2014 July Lotto Tasting Thread

[NealK]

Thanks for the great feedback LRG.
It is really more of a brown porter with a little extra. This was the first time that I have used wood chips and I only used 30g in a 9.5l batch. Next time I will use less. I think I also over did the chocolate malt and that has added a woodiness to the half of the batch that did not get the wood, bourbon and vanilla.
I would be very careful about a session of this as I calculated it to be around 6.8-7%
Glad you liked it mate.
Keep up the good work.
Slainte

edit - grammar

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

n87 AIPA

Again, no sheets on line, but I have completed them.

Aroma: Solid Citrus hops on the nice over a nice malt base. I got a faint whiff of something that's just stopping the aroma from really coming through and being totally awesome. Found out as it warmed that there is a touch of fusel, which would explain it.

Appearance: Good gold colour with nice lacing down glass. Not brilliant, which is to be expected with a hoppy beer (and cold one), but adequately clear for style.

Flavour: Good balanced IPA with adequate body supporting a nice citrus with faint pine hoppiness, which are prominent. A faint amount of alcohol/Fusels mutes it a little - it is certainly a good recipe, fairly well executed with this ferment flaw just bringing it up short.

Mouthfeel: Fairly good - spot on for style but for the alcoholic warmth and slightly medicinal nature.

Overall: Solid beer with fermentation flaws - balance and choice of hops and the manner in which they are used is spot on, leaving me to reason that the faint medicinal and solvent flavour is enough to stop this beer from being excellent. To me it's quite clear the yeast is a more tolerant strain than the last beer (US05?), but still needs a little extra loving. Massive improvement, great recipe - try this next time with US05 at 16-18 degrees, and I reckon you'll nail this.

 

[n87]

Thanks Goomba,

Used MJ's US west coast (M44) fermented at 18. it attenuated a little further than expected which may account for some of it.

the recipie is Dano's (danestead):
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/80776-danos-all-grain-feral-hop-hog-clone-revision-2/
so all praise to him for a great recipe

glad you (mostly) enjoyed it.
~n87

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I've not used the M44 - but I've heard on the MJ thread that some aren't happy with it. So it might be that. It's a hard thing to be looking for the flaws but not looking too hard to be unreasonable.

Awesome recipe, and I reckon you have most of the process pretty downpat.

I think the thing that struck me (in terms of the negatives), is that I wanted to go back to drink the 2nd stubbie, and then thought "I've got that burn on the way down, better not, eh?" and cracked open a mild.

So to me that says "great beer, but the fermentation is just a little off".

As a side note - I had NealK Bourbon Vanilla Porter and up there he says it's approx 7% - and I wouldn't know it from the flavour - no alcohol (pleasant or otherwise) at all. Which says to me that yeast can be handled to higher alcohol and still not give off the tell-tale signs. And that yeast choice is important - especially given you're M44 experience.

I think I've learned a bit about my own brewing - I gravitated towards the rehydration camp because the long lag times on some yeasts scared the hell out of me, rather than 'best practice'. I've believed that yeast handling is imperative for a long time, but again, how big a gap the handling of yeast is putting between beers is surprising even for me. I'm now feeling like the evidence for being a rehydrater and focus on temp control is too overwhelming for me to ignore or put down to being pedantic.

n87 - mate, I hope you didn't feel like I was being harsh or unpleasant, and I really hope that you got some benefit and found the feedback constructive and useful for your brewing.

 

[n87]

feedback was taken as constructive... dissapointing... but constructive.
ive only been brewing for 6 months.
the summer ale was my first AG, but my 5th brew all together
AIPA was 3rd AG and 7th total

so still some learning left. feedback helps

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

You'll nail it quickly.

As I said, it's only a little bit of extra attention and then you'll have it perfect. And considering you've only been brewing for 6 months (I've been AG for 4 or so years and brewing since I was 18 and I'm now in my mid-30's), it's a great effort.

Your wort production (AG) is spot on. Your execution of making hopped wort, again spot on. You're 99% of the way to making some really excellent beer.

