2016 Qld xmas in july case swap tasting thread

[angus_grant]

That should be "oaky characteristics coming through".
Stupid auto-correct

 

[earle]

Unfortunately mine is like the few others that didn't make it. Mine didn't resemble an IPA at all and had a really smokey phenolic. It wasn't undrinkable by any means but wasn't right.

Glad it wasn't a whole batch though.

My bottle of this has the same smoky phenolic. Reading back through the other comments in this thread there are comments about smoke and peat. Did you put either of these in? I wonder if all the bottles are the same but being perceived in different ways. Had a lot of hop aroma on opening the bottle but bitterness is quite low and I'm not getting a lot of hop flavour. Balance is not quite right to me - should have a good malt backbone but that should take backseat to a solid bitterness which is lacking in this bottle.

 

[earle]

15. Radshoes Infected Saison

Sensational beer. Dry finish, moderate brett (just the way I like it), clear, good carbonation. A real pity you can't repeat it, reckon you should try anyway.

 

[Adr_0]

Drinking madpierre's black rye IPA.

Looks good, nice head retention and colour. I think the combination of fruity hops is well matched with the grains, and makes an absolutely delicious drinker - there isn't a clash of roasted malts and fruit salad that some have, and instead is a lovely balance of fruity hop flavour and dry, bready caramel malt.

I'm getting the smoke too, and I think a touch of chlorophenol - the chlorophenol moreso in the back of the tongue and not the smell. The smokey one is interesting. If you didn't add anything smokey, did anything burn in the kettle? I don't really think these aspects take away from the beer, though I would suggest they're easy to remove if you don't want them.

Overall I really liked it, and thought it was very tasty and drinkable. Nice one mate.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

2. Earle Smoked Rye Farmhouse Ale - clear, yellow coloured beer, pours with good retentive head. No esters on the nose, just smoke. Spiciness in the palate, along with the smoke and a tiny bit of the underlying beer comes in. I'm a smoke agnostic, so my opinion is to be considered in that light. The underlying beer was fantastic, well brewed and a good belgian ale, with the right balance of rye. I just wasn't keen on the smoke. I would have knocked back pints of the beer sans-smoke, but with it, it dominated too much and unlike the darker coloured beers, there was no pairing flavours or body to match it. Well brewed beer otherwise.

20. Aydos - Sour imperial barrel aged stout - Beer pours dark reddish brown that light gets through when held up to a light, dark brown thick moussey head that persists forever and leaves enough lacing to make a dozen g-strings for rebel wilson. Slight fruitiness and oakiness on the nose which translates on the palate. Sneaky beggar, it doesn't taste as high in abv% as I think it ended up being. Tiny bit of Brett on the palate, but it tastes more like the aforementioned fruity/oaky feel. Great Stout, though ironically I'm preferring the Brettier versions of the stouts. This was (alcohol aside) very easy drinking, almost sessionable. Then you pass out on the couch. Thanks Aydos.

 

[Aydos]

1. Winkle - W3031 Acerola Tarwe

Cracker of a beer mate but I wouldn't expect anything else from what you would usually produce. Nice crisp mouthfeel and a great aroma and flavour from the fruit additions. Slight Brett character but it takes the back seat to the fruit. The sourness is quite subtle but nicely supportive.

Well done

 

[Radshoes]

So I have been slack and drank a few beers I didnt comment on.
But I just cracked number 9.
Seehusen I vaguely recall trying this on the night and it not having much brett character.
Let me tell you 6 months sitting on my lounge room floor much to my wife's displeasure has really brought the flavours out.
I have done two lots of PT in the last 24 hours and am feeling pretty emotional.
But **** I am enjoying this beer.
As i was pouring it I was seeing a reddish dark brown hue but in the glass it looks dark, with the bottom of the glass getting the light through giving that browner colour.
Its a subdued kind of roast with some funk.
Im going to stop typing now and just drink.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Agree 100% radshoes.

I reckon this and Parks' stout are the pick of the bunch - and that's a big feat, given that all the stout/porter beers are absolutely amazing.

I've got evoo4u's porter in the basket in the deep freeze (gotta love it - upright, freezing, cools beer) as I type. That will probably be the last stout/porter out of the lot and based on the comments I expect it to be amazing too.

Big rap on the stouts/porters. Upcycling an 'old' style and making brilliant beers.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

evoo4u - probably a Baltic Porter (will be winter after all) - strike the probably, it was a baltic porter.

Pours a dark liquorice "black and tan" style colour, clear, has a good thick 2 inch head that persists as dense and creamy, but funnily enough does not lace. Fruity and wooden on the nose. On the palate it is sweet and has the support of fruit cake and woodiness. Kicks harder than I expect - any alcohol warmth is hidden by the thick body and it's only when I wake up the next day forgetting most of the minutiae of the previous night that I realise it is far higher in abv% than I thought it was. Big body, syrupy, almost cloying, but not quite. This is a sipper. I like this beer, but the body was too much for me to drink a whole bottle by itself (or myself). It is something that needs a smaller glass and a long cold night. Great beer regardless, well brewed, no faults and the alcohol is hidden and not 'metho' like. Well done.

