2010 Adelaide, Mildura & Whyalla Case Swap Tasting Thread

[Goofinder]

Any clues here rk?

I think it's a smoked schwarzbier, not sure though. Waiting on a cooler day to try that one.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

I think it's a smoked schwarzbier, not sure though. Waiting on a cooler day to try that one.

Ahh maybe it was the schwarz from the brewhouse that I was thinking of not the stout. I didn't get any smoke though.
It's fairly cool here at the moment only 32. perfect schwarz weather!

 

[jbirbeck]

Mine is a smoked beer...a smoked schwartz actually fermented with Kolsch yeast. Should be a cold weekend coming up

MoM - surprised you didn't pick up the smoke though.

 

[jbirbeck]

Right some tasting.

Boston's AIPA

I reckon a few of the fellas have lost some taste buds...It was fairly light on in the aroma department but the hops still dominated the malt. Really like the aroma. On the falvour again the Hop flavour dominated the malt but there was exceptional balance and only a touch of lingering bitterness. It was a good firm bitterness, resiny hop flavours that dominated for me. I think a bit more aroma and you have a winner...its already a flavour winner for me.

Phil's 10 Min IPA

Amber and Hazy, pretty big fruity aroma (fruit salad, mango) but more subdued than I would have thought. Something estery. I was getting something a bit musty out of it and a hit of clove. But the flavour was good, no hints of anything wrong, massive astringent bitterness that you get from late hopping like that. The carb was too high but once it was knocked out the hop flavour shone through nicely, it improved as it warmed up. If this is a toned down version of the beer coming off the keg...you're a nutter. My theory is - carbonation was too high in the bottle and you may have a slight infection in this batch which has affected the flavour. I'd be interested to see the recipe as the balance is ok although I think it could use something biscuity/toasty in there to balance the sweet hops.

Gopha's Simarillo
I'm with QB on this one, tastes and smells like some of my early APA's. Nice. Good and very appealing hoppy aroma although I think the carb is slightly too high. Lovely Piney, resiny aromas and very clean. Lovely hop flavour as well, that piney resiny flavour dominates with good bitterness but it needed a touch more. It finished a tad sweet for me but I like a drier crisper finish so I'd be looking to knock off a couple of points off the FG or maybe slightly increase the IBU a couple of points. Really enjoyed this beer but it got a tad cloying towards the end as it warmed. I'd be happy to have made this one.

Brewbot NS Summer
Hello summer. This beer really hit the spot for me yesterday as the day warmed up. Perfect balance between hop flavour, bitterness and drier finish needed for a summer beer. The aroma had that distinctive fruity almost winey character to it. Actually it reminded me of the Vale Ale fresh on tap...but it tasted better than that. No doubt this beauty was filtered or you added lead to the yeast...Good firm bitterness, lovely hop flavour, light malt, perfect carb although the head was weak. As it warmed though it showed some alc warmth and indicators of a stressed ferment as QB mentioned - estery dominating the hops. But the beer was essentially gone by the time it warmed so...

hatchy's APA 6/

Either I got the wrong bottle or my taste buds are out. I tasted this without knowing what it was and my initial comments were - good english beer. FWIW Good malt aroma but it smells a touch like an extract. Slight earthy aroma. The first taste though I was blown away. Lovely complex malt, toasty, bready, hints of chocolate, I got hints of raspberry/blackberry and some earthy hop flavour. very smooth. If this was your APA I think you have an exceptional base to work with but the hopping needs more. If I got the wrong bottle...bloody good beer.

Very happy with that lot. tasty beers all. Looking forward to the next lot.

 

[Hatchy]

Phil's 10 min IPA (the bit that stayed in the glass)

Fruity deliciousness. I'm almost glad I had forgotten about the warnings of overcarbing, it gave me plenty of opportunity to have a good smell of it before the head died down enough to have a sip. It tastes brilliant. Apart from the overcarbing I reckon it's a top beer. Definitely reminds me of the 1st 10 min IPA I had at Phil's place when I was running late for indoor cricket & didn't have time to stop for a beer. We really should've forfeited that game. Was it bulk primed? How much sugar did you use? Give me a call before you bottle next, I don't expect that to be any time soon.