 

[philmud]

I reckon feedback about flaws is a vital part of this. I sent a DSGA last time & was pretty chuffed with it. The recipient pointed out that it had some DMS & not having tasted it before, I had no idea. It spoiled the rest of the batch for me as all I could taste was DMS, but it did prompt me to read up in how I could avoid it. Consequently I now employ a far more vigorous boil. Goomba's feedback has been first rate!

 

[StalkingWilbur]

LRG's IIPA.

Beautiful burnt toffee color. Popes with a very nice marshmallow type fluffy dirty cream colored head. Aroma seems restrained for a IIPA, but very pleasant with orange, kiwi fruit, honey and caramel. Taste is delicious! Bitterness is restrained but the flavor is not. The rest of the taste matches the aroma and it covers the 8.3% like a ninja assassin, you don't know it's there until its too late and it's already crept up on you. There's some good lacing and while the head has largely dissipated, there still a complete, albeit thin, layer covering the beer half way through.

There might be a touch of an off flavor there. Something feels a touch out of place. I'm not sure if there's a hint of acetaldehyde, but so little it's not unpleasant at all. Or if there's a touch of fusel alcohol, but it feels more like I'm drinking a standard IPA and hides the alcohol well, so I don't think it's that. Sorry I can't be more precise. I ditched the score sheet because being relatively inexperienced, I feel a review like this is more honest.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Cheers!

 

[Fat Bastard]

Thanks for the great feedback LRG.
It is really more of a brown porter with a little extra. This was the first time that I have used wood chips and I only used 30g in a 9.5l batch. Next time I will use less. I think I also over did the chocolate malt and that has added a woodiness to the half of the batch that did not get the wood, bourbon and vanilla.
I would be very careful about a session of this as I calculated it to be around 6.8-7%
Glad you liked it mate.
Keep up the good work.
Slainte

edit - grammar

Neal,

Would you mind sharing the recipe for your BVP here? Mine was the other one.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Bourbon Vanilla Imp Porter #3
Brewer: 
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0) Chalk is added to mash and not the full volume in HLT

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 24.66 l
Post Boil Volume: 22.36 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 l   
Bottling Volume: 20.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.073 SG
Estimated Color: 32.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 26.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 90.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
77.00 l               Sydney Water (Manly Vale 25/09/13)       Water         1        -             
3.10 g                Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent   2        -             
1.50 g                Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins)        Water Agent   3        -             
1.28 g                Chalk (Mash 60.0 mins)                   Water Agent   4        -             
3.89 kg               Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett)  Grain         5        65.5 %        
0.69 kg               Munich, Light (Joe White) (9.0 SRM)      Grain         6        11.6 %        
0.41 kg               Brown Malt (65.0 SRM)                    Grain         7        6.8 %         
0.39 kg               Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (381.0 SRM)   Grain         8        6.5 %         
0.24 kg               Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)   Grain         9        4.1 %         
0.16 kg               Carared (Weyermann) (24.0 SRM)           Grain         10       2.7 %         
0.16 kg               Crystal Malt - 60L (Thomas Fawcett) (60. Grain         11       2.7 %         
20.52 g               Challenger [8.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min      Hop           12       23.2 IBUs     
8.03 g                Brewbrite (Boil 10.0 mins)               Fining        13       -             
18.65 g               Goldings, East Kent [5.90 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop           14       3.0 IBUs      
4.00 g                Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)          Other         15       -             
1.0 pkg               Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) [35 Yeast         16       -             
2.01 Items            Vanilla Bean (Secondary 0.0 mins)        Spice         17       -             
490.00 ml             Bourbon Whiskey (Bottling 0.0 mins)      Flavor        18       -             


Mash Schedule: Piers' Mash Schedule 1
Total Grain Weight: 5.94 kg
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Protein Rest      Add 16.00 l of water at 58.1 C          52.0 C        10 min        
Mash Step         Heat to 62.0 C over 10 min              62.0 C        10 min        
Mash Step         Heat to 68.0 C over 6 min               68.0 C        45 min        
GP Rest           Heat to 72.0 C over 4 min               72.0 C        10 min        
Mash Out          Heat to 78.0 C over 6 min               78.0 C        10 min        

Sparge: Fly sparge with 16.32 l water at 78.0 C
Notes:
------


Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[NealK]

