enjoyed this one. 
Thanks 

nifty


----------



## Fatgodzilla (26/8/09)

nifty said:


> *4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch
> *
> I had Mr Zilla's Kolsch last night. I don't know anything about this style of beer, but I really enjoyed this one.
> Thanks
> ...




secret ... either do I .. but I keep making them. Love to go to Cologne and drink the proper seasonal kolsch (meant to be something special). The Whitelabs kolsch yeasts throws a very different flavour (sourish, often thought of as off-like flavour) to what is a fairly simple grain bill and it takes lots of time to clear. That said, I make a few batches very year and am improving each year. 

Glad people are enjoying it.


----------



## syd_03 (26/8/09)

Grantw said:


> :icon_cheers:
> 
> *No. 20 Gruntus' Not so sparkling Ale
> *
> ...



Same here, didnt take any notes, have another bottle to taste in more detail later.

Good effort Grant.

Cheers
Jason.


----------



## nifty (26/8/09)

*5. Gulpa - US Amber Ale*

A beautiful hoppy beer, lots of flavour and easy to drink. Nice one, thanks.

cheers

nifty


----------



## nifty (27/8/09)

*7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness US IPA 
*
More hoppy goodness. I could taste passionfruit in this. The head lasted all the way to the bottom of the glass.

I had this one later last night and slept pretty well afterwards.

Nice one, thanks

nifty.


----------



## syd_03 (27/8/09)

You sure are pumping down the beers this week Nifty :chug:

Hope mine is up for review soon.


----------



## Gulpa (27/8/09)

syd_03 said:


> You sure are pumping down the beers this week Nifty :chug:
> 
> Hope mine is up for review soon.



Syd, its in the fridge now. :icon_cheers:


----------



## Gulpa (27/8/09)

Grantw said:


> *No. 20 Gruntus' Not so sparkling Ale
> *
> Mmmmmm. It sparkled for me Grant, great beer.
> 
> ...



I have to admit that Sparkling Ale is one of those beers Ive never really been that interested in. This beer made me think that I should be giving a go sometime soon.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## nifty (27/8/09)

syd_03 said:


> You sure are pumping down the beers this week Nifty :chug:
> 
> Hope mine is up for review soon.



Yeah, I've been lucky this week. 

Normally I wouldn't drink during the week, I usually have at least 3 AFD's, but the wife has been out each night, so what is a bloke supposed to do ??


----------



## Gulpa (27/8/09)

*15. Syd_03- ESB around 6%-*

Pours bright amber/almost ruby. Big fluffy head from a vigorous pour. Aroma of orange marmalade, very slight malt biscuit with a bit of grass as well. Flavour is a bit more complex than that. The marmalade is there but there is also an earthy/spicy almost phenolic flavour that adds interest. Biscuit shows in the backgound. Low/medium carb. Medium body. Well bittered. Very nice beer (again). Thanks Syd.

Id be interested to see your flavour/aroma schedule? It worked very well.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (28/8/09)

*1. Josh - Oktoberfest*

Pours a deep gold, decent white head which persists and laces the glass. Just a touch off being completely clear. Lots of rich malt on the nose. Nice lager notes.

Smooth, creamy malty flavour upfront. Finishes medium dry. Lovely chewy maltiness to it. Good bitterness to balance the malt. Clean. 

Great rich malty beer. A most awesome oktoberfest. Very smooth and creamy. Great malt complexity. Really enjoyed this one

Cheers


----------



## syd_03 (28/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> *15. Syd_03- ESB around 6%-*
> 
> Pours bright amber/almost ruby. Big fluffy head from a vigorous pour. Aroma of orange marmalade, very slight malt biscuit with a bit of grass as well. Flavour is a bit more complex than that. The marmalade is there but there is also an earthy/spicy almost phenolic flavour that adds interest. Biscuit shows in the backgound. Low/medium carb. Medium body. Well bittered. Very nice beer (again). Thanks Syd.
> 
> ...


Glad you enjoyed it Andrew, you are most welcome. Did a partial using Marris Otter (as you suggested last time) and some med crystal. Might step up the mash temp a few degrees next time.

Aroma and flavour hops both EKG. Added 40 grams to the wort from my mash for a 20 minute boil, added 50 grams after 3 days in the fermenter. 

Bittering and/or flavour hops in the Coopers English Bitter Kit I used as the base are reputably Styrian Goldings.

IBU approx 44.1

Cheers Jason


----------



## Cortez The Killer (28/8/09)

*3. Muggus - Imonab Oat Brown Ale*

Pours a muddy dark brown. Very hazy. Slightly tan head. Very hoppy nose. Pine. Some citrus and malt in the background. 

Chewy malt character, with a pronounced lingering bitterness. Nice caramel flavours mixing well with pine citrus flavours from the hops. Great balance between the two. Medium body and carb. A nice toasty quality to the beer. This beer is showing some roast/chocolate malt notes as it warms and as I get accustomed to the bitterness. Very smooth with the oats contributing to this, even a slight oat-ie flavour in the background.

This is a very interesting and tasty beer, with a flavours I would not have picked from the appearance. Very "zingy" for want of a better word. Most enjoyable. 

Cheers


----------



## nifty (28/8/09)

*8. Cortez The Killer - Haggis For Breakfast - Scottish 80/- *

I had this one last night. 

This was a nice beer, it tasted like caramel ? Sorry, not very descriptive and another type of beer I don't know much about, but to me it was a good beer.

Thanks

nifty


----------



## Cortez The Killer (28/8/09)

*2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock*

Pours near black, with a slight reddish hue when held to the light. Very small head - off white. Malty aroma. Picking up some melanoidins. Some caramel, and dark fruits. Slight alcohol.

Very malty, fruity - dark stone fruits. I'm getting some cinnamon. Some hints of alcohol. Medium body to full. On the sweet side. Very smooth. This is most enjoyable. Almost like a christmas cake, glazed cherries. Caramels. Warming in the belly. Malt sweetness coming through nicely as it warms. Well attenuated as to not make it cloying. 

This is a very tasty big beer. With so much going on. Lovely sweet malty overtones - almost a dessert beer. Great on a cool night. This beers is tops!

Cheers


----------



## nifty (29/8/09)

*10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong 8.10% 
*
Top drop. I didn't realize the alc content was 8.1% until I checked the wiki, it was well masked. 

I had this one after a few my own hb's and it acted like a brown sleeping tablet. I was out like a light in front of the telly.

thanks, very nice beer.

nifty


----------



## Cortez The Killer (29/8/09)

*7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness US IPA*

Pours a hazy gold almost orange into a US straight pint glass. Large fluffy white head. Massive grapefruit nose, pine - can't really pick up anything else, perhaps just a hint of malt. 

Big grapefruit and pine flavour, with lingering bitterness. Wow it's like hop juice! Big hearty malt body upfront and finishes medium dry. Bitterness is fairly pronounced and hops resins abound. This beer is most awesome. A great US IPA. Top work!

Cheers


----------



## white.grant (30/8/09)

*No. 8 CtK's Scottish 80/*

Pours dark toffee, slight haze with a fluffy dense white foam stand that persists. Aroma's are malty with hints of chocolate over a medium mouthfeel with lots of malty goodness and some slight yeast characters, earthy hop presence on a drying finish. Lovely balance and very morish. Thanks Gino, delicious beer.

*No. 9 Thommo's Belgian Ale*

Opens well, pours clear and golden with a fluffy head slowly dissipating. Aroma is very pleasant - pears, and citrus including lemon and orange. Bright carbonation highlights nice yeast flavours working around the dominant pear note, dry finish pulling out some bitterness that balances the sweeter fruit flavours nicely. At times I thought I was sipping a Leffe Blonde, very nice Thommo.

cheers

grant


----------



## white.grant (30/8/09)

nifty said:


> *10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong 8.10%
> *
> I had this one after a few my own hb's and it acted like a brown sleeping tablet. I was out like a light in front of the telly.



 Thanks Nifty glad you liked it.