Groucho's ESB

Probably darker than I'd expect from an ESB but what do I know? Definitely the level of carbing that Smurto would be looking for. I'm not sure what it smells like but it makes me want to drink it, maybe coffee? Is it maybe more like a brown ale than an ESB? Given that I know bugger all about style guidelines I reckon I'll just drink it & enjoy it rather than worry too much about whether it's brewed to style or not. Bloody top beer again! I love this case swap business.

I can keep going if you blokes want. It's a nice night for a beer or 3 & there's a couple more chilled. Smurto's & Tony's have been in the fridge for a couple of days & I just chucked a few more swap beers in there. Has anyone had Maltyhops Belgian toucan? I'm pretty sure it was the only extract beer in the swap & I reckon it tasted pretty good on swap day.

Groucho & A3K, yr beers are still here untouched (for now). Holty & QB, yr chairs are here. Boston's esky, Smurto's picnic taps (I need to order some of that beer line). Someone left some sort of a contraption here that looks like it could be used for brewing. It plugs into a power point & has a probe that I assume is for temp & a display of some description. Every time I look at it I feel like I know less about brewing because I'm struggling to work out what I'd use it for. Raven didn't leave any rope here but I don't have any & I'm pretty sure that you could spare some & still have enough (sometimes I amaze myself with how hilarious I am).

I'm brewing this weekend for the blokes that want to come round to collect yr goodies. I'll have the second of my experimentales on tap. The one I had at the swap was all columbus, this one is a little bit of POR @ 60 & a shedload of galaxy later on. I'll probably brew Saturday & Sunday as I haven't been able to brew the last 3 weekends due to the case swap & our honeymoon. While on the subject of the honeymoon, Mrs Hatchy suggested last week while we were at one of the micros that she'll be keen to swap next year. She's thinking she'll brew a porter for her swap beer, she's going to call it poita (because I reckon that's how she pronounces it) & she's going to brew an amber to bring in a keg & call it porno because amber sounds like a porno name. We're also happy to have everyone back again any time. It was great having such a great bunch of (mainly) blokes here.


Has Awesome Fury posted any tasting notes or is he still flossing the hops from between his teeth?

 

[jonocarroll]

I don't think you still have my chair - I had a blue fold-up-into-a-bag dealy, and I reckon I still have it.

I think the wired-up-dealy was perhaps MaltyHops' temp probe. Not sure what he was doing with it or why it was left behind.

If you're naming a beer poita - it needs Full Frontal's (Eric Bana) Poita's (1996?) Olympic slogan... "Fasta [ferment], Higha [OG], Stronga [ABV], Poita".

 

[MaltyHops]

...
I think the wired-up-dealy was perhaps MaltyHops' temp probe. Not sure what he was doing with it or why it was left behind.
...

Erm ... no, I brought no such thing ... least I don't remember doing so ... pretty sure it's not me.

 

[jonocarroll]

Then maybe, just maybe, Goofinder... otherwise I have no accurate recollection of who it was that left it there.

I've just put in some grain orders to make beers in some of the styles of those I've tasted... the rest had better be sh!te - I can only brew so much at a time.

 

[Hatchy]

I'm hoping someone claims this chair & "other thingy" to save me having to take photos to post here (or on ebay).

I'm drinking Smurto's beer as I type this. I had a read through the thread before pouring it so went & sat on the roof with the bottle, leaving my glass on the ground to pour it so managed to pour some head. It really doesn't smell or taste like any other beer I've had before. Most times I say that about a beer it's because I don't like it but this beer is awesome. It just doesn't taste like anything I've drunk before (except maybe the beer on the hand pump at the swap). The only word I can think of is moreish which makes me glad I've got another bottle of it. I'm not sure that he really needed to put in so much effort on the packaging though.

