2010 Adelaide, Mildura & Whyalla Case Swap Tasting Thread

[Hatchy]

The T is probably Thor.

So you'd recommend glass hopping that one? I think it's eaten some hops from my freezer already.

 

[Kieren]

So you'd recommend glass hopping that one? I think it's eaten some hops from my freezer already.

Can you pour it through a randall into a glass of hops with a dash of hop extract? Remember I was 10g short on the 20 min addition.

 

[Hatchy]

I'm not sure that any amount of glass hops could compensate for you only using 240g instead of the 250 that was clearly required.

 

[Kieren]

That's why you need to add a shot of hop extract each glass.

 

[Hatchy]

I'm with you now. I'm having another litha at the moment while I procrastinate about sanitising a fermenter & chucking some yeast in. It's on my things to brew list. Pretty sure I've already got the recipe as well.

 

[drsmurto]

Used Pacman to ferment both the swap beer and the handpump beer.

The esters it produces are very nice and blend well with the hops IMO.

Need a few celebratory beers this evening so will crack a few more of the swap beers.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

Well i've been busy. So far have drunk Dr Smurtos, Kierens, QB's and Brewbots. All awesome beers.
Favourite so far is Brewbots nelson summer ale.
Looking forward to bostons AIPA tonight!

 

[Hatchy]

I am pretty sure the champagne bottle was from Diekomsa (Paul), can't remember what it is though.

I'm really enjoying this beer, it's dark enough that I poured some into my hydrometer tube to see if I could see through it. Holding the tube up to the light I could only just see through it. It doesn't taste as heavy as I'd expect a beer this dark to taste, I reckon this would be an awesome session beer. I thought the main perk of hosting would be sleeping in my own bed, I didn't expect gifts from the beer gods to be left in my fridge. Nice work Diekomsa, I'm guessing yr the bloke I saw a couple of times & meant to say G'day to but got sidetracked each time, I reckon there's a chance I was tipsy when you got here.

 

[drsmurto]

Had Boston's AIPA last night.

Agree with other comments that its more like an english IPA which works for me! Very good malt backbone with a firm bitterness. What calcs do you use? I would have picked it as 60 not 80 IBU. The late hops blended well together, not slap your aroudn the fact hoppy but still plenty of aroma.

Another very easy drinking pint and exactly how i like my IPAs :chug:

Batting at 100% so far....

 

[Frank]

Had Boston's AIPA last night.

Agree with other comments that its more like an english IPA which works for me! Very good malt backbone with a firm bitterness. What calcs do you use? I would have picked it as 60 not 80 IBU. The late hops blended well together, not slap your aroudn the fact hoppy but still plenty of aroma.

Another very easy drinking pint and exactly how i like my IPAs :chug:

Batting at 100% so far....

All calculations were done through Beersmith using Tinseth. OG of 1.057, FG 1.014. Nige and I were talking that both his black IPA and my AIPA were similar in the way that the slightly higher FG was balancing out the apparent bitterness. No dry hopping, but some late addition 10min after flame out and then second whirlpool. Also used Pacman.

 

[jonocarroll]

DrSmurto's Rye 'Golden Ale' with HG Chinook

I was prepared to call this headless at first pour, but the fine bubbles eventually caught up. Clarity quite good. Nose is dominated by clean esters with some (sorry, I've poured this first glass a little cold to tell - the rest of the bottle will warm up nicely) hop notes that deceptively fail description. Body is somewhat heavy due to ultra-low carbonation and rye (which gives it a nice chewiness), but leads to a nice creamy mouthfeel. Malt is nicely balanced with mild bitterness present. Nicely dry, but depending on the hopping schedule I might have dropped the FG and upped the hops (very contrary to DrSmurto's modus operandi). Some hop flavour that teases its way around the tongue.

I like this one (cold) better than the kegged version at the swap, which was warm... I didn't try that one 8-am-Sunday-morning-warm, but I got the warm version just fine. On warming this one up the esters start to dominate a bit too much for me like the kegged version to really consider a session on this beer - horses for courses of course. Otherwise, if that's your cup of tea then a great beer with no discernable flaws.