----------



## nifty (30/8/09)

Grantw said:


> Thanks Nifty glad you liked it.



Have you posted the recipe yet ?


----------



## Gulpa (30/8/09)

*11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%.*

Pours a bright red amber. Nice fluffy head that lasts and laces. Citrus US hop aroma with malt and a touch of fruity that seems to be from the yeast. Flavour is citrus and sweet caramel malt. Smooth bitterness with the balance towards the malt and hops. Medium full body. Medium carb. Creamy. Hides alc very well. I suspect the original is probably a bit more assertively bitter but this is seamless. Awesome beer. Thanks Ben.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## white.grant (30/8/09)

nifty said:


> Have you posted the recipe yet ?



It's the standard Duvel Clone lots of Pilsener Malt and sugar. The yeast does all of the work.  

Start the fermentation cool -18-20c for the first few days then let it rip, this guy hit 27c at its hottest. Very important to have the appropriate sized starter so you avoid the hot alcohol and get the desired attenuation, this batch used a 2l starter from a fresh smack pack of WY1388.


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Duvel Clone
Brewer: Grant
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 22.00 L 
Boil Size: 27.95 L
Estimated OG: 1.068 SG
Estimated Color: 3.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 34.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU 
5.11 kg Bohemian Pilsener (2.0 SRM) Grain 86.67 % 
64.00 gm Saaz [4.00 %] (90 min) Hops 34.2 IBU 
1.16 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc 
0.79 kg Cane Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 13.33 % 
1 Pkgs Belgian Strong Ale (Wyeast Labs #1388) Yeast-Ale 


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 5.11 kg

Cheers

grant


----------



## Gulpa (30/8/09)

Thanks for posting, Grant.

How the hell did you measure 1.16 whirlfloc tablets?  

Seriously though, Im in awe of the complexity you achieved with such a simple rec. I would have thought there was more to it than that.

Cheers
Andrew.



Grantw said:


> It's the standard Duvel Clone lots of Pilsener Malt and sugar. The yeast does all of the work.
> 
> Start the fermentation cool -18-20c for the first few days then let it rip, this guy hit 27c at its hottest. Very important to have the appropriate sized starter so you avoid the hot alcohol and get the desired attenuation, this batch used a 2l starter from a fresh smack pack of WY1388.
> 
> ...


----------



## white.grant (30/8/09)

Gulpa said:


> Thanks for posting, Grant.
> 
> How the hell did you measure 1.16 whirlfloc tablets?
> 
> ...



Thanks Andrew, but really it's all down to the yeast. I just pitch and wait till they finish.

Doesn't everyone use whirlfloc shavings?


----------



## Bizier (30/8/09)

8. Cortez The Killer - Haggis For Breakfast - Scottish 80/- - 4.8%

This is my first Scottish 80, so I have nothing other than secondary impressions to go off.

The aroma is very clean and restrained, a little yeast vibe, almost lagery with the smell of MO and a faint roast grain.

Distinct biscuitty nutty UK ale malt malt (MO) flavour, very nutty like i have just chewed and swallowed cashews. Faint taste of UK hops in there, becoming more evident as I look for it and think about it. I shouldn't have looked at your recipe halfway through tasting, it is a bit of a spoiler.

I have to be honest that I'd tone both the bitterness and carbonation down a touch, but this is really a great beer Cortez. It is very clean and showcases the malt well. Thank you.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (31/8/09)

*9. Thommo - Belgian Ale*

Pours with a massive white creamy head which slowly dissipates. Amber in appearance, slightly hazy. A heap of belgian phenolics on the nose. Fruity, pears, a hint of citrus and lots of spice. Some malt. Altogether it's very appealing. 

Flavour not as intense as the nose would suggest. Medium body, slightly dry. Low bitterness. Very smooth. Subtle belgian phenolics - pears. Nice malt sweetness coming through. Peppery notes. Extremely easy drinking, finding a sweet spot between belgian goodness and sessionability. 

A great beer! 

Cheers


----------



## nifty (31/8/09)

*12. Stuster - Southern English Brown, 4.2%*

Hey Stu, no problems with this beer, it tasted ok to me. I thought it was a nice drop.

cheers

nifty


----------



## Bizier (1/9/09)

Two great beers last night for a early week calibration session, no tasting notes made but beers are definitely deserving praise:

9. Thommo - Belgian Ale, WLP550 (I think).
Great yeast characters, dry body and carbonation. I found it a little hoppy because I would like the yeast to come through more, but it is just personal preference. A very drinkable beer that I would be happy to have a lot more of. Cheers Thommo!

11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%
Fricken awesome hops on the nose, lots of sweet orange and mandarine type citrus. Very balanced, drinkable and highly enjoyable. Thank you Insight, this was fun.


----------



## nifty (1/9/09)

Bizier said:


> 11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%
> Fricken awesome hops on the nose, lots of sweet orange and mandarine type citrus. Very balanced, drinkable and highly enjoyable. Thank you Insight, this was fun.



*11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%*

I'll second what Bizier said above, I too had this beer last and it was a beautiful beer, most enjoyable.

cheers

nifty


----------



## Josh (2/9/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> secret ... either do I .. but I keep making them. Love to go to Cologne and drink the proper seasonal kolsch (meant to be something special).


I'll let you know what they're like FGZ.


----------



## Josh (2/9/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *1. Josh - Oktoberfest*
> 
> Pours a deep gold, decent white head which persists and laces the glass. Just a touch off being completely clear. Lots of rich malt on the nose. Nice lager notes.
> 
> ...


A most awesome review Cortez. Pretty much what I was aiming for. This beer was entered in the NSW Comp too.

I cheekily said don't drink until September cos I'll be in Munich, but if you're thirsty, feel free to stick mine in the fridge now.


----------



## gibbocore (2/9/09)

nifty said:


> *11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%*
> 
> I'll second what Bizier said above, I too had this beer last and it was a beautiful beer, most enjoyable.
> 
> ...




Wow, x3 awesome beer mate, very impressed.

Such complexity, you wouldn't know it was 6.8%, well hidden, great flavour.

I reckon the best compliment can be another brewers willingness to brew your beer, so i'd love a copy of the recipe, understandable if its a secret.


----------



## jonw (2/9/09)

I've had a few of thee beers, and they've all been great. Been a bit slack on providing feedback, so here goes.

3. Muggus - Imonab Oat Brown Ale. It's a while since I had this one, but I remember it being drier than I'd expected. Drank easily and thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks Muggus.

4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch - I had an unfortunate bottle/toe collision accident with this, which resulted in beer all over my shed floor (but cap still on bottle :huh Fortunately I discovered that I had scored two of them. I really enjoyed this - malty yet light, just the right carbonation. Thanks Fats.

5. Gulpa - US Amber Ale. Again, it's a while since I had this one. I remember it poured quite gold, with nice american hops. I enjoyed it. Thanks Gulpa.

7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness. Big bitterness here, as you'd expect. Well balanced with the malt, and pleasant hops up front. Thanks Bizier.

11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone. I have to agree with others' comments on this one. i really enjoyed it - it's really well balanced. I think all the Rye beers I've had have been brewed by you, Ben! I've enjoyed every one of them. This was a cracker. Thanks.

12. Stuster - Southern English Brown. managed to score two of these as well, and they were both good. Good body, nice balance. Enjoyed it. Thanks Stuster.

Cheers,

Jon


----------



## Insight (2/9/09)

gibbocore said:


> Wow, x3 awesome beer mate, very impressed.
> 
> Such complexity, you wouldn't know it was 6.8%, well hidden, great flavour.
> 
> I reckon the best compliment can be another brewers willingness to brew your beer, so i'd love a copy of the recipe, understandable if its a secret.



There's no secrets in brewing surely? The recipe was one from the excellent Mike McDole:

http://beerdujour.com/Recipes/SN_Celebrati..._2nd_round.html

I replaced the Chinook with Galena, because Chinook is just not my thing. Other than that, its as stated in the recipe with some gypsum thrown in to harden up the very soft Prospect water. Glad you and others enjoyed the beer :icon_cheers:


----------



## nifty (3/9/09)

*15. Syd_03- ESB around 6%
*
Poured a deep rich dark copper colour, good head and carb. 

When I first tasted this beer straight out of the fridge it had, to my taste, a bit of a hot alcohol flavour, but when it warmed up it turned into a different beer. 

Comments are not very descriptive, but I enjoyed the beer more once it warmed up a bit.

cheers

nifty


----------



## white.grant (3/9/09)

*No. 2 Retsamhsam's Dopplebock

*This is my first ever dopplebock so I only have the BJCP guide to go by, but wow, what a great beer! Crisp almost neutral aroma,then malty sweet and complex dark fruit flavours emerging in a warming glass, some yeast notes then a goldenhoney like finish. This is a revelation, the dark side of the lager, and it is delicious.

Thanks Damien. Lovin it.

cheers

grant

*
*


----------



## syd_03 (3/9/09)

nifty said:


> *15. Syd_03- ESB around 6%
> *
> Poured a deep rich dark copper colour, good head and carb.
> 
> ...



Cheers Nifty, sorry about the hot alcohol, I didn't taste this myself. Not sure where it came from.

You are right though, much better beer when it warms to around 6-10 degrees.
Glad you were able to enjoy it more then.


----------



## RetsamHsam (4/9/09)

Thanks for the reviews Grant/Cortez, Sounds like it is going down well..


----------



## Cortez The Killer (6/9/09)

*6. Nifty - Some Sort of Stout*

Poured very hard into a straight pint glass to rouse a small tan head. Jet black. Completely opaque. Aroma full of roast and coffee notes. Some dark fruity esters, and some malt in the background. 

Flavour is very smooth. With most of the bitterness coming from the roasted malts. Medium to medium high body. Carbonation low and perhaps making the body more substantial. Lots of coffee and some dark chocolate. Some roasty dryness at the end. After 1/2 a pint I'm getting some nice sweet caramel flavours and dark stone fruits hidden in between the roast. 

Overall a very easy drinking and approachable stout. Verging toward a sweet stout. Lovely for a cool evening. Great beer!

Cheers


----------



## Bizier (6/9/09)

I have some bad news.

4:00 am last night a number 17 (I purposefully haven't checked who the culprit is yet) exploded voilently and made a huge arse mess in a recently cleaned room. I have cleaned everything, and it has taken a good amount of my sunday to do so, besides mopping the bulk of beer off the floorboards last night.

PLEASE PEOPLE:
If you are taking part in a case swap, you have a responsibility to the recipient of your beer. Please sort out your finishing gravity (even if it is winter and your yeast is sleepy), ensure your priming sugar is mixed evenly and that there are no rampant infections. And please put a beer carbed to 4 volumes in an appropriate vessel. I will take a lesson from this and put any case swap beers in a solid-walled crate covered with a towell from now in case I am being given grenades. 

I know that everyone involved is a decent person, but please get this shit sorted out before submitting your beer to others. Taking your own eye out is one thing, taking someone else's out is plain avoidable.

Dan


----------



## jonw (6/9/09)

Bizier said:


> 4:00 am last night a number 17....



Well, that was mine. Sorry about the mess, Dan.

I guess everybody else should put theirs in the fridge. Has anybody had any problems with it? Has anybody drunk it?

Jon


----------



## Bizier (6/9/09)

Sorry Jon, join the newt swap please, but please sort it out. Everyone refridgerate this beer pronto and treat as dangerous (esp if in screwtop longneck). 
I will actually get the opportunity to taste your ber Jon, so there will be a review to come.


----------



## Gulpa (7/9/09)

Had a few at a f.day thingy yesterday so there are no real notes, just impressions.

*19. barls - kels special honey ginger beer 4.3%* 

Sweet and gingery as expected. I suspect its a nice ginger beer but its just not my kind of thing. Others enjoyed it.


*1. Josh - Oktoberfest Wyeast 2308*

This is more my kind of thing  . Light gold. Nice carb. Lovely lovely malty goodness. Nice complexity. Didnt want it to end. Great beer Josh, thanks.


*2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock 7.5%*

More malty goodness. Background of munich malt with the dark malts coming through. Malt seemed to be developing flavours I associate with a bit of age, but then again I could have just been a bit "tired" by then. Very nice beer. Thanks, Damien.

cheers
Andrew


----------



## Gulpa (7/9/09)

Agree. Jon, dont let a little thing like that stop you.

cheers
Andrew.



Bizier said:


> Sorry Jon, join the newt swap please, but please sort it out. Everyone refridgerate this beer pronto and treat as dangerous (esp if in screwtop longneck).
> I will actually get the opportunity to taste your ber Jon, so there will be a review to come.


----------



## Stuster (7/9/09)

Agreed. You certainly aren't the first to end up contributing a bomb to the swap, Jonw. :lol: 

Anyway, I've been extremely slack about getting tasting notes up here, so some quick thoughts from memory.

Muggus, had yours last week. It had a very strong aroma on opening - a dry, dusty sort of chalky aroma. Rather off-putting at first so I left it aside for a while and came back to find that smell (and taste) had mostly gone away. Other than that a very nice beer, but that was really the main impression I got from your beer. Nobody else has mentioned it though. :huh: 

Nifty, was looking forward to your one as I've liked a number of your beers, but this one didn't do it for me. A fairly strong salty, vegemite flavour which kind of dominated.


----------



## nifty (7/9/09)

Stuster said:


> Nifty, was looking forward to your one as I've liked a number of your beers, but this one didn't do it for me. A fairly strong salty, vegemite flavour which kind of dominated.



Bugger, sorry mate, I don't know what happened there. Any idea what can cause those sort of flavours ?? I didn't pick them myself. I used some molasses in this, I wonder if that's it ??

cheers

nifty


----------



## barls (7/9/09)

Gulpa said:


> Had a few at a f.day thingy yesterday so there are no real notes, just impressions.
> 
> *19. barls - kels special honey ginger beer 4.3%*
> 
> ...


hey andrew, they are definatly a love it or hate it thing, personally i cant drink them but swmbo loves it so do most. actually put 3 kegs on fro her bday and out of all the kegs its the lowest at almost empty. the others being a rogers clone and a honey blonde.


----------



## Stuster (7/9/09)

Ah, could be that. I can't say I've had much molasses so it certainly might have been that. What kind of molasses did you use and how much?


----------



## nifty (8/9/09)

Stuster said:


> Ah, could be that. I can't say I've had much molasses so it certainly might have been that. What kind of molasses did you use and how much?



I used about 500g in a 40 litre batch. The recipe I usually use calls for black treacle, which gives a nice edge to it, but for the batch before this one I had a brain fart and bought blackstrap molasses instead :blink:. Anyway, i used it and it tasted all right at the time so I thought I'd give it a go in the xmas case.

I just had a taste of the molasses and it has a very strong caramelly?? taste, but there might be a hint of saltiness in the background too.

cheers

nifty


----------



## barls (10/9/09)

just had jon's 17, nicely carbed mine was and very drinkable. so jump back in the next one mate as i look forward to another fine beer from you.
drinking mugus one now.


----------



## Stuster (10/9/09)

I had Jon's beer last night. Fairly highly carbonated but not leaping out of the bottle and not enough to make it pop. The high carbonation had stirred up the sediment though, despite a careful pour and so there was a lot of yeast in it. Fairly muddy because of that and so hard to tell what the beer was like other than that. Didn't seem like there was enough carbonation in this bottle to pop it, or in barls', so seems the carbonation is uneven, or one of the bottles was weak.

Gulpa's American Amber is going down a treat tonight (just off to bed, Brian, honestly). Clear, lovely reddish-brown. Clean, great balance of fruity hops and caramel malts. Love it, Andrew. Recipe up there yet?


----------



## Bizier (11/9/09)

I tried 17 a few nights ago, it definitely crawled quickly out of the bottle neck after opening. There was some fermentation funk, and I am interested to know what yeast was used, but it was not infected. I would prefer a little thicker and obviously less carbonation... but that said, I am just now drinking an overcarbonated beer I brewed.