 

[madpierre06]

Ok...madpierre06's Black Rye IPA - having had one a couple weks after bottling and really enjoyed it, I can see what others have said (not doubting them, mind)....this one certainly wasn't right. Had nothing in common with the first bottl;e I tried, minimal hoppiness, what was there was overriden late by what I can only describe as somne sort of chemical taste, maybe the chlorophenol that Adr_o mentioned, whatever that is and tastes like. What gets my attention is the stark difference twixt the two samples I've had and seen described, given the sililarities in both camps. I have no idea what has happened here, I still have 2 bottles left so will get to those some stage soon and see how they go.

Once again, sorry boys, I have no idea what has happened here, there was no difference to my usual routine. Planning on giving all FV's a good going over, and take a nuclear deice to my bottles.

 

[Aydos]

13. NickB - AIPA

Pours quite golden in colour with minimal head put keeps a persistent ring all the way down.

Nice clean fruit aromas with slight a grassy note. I get a little bit of peach and a citrusy mandarin aroma with small amounts of crystal malts.

The flavour follows suit along with some nice solid bitterness that is reminiscent of eating a grapefruit.

Solid beer mate, good work!

 

[earle]

11. Fattox - cherrywood smoked foreign extra stout

Wow, the roast just accentuates the smoked malt in this one. Bacon and bushfire but not in a bad way. From previous comments I find peoples perception of smoke quite interesting, seems to be very polarising, compared to a lot of other ingredients in beer.

 

[madpierre06]

Ok...madpierre06's Black Rye IPA - bottle no. 2. This one was damn enjoyable..not a lot of hoppiness shappening, but enough to balancer across the solid base with a touch of smokiness which was funny considering there was no smoky intent whatsoever. During a conversation with the esteemed Winkle, I have come to the conclusion that an aforementiuoned blase attitude towards bottle process may very werll be at the heart of the problems.

22. Benken25. Brewers breaky porter(smoked oatmeal porter with coffee and licorice 6.8%) - Bloody beautiful mate. I probably shouldn't have had this as number 3 in what was intended to be a bottling day lineup yesterday.....needless to say bottling didn't get done. For me, the coffee oatmeal combination was just splendiferous. Happily throw shekels at Phil for this, any day of the week.

 

[Adr_0]

Just had a #6 - Lukiferj's Rye Hard w/ Bitty Smoke

When it warms a little there is a definite smoke aroma but it's more of woodsmoke rather than bacon/ham. Other malt and hops aromas are pretty subdued.

I thought the combination and flavours were nice but I think the mouthfeel was a little low to get the most out of them. I guess the Notto has done its thing. A touch of acetaldehyde too.

I may have had a slightly oxidised bottle now that I think about it... I reckon a great beer but deserves some more mouthfeel and/or a slightly different yeast.

 

[Radshoes]

Ok...madpierre06's Black Rye IPA - bottle no. 2. This one was damn enjoyable..not a lot of hoppiness shappening, but enough to balancer across the solid base with a touch of smokiness which was funny considering there was no smoky intent whatsoever. During a conversation with the esteemed Winkle, I have come to the conclusion that an aforementiuoned blase attitude towards bottle process may very werll be at the heart of the problems.

22. Benken25. Brewers breaky porter(smoked oatmeal porter with coffee and licorice 6.8%) - Bloody beautiful mate. I probably shouldn't have had this as number 3 in what was intended to be a bottling day lineup yesterday.....needless to say bottling didn't get done. For me, the coffee oatmeal combination was just splendiferous. Happily throw shekels at Phil for this, any day of the week.

Is your mention of bottling day now happening a day later due to perry's convo regarding bottling process?

 

[earle]

Ok...madpierre06's Black Rye IPA - bottle no. 2. This one was damn enjoyable..not a lot of hoppiness shappening, but enough to balancer across the solid base with a touch of smokiness which was funny considering there was no smoky intent whatsoever. During a conversation with the esteemed Winkle, I have come to the conclusion that an aforementiuoned blase attitude towards bottle process may very werll be at the heart of the problems.

I don't think PET bottles clean as easily or re-use as well as glass bottles. I had noticed that sometimes when opening one of my own beers that was bottled in a re-use PET bottle that the flavour wasn't quite right or the bottle was a bit more swollen than just from normal carbonation. Since then I'm more thorough with cleaning them and inspecting to decide if they get re-used or thrown out. They especially seem to get a ring of yeast at the top of the beer level. The bottles from any Brett or other infected beers get thrown straight out. For swap beers, I now tend to use new bottles to eliminate any issues from this. I noticed that my bottle of your beer was in a re-used bottle. This may be a reason that some of your swap beers were fine and others not so much?

