2010 Adelaide, Mildura & Whyalla Case Swap Tasting Thread

[Hatchy]

I'm pretty sure the grain bill was straight from brewing classic styles. To fix the darkness problem drink it from the bottle in a dark room with yr eyes shut.

 

[Goofinder]

Had the Amber Fire Ale the other night. I thought the amount of chilli was great - it didn't taste like I was drinking a chilli beer but there was that slight warming/buzzing sensation after a few mouthfuls.

Unfortunately the beer itself seemed a bit lifeless. I would guess that it was possibly a bit oxidised as it was similar to a beer that I had feedback to that effect for.

 

[Hatchy]

Hatchy's APA

Poured with very low carbonation but had good clarity, very little sediment in bottle. Colour is quite dark for an APA - more like a light coloured amber.
Flavour has a great malt foward complexity, with a nice hop presence throughout. Finished with a firm bitterness.

This beer seems different to the one I tried before the swap. Unless my memory sucks (and it does) it is darker, less hop aroma/flavour and lower in carbonation. This was the APA you brewed when I brought my stuff down, yeah? I still really enjoyed this beer, though.

Any other bottled batches of amber or experimentale that went unaccounted for, Hatchy?

The grain bill was:

85% BB ale
6.9% wey munich
4.9% amber
3.2% wey wheat

Unless someone says otherwise I'm pointing my finger at the amber. If I recall correctly (which I probably don't) the amber malt that we wanted wasn't available & we ended up with a darker amber malt than we wanted. I'll have a look next time I'm digging in my grain bins.

I still have some of these left, I'll have one chilled if yr likely to be round on the weekend.

 

[raven19]

Hazard's Landlord

Minimal fruity/floral aroma.
Thin but lasting head, good medium carbonation.
Light brown to golden in colour.
Low bitterness, with no off flavours noticable.

Beautifully balanced pushing towards the malt ever so slightly. A really clean well made beer imo, certainly some crackers thus far in the swap.

 

[technoicon]

Had the Amber Fire Ale the other night. I thought the amount of chilli was great - it didn't taste like I was drinking a chilli beer but there was that slight warming/buzzing sensation after a few mouthfuls.

Unfortunately the beer itself seemed a bit lifeless. I would guess that it was possibly a bit oxidised as it was similar to a beer that I had feedback to that effect for.

hey, what would make it oxidised? (what gives you this)

i have a feeling it might have been older hops that didnt have quiet enough kick to them, def need to double the hop count. when i drank it i though about the same. i would like a little more warm buzz in the back of your mouth. the way you described the chilli is exactly what i was aiming for though, but I found it not quiet enough, maybe one more chilli in it. (btw thanks to mom for the chilli's)

 

[Kieren]

Thought it was a good night for a couple of ESB's...

Groucho's ESB

Poured with a low carbonation and small head, nice dark amber colour though quite cloudy, 'I might have stirred it up a little as I warmed it up under some hot water from the tap. Malt on the aroma with what I think now are sweet esters - same thing I picked up in QB's and Phil's beers which I am not used to - I don't use English yeasts too much - might have to start trying some. Flavour seems to be driven by the esters along with the malt - don't get much hops coming through. Finish is medium dry and lingers for a while.

Goofinder's ESB

Nice colour, pale amber with good clarity, low carb rate, poured with a good head which faded a little. Aroma is yeasty esters, not as overpowering as Groucho's. Flavour, I get a good balance between esters, malt with earthy hops in the background.

This is not a style I have brewed a lot and am only really familiar with a few commercial examples I have bought a couple of times - Fullers, Young's etc. These seem to have a bigger malt profile with some caramel and nutty notes and a stronger hop presence. It maybe a a freshness issue, I don't know. The two case swap beers above seem to be more yeast driven, however maybe I am more sensitive to this estery flavour. I reckon I have had a batch and tasted a mates that may have been infected that really drove the esters forward or maybe it was improper yeast management? Or maybe all the IIPA's I have been brewing have mutated my taste buds?

Still, I did enjoy these beers, makes me think I need to get to England and taste them fresh straight from the source.

Edit: Can you tell me what yeasts you guys use and your pitching rates and fermentation temps/schedules. As I said - want to start using more English yeast (only really used Nottingham and 1968 before). Looking at Wlp007/1098, albeit for more american hopped beers but I may crop it for an ESB batch on the side?

Edit: Edt: Getting a lot of nuttiness (peanuts?) come through Goofinder's ESB now that it has warmed up a bit.