----------



## nifty (11/9/09)

I had a couple of very tasty beers tonight.

*14. Monkeybusiness APA* and *20. Gruntus Not so Sparkling Ale*

both very enjoyable beers.

Thanks guys


----------



## Cortez The Killer (12/9/09)

*17. jonw - Pooch Drool. American Brown*

Bottle wasn't a gusher, but beer poured just about all foam. After settling the beer is a deep amber almost red/brown, slightly cloudy with lots of activity from high carbonation. Foam is off white and billowing. Aroma has some nice hops coming through not so much citrus as perhaps pine and other fruity notes perhaps pears/apples (it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't name the dominant aroma). Nice caramel maltiness in support. All very appealing. I'm also getting some belgian phenolics in there I think - but not 100% on this.

Nice malty body to the beer with good bitterness to balance. Lovely caramel notes coming through, with a hoppy zing in the back ground. Dark stone fruits also coming through. Medium body and medium carb. Very smooth and well balanced. Finishes medium dry. 

Overall a very tasty beer with excellent balance and approachability. Please send a slightly lower carbed case at once!

Cheers


----------



## Cortez The Killer (12/9/09)

*20. Gruntus - Not so Sparkling Ale*

Pours with amazing clarity into a straight pint. Amber in colour with a fluffy white head. Aroma very clean with some malt and a hint of hops - touch of fruitness. Not too dissimilar to CSA. 

Lean body and nice bitterness coming through, fairly clean. Some nice malty characteristics rounding the beer out. Some tasty fruity esters peaking through too. Hop flavour fairly low. Medium high carbonation. Finishes toward the dry side. 

A most tasty and sessionable beer, a very good representation of the style. Top work!

Cheers


----------



## Cortez The Killer (13/9/09)

*11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone*

Pours a bright orange nearly red in a tulip pint glass. Small off white head which persists. Lots of fruity hops upon opening the bottle. Usual C hop notes - pine, citrus and a delicious caramelly malt bank bone. 

Massive bitterness in the flavour. Chewy malt upfront and a bitterness that lingers. Medium high carbonation. Medium body. Fairly citrusy - orange/citrus peel. Finishes dry. Nice and warming in the belly. 

This beer is definitely a celebration! Most awesome

Cheers


----------



## white.grant (13/9/09)

No. 15 Syd_03 ESB

Pours dark honey, slight haze and strong head. Hoppy aroma and I'm thinking more IPA than ESB. Hops dominate the flavour and triumph over the malt, bitter finish is satisfying. Really enjoyed this beer, but lacked the sweet malt character that I associate with an ESB but came acorss as a great english IPA. One of my favourites.

No. 6 Nifty's Some sort of Sout.

I must be mad. Stlll 28 degrees and after working in the gardens, I turn to a stout!

Not mad, just lucky!

Not enitrely optimistic with the heavily dimpled cap (what did you use a nail punch?) Pours a lovely black with a tan head. Great stout aroma, choc and toffee competing. Nice harsh grain bitterness on the flavour and a satisfying tart finish with malty sweetness well balanced against the darker flavours. I love stouts and this is a good un. Thanks Nifty.

cheers

grant


----------



## Gulpa (13/9/09)

Stuster said:


> Gulpa's American Amber is going down a treat tonight (just off to bed, Brian, honestly). Clear, lovely reddish-brown. Clean, great balance of fruity hops and caramel malts. Love it, Andrew. Recipe up there yet?



Thanks Stu. Glad you liked it. I should put the recipe up but I havent got around to it yet.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## syd_03 (13/9/09)

Thanks for the kind words Grant. It had more sweet malt a few weeks back, it seems to have gone MIA. Like I said to Andrew, I think I mashed a little low and using a kit as a base I didnt have total control over the recipe, still I was quite happy for my first attempt mashing. Glad you really enjoyed it.

Cheers Jason.


----------



## nifty (13/9/09)

Grantw said:


> No. 6 Nifty's Some sort of Sout.
> 
> I must be mad. Stlll 28 degrees and after working in the gardens, I turn to a stout!
> 
> ...



Thanks Grant. 

As I posted earlier to Stu's comments, this recipe came about as a result of a bit of a stuff up. 

cheers

nifty


----------



## nifty (13/9/09)

*2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock 7.5%*

This is the first doppelbock I've ever had. 

This was a cracker of a beer to my tastes.

All I can say as a description is Smooooth and Creamy.

Thanks

nifty


----------



## Bizier (14/9/09)

*15. Syd_03 ESB*

I will second the call that it is more in the vein of a UK IPA.

I get a sweet, slightly cidery nose.
The carbonation is quite high and I enjoyed it a lot more with a little de-gassing and once it had warmed some. The beer has a good sessionable balance to the slightly drier than expected mouthfeel.
The grassy hops and bitterness really come to the front on tasting, but there is definitely a good malt presence to back it up and supply some depth.

An enjoyable beer Jason.

I am also noticeably feeling the effects of it as I try to do a little work.


----------



## syd_03 (14/9/09)

Damn, got told my last swap that was meant to be an IPA was more like ESB; now it is vice versa. Both were about 40 IBU.

I agree with the gas and warming, It came out a lil higher carb than I was expecting. At 3-5 weeks the carb was spot on and was slightly sweeter. I think I will change the grain bill/mash temp next time and lower the initial carb level to get a sweeter less gassy beer after 6 weeks.

Glad you were able to enjoy it Dan, sorry your work had to suffer for the cause.



On the cider/gassy issue- I had one stubbie out of the 11 I have had since the swap that I think had some kind of infection, very gassy and slightly sour taste, all the others were fine, I am hoping this was just the last one I bottled and for some reason wasnt sanatised the same as the others.


----------



## Bizier (14/9/09)

syd_03 said:


> Glad you were able to enjoy it Dan, sorry your work had to suffer for the cause.



Come off it. You can reinterpret my comment as "appreciably intoxicating".


----------



## syd_03 (14/9/09)

Bizier said:


> Come off it. You can reinterpret my comment as "appreciably intoxicating".



And it was interpreted as that, mine was a lil dig to be interpreted as " Bugger your work"


----------



## Cortez The Killer (17/9/09)

*16. andrew.gaul - Some Sorta Porter*

Pours black with a ruby hue when held to the light. Small tan head. Malty goodness, with some caramel notes and roasty aromas. Fruity eaters present too. 

Malty sweet upfront and balanced well with bitterness from hops and roasted malts. Medium sweet, and medium full body. Caramel notes and well as a nice fruitiness. 

Overall a fairly big beer with great complexity which would be most excellent on a cool night or as a dessert beer 

Cheers


----------



## Cortez The Killer (18/9/09)

*19. barls - kels special honey ginger beer *

Pours a slightly hazy gold. With a white head with quickly dissipates. Aroma is distinctly gingery. Very spicy. 

Flavour gingery. With an almost chilli like finish. Lovely honey/sweet presence. Finishes medium dry. Lean body. 

A most tasty ginger beer. Probably the best I've had. Top work!

Cheers


----------



## syd_03 (18/9/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *19. barls - kels special honey ginger beer *
> 
> Pours a slightly hazy gold. With a white head with quickly dissipates. Aroma is distinctly gingery. Very spicy.
> 
> ...



Haha only cause you havent tasted mine .


----------



## Cortez The Killer (18/9/09)

syd_03 said:


> Haha only cause you havent tasted mine .


Your ESB is the last bottle of the case swap for me 

Cheers


----------



## Bizier (18/9/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> Fruity eaters present too.



FGZ? :lol:


----------



## syd_03 (18/9/09)

Haha I was refering to my ginger beer

Nice, caint wait to get more feedback and advice. You powered through em I got 12 to go.


----------



## Cortez The Killer (18/9/09)

*15. Syd_03 - ESB*

Pours brown with ruby red highlights into a timmermans snifter glass. Large off white head. Very hoppy nose, with a delightful maltiness coming through. 