Neal,

Would you mind sharing the recipe for your BVP here? Mine was the other one.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Bourbon Vanilla Imp Porter #3
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0) Chalk is added to mash and not the full volume in HLT

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 24.66 l
Post Boil Volume: 22.36 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 l
Bottling Volume: 20.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.073 SG
Estimated Color: 32.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 26.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 90.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
77.00 l Sydney Water (Manly Vale 25/09/13) Water 1 -
3.10 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 2 -
1.50 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -
1.28 g Chalk (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 4 -
3.89 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 5 65.5 %
0.69 kg Munich, Light (Joe White) (9.0 SRM) Grain 6 11.6 %
0.41 kg Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 7 6.8 %
0.39 kg Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (381.0 SRM) Grain 8 6.5 %
0.24 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 9 4.1 %
0.16 kg Carared (Weyermann) (24.0 SRM) Grain 10 2.7 %
0.16 kg Crystal Malt - 60L (Thomas Fawcett) (60. Grain 11 2.7 %
20.52 g Challenger [8.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 12 23.2 IBUs
8.03 g Brewbrite (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 13 -
18.65 g Goldings, East Kent [5.90 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop 14 3.0 IBUs
4.00 g Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 15 -
1.0 pkg Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) [35 Yeast 16 -
2.01 Items Vanilla Bean (Secondary 0.0 mins) Spice 17 -
490.00 ml Bourbon Whiskey (Bottling 0.0 mins) Flavor 18 -


Mash Schedule: Piers' Mash Schedule 1
Total Grain Weight: 5.94 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Protein Rest Add 16.00 l of water at 58.1 C 52.0 C 10 min
Mash Step Heat to 62.0 C over 10 min 62.0 C 10 min
Mash Step Heat to 68.0 C over 6 min 68.0 C 45 min
GP Rest Heat to 72.0 C over 4 min 72.0 C 10 min
Mash Out Heat to 78.0 C over 6 min 78.0 C 10 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 16.32 l water at 78.0 C
Notes:
------


Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.50 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 50.0 %
1.50 kg Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 30.0 %
0.50 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 3 10.0 %
0.50 kg Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (381.0 SRM) Grain 4 10.0 %
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 34.28 l of water at 70.7 C 67.5 C 60 min Mash Out Add 0.00 l of water and heat to 75.6 C over 15 min 75.6 C 10 min
Boil Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU
25.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 15.4 IBUs
50.00 g Willamette [7.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 29.3 IBUs
30.00 g Fuggles [4.90 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 9.4 IBUs
Fermented as a brown porter but split 9.5l into a small keg. While the brown porter was fermenting I soaked a vanilla pod (chopped finely) and 30g french oak chips in Jim Beam. I think I used about 30ml per litre but I am not really sure as I didn't take notes. Fermented with Wyeast Irish Ale.
Looking at the recipe again I think I may have seriously over estimated the abv!
I think I used too much chocolate malt and was not impressed with the wood chips either. I will maybe try again when the Westgate comp is approaching next year and I have to brew a porter.

edit - formatting and forgot to mention it was no chill so take 20 mins off all hop additions.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Luggy, Dry Stout 11.1 on 2013 AABC guidelines.

(sheets to come, this is the write up). Total score was 28.

Aroma: Roasty and slightly burnit aroma comes through on the nose, muted by some alcohol and slight fusel aroma. Smells a bit "twangy" but this doesn't seem to come through on the palate. 6/12

Appearance: Good clear (very) brown black colour. Lacks "garnet" colour typical of style. Good thick creamy persistent head that stays ALL the way down the glass. 2/3

Flavour: Medium Body with dry aspect required for drinkability. Roastiness is prominent but spot on. Feels nice and full in the mouth. Faint diacetyl (out of style) but nice. Very faint alcohol hotness on the way down. Has that coffee flavour which a good stout should and it lasts on the tongue. 11/20

Mouthfeel: Good full mouthfeel and smooth. Slight diacetyl and fusels detract from it a little but are overcome but the full creaminess. Carbonation - again excellent and finishes dry.3/5

Overall: Good beer, with slight fermentation flaws. Underlying recipe and execution are excellent. Love the coffee aspect and carbonation - spot on. Finishes lovely and dry but full. The warmth is a fault that subtracts from the score signficantly across the board BUT is easily fixed to render this a great beer.

