Group Barley Wine

[silvana]

Yeap sure sucks. Especially as I cleaned and sanitised what felt like a 1000 bottles before I tasted it.
I'm going to chuck a bunch of oak and maybe some Brett dregs at it just because I have them although there really is no hope for mine.

Ben

 

[mr_wibble]

Bloody hell, I'm not game to try mine now.

Then I can swap it in good faith, and hope for the best... h34r:

 

[gone brewing]

Is Dick on this forum?

I need to get hold of him and his address.
I am away at a mountain bike race this saturday, and will still be in transit of the way home on Sunday.

I was thinking I could drop my beers to him on friday and collect my share on sunday night / monday.

No problem at all Josh. pm sent with details.

 

[Goldenchild]

I finally dropped mine onto the yeast cake last night.
6hrs later woke up and walked into the brew room and almost fainted.
The co2 had escaped the ferment fridge and was slowly filling the room with the delicious smelling gas
This was the last thing I wanted to see at 5am when I am off to work for the week.
Needless to say my barley wine is now in open ferment.

 

[Jaynus]

Well mine tastes amazing, hopefully yours will change in time Ben! I think mine is going to be really sweet. When and where is this swap going down?

 

[mr_wibble]

We did a taste-test last night ... a bit young, but quite good nonetheless.

Malt, raisin, smoke, toffee, mild bitterness, noticeable alcohol.
( Where the hell did that smokey flavour come from? )

 

[pmastello]

I have a hunch that some of the off flavors, smokieness, phenols etc we are getting may be related to the burning of the malt extract. Or maybe thats me trying to blame my bad beer on something out of my control!
Hopefully we can all have a taste of each barley wine at Dick's and identify what was a bad ferment and some common characteristics.

 

[pmastello]

On a second tasting, mines actually alright, possibly even good. I think the huge bitterness had me a bit confused in my palate?
Hopefully with a year or so of age, the bitterness will fall out quite a bit.
I am really keen to have a taste of everyone's different beers with different yeast.
My lager yeast is very neutral, little sulfury lager character too - closer to a cold fermented American ale than anything else.I am also happy that for a 9% beer, drinking it warm still has no strong alcohol smell or taste, you notice the alcohol only after finishing a stubbie. Lots of bitterness, but where did all that Galaxy go? Almost no hop aroma for me, but perhaps the big maltyness is obscuring it. The aroma does still have the yeasty autolysis/trub smell to it though.
Overall, its quite a neutral barley wine, aside from its high bitterness. I think mine will go down as the control for everyone elses yeasts, so you can separate out what's from the yeast and whats from the recipe. Age will hopefully take mine from something kinda bland and simple, to something a bit more interesting.


Jay, Are you going to come to Dick's place for the meet and swap on Sunday?

 

[Jaynus]

Yeah I can make it, what time and where?

 

[mr_wibble]

I have a hunch that some of the off flavors, smokieness, phenols etc we are getting may be related to the burning of the malt extract.

I like the smokey character.

 

[Jaynus]

I love smokey too! But there is such a thing as too smokey!

 

[joshuahardie]

Not such thing as too much smoke

I dropped my 5 six packs off to Dick's yesterday, I tried my beers on Wednesday night and they are not carbonated yet. I gave them a bit of a shake, but I still think it will be a few weeks before they are ready to be tried.

Having said that, what I did try was very uninspiring. I cna't put my finger on why is it so one dimentional, but I just hope it was just excess sweetness from the carbonation sugar that has get to be fermented properly

 

[brockerst]

Unfortunately I'm not going to make it tomorrow.

Jay - Can I drop them to you for you to make the swaps for me?

 

[silvana]

Sorry guys, sick wife and baby rules me out for today.
Catch up next time.

Ben

 

[n87]

Sorry guys, sick wife and baby rules me out for today.
Catch up next time.

Ben

i think i ended up with your share.
swing me a PM to organise pickup

 

[brockerst]

I have left my swaps at Duane's shop for everyone to pick up when you're there next.

How did the tastings go?

 

[pmastello]

Hey Guys, Has everyone got their share of the beers now? Ben did you get yours from n87?

There was talk about a trip to Newy for some beers at the grain store & Hop factory some time - I've setup a new thread here http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/81893-newcastle-pub-crawl/

 

[n87]

apparently Ben has had a bad case of the man flu, his share is still keeping my shelves looking healthy

 

[joshuahardie]

I am pretty sure I have to get some beers off ben.

Ill figure it out.

I have already cracked a few of the barleywines, and i think you guys have done a steller job

 

[silvana]

Cheers Pete, lining up getting my beers from n87 this weekend. Very serious man flu last week!

I will give my Barley Wine another taste this weekend and make the final call to dump or share. I bottled one stubbie and the carbonation seems to hide the phenolic I was getting when it was still, in the fermenter.
If I do dump it are you guys happy with a mixed 6 pack of my beers in its place?

 

[Jaynus]

Ben if the carbonation is hiding the flavor then don't stress about it, I'm more than happy for a 6 pack of your barley wine! Let us be the judge!

 

[pmastello]

Yeah im keen to try yours ben, no matter what it tastes like.
I tried yours last night KT - well done! It was great! Reminded me of a chimay blue or other Belgian dark strong.

 

[mr_wibble]

I tried yours last night KT - well done! It was great! Reminded me of a chimay blue or other Belgian dark strong.

Oooh, I'll have to try one myself then.
Found it screaming "I'm too young!" on the first (and only) taste test ... guess it's a couple of months old now.

 

[Jaynus]

Pete yours was good, definitely has a smokey hint, carbonation was good. I had one of mine and it needs more carbonation but still sweet and smooth!

 

[pmastello]

Thanks Jay. I haven't tried mine in about a month, but glad to hear its holding up. I thought it was a bit plain when I tried it. May have to chill one down in the next few weeks to see what's changed.

Any other takers on the Newcastle trip? Jay, I know you were keen...

 

[Jaynus]

Yeah I'm keen! This Sunday??

 

[pmastello]

Next Sunday -the 24th

 

[Jaynus]

I'll double check but I think it will be fine!

 

[Jaynus]

I'm all good for the 24th! Lock me in!

 

[mr_wibble]

I tasted one of mine last weekend.

It was nice, quite smooth, subtle smokey flavour
Sweet-ish, but not cloying.

So what's that then, 11 months old.