SWMBO just announced that the beer is pouring itself on the table. Not too much spillage - so lets say just a tad over carbed. Also picking up some caramel and some fruity esters. 

Bitter upfront. Some malt in support. Bitterness is a little sharp. Medium to lean body. Definitely in the IPA category. Finishes fairly dry. Fairly hoppy. Tasting a fruitiness to it - perhaps a little cidery. 

Overall a fairly bitter dry beer. While the nose is fairly appealing I'd be looking to up the maltiness/sweetness or drop the bitterness a touch to balance them. Still quite tasty.

Cheers

And so ends another case swap reviewing!

I must say that the quality of beers I get to try in these caseswaps is nothing short of spectacular. From a beer aficionado perspective, the flavours and aromas, and the ability to sample such a wide variety of beers is nothing short of amazing.

Thanks fellas


----------



## syd_03 (18/9/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *15. Syd_03 - ESB*
> 
> Pours brown with ruby red highlights into a timmermans snifter glass. Large off white head. Very hoppy nose, with a delightful maltiness coming through.
> 
> ...




Sorry about the carb spilling from the half bottle or jug onto the table? That seems well over what it should be. I only primed to 2 volumes; 110 gram for the 23 litres. At least it wasn't onto your macbook though

Glad the aroma was good and apearance sounds good too maybe a smaller head from lower carbanation would be good though. At least that part sound enjoyable.

fruity sounds good cidery doesnt sound too promising though :unsure: Those are my plans exactly, Up the mash temp a lil, maybe some more spec grain and lower the 20 min addition and dryhopping.

Glad over all it was ok though, thanks for the constuctive comments.

Cheers Jason.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (19/9/09)

Okay, cracked the first three brews last night. 

Josh's Octoberfest was a very nice one. Good session beer. 

Bizier's IPA followed and knocked my sox off ! Smelled divine ! Not a huge fan of the flavour of over over hopped beers though but had no problems finishing the bottle off.

Cortez's Scottish ale - should not have tried it after Bizier's hop monster as my palate was gone. Enjoyed the second pour. A favourite style of mine and this was a nice version.

Three down three great beers. The body is evil, it must be punished .. I'll have a few more later tonight.

FGZ


----------



## Gulpa (19/9/09)

*8. Cortez The Killer - Haggis For Breakfast - Scottish 80/- - 4.8%*

Pours clear ruby with a nice head. Aroma of grainy malt, no sign of hops. Flavour is more grainy malt, fruit and slight spice/pepper. Medium carb. Low bitterness. Sessionable, surprised how easy this to drink. Very nice. Thanks Cortez.

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Bizier (20/9/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Bizier's IPA followed and knocked my sox off !



Cheers Ian, it ended up with a bronze at Bathurst.
Good to see you on here tasting and with new taps coming. I was worried about you MIA.


----------



## Gulpa (20/9/09)

*16. andrew.gaul - Some Sorta Porter*

Pours dark with ruby highlights. Aroma is sweet roasty malt. Head subsides quite quickly. Carb medium low. Flavour is roast malts with fruit and quite a sweet lingering finish. It initially has a kind of sharpness that gives the flavour some intensity but impression of sharpness fades just leaving the intense flavour. Medium body, suitable bitterness. Nicely balanced towards the sweet. A very nice porter. Thanks Andrew.

Wouldnt mind seeing the recipe. 

Cheers
Andrew.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (22/9/09)

Gulpa said:


> *11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone 6.8%.*
> 
> Pours a bright red amber. Nice fluffy head that lasts and laces. Citrus US hop aroma with malt and a touch of fruity that seems to be from the yeast. Flavour is citrus and sweet caramel malt. Smooth bitterness with the balance towards the malt and hops. Medium full body. Medium carb. Creamy. Hides alc very well. I suspect the original is probably a bit more assertively bitter but this is seamless. Awesome beer. Thanks Ben.
> 
> ...




Black dog attack, so responded with a beer antidote. Grabbed old number 11 and .. go you good thing. Andrew writes a good review .. was thinking of plagarising both thought best to quote the source. I'll just use the old chestnut .. bloody nice one ! Gees that's a good beer. 


Jonw number 17 .. scored two bottles, opened the 700ml crown seal (other a Tooheys screwtop). Good stuff Jonw .. a bloody nice beer. Love Yankee browns .. Josh made a great one a couple of case swaps ago and I've been a fan since. Possible overcarbonation .. I see where the problem may have been with over carbing - No problems with over carbing in my bottle but maybe in the larger bottles you may have used more carbonation drops / sugar ? Or did you bulk prime ? Anyway, bloody good beer and I expect to see you in future swaps cos this one is a ripper... good to see a new brewer to coming in Xmas .. the next generation of AHB needs to learn early !


----------



## Fatgodzilla (22/9/09)

Thommo's Number 9 - Belgian Ale

Following along the long lunch theme, I should have had this prior to Grant's Strong Belgian .. but didn't. Like Grant's, this beer is making a convert out of this old fat fella .. never been a great fan of belgian beers but this and Grant's makes me starting to re think the matter. Damn fine drop sir, no fault I can find, doubt the average VB drinker would appreciate it .. but frankly, who cares. Good one Thommo


----------



## Bizier (23/9/09)

2 Quickies:

Josh - Octoberfest
To quote a Mr Pete Cundall: "bloomin' marvelous" crisp enough to drink, but malty enough to keep you thinking about it... Great work as usual mate. Good one.

Gruntus - Not so Sparkling Ale
Light bodied, fruity and pleasant. This was an interesting beer, not too much like anything I have ever drank before. Congrats on a very drinkable and thought provoking drop. Thoroughly enjoyed last night. Thanks.


----------



## barls (24/9/09)

Cortez The Killer said:


> *19. barls - kels special honey ginger beer *
> 
> Pours a slightly hazy gold. With a white head with quickly dissipates. Aroma is distinctly gingery. Very spicy.
> 
> ...


cheers mate the recipe is floating around in here somewhere. my next step is to get it back to an all grain recipe.


----------



## tdack (24/9/09)

*6. nifty - some sort of stout, bottled 5/7/2009, 5.3%, Wyeast 1469*

Yummo! Had to fight with SWMBO to get my glass back, she is partial to a good stout, and this is a good one!

Thanks


----------



## Gulpa (27/9/09)

*17. jonw - Pooch Drool. American Brown ~4%*

Pours lively, a nice amber brown. Quite clear. Aroma is dominated by the yeast with a touch of hops and nutty biscuity malt. Flavour matches the aroma with a bit more of the hops and caramel malt coming through than there were in the aroma. Medium carb. Medium bitterness. Finish towards sweet. Nice enough, closer to US Amber or even a Bitter. Id be looking towards a more neutral yeast for this style as it kind of dominate everything else too much. Thanks Jonw.

cheers
Andrew.


----------



## monkeybusiness (27/9/09)

I've had a few of the case swap, but been a bit busy so I'll note the ones I can remember.

1. Josh - Oktoberfest 
Had a crack at that beer today. Way too easy to drink. Let a couple of my family have a taste and all considered it a fine drop. Deliciously malty without being too sweet.

5. Gulpa - US Amber Ale. 
Had this one a couple of weeks ago so can't say too much sorry but can remember that I did enjoy it.

10. Grantw - Belgian Golden Strong 8.10% 
Grant, mine was a gusher but managed to salvage most of the bottle. Otherwise an intersting beer. Lots to taste with just the right amount of body.

12. Stuster - Southern English Brown
Didn't pick any infection as was a concern earlier in the thread. Again can't remember too much about this one other than it was enjoyed and the missus thought it was a good one.

14. Monkeybusiness - APA
Had one of mine a week or two ago and unfortunately it seems to have lost some of the love it had early on so if you haven't drunk it yet I say get into it.

17. jonw - Pooch Drool. American Brown 
Bit overcarbed but a nice beer otherwise. 

