2011 Funky Case Swap: Tasting Thread

[manticle]

Florian: Berliner Roggenweisse.

Pours very clear straw, no head. Aroma of very light disinfectant, fruit (apples but not granny smith), milk, hay (I think - it's been a while since I smelled hay).

Mild acetic sourness, light medicine/disinfectant flavour, light on the plate, refreshing finish from the mouthfeel.

I find the sourness level and carb etc very well balanced but am slightly put off by the medicine/disinfectant character. I think the beer would benefit from its absence. Otherwise, nice refreshing sour beer.

 

[Florian]

Thanks very much for the feedback manticle.

I shared a bottle a few weeks ago (after I had couriered them to Barls) with Winkle, and we both agreed that it had a very unpleasant rubbery or burnt rubber taste.
At that time I was quite disappointed as it got 40 points in babbs annual and (I think) 36 in ABC, although they were bottled separately from the swap bottles.
I tried another bottle about a week later and it was fine, so I assume some of the bottles might have gone 'funny' for whatever reason. Some of the bottles got a bit of yeasty trub into them when bottling, so that might play a role as well.

Am drinking another one right now which drinks well, although it has an ever ever so slight medicinal aroma and even less in flavour, but barely noticeable to me, which doesn't have to mean much though. Wouldn't describe it as desinfectant, but again, that's only my perception. And I agree, even it is only very slightly noticeable to me and not really unpleasant, the beer would probably do better without it.

Hoping you just had a 'dud' though and that your second bottle is better.

Interested to hear what others think.

 

[kabooby]

Put mine in the Ridgy Didge today. Looking forward to getting into them over the next few weeks.

Cheers

 

[manticle]

Figure JonW's orval clone is the coopers longneck with JW on the lid. I'm drinking it from an Orval glass

I'm going to be lazy and not give this a proper review. I will say it isn't the same as orval but it is at least as good as orval with a lovely sweetness, nice brett balance and slight hop bitterness. A damn top beer.

I have plans for an orval clone and while the website is quite descriptive, I wouldn't mind your recipe and process if you're willing to divulge them.

 

[jonw]

Figure JonW's orval clone is the coopers longneck with JW on the lid. I'm drinking it from an Orval glass

I'm going to be lazy and not give this a proper review. I will say it isn't the same as orval but it is at least as good as orval with a lovely sweetness, nice brett balance and slight hop bitterness. A damn top beer.

I have plans for an orval clone and while the website is quite descriptive, I wouldn't mind your recipe and process if you're willing to divulge them.

Thanks Manticle, glad you enjoyed it. I probably shouldn't call it an Orval clone as such, because that isn't really the intent. I don't know what style Orval is - Flanders Brown? I should just call it that.

Here's the recipe. It's from the Jamil show, as is the process. Note that the dry hops are whole hops, so I use NZ Styrians as I can get them whole. Dry hop is 75g/keg for a week or two. The brett is a Wyeast pack split between the 2 carboys used for secondary, and left under the house for a few months.

Wort Volume Before Boil: 44.00 l
Wort Volume After Boil: 40.00 l
Volume Transferred: 34.00 l
Water Added: 6.00 l
Volume At Pitching: 40.00 l
Final Batch Volume: 38.00 l
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.054 SG
Expected OG: 1.058 SG
Expected FG: 1.009 SG
Expected ABV: 6.5 %
Expected ABW: 5.1 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 38.9
Expected Color: 10.4 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 83.5 %
Mash Efficiency: 78.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 19 degC

Fermentables
Weyermann Pilsner 8.350 kg (78.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
Weyermann CaraMunich II 1.300 kg (12.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
Sugar - White Sugar/Sucrose 1.000 kg (9.4 %) End Of Boil

Hops
German Hallertauer Hersbrucker (3.7 % alpha) 150 g Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
Slovenian Styrian Goldings (4.8 % alpha) 77 g Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
Slovenian Styrian Goldings (5.0 % alpha) 75 g Loose Pellet Hops used At turn off
NZ Styrian Goldings (4.4 % alpha) 150 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped

Other Ingredients
Koppafloc 1 g used In Boil

Yeast: White Labs WLP510-Bastogne Belgian Ale

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (67C) w/Mash Out
Step: Rest at 67 degC for 60 mins
Step: Raise by infusion to 77 degC for 0 mins
Step: Rest at 77 degC for 10 mins

 

[manticle]

Great, thanks.

Was similar enough to orval - similar level of brett to many I've had, slightly sweeter (yours), maybe a bit darker.

I think orval do a hochkurz style mash (something like 63/72). Cheers for the recipe.

 

[raven19]

6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap
(ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like)

Cracking beer this one. Very mild brett, fruity aroma and flavours present with a very slight lactic bite at the end of the pallette.
Excellent head retention, medium to high carbonation, white creamy head, cloudy yellow to golden in colour.

I wish my beers carbed up this well.