 

[jonocarroll]

Phillip's 10 min IPA

Poured with a monster head. Clean-up aisle three. That aside, head is thick and fluffy, leaving a gorgeous lace. Nice light colour. Clarity okay. Good hop nose with some pleasant yeastiness. Did I get a different bottle to everyone else?... Big up-front hop flavour, tending towards resiny, but with a low-to-nice amount of malt support and a good mouthfeel to balance (nothing worse than a thinned-out hop-monster). Carbonation is great to give the hop aromas somewhere to go and help with the mouthfeel. Bitterness is all embedded in the hop resin and sticks around long enough to be a lingering bitterness that one might expect from a big 90 minute addition. If you reckon you make a better version of this, send it my way. Personally I love this. It could do with a bit more malt support (with scaled hops too, don't want to lessen that) and probably some hop complexity, but overall I think it's a winner (not as any sort of traditional IPA, but a winner nonetheless).

Seriously, if people are planning on doing better than these in the next swap, I'm going to be ruined for drinking anything lesser for the rest of my life. Off. The. Freakin'. Chain.

 

[technoicon]

Phillip's 10 min IPA

Seriously, if people are planning on doing better than these in the next swap, I'm going to be ruined for drinking anything lesser for the rest of my life. Off. The. Freakin'. Chain.

i agree. i'm from a house of 5 people that mostly drink draft and girly lemon beer. i went out on the sunday after the swap.. and couldnt finish my carlton, so dissapointed i've become one of those snobby home brewers who bags out how shit carlton draght tastes. lol

i'm thinking of having phils APA, as i just tried mine one that I brewed last week, and also had one of mom's. i probably had enough though.. lol

 

[technoicon]

ok so i had a little taste of phil's beer. very happy.. but was leaving it sit.. then i decided that if i shake it a little it will get rid of some of the fizz... so after it went crazy over me my balcony n my housemate.. i figured probably not the best idea.. lucky i didnt loose that much of it.. lol

best be getting my tasting book out!

 

[jonocarroll]

i went out on the sunday after the swap.. and couldnt finish my carlton

<snigger> Sorry mate, I read that slightly wrong - I missed the L in carLton, looked at the name, and thought nothing of it. :chug:

Hey, in a house of non-enlighteneds you can brew up a megaswill for cheap for them and be considered top dog... then brew up a Vienna for yourself

 

[Hatchy]

You bastards turned my housemate/ex girlfriend/1st wife into a beer geek. Last weekend I didn't get to brew because she was, I did get to drink though.

 

[jonocarroll]

You bastards turned my housemate/ex girlfriend/1st wife into a beer geek. Last weekend I didn't get to brew because she was, I did get to drink though.

If she starts cooking the BBQ, then there's a good chance you've become the woman in the house. If she takes the TV remote it's all over.

Then again, if your wife is brewing you beer, STFU ya winging *******. <_<

 

[technoicon]

haha hatchy, i'll have to look out for that i think! i'm trying to get my chick mate to brew but maybe i shouldnt.. lol

lol QB, my local pub never had any drinkable beers on tap. but the finally got fat yak, which i like(in comparison)... i brew a couple of lagers n they usually like my apa's, but i'm thinking a nice strong stout for me!

 

[MaltyHops]

You bastards turned my housemate/ex girlfriend/1st wife into a beer geek. Last weekend I didn't get to brew because she was, I did get to drink though.

You are one lucky, lucky, lucky bugga! Congrats to you both :beer:
Tom.

 

[raven19]

then i decided that if i shake it a little it will get rid of some of the fizz...

Oh dear... drink it son, no need to shake.

 

[raven19]

You bastards turned my housemate/ex girlfriend/1st wife into a beer geek. Last weekend I didn't get to brew because she was, I did get to drink though.

Go the Mrs Hatch!!!!!!!

 

[technoicon]

Oh dear... drink it son, no need to shake.

you should see how perfect it poured after i did shake it.. i even took a picture! lol.

really enjoying it now though.. lotsa hops!

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

you should see how perfect it poured after i did shake it.. i even took a picture! lol.

really enjoying it now though.. lotsa hops!

I had mine unshaken just poured and it was a most awesome beer.

:icon_offtopic: dude can you go and make sure black betty is ok cause i'm missing her at the moment.

 

[technoicon]

:icon_offtopic: really you want me to check... do you want any beer left in your fridge?

your only a 10 min walk away.. :lol:

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

:icon_offtopic: really you want me to check... do you want any beer left in your fridge?

your only a 10 min walk away.. :lol:

or a 2 min run/float