21. Gibbo Trans Pacific IPA (ready to drink now, but best wait till the yeast settles after transport)
This one was a while ago also but joy of hoppy burps remains a very pleasant memory. Top beer Gibbo.

Thanks to all so far.


----------



## Fatgodzilla (29/9/09)

*2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock 7.5%*

How good was that ! Pulled it out of fridge with no idea of brewer or style, thought "Irish ale ?" Thought "Altbier ?" - thought whatever it was, a case please. A sweet malt beer that really tickled my fancy. Good one Damo ! 


*Gibbo's Trans Pac IPA*

How good is this one ! Hit all the right buttons - just perfect for me ! I'll have a case of this too baby ! Others have praised you heaps here and thoroughly deserved ! 


Two great beers tonight !


----------



## Bizier (2/10/09)

14. Monkeybusiness - APA

Again a rushed review, but very positive.

I agree that some of the finer notes of the hops may be gone, but this is a very pleasant beer. It has a nice firm bitterness, pleasant easter/hop/bisctuity malt nose that follows though to a biscuity and US hoppy flavour, but also is crisp and dry enough to drink a bunch of. There is a definite MO vibe to the malt, which I love. I would love this on tap, and I apologise for not drinking it earlier. I have been busy and tried to polish off the hoppy beers first.. I should have done this a month or so ago.

Good work MB.
Dan


----------



## Muggus (7/10/09)

So i've been overseas the last 7 weeks and this is my first homebrew back, I figure go for something different, something relevant. Having spent some time in Scotland and having a couple of haggis (not for breakfast, regretfully) and authentic Scottish "shilling" ales, this seems like the perfect choice!

*Beer: 8. Cortez The Killer - Haggis For Breakfast - Scottish 80/- *
Date: 7th October 2009
Details: 750ml crownseal bottle. Gold cap "8" 4.8% - 13th August

Notes:
Served moderately chilled in pint glass

After a good loud opening, i'm presented with a very handsome looking pint indeed. A persistant inch of offwhite foam sits patiently at the top of clean, slightly effervescent amber body.

Aroma seems almost spot on for the style. Not overly prominant, yet rich and complex in subtle way; husky grain bread, caramelised malt, faint bitter citrus, floral hop notes and dried fruits.

Smooth body has a nice bit of creamy chewiness about it, medium-lean weight, carbonation is quite low, which is just the way I like it!

Malt flavours dominate the flavour without being overly sweet or cloying. Nutty biscuit, toffee, plum and sultana dried fruits, slight rumminess in there too. Floral hop note brings a good bitterness on a lingering finish with a persistant grain bread and minerally drying quality about it.

Very well made ale, true to style, ie, an approachable, quaffable, subtly complex, malty real ale. Thoroughly enjoyed it Cortez, tapadh leibh!


----------



## monkeybusiness (8/10/09)

Went camping in the rain last weekend and took a few with me. No notes cause I'm not that great at dresciptors and everything was f'ing wet but, had Syd_03's ESB and Muggus' Oat Brown and both were great beers. Great end to a day to warm a wet gent in front of a camp fire.


Also had this last night.

6. Nifty's stout
I'm a stout man Nifty and this one was perfect. beautiful flavour not too much carb, roast was spot on. I could drink this all night. Top stuff.

I've been holding back from joining the xmas swap (too much to do) but all this good beer is hard to resist.


----------



## syd_03 (8/10/09)

monkeybusiness said:


> Went camping in the rain last weekend and took a few with me. No notes cause I'm not that great at dresciptors and everything was f'ing wet but, had Syd_03's ESB and Muggus' Oat Brown and both were great beers. Great end to a day to warm a wet gent in front of a camp fire.
> 
> 
> Also had this last night.
> ...



Thanks mate, glad it helped to lift the spirits. Don't resist, just give in :chug: 

Cheers Jason.


----------



## MaestroMatt (9/10/09)

monkeybusiness said:


> Went camping in the rain last weekend and took a few with me. No notes cause I'm not that great at dresciptors and everything was f'ing wet but, had Syd_03's ESB and Muggus' Oat Brown and both were great beers. Great end to a day to warm a wet gent in front of a camp fire.
> 
> 
> Also had this last night.
> ...




DO EEET Monkey! You know you want to!


----------



## Muggus (11/10/09)

*Beer: 1. Josh - Oktoberfest *
Date: 7th October 2009
Details: 750ml twistop bottle. white cap "1" Wyeast 2308 - bottled 21/7, 6.2%abv

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass

Like the label! Lots of detail and suggest to be consumered "when the brewer will be in Munich at the Oktoberfest"...lucky bum!

Anywho, nice clean lively sort of orange body sits in my glass. Thick inch of white foam hangs around for the most part.

Grainy malts on the nose. Honey and vanilla sweetness with a hint of spicy floral hop.

Really enjoy the texture of this one, thick and creamy, which seems to be the only thing alluding to higher alcohol in this beer. Carbonation is quite racey.

Well balanced body, lots of honey and golden syrup maltiness. Mild notes of spicy and florally citrus hop on a robust finish, a good hit of bitterness lingers.

Damn tasty lager, terribly drinkable for 6.2%. Enjoyed it with a Thai duck with chilli and basil, very nice. Good work Josh, enjoy Oktoberfest...Prost!


----------



## Cortez The Killer (12/10/09)

Muggus said:


> Very well made ale, true to style, ie, an approachable, quaffable, subtly complex, malty real ale. Thoroughly enjoyed it Cortez, tapadh leibh!


Thanks Muggus

Glad you enjoyed it

Cheers


----------



## Muggus (12/10/09)

*Beer: 4. Fatgodzilla - Kolsch *
Date: 12th October 2009
Details: 750ml twistop bottle. gold cap "4" bottled late June

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Loud psst on opening. Very lively clean blond body. White foam seems to have a mind of its own, growing and growing, winding up looking like some sort of mushroom atop my glass. Paints the glass nice and thickly(real word?) on the way down.

Mild aroma; grainy pale malts, vanilla, hay, a distinct sweet spiciness that I can't put my finger on...clove? coriander seed? Hmmm, how I do ponder...

As the appearance suggests, the carbonation is pretty high on this one but not too much so. Lean bodied, texture not as dry as I would originally would have assumed.

Malt sweetness upfront, hint of cereals and cracker biscuit flavour. Gets spicy towards the finish, bit of leafiness and citrus rind hop action in there, moderate lingering bitterness and minerally drying quality.

I've gotta say, kolsch is one of those styles i've never really been overly fussed about. Having said that, this is a really nice, well-made, highly drinkable drop and leads me to believe that maybe I simply haven't found a good commercial kolsch in my travels. Cheers Ian, this ones a great quaffer!


----------



## gibbocore (13/10/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> *2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock 7.5%*
> 
> How good was that ! Pulled it out of fridge with no idea of brewer or style, thought "Irish ale ?" Thought "Altbier ?" - thought whatever it was, a case please. A sweet malt beer that really tickled my fancy. Good one Damo !
> 
> ...


Cheers mate, I really appreiate the props. Gonna start brewing this one for the next comp
I think


----------



## Muggus (14/10/09)

*Beer: 15. Syd_03- ESB *
Date: 12th October 2009
Details: 750ml crownseal bottle. white cap "15/ESB" bottled 24/07/09

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Noisy opening, liquid slowly gushes out of the neck. Thick offwhite foam sits atop a hazy, chunk-laden deep amber body.

Citrusy hop nose, earthy spice with a bit of leafiness about it. Some toffee malt in the background.

Reasonably high carbonation, medium-to-full body, slightly sticky yet drying texture.

Lovely resinous hop character on the body. In-the-face hop flavours of grapefruit rind and cedar wood. Malt sweetness filters through on the finish, with more hop spice and stonefruit flavours. Finishes with a high bitterness, and dry, slightly metallic finish, possibly a suggestion of alcohol.

Seems a bit like an American amber ale to me. Plenty of hop kick to it, quite tasty. Cheers Syd!