 

[jonocarroll]

Kieren's Litha Ale

I could smell this one from a distance during the pour - good hops. Poured with a big fluffy white head. Possibly some chill haze. Nose is quite unique and powerful - not quite sure how to describe it. There's hints of Cascade, but the main scent seems to be somewhere between lemon and mango [faded as it warmed]. Mouthfeel is light (but not too much so) with good carbonation, lifting the hops nicely. Bitterness is strong but not astringent, and while the malt takes a backseat to the hops here, it's not overwhelmed. A little-more-than-light crystal sweetness, and a nice lingering bitterness. There's a flavour here that is niggling at me - perhaps a very faint fusel alcohol or some sort of ester I'm not used to? It just conflicts with the bitterness in the aftertaste ever so slightly. I'll caveat that by pointing out I've just had a flavourful dinner, so I may be mistaken.

If I had to call it something I reckon it's along the lines of an American-Belgian IPA - just to make a style up on the spot. A little more definition on the hops and I reckon it would be a cracker.

 

[MaltyHops]

Hi All,

Very appreciative of the detailed tasting notes posted that will help
educate my tasting of beer - up to now, my tasting has been usually
"hmmm ... that's pretty gooood!!!" Haven't gotten stuck into the
swap beers yet - have much to do and waiting to catch up with some
buddies to share the experience. Please do keep posting your findings.

Tom.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

Hi guys

My swap beer should be right to go. It has a picture of a carp head on the front. Bottled on 26-10-10. It's supposed to be an english pale ale. Please let me know what you think good and bad. All criticism is welcome.

Cheers

MOM

 

[Goofinder]

So far I've had the following:

Boston's AIPA - Didn't seem to have the huge hop hit I was expecting from an AIPA. Agree with other comments that it was more in the style of an English IPA with US hops. A good beer, perhaps leaning a little too far to the bitter side for my liking.

QB's English Ale - A great beer in a terrible bottle (one of those short green 'longnecks' that I think originate from BYB. I thought I had rid myself of them but alas another has arrived). Seemed a bit cleaner than my attempts at English beers - really should find myself a fermenting fridge.

DrSmurto's Rye Golden - I really wanted to like this beer after the one on the handpump at the swap but found drinking this one was hard work. I think the low carbonation didn't help when combined with the intensity of the flavours from the rye and hops. It just seemed a bit too sweet and full on at the time. Maybe I was just expecting more of a session beer.

Goofinder's ESB - Just cracked the first bottle of this. Carbonation is almost there - maybe give it another week then it should be good to go. Doesn't taste too infected.

 

[drsmurto]

Had Gopha's Simarillo Ale last night.

Just a heads up for the hop heads (you know who you are), this is what restrained use of american hops tastes like! :lol:

Carbonation was very high, too high for me but that's just my personal preference. Hop aroma was subtle but it was there. After drinking half a pint i knocked the carbonation out and enjoyed it much more. The malt came through better and the hop flavour and aroma seemed very well balanced. A very easy drinking beer, one you could sit on all night.

That's where my memory ends as i cracked open a bottle of red to enjoy with pizza and never went back to the beer. :unsure:

EDIT - based on feedback on the handpump beer and the swap beer itself i am using US05 in the next homegrown hop rye golden ale. I think the esters from the pacman yeast may be a touch too much. Will also carbonate it higher.

 

[Effect]

Will also carbonate it higher.

whatever

 

[Gopha]

Carbonation was very high,

I agree the carbonation was high, not sure what happened, may have been a calculation error.

The hop additions for this beer where all in the last 25mins of the boil, the mix of hops for each addition was based on a 50/50 split of their bittering contribution. Also dry hopped for two weeks 1gm per liter while cold conditioning.

Brewing a Saison today using Wyeast 3711 and Hallertauer Hops. The recipe is from Brewing Classic Styles {Raison D'Saison) adjusted to suit my system. I will have some yeast cake available in four weeks if anybody is interested.

:icon_cheers:

 

[Effect]

I cracked a bottle of my 10 min IPA...very much below par, and those that have tasted my previous 10 min IPAs will most certainly agree. I think I will only enter next year if I have a CPBF.

Cheers
Phil

 

[technoicon]

I've had a few beers, have been trying to write down my tasting notes.. will post them one day this week!