Extras:

This beer has some of the flaws of the sparkling, but not to the same extent. This beer is easily fixed with finer attention to detail on fermentation. Again, I will stay this is a great beer, which would be even better with some good yeast treatment. Either a yeast that tolerates your ferment temp or temp control. I'd actually like the recipe for this, because I reckon this recipe would be fantastic attached to a saison yeast run at 20-25 degrees to really dry it out but ferment at a higher temp and add a bit of interesting esters.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

LRG's IIPA.......

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Cheers!

ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1409225817.698772.jpg

Thanks bud.

You might have got the last reasonable bottle. Brew Brat #3 (almost 7 years old), dropped the box holding this batch and there were some casualties (you got the only plastic one, the rest were glass and twist tops at that), some shattered, some fizzed from the lids. Hoping the rest (including the one that made it to TSHBC) are okay.

I picked what you did. I don't know if it's a little of the alcohol poking through. I know the yeast was handled well, big active pitch that took off like a rocket.

This was the split batch on my more recent '2 pot stovetop with AG lauter' photos - where half of the base went to a RIS (You have that too) and the other to IIPA in question. I'll be interested to see how you go with the RIS, tasted awesome from the fermenter.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

DJL3THAL AIPA. 13.2

I ran out of sheets, so followed the same protocols that the sheets have.

Aroma: Strong Citrus passionfruit aroma on the nose dominates aroma with a faint pineyness coming after. I'm sure there is malt there, but WOW! on the nose. 10/12

Appearance: Yellow Gold in colour, very clear. Big off white fluffy head which persists and persists all the way down. Does not dissipate. 3/5

Flavour: Big bitter fruitiness on the palate, balanced by both some piney (chinook??) notes and a body capable of supporting this. No esters. No flaws no diacetyl. Very hoppy and balanced between bittering and aroma/flavour is excellent. Everything promised in the smell translates into the taste. Just freaking awesome (SWMBO loves this beer - bitter hoppy and excellent). Carbonation spot on and supports aroma and flavour (without being too much). 16/20

Mouthfeel: Good, carbonation mouthfeel. Medium body which is nicely dominated by the hops. No warmth, no prickly carbonation, no faults.


Overall: Bitter, hoppy, gorgeous. Not overdone in any aspect and all aroma flavour bitterness and body are exactly where they need to be, for this to be an awesome beer. Burps and tastes of hops. Any alcohol is hidden well. I couldn't pick any faults, and even the water is minerally enough to bring what it needs to the table to support the hops and flavour.

SWMBO loves this beer. She (pickily) said "it's just not quite creamy enough", but otherwise said it was beautiful. She drank her glass in contemplative silence.

 

[luggy]

Cheers for the feedback mate I'll post the recipe when I get a chance

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Just an update on second bottle of N87 HH clone.

Went to give the missus a glass (my home AIPA is out) and she took a sip and just said "buttery". I had the rest and it again was a nice beer but she's right - diacetyl. But the fusel thing virtually isn't detectable. I'm thinking you've run hot at the start of the ferment and then got down to temp and not done a D-rest at the end to counter some.

Just shows me how close you are to getting this one right. Keep going n87, you're almost there.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

DJL3THAL AIPA. 13.2

I ran out of sheets, so followed the same protocols that the sheets have.

Aroma: Strong Citrus passionfruit aroma on the nose dominates aroma with a faint pineyness coming after. I'm sure there is malt there, but WOW! on the nose. 10/12

Appearance: Yellow Gold in colour, very clear. Big off white fluffy head which persists and persists all the way down. Does not dissipate. 3/5

Flavour: Big bitter fruitiness on the palate, balanced by both some piney (chinook??) notes and a body capable of supporting this. No esters. No flaws no diacetyl. Very hoppy and balanced between bittering and aroma/flavour is excellent. Everything promised in the smell translates into the taste. Just freaking awesome (SWMBO loves this beer - bitter hoppy and excellent). Carbonation spot on and supports aroma and flavour (without being too much). 16/20

Mouthfeel: Good, carbonation mouthfeel. Medium body which is nicely dominated by the hops. No warmth, no prickly carbonation, no faults.