----------



## syd_03 (15/10/09)

Muggus said:


> *Beer: 15. Syd_03- ESB *
> Date: 12th October 2009
> Details: 750ml crownseal bottle. white cap "15/ESB" bottled 24/07/09
> 
> ...




Cheers Muggus, glad you enjoyed it.

Sorry regarding the chunk laden appearance? Perhaps due the extra effervesance, I am not sure, possibly contributed to haze too. Mine were all quite clear, but you have got a bottle close to the end of the fermenter, didn't have a spare to rack into.

Cheers Jason


----------



## Muggus (16/10/09)

syd_03 said:


> Cheers Muggus, glad you enjoyed it.
> 
> Sorry regarding the chunk laden appearance? Perhaps due the extra effervesance, I am not sure, possibly contributed to haze too. Mine were all quite clear, but you have got a bottle close to the end of the fermenter, didn't have a spare to rack into.
> 
> Cheers Jason


I don't mind the chunks. Generally hard to avoid when you're getting to the bottom of the primary fermenter, especially dry hop trub. I'm very much guilty of having the odd hop chunk in some of my brews.


----------



## RetsamHsam (18/10/09)

I must say I didn't get a beer in this swap that I didn't enjoy. For me though the stand out would have to be gulpas amber ale. I wouldnt mind replicating this beer if you don't mind sharing the recipe...


----------



## RetsamHsam (19/10/09)

Bump...


----------



## Gulpa (19/10/09)

RetsamHsam said:


> I must say I didn't get a beer in this swap that I didn't enjoy. For me though the stand out would have to be gulpas amber ale. I wouldnt mind replicating this beer if you don't mind sharing the recipe...



Thanks Damien, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Ive been slack, I will get the recipe up sometime this week.

Regards
Andrew.


----------



## Bizier (20/10/09)

I agree, that was a fantastically balanced beer and I would also like to see the recipe Andrew. I tried another recently from Vitalstatistix's lot and while it was still good, it had oxidised a lot, and the hops really had initial their edge missing.


----------



## Gulpa (20/10/09)

Recipe for my amber ale is as follows (im not putting this in the DB cos its a PITA to use):

50L batch
OG 1.054
IBU 34

Ale - Maris Otter Malt (TF)	9kg - 78.3%
Biscuit	1kg - 8.7%
Carared Malt (Weyermann)	1kg - 8.7%
Aromatic Malt (Dingemans)	0.3kg - 2.6%
Crystal Malt Dark (Bairds)	0.1kg - 0.9%
Caraaroma Malt (Weyermann)	0.1kg - 0.9%

Amarillo Hops	25	8.6	90min
Challenger 25	7.9	90min
Amarillo Hops	25	8.6	10min
Challenger 25	7.9	10min
Cascade 25	6.3	10min
Amarillo Hops	25	8.6	0min
Cascade 65	6.3	0min
Cascade 100	6.3 dry hops

Mashed at 66 degrees
Wyeast 1056

Now the hard bit is I added 1.5L of under attenuated porter at bottling to add a bit more colour (I had to get rid of the porter somehow  ). I dont think it had that much impact on flavour, I had some bottles without this addition and the hops were a touch brighter. I dont think it would be bad thing to omit, just the colour will be borderline pale/amber.

Cheers, 
Andrew


----------



## Muggus (21/10/09)

Gotta get into these before the next swap!!


*Beer: 19. Barls - Kels special honey ginger beer *
Date: 20th October 2009
Details: 750ml twisttop bottle. yellow cap, 4.3% 

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Hazy orange body, reasonably effervescent looking

Plenty of ginger spice on the nose. Add in a bit of sweet honey with subtle floral notes and underlying cereal maltiness, and it smells quite nice indeed.

Carbonation is lively but not sharp, good thickness too the body, not too well attenuated but not too rich/sweet.

Sweetness kicks in on the body, hint of cereal malts adds to it. Ginger flavour is full and spicy, honey comes through later on with flowery and vanillary undertones. Finishhes medium dry, slight ginger warmth, and suggestion of hop bitterness.

Nice refreshing, flavoursome, well-made ginger beer. Cheers Barls, a keg of this would be awesome for the summer!


----------



## Fatgodzilla (22/10/09)

Muggus said:


> Gotta get into these before the next swap!!
> 
> 
> *Beer: 19. Barls - Kels special honey ginger beer *
> ...




+1 for a positive endorsement but not keen to rush into mass production. I found it too sweet by the end of a longneck - this would be great in a stubby as a one off drink at either the beginning or end of a session.


----------



## Muggus (22/10/09)

*Beer: 7. Bizier - Ming's Myrceness US IPA *
Date: 21th October 2009
Details: 750ml twisttop bottle. gold cap "7", ~7%abv

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

I'm presented with a hazy orange body with a sturdy, creamy white foam sitting atop and clinging on.

Quite pungent aroma of hops. Lots of grapefruit and lemon zest, pine woodiness and grass, stonefruits and spice...I could go on sniffing but I really wanna drink this nectar.

Brutally big bodied; thick with plenty of drying bitter hop oomph to let you know who's boss. Carbonation is relatively low, adding some creaminess to the palate.

Plenty more hop driven bitter citrus rind and spicy woodiness smack me in the face, on the body. I get an incling of caramel malt sweetness in the works, but it's brutalised by an aggressive lingering bitter leafiness and subtle drying alcohol presense.

Big bold brutal AIPA! Would give many of the genuine articles a run for their money that's for sure. Ripper of a drop Biz, i'll be tasting these hops for a couple of days!


----------



## Muggus (22/10/09)

*Beer: 14. Monkeybusiness - APA *
Date: 22nd October 2009
Details: 750ml twisttop bottle. gold cap "14", ~5% 

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Orangey-gold body, slight hazy. Small white cap hangs around the top.

Some malt sweetness on the nose; biscuity, caramelly. Fruity hops also in there; ripe mango and stonefruit, tropical fruits even; not the typical citrus/pine American hop affair.

Reasonably active carbonation, body is full and quite syrup, unexpectedly so. 

Body of caramel maltiness acts as a backbone for zesty hop notes of bitter citrus, ripe tropical fruit and leafy spice, the latter lingering on the finish. Decent bitterness, dries out a fair bit.

Approachable APA, has quite a familiar sort of flavour to it but I can't put my finger on it. Either way, nice stuff MB, cheers!


----------



## Muggus (23/10/09)

*Beer: 17. jonw - Pooch Drool. American Brown *
Date: 22nd October 2009
Details: 750ml twisttop bottle. green cap "17", ~4% 

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Bit of a gush with this one. Eventually dies down a thick offwhite creamy on top of a deep lively amber body.

Faint florally, citrusy hops on the nose. Some bready maltiness in there too, but nothing too prominant.

Lively carbonation, luckily not as much as I originally anticipated. Body is medium-to-lean yet has a decent chewy thickness about it which I always find enjoyable in dark ales.

Becomes more alive on the body, flavours busting out all over the shop; molasses, orange, liquorice, leafy hop, dark grain bread, dried fruit. Finishes medium-dry, lingering spicy bread note and decent bitterness.

I found this quite enjoyable, though the initial carbonation probably put me off a slight bit. Thanks JonW, cheers!


----------



## Muggus (25/10/09)

Got through a couple more...

*Beer: 2. RetsamHsam - Doppelbock *
Date: 23rd October 2009
Details: 750ml twisttop bottle. gold cap "2", 7.5%

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Small but persistant and dense creamy beige head sits atop a deep bronze body.

Light aroma, some rich toffeeish/brown sugary malts detectable, as well as dark and dried fruits.

Rich bodied, almost velvet-like consistency, reasonably low carbonation. Alcohol is quite well masked.

Plenty of rich burnt toffee malts add sweetness to the body. Hints of nut and chocolate in the works, as well as subtle dried fruits. Finishes with a slight roasty dryness, and mild alcohol warmth.

I do love a good doppelbock, and this is no exception; rich and flavourful yet clean and balanced. Cheers Rets, very tasty brew!

