Qld Xmas In July 2007 - Case Consumption

[berapnopod]

1kg munich and 500g wheat in it
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=230332

You were right about the fermentation temp. Even in my 100 can cooler surrounded by 2l frozen bottles it took off like a train and pushed about 3 litres through the air lock.

Well, one out of three ain't bad

If you had that much wheat in there, I am suprised it came with so little head especially since you did a single infusion mash. There is always the chance it was my glass, so we'll have to see how others get on with it.


Berp.

 

[Stuster]

Berp, love your reviews. Couldn't help butting in here. Hope it's ok for a non-Queenslander to comment in this thread.

I'm not sure that the wheat malt is the trick for head retention really. It is often suggested as a cure for low head retention, but I've managed to make a wheat beer with almost no head before. From what I've read, it's not only me.

It may well be the fusels that you are tasting that are causing the low head retention. This BYO article has some good info on this topic, and suggests that yeast health and a healthy fermentation are key. I'd say that it might be the vigorous fermentation that's caused it here. Of course, it might just be your mucky glasses.

 

[Tyred]

19. Berp - Dry Stout

Small head. A nice deep black colour. A nice toasty flavour up front. I haven't noticed and bitterness. I cannot discern any real aroma. Lightly carbonated but appears to be leaving some lacing around glass. Another nice drinking beer.

 

[berapnopod]

Berp, love your reviews. Couldn't help butting in here. Hope it's ok for a non-Queenslander to comment in this thread.

I'm not sure that the wheat malt is the trick for head retention really. It is often suggested as a cure for low head retention, but I've managed to make a wheat beer with almost no head before. From what I've read, it's not only me.

It may well be the fusels that you are tasting that are causing the low head retention. This BYO article has some good info on this topic, and suggests that yeast health and a healthy fermentation are key. I'd say that it might be the vigorous fermentation that's caused it here. Of course, it might just be your mucky glasses.

Hey Stuster,
If a non-Queenslander should not comment, then I should shut up now. I am still considered a blow-in, after being here for 9 months. I reckon I only have 9 years, 3 months to go now.

Malted wheat certainly has worked for me, but i agree other things can affect head retention. In fact, I too am in the same boat as you where I have made a hefeweizen (60% malted wheat) and had as much head as a glass of coke. Could indeed be the vigorous fermentation. I know that leaving your mash between 55 and 65C (not sure of these numbers) for too long can also be detrimental to head.

Since Stillscottish's beer was made with considerable wheat and a single infusion mash, I would tend to agree with you that it is a probably a result of the fermentation side of things. But having said that, I still wouldn't be suprised if it was just my glass.

Berp.

 

[berapnopod]

Tidalpete's Scottish 80/-

Aroma: Pronounced estery nose - like candy. Other than that, there is not much aroma.

Appearance: Unfortunately poured without a head (now I am really starting to worry about my glass cleaning). Very dark red colour, clarity hard to assess but looks good.

FLavour: Toffee flavours initially, with the same ester in there. Some alcohol tasted initially as well. Bitterness is subdued. The toffee lingers all the way through to the finish. Finish, apart from the toffee is very dry, clean and slightly acidic.

Mouthfeel: Medium/full body. Medium carbonation which gives a slight carbonation bite at the end, and I am assuming this is the source of the acidity.

Overall: This is a very clean drinking beer. Feels like the alcohol is higher than I would expect for an 80/-. The flavour is dominated by a rich toffee/drak sugar flavour which goes very well with this beer. The toffee does tend to linger a bit too long for my taste. Hops are in the right place for this style - nowhere obvious. Well done!


Berp.

 

[stillscottish]

Berp, love your reviews. Couldn't help butting in here. Hope it's ok for a non-Queenslander to comment in this thread.

I'm not sure that the wheat malt is the trick for head retention really. It is often suggested as a cure for low head retention, but I've managed to make a wheat beer with almost no head before. From what I've read, it's not only me.

It may well be the fusels that you are tasting that are causing the low head retention. This BYO article has some good info on this topic, and suggests that yeast health and a healthy fermentation are key. I'd say that it might be the vigorous fermentation that's caused it here. Of course, it might just be your mucky glasses.

Slight thread hi-jack.

Good article Suster.
I cracked a keg of a speckled hen clone last night and it poured with a very small head. Admittedly it came from my smoothest pouring tap (I'm still experimenting with beer line lengths) and it's only been kegged 2 weeks but 2 different glasses, both chilled and definitely clean gave the same result.