Overall: Bitter, hoppy, gorgeous. Not overdone in any aspect and all aroma flavour bitterness and body are exactly where they need to be, for this to be an awesome beer. Burps and tastes of hops. Any alcohol is hidden well. I couldn't pick any faults, and even the water is minerally enough to bring what it needs to the table to support the hops and flavour.

SWMBO loves this beer. She (pickily) said "it's just not quite creamy enough", but otherwise said it was beautiful. She drank her glass in contemplative silence.

Thanks mate, super chuffed with that review and I didn't expect it to rate THAT highly. I can take credit for the execution but the recipe was thanks to my local LHBS owner who was selling this in fresh wort kits and once I tried I asked for his recipe and he handed it over and this was my first crack at it.

Interesting about the clean fermentation and water comments you made, it's just a dry pack of US05 and standard melbourne tap water running through our brand new instantaneous water heater, so I can perhaps put learning about water treatment on the back burner while I learn about other brewing aspects/move from BIAB to 3V. Is definitely reassurance there is nothing wrong with a pack of dry yeast if you get your pitching temps right and managed adequately from there.

If anyone's keen I can pop up the recipe next time I'm on home PC as on iPad ATM.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

It's unusual, given it's untreated melbourne tap water, from what I know, it's fairly soft.

Having said that, post 2011 floods in Brisbane, I struggled, until I used a bit of acidulated malt and that was enough. The water was soft-ish but not so much that too badly affected the beer.

I've only really had to do water adjustments in Tassie to counter softness.

Interestingly, after your beer and the fact that mine (excepting one bottle, if it makes it to Nationals) is basically out, I bought SWMBO some Vale/IPA (which is her goto beer for what she likes). She had a sip and went "bland, needs hops and too gassy". This necessitated me explaining Lupulin Threshold shift to her.

Recipe would be fantastic, I'd like to see if my assumptions about hops and the schedule are correct.

 

[n87]

Just an update on second bottle of N87 HH clone.

Went to give the missus a glass (my home AIPA is out) and she took a sip and just said "buttery". I had the rest and it again was a nice beer but she's right - diacetyl. But the fusel thing virtually isn't detectable. I'm thinking you've run hot at the start of the ferment and then got down to temp and not done a D-rest at the end to counter some.

Just shows me how close you are to getting this one right. Keep going n87, you're almost there.

hmmm... Jaypes also mentioned some diacetyl, hopefully it will mellow in time (and hopefully i can wait that long)

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

hmmm... Jaypes also mentioned some diacetyl, hopefully it will mellow in time (and hopefully i can wait that long)

SWMBO picks up diacetyl, though she has no idea what it is.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Robv red IPA.

reviewed with half an eye on the new bjcp guidelines for red IPA.

Aroma 8/12 - nice punchy citrus and slightly passion fruit and sweet Fanta aroma covering a nice solid body. Body is dominated by aroma as it should be.

Appearance: 1/3 - dark brown with vague copper tinge - looks more like a black ipa though but doesn't taste like it. Nice head tannish coloured which lingers and leaves lace.

Flavour 10/20 : nice citrus hops with the same passion fruit on the nose coming through - it tastes like it smells - which is needed in an ipa. Some diacetyl renders it a bit too buttery to ignore as a fault. Good solid ipa body which keeps it nice and balanced and gives a free platform for the hops to take centre share.

Mouthfeel: 3/5: good carbonation. Diacetyl renders it too buttery in the mouth and makes it slick but apart from that it feels adequately full in the mouth as a by product of the body as stated above.

Overall: good effort. Diacetyl does detract because of how much it is. If it was just a touch then it would have been a great beer. Hops and malt balance are spot on and this is very quaffable as a result. Love the body on this - it's where I like a good ipa to be. I'd personally like a tad more hops at the end but I'm being picky. Lost points on colour under new bjcp guidelines. I reckon a decent D-rest and about 5 IBU at 10 minutes extra would take this beet 10 points higher - easily. 6/10

Typed on a frigging phone. That's committed.