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

*Beer: 13. Troy Dack - Belgian Golden Strong *
Date: 25th October 2009
Details: 660ml(whoops!) crownseal bottle. red cap "13", ~6.4%, bottled 05 JUL 09 

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Copper body with a bit of cloudiness. Offwhite foam is reasonably tight and persistant.

Quite sweet aroma with nice Belgian yeast character; ripe plum, vanilla, clove, pepper. Biscuity malt underneath, no alcohol thus far.

Carbonation is quite low, smooth almost syrupy consistency with a good amount of weight about it overall.

Biscuity malt body, some dark brown sugar in there. More plums and berries, vanilla, pepper and spice. Finishes with a mild bitterness, not particularly dry.

I'd say this could almost pass as a Belgian pale ale, certainly has the right colour and flavour. Anyway, I reckon this was very tasty and balanced beer. Good work Troy!


----------



## Muggus (29/10/09)

Finally finished them off during the week. Sorry for the giant post!

*Beer: 6. nifty - some sort of stout *
Date: 26th October 2009
Details: 750ml screwtop bottle. goldcap cap "13", bottled 5/7/2009, 5.3%, Wyeast 1469.

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Pretty much opaque near-black body, small layer of thick tan head.

Light notes of roasted malt on the nose; espresso and cocoa. Hint of soy/vegemite in the background.

Thick, smooth texture, almost creamy (is this an oatmeal stout?) with a lowish sort of carbonation and decent weight about it.

More cocoa on the body, notes of bitter espresso and woody charcoal roastiness. Salty towards the finish, hint of cereals and bread, finishes particularly dry with a lingering coffee-like bitterness.

No-nonsense dry sort of stout. Reminds me a bit of Guinness Extra (the bottled authentic Irish one). Very nice Nifty, I could drink alot of this!

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

*Beer: 11. Insight - AIPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale clone *
Date: 26th October 2009
Details: 750ml screwtop bottle. goldcap cap "11", 6.8%. Bottled 19/07/09

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

I'm confronted by a deep copperish bronze body with a beige foam that rises out of the glass like some sort of souffle.

Big resiny hop aroma; orange candy, pine sap, summer flowers. Rich underlying malt presense of caramel, biscuity and honey. 

Moderate carbonation, big sticky malt texture that just hangs on the tongue for a good long while.

Oh yeah, this stuff is nectar! Lucious honey and caramel sweetness sets the backbone for resiny hop flavours of grass, pine, bitter orange and ripe stonefruits. Finish is very smooth with an assertive yet well intergrated bitterness.

Wow, this totally blew me away! For a beer of 6.8%, it carries the weight of a much stronger beer without the abbrassive alcohol that you can often get. Bloody awesome Insight, thanks a million!

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

*Beer: 20. Gruntus - Not so Sparkling Ale *
Date: 26th October 2009
Details: 750ml screwtop bottle. goldcap cap "20"

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Loud opening, but no gush. Pours a particularly clear golden body with soapy white foam.

Slightly malty nose; bit of cereal, possibly wheat, bready yeast, hints of banana-like esters, and minerally spice.

Good carbonation, medium bodied, drying mouth sensation.

Light, grainy malt flavour upfront. Subdued floral hop and fruitiness in there. Restrained bitterness and lingering metallic bready note on the finish.

Even by bottles end, i'm guinuinely suprised how clear this beer is, good stuff. The beer itself is not bad, possibly could use a bit more hops to lift the palate and add some more bitterness, but easily drinkably otherwise. Cheers Gruntus!

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

*Beer: 16. andrew.gaul - Some Sorta Porter *
Date: 27th October 2009
Details: 750ml screwtop bottle. goldcap cap "16" bottled on 19/07/2009

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Deep brown body with ruby highlights. Small tan foam sits atop.

Not too much on the nose. Nutty malts, bit of toffee and meaty roast malt character. Possibly a hint of earthy hop.

Medium bodied, carbonation is restrained and welcoming, slight oily texture.

Toffee sweetness upfront, nice nuttiness and dark grain bread quality about it. Mild roast flavours of liquorice and charred meat. Finishes faintly spicy and minerally, moderate bitterness and a hint of dark fruit.

Highly quaffable dark ale. Should really make myself something like this, would you like to share the recipe, Andrew? Cheers!

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

*Beer: 9. Thommo - Belgian Ale *
Date: 29th October 2009
Details: 750ml screwtop bottle. goldcap cap "9" WLP550

Notes:
Served chilled in pint glass.

Copper-gold body, bit of haze, small tight white head sits atop.

Pleasant nose, seems to have a bit of everything; honeyish malts, doughy yeast, hint of vanilla and spice, nice floral grassy hop edge to it.

Quite lively carbonation adds a creaminess to the palate. Medium bodied, pretty dry.

Nice bit of honey and vanilla on the body. Clove spices in the works, bit of ripe pear fruitiness and light hop citrus. Clean bitter finish.

The more of this style try, the more I enjoy it. God I wish more beers like this were on the market! Great beer Thommo, cheers!


----------



## O'Henry (2/11/09)

Gibbo: Just wondering what the extract was for in your IPA recipe. Is it for bottling or was your gravity short of the target?


----------



## gibbocore (3/11/09)

Ahh, took me a while to remember, but i didn't actually use any in the recipe, what that is from is when i was concerned at first that it would be too bitter after some early tastings so i was considering adding some late ldme to balance it out a bit more, but i never went through with it and as the yeast settled it balanced out just right. I must have copy pasted it without noticing.

In short, ignore the extract.

I did bottle with extract though.


----------



## O'Henry (3/11/09)

Thanks for that. Have this down to brew once I have moved house. And maybe got a bigger pot...


----------



## gibbocore (4/11/09)

Nice one, be sure to let me know how it turns out.


----------



## Bizier (15/11/09)

I just chucked the rest of these in the fridge with a list telling me what they are. I have been busy, and there are a few last beers that have suffered as a consequence.

Drinking your Kolsh now Fatz...
Good. A touch of sulphur on the nose, but not overwhelming, spicy hops coming through. Clean, crisp and dry, which is nice. Surprisingly bitter, but not overly so. Has a nice bready pilsner malt backbone. A very flavourful and refreshing beer.

Redbeard, I had your Bo Pils earlier this weekend, and while it was very nice, I had sat on it for too long, there was just a flatness to it. I am very sorry I did not drink this in it's prime (or store it cold).


----------



## Bizier (17/11/09)

13. Troy Dack - Belgian Golden Strong
I think that this was yours, Bruno with a green cap?
Regardless, great stuff, dry finish with fruity esters, some banana and perhaps apple. Just going from memory though.

Barls - Ginger beer
I thought that this was well made, but it is a fair way from my cup of tea. I am interested to know how you sweetened it. It was very balanced, had a detectable light malt base, which was interesting.

Vitalstatistix's porter
I smashed this last night and really enjoyed it, balanced towards sweet, but very balanced and very drinkable. I prefer a little more bite from roasted grain, but this is a very good beer.

Nifty stout
I am drinking this now. Has a sweet little caramel / treacle thing on the nose which is nice, supported by a light sweet bready thing like brioche. There is also a little warm alcohol on a swirl. The balance is very interactive, if I can say that. It has enough sweetness to balance a firm bitterness that hangs well into the finish and lingers along with some roast astringency. The carbonation vs thickness on the start of the palate and drying at the back of the palate is frickin' great. I get some creamy nutty flavours that are fantastic and mix well with biscuity malt. I find a little flat spot that I can't describe, but it has caused me to drink a pint just searching, so great job Nifty.


----------



## barls (28/11/09)

i didnt sweeten it thats just how it comes out in the end with the grain base and the yeast, the recipe is somewhere in this thread if your interested


----------



## white.grant (28/11/09)

barls said:


> i didnt sweeten it thats just how it comes out in the end with the grain base and the yeast, the recipe is somewhere in this thread if your interested



I brewed Barl's recipe a month ago and used SO4 instead of the kit yeast. It finished up at 1002 and still had a nice sweetness to it. I reckon its the honey.

cheers

grant


----------