I've just put in some grain orders to make beers in some of the styles of those I've tasted... the rest had better be sh!te - I can only brew so much at a time.

You should've said something sooner, I was speaking to Kieren earlier & we're putting in an order for 12 bags of grain later this week we reckon.

If you're naming a beer poita - it needs Full Frontal's (Eric Bana) Poita's (1996?) Olympic slogan... "Fasta [ferment], Higha [OG], Stronga [ABV], Poita".

I think we can manage that.

Edit: splekling

 

[Hatchy]

Hatchy's APA
Initially got a hint of something that didn't quite seem right but by the second or third mouthful it was gone. Tried to pick it up again but all I could find was a tasty amberish ale. What hops did you use in this one? Maybe it was just some combination I'm not used to.

Kieren talked me into getting out the mortar & pestle to hop burst it, I won't be doing that again, not because I don't like the beer but because it's a PITA. It was 10.1g simcoe, 40.6g cascade & 20.3g chinook all measured to within 0.000000001g tolerance of course. 11g @ 15, 20 @ 10, 20 @ 5 & 20 @ 0. The "something that doesn't seem quite right" may have been whatever the mortar & pestle was used for previously. I get some sort of an odd flavour from it as well but I reckon I'll give that grain bill another go & maybe change the hops a bit & leave the mortar & pestle inside next time. It was definitely darker than I was expecting but this was the 3rd AG beer brewed at this place. The amber I had on tap for the swap was the 2nd & the 1st was brewed on Jayse's rig, he took half of the beer from that batch & I drank the other half. It was delicious!

The voices in my head talked me into drinking Tony's northern brown & I'm glad they did. The only thing that's slightly disappointing about this beer is that the label says to drink responsibly & I'm drinking it at 1am & have to be at work in 7 hours. There's all sorts of delicious malty flavours going on here & I want the recipe for this one. It's in a pickaxe bottle as well Tony, let me know if you want that back, they're in short supply these days. I'd have this as my favourite beer from the swap so far but I do have a few to go.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

I had Phillip's 10 min ipa yesterday. Other than the huge carb (it looked like a beer spider in the glass) this beer is wicked. Big flavour, aroma and firm bittering. Phillip If you're disappointed with this I'd love to taste a "good" one!

I've only got 4 left. when's the next swap?

 

[drsmurto]

The piece of wired up equipment you can't identify hatchy is actually a fridge temp controller. TonyC donated it for the auction that never happened.

One of the reasons you cant work out what's going on with my beer is that its exclusively homegrown chinook. Since i know of no beer that uses aussie grown chinook commercially it has taken me some time to work it out too. More than NZ B Saaz.

That and 22% rye.

Funny how it reminded you of the beer on the pump, they were almost the same beers. Chinook in the case swap beers, cascade on the handpump. Both homegrown.

Poured another of mine on the weekend and it was basically flat. Even i struggled with the level of carbonation :lol:

Next time i will be better prepared and actually brew more than a few weeks prior to the swap :huh:

Might have to brew it soon, I'm thinking a roggenbock or ryewine. :chug:

 

[Kieren]

A3K's swap beer

Not too sure what this one is, looks very lagerish.

Poured super clear (do you filter, A3K?), off-yellow/pale straw in colour. Small head that faded some what but lasted till the end.
Slight hint of hops in the aroma (neslon sauvin, no, maybe tettnang??? - no idea) Some malt there too.
Flavour - initial slight sweet maltiness, floral and citrus hops. Finishes nice and dry and clean.
Really well brewed beer, super clean, well balanced and nice dry finish makes me want more. Not a beer that I would normally brew myself but I really like this one. Top work A3K. Could put away a few of these any day with ease.

 

[technoicon]

Has Awesome Fury posted any tasting notes or is he still flossing the hops from between his teeth?