The thing it has in common with the Belgian strong is they are both high alcohol, the speckled hen is 6.9%, and both had an amount of sugar in them.
I an still trying to educate my beer palate but the speckled hen tasted a bit estery/fusely (if that's what it was).
It has a definite banana flavour.
I don't have the recipe here at work but yeast was either Nottingham or SO4.
The fermentation didn't seem over vigorous .

All my other brews since I started kegging have great heads.

I would guess that bigger beers with more fermentables are fermenting hotter than my simple cooling efforts can cope with. Unfortunately a fermenting fridge is not an option my marriage will allow.
It looks like I'll have to leave brewing bigger beers to the cooler months.

I would brew the speckled hen again but adjust the grain bill to bring it down to a more appropriate alc level (I'm having to adjust my recipes due to much higher efficiencies since I got my own grain mill).
It will be interesting to see how it compares to this one.

Campbell

 

[winkle]

14 StillScottish - Belgian Brown

Pored a deep toffee red-brown with a small diminishing head, lite carbonation. Toffe and esters upfront with a small apperaance of stone fruit in the aroma. Flavour is on the money (despite a odd alcoholic note- unsurprising after reading the production problems!) Toffee with a smooth balanced finish supported by a noticable alcohol hit. Very good on a wet nite whilst watching the footy. Keep me a bottle if you do it again mate.

18 Fixa - Bourbon Porter

Handsome looking beer.
I avoid bourbon normally but this beer is still enticing. Vanilla up front bourbon notes to the back - deep red brown colour with a big red brown colour - big tan head. Lovely flavour mix - vanilla to the fore bourbon to the back = well done beer Fixa

 

[berapnopod]

FNQ Bunyip's Smoked Porter

Aroma: estery and caramelly aroma. Some alcohol. No obvious smoke though.

Appearance: Poured with minimal head (I really washed the glass this time - honest!) Black colour - no idea about clarity.

Flavour: Toffee and caramel are up the front. Develops to a mild malty flavour, with a hint of diacetyl. Some chocolate. Underlying bitterness is in the back. A touch of sourness. Finish is dry, mildly bitter and slightly cloying (diacetyl?). No smoke flavour detected.

Mouthfeel: Medium/full body. Some creaminess. Carbonation is high and gives a significant carbonation bite.

Overall: This is a well balanced beer and is easy drinking, but I can offer a couple of suggestions for small tweeks: Drop the carbonation a bit and increase the bitterness. Or at least, thats what I would do for my taste buds. I didn't get any smoke in there. Not sure how you got your smoke in there, but I recently used 200g of moked malt in a porter and I can taste the smoke but it is not strong enough for me. The diacetyl in there is a positive as it gives the beer a new dimensino in that it is slightly creamy and gives that subtle kick that is like maltiness. Nice one, Ned!


Berp.

 

[bconnery]

Bonj's Pilsner

Colour was nice. Looked good in my pilsner glass.

Clarity seemed fine.

Taste wise I can't give you much detail other than it washed down very nicely with burritos...

 

[bonj]

#1 Winkle's Smokey Irish Red Ale

Opened with a noticeable fssst, which was a positive start. Poured with a nice head, which quickly dwindled to nothing (could be the glass...). Aroma is dominated by malt, but still noticeable hops.

I found the smokiness pleasant. Flavour is dominated by malt, probably a little unbalanced to my palate. I'd like a bit more bitterness there to balance it out. Clarity is possibly a little cloudy... not that it bothers me. I love the red highlights. Carbonation is good.

Thanks for the enjoyable beer winkle

 

[winkle]

#1 Winkle's Smokey Irish Red Ale

Opened with a noticeable fssst, which was a positive start. Poured with a nice head, which quickly dwindled to nothing (could be the glass...). Aroma is dominated by malt, but still noticeable hops.

I found the smokiness pleasant. Flavour is dominated by malt, probably a little unbalanced to my palate. I'd like a bit more bitterness there to balance it out. Clarity is possibly a little cloudy... not that it bothers me. I love the red highlights. Carbonation is good.

Thanks for the enjoyable beer winkle

Thanks mate, the beer is probably around six weeks past its prime - the smokiness is quite diminished now - not that it was OTT before. Dunno why its not holding a decent head, I've got a couple of glass bottles left - I'll see if they are the same when the flu gives me back my taste buds

 

[InCider]

Winkle, could you review my "Ex-Girlfriend that I cheated on" stout? It's got a green cap and is my first cook up. I was going to share it, but got wankered and forgot :blink:

Sean.