 

[manticle]

Thought I'd have another dip.

barls: Dark Kriek.

Forgive the short review.

Pours very clear, head disappears immediately.Very low carb, really great level of sour (ie not ridiculously acetic but well balanced), finishes very dry. Very refreshing, good beer. Hint of slight metallic on the finish, neither overpowering, dominant nor out of place.

 

[barls]

wait till you taste this years one mate, had one last night not hugely sour at this stage but has potential

 

[manticle]

Brenadanos: Flanders Brown

Pours very clear, copper/brown nice head with good retention. Aroma of sour beer.

Flavour is completely belied by that aroma. Really lovely, complex things going on here. Touch of dark fruit, citrus peel and vanilla, ripe apricots on the burp (yes on the burp), hint of sweet cherry, very lightly tart/sour finish but with a rich, creamy mouthfeel. I know this was a blend of about 5 different beers but are there any other secrets you'd be willing to part with?

Really, really good beer this one. 750 mL of 7% ale has not been sipped on slowly today. New rules for you - put in 2 x750 mL bottles if your next one is anywhere near as tasty.

Thanks.

 

[Josh]

I had the following tonight.

3. barls- sour cherry dark wheat aka dark kriek. plain bottle with little dog funky brew sticker on it.
5. Manticle - Vanilla Bourbon bruiny bretty thingy, numbered bottles (number 5), Drink if clear when held to the light, otherwise wait.
9. beers - Lambicish. Black capped bottles with no labels. Best left until late Jan before drinking.

Enjoyed all three. No real notes.

Beers' lambisch was nice and dry with a pleasant level of sourness and some funky flavours. Highly drinkable and I could have had a lot of this tonight.

Manticle's Bruin was rather complex. Higher levels of acetic and cherry pie flavours. Really enjoyable.

Barls' kriek is a little light on the cherry flavour but the sourness is right on the money. Thanks barls.

 

[barls]

yeah i think il up the cherry next time. already got the next lot fermenting.

 

[Josh]

6. neonmeate - Bruxellensis Rye Ale 7% - red BRA on cap. ok to drink now, try one in feb one in june or whatever you like
14. brendanos - Berliner Weisse

Had both of these tonight. Sorry nm, I was concentrating on something else, but it was very drinkable as it disappeared in no time.

Brendanos, that was a damn fine berliner weisse. Light and refreshing, strong tart bite on the tongue, and a funky wheaty aroma in my mouth once the beer disappears. I would love to brew a beer this good. Thanks for sharing.

 

[neonmeate]

sounds like a good sign Josh...

just had another quintrex cranberry/raspberry oud bruin. this has aged beautifully. lots of malt and redskin lollies. yum

 

[neonmeate]

I shared a bottle a few weeks ago (after I had couriered them to Barls) with Winkle, and we both agreed that it had a very unpleasant rubbery or burnt rubber taste.

i too noticed a bit of that flavour in your beer - i'm wondering if it's lightstruck, cause you used green PU bottles. lightstruck beers always taste rubbery to me. like most of the belgian beers at camperdown cellars at the moment for instance....
still got another FBW down there under the house so i'll check it out

 

[manticle]

Drinking my second bottle of Josh's.

I have a cold so not much on the aroma, although I do get some funky strawberries.

A bit like a lightly carbonated strawberry champagne with some woody funk.

Can't get too complex in unlayering the beer due to stuffed sinuses but a good summer refresher (obviously it's not summer but still a nice beer).

 

[neonmeate]

finally had raven's lambic schwarz. great concept, i love wild yeast and roasty beers, reminded me of the drie fonteinen stout i had recently. this is one of the sourer ones in the swap! obviously had some good pediococcus action at some stage. nice full bodied dark beer underneath it all, charcoal with horseradish. the sourness has some heat in this beer. i think this is a brilliant beer in the making but still raw - im giving the other bottle another year. great stuff raven thanks

 

[raven19]

Glad you like it mate!

I have a number of these stashed away still to sample over the coming years also. Blending the base schwarz back with the 'lambicised' portion certainly helped smooth it out and reduce the harshness upfront I found.

 

[barls]

Bugger I forgot about these must dig out a couple to drink

 

[manticle]

Me again.

just cracked something from Kabooby. Label is not legible as it's worn/torn.

Will look it up in a sec but first notes:

Pours hazy light copper, tight white head that thins but remains.

Aroma is delicious - something I could smell for ages without needing to take a sip (as I am currently doing). Some raspberry, some oak, some kind of light toffee.

Reasonably more full bodied than usual for this kind of beer. Some chocolate on the palate, hint more wood and again toffee. Cherry is present but very light.

Less funk than expected and no sour at all but very tasty beer with complexity. Can feel, rather than taste what seems to be a warm alcohol sensation.

Just looked it up and I see 'sour saison'. I'm getting more of a barley wine thing going on - totally unrelated to saison or sour.

Nonetheless, it's a really enjoyable beer so you get no complaints from me.