I will post some notes tonight. I have been busy drinking. i dont have notes on all beers, but i have been trying to keep track.

Also my tasting is not super dooper.. normall this is because i've had half a slab when i decide to move onto some tasty beers! i remember one saying. "good beer" LOL

but i have done notes for most!

 

[TonyC]

I'm hoping someone claims this chair & "other thingy" to save me having to take photos to post here (or on ebay).


Hatchy,
That chair and the electric thingo are mine. Dr Smurto nailed it, i left the thermo for the auction, it runs on mains and has a half inch thread. I intented to use it for temp contol on a HLT, and had it calibrated at work before i bought it home. If anyone In Adelaide needs such a device for a herme/rims feel free to speak up, if not why not chuck it on ebay, and if you get enough maybe a brew day, or a beer at the wheaty.I will try and drop by and pick up my chair, came past today but no one home.Thanks for the feed back on my brew, and i will post some thoughts when i have had a few more samples.

Regards Tony

 

[Hatchy]

I don't get home from work until 4:30 at the earliest, you work nearby right? After reading that I tried to hook it into my HLT but couldn't figure out where to plug the gas into (I just keep getting funnier don't I?). Would it as a temp controller for a ferment fridge?

I'm having the nelson sauvin summer ale as I type this & I can see why everyone else has enjoyed it so far. It poured with a beautiful head which has disappeared slightly but I'm going to put that down to the glass rather than the beer. I haven't been overly happy with the beers I've brewed with NS & thought I didn't like the hop, clearly my recipes were crap. The only thing I could fault with this one is the twist top bottle, I wasn't expecting it so opened it with a bottle opener, the cap isn't sitting on the bottle properly now so I guess I'll just have to drink more & type less so it doesn't go flat. I'm a bit suspicious of the bottletop suggesting that this was bottled 10/8. Is any home brewer really that organised? This is another beer that I'd definitely love to brew. Any chance of a recipe brewbot?

Did someone mention earlier in this thread the possibility of more frequent swaps? I'd be keen for that. I wouldn't have thought that it would have to be 25 blokes involved, 13 would mean swapping a case each. I'm really loving drinking some beers that I otherwise wouldn't have tried & as has already been mentioned the quality is superb.

 

[TonyC]

Hatchy,
i have a few others at work, will check with the sparkys to see if a smaller probe could be fitted for a fridge contoller, if you need it for that i can get rewired no problems. Have been really enjoying the beers i have tried so far, and will try to post my ramblings on the weekend.

Regards Tony

 

[MaltyHops]

I'm hoping someone claims this chair & "other thingy" to save me having to take photos to post here (or on ebay).
...
i left the thermo for the auction, it runs on mains and has a half inch thread. I intented to use it for temp contol on a HLT, and had it calibrated at work before i bought it home. If anyone In Adelaide needs such a device for a herme/rims feel free to speak up, if not why not chuck it on ebay, and if you get enough maybe a brew day, or a beer at the wheaty
...
Regards Tony

Is this actually a full on P.I.D. device? I think I will need to look at getting a PID
for my Desktop brewery - 2 vessel system I'm slowly putting together and this
would save me from ordering from the US. Would need to give some suitable
recompense to parties involved - at the Wheaty maybe?

Tom.

Edit: spejello

 

[TonyC]

Jeez Tom,
now i can really show my stupidity, i dont know but will find out tomorrow, and will post a answer. If its of use to you, you are more than welcome to it.Sorry for dragging this thread off topic.

Regards Tony

 

[MaltyHops]

Jeez Tom,
now i can really show my stupidity, i dont know but will find out tomorrow, and will post a answer. If its of use to you, you are more than welcome to it.Sorry for dragging this thread off topic.

Regards Tony

Well, the path had been made so just walking along it - anyway, Raven
had a good post on PIDs on his Raven's Rims, Build Log with some good photos
of what they look like.