 

[winkle]

No problems, I wondered what that was. I'll have to get over the flu first, must have caught it from the "Bonj in the Hunter" post
With luck and drugs, I'll be drinking + tasting wot I drink on the weekend.

 

[berapnopod]

Frogman's K+K APA

Aroma: Smells light with a citrusy note, but not what I was expecting from the hops. Its more like a lemon citrus. There is a slightly woody aroma in there that I recognise, but just can't place. hmmmmm.

Appearance: Thin head covers the surface of the beer and looks lasting. Very slight haze. Dark straw colour, which is a little light for the style, but looks good to me.

Flavour: Strong woody flavour again. Not sure what it is. Its not offensive, just unusual. Also lemony citrus flavours up the front. Some underlying malt in there. Finish is dry, a touch sour and moderately bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium/light body. Medium carbonation appears to be at the right level. Some astringency (from the hops I guess)

Overall: Clean and refreshing. Its a well made beer, Frogman, and is easy drinking. I am puzzled by the odd aroma/flavour in there. Maybe a variety of hops? I would prefer a bit more of a malt backbone to the beer, and suggest you add a bit of crystal malt next time. That is, if your taste buds are like mine.


Berp.

 

[Tyred]

10. TidalPete - Scottish 80/-

Quite a sweet smell noticed when I poured it. Almost like raspberry topping. Sadly I didn't get a head on this beer. Glass perhaps ? Deep reddish brown colour and it appears to be quite clear. A strange taste, but then I've never tried a scottish before. Light bitterness that I only started to notice after the third taste. I can't really identify any flavour (as in identify it) but it's a very easy beer to consume. While there is no head on the beer, carbonation is noticeable in the beer itself. Mouthfeel (to me) appears to be medium.

A nice drinking beer and I think that I will have to see if I can find some more examples of it before I try making one myself. Thank you for introducing me to this.

 

[winkle]

4- Jye - The Rye American

Poured a murky, dull, light brown;kind of like a ginger beer. I hope the water restrictions haven't forced you to use unfiltered Brisbane River water mate? Anyway its got a good lasting white head with some lacing, good carbonation, and a fruity (citrus) aroma. Full palate, citrus flavours leading to a dry bitter finish. Interesting beer Jye, I'd like to try it again when you have beaten the clarity issue.

 

[Jye]

I'd like to try it again when you have beaten the clarity issue.

Ive got a feeling it cant be beat It has 30% rye and I think thats the problem, the roggen I have on tap has 50% and looks the same.

 

[winkle]

1 -Winkle - Smoked Irish Red

Don't worry I'm not rating my own beer.
The head retention issue that we (almost all) seem to have suffered from in the case swap is due , I think, in part to the PET bottles or their caps.
I had bottled a few "king browns" with the my case swap beer using the same amount of priming sugar, all the caseswap batch was bottle conditioned.
This one after pouring retained a decent head in both (not very clean) glass and jug.
View attachment 14504

And this is the same beer after 20 minutes (I need to HTFU)
View attachment 14505

Much better result, worth keeping in mind if you're entering a beer in competition where both types of bottles are accepted.

 

[TidalPete]

1 -Winkle - Smoked Irish Red

Don't worry I'm not rating my own beer.
The head retention issue that we (almost all) seem to have suffered from in the case swap is due , I think, in part to the PET bottles or their caps.
I had bottled a few "king browns" with the my case swap beer using the same amount of priming sugar, all the caseswap batch was bottle conditioned.
This one after pouring retained a decent head in both (not very clean) glass and jug.
View attachment 14504

And this is the same beer after 20 minutes (I need to HTFU)
View attachment 14505

Much better result, worth keeping in mind if you're entering a beer in competition where both types of bottles are accepted.

You could well be on the money there Perry? I bottled my surplus 80/- in tallies that gave me a reasonable head when poured. All gone now . Have never bottle-conditioned in PETS before. Perhaps someone else could comment on this?

:beer:

 

[Tyred]

4. Jye - American Rye

I think I'm having some sort of problem with my glass as the head didn't last long after I had poured it. Rather murky looking even after a couple of weeks in the fridge at 4 degrees. Nice tasting without sweetness and a faint bitterness. I can taste some sort of hops in there which would be the cascade [only because it's on the bottle]. A nice easy beer to drink. Thanks to Jye for introducing me to this style.