 

[Radshoes]

I used new bottles because I was too lazy to clean the old ones I had, and they had been sitting out the back for a good 12 months so were questionable.
I will probably use the bottles from this swap for my next batch out of the barrel, because YOLO. pretty sure nothing in those bottles will be detrimental to whatever comes out of my barrel.

 

[angus_grant]

I don't think PET bottles clean as easily or re-use as well as glass bottles. I had noticed that sometimes when opening one of my own beers that was bottled in a re-use PET bottle that the flavour wasn't quite right or the bottle was a bit more swollen than just from normal carbonation. Since then I'm more thorough with cleaning them and inspecting to decide if they get re-used or thrown out. They especially seem to get a ring of yeast at the top of the beer level. The bottles from any Brett or other infected beers get thrown straight out. For swap beers, I now tend to use new bottles to eliminate any issues from this. I noticed that my bottle of your beer was in a re-used bottle. This may be a reason that some of your swap beers were fine and others not so much?

Very similar approach to me. Any Brett or infected beers get tossed straight out.

I rinse empty bottles in hot water several times until there is no smell of beer and put cap back on.

I then clean bottles in sod perc and rinse in hot water just prior to filling. I have re-used swap bottles multiple times (both for swaps and personally) with no problems.

I used a new batch of bottles last swap as I wanted new bottles, but I have certainly re-used bottles in the past.

 

[seehuusen]

Hmmm, makes me feel blase about my methods. Open bottle up, pour into glass, rinse 3 times in hot water. I then the put empty bottle upside down to dry, once dry put back into box (except those with visible problems, like yeast stains). Close the box up, and store upside down.
Next time i use them i just sterilise and fill.
I haven't had an issue yet, that i know of... touch wood

(Once every blue moon, I'll attack bottles with the dreaded yeast ring separately, in hot water with nappisan using a bottle brush)

 

[madpierre06]

Is your mention of bottling day now happening a day later due to perry's convo regarding bottling process?

Yeah, it's Perry's fault. :lol: Honestly, having a yarn about things actually seems to bring reality to what's left of the 'reasoning' part of my brain. Sometimes.

I don't think PET bottles clean as easily or re-use as well as glass bottles. I had noticed that sometimes when opening one of my own beers that was bottled in a re-use PET bottle that the flavour wasn't quite right or the bottle was a bit more swollen than just from normal carbonation. Since then I'm more thorough with cleaning them and inspecting to decide if they get re-used or thrown out. They especially seem to get a ring of yeast at the top of the beer level. The bottles from any Brett or other infected beers get thrown straight out. For swap beers, I now tend to use new bottles to eliminate any issues from this. I noticed that my bottle of your beer was in a re-used bottle. This may be a reason that some of your swap beers were fine and others not so much?

Am thi9nking this might be the way to go Earle, or at the very least throw any bottles that've had bretted beers and the like, and go for maybe a 3 use limit on my PET bottles....I've generally gone with the Seeheusen model of PET bottle cleaning, and up to now there've been no problems. And I really don't want this happening again.

Very similar approach to me. Any Brett or infected beers get tossed straight out.

I rinse empty bottles in hot water several times until there is no smell of beer and put cap back on.

I then clean bottles in sod perc and rinse in hot water just prior to filling. I have re-used swap bottles multiple times (both for swaps and personally) with no problems.

I used a new batch of bottles last swap as I wanted new bottles, but I have certainly re-used bottles in the past.

If I'm drinking upstairs, they get rinsed well with hot water, drained, then stored in a box downstairs. If drinking downstairs, they get rinsed out with the jet setting on hose nozzle, then stored likewise. Then straight through the starsan prior to bottling...and herein I reckon lies the problem, this coming from the yarn with Perry....I can see how fortunate I reckon I've been so far.

Hmmm, makes me feel blase about my methods. Open bottle up, pour into glass, rinse 3 times in hot water. I then the put empty bottle upside down to dry, once dry put back into box (except those with visible problems, like yeast stains). Close the box up, and store upside down.
Next time i use them i just sterilise and fill.
I haven't had an issue yet, that i know of... touch wood

(Once every blue moon, I'll attack bottles with the dreaded yeast ring separately, in hot water with nappisan using a bottle brush)

I don't even store upside down.

As I said at a point in days long gone, those whjo've copped a bad one will be recompensed at first opportunity. I reckon this was down to 'familiarity breeds contempt' , and a blase attitude to my bottle care that came through the side door unnoticed, but shoulda been picked up. Thanks for your good grace my friends, I'll salute ya's with a nice Geuze later today :beerbang: :lol: