Sandgroper Xmas 2007 Recipes And Tasting

[roger mellie]

Kai's Classic American Cream Ale

Another first for me - I need to get out more.

Little bit murky, straw coloured, well carbonated, lingering head. Bready yeasty aroma when first opened that subsided over time.

The Saaz Nobleness is evident and lingering - but I also get citrus and straw?. I'm not quite sure why the beer is called a cream ale? I found it to be quite a delicate beer, crisp and tart with a silky mouthfeel. I could quite happliy quaff this - 'refreshing' I think would be my closing comment.

And whats this 500 ml's - it was over before it began.

Good effort Kai - was good to meet you and your sister at the swap - always like chatting to wine people.

Cheers

RM

 

[roger mellie]

Doogiechaps Faux Kolsch

Little bit hazy, light carbonation with little head.

Malt driven flavours with sweet caramel notes. I got only a little hop influence but what is there is pleasant and subtle - Floral maybe.
I know Kolsch is ofter described as winey - I think that this effort is too 'medium' to go that way - with the malt and sweet caramel starring the show.

A good effort - well made - enjoyable.

Thanks Doug

RM

 

[recharge]

OK Goats Hefe
I was really struggling to describe this beer but i really enjoyed it.
In fact this whole paying attention to the aroma flavor thing definately has its merits.(but i suck at it )
I get the clove flavor but would have been battling to describe this had it not been mentioned earlier.
Nice beer despite you woes. Thanks

Recharge

Hell thats not very objective, but still a nice beer.

 

[Guest Lurker]

MikeB Belgian Wit
Good carb. No beer the night before pale lemon pee colour. Fine head with good lacing. Slightly cloudy. Seems to have the right sort of spicy tang aroma. Low body, low malt, clean tangy spritzy light flavoured refreshing beer. A lot of flavour for a starting gravity of 1.027. For me a little over bittered but on a hot day that works. Seems like a good attempt at style to me, not that I would know, and a very tasty light beer.

Deebee Beer by David
Good head and retention, too dark a colour to describe as pee, unless you have blackwater fever. Bready malty in a dry sort of way, clean. It seemed a little over bittered initially, but as it warmed up the balance was pretty good. Actually I think this beer would be great through a hand pump, and I enjoyed it a lot. Let me know when it goes on sale in Mosman Park.

Clay APA
Good creamy head. Aroma is grapefruit and diacetyl. Quite a few beers the night before golden pee colour. Bit cloudy. Good malt background, citrusy grapefruit hop flavour, which doesnt really continue to the finish, and is a bit masked by diacetyl, has just enough bitterness for me, maybe a little low for an APA. A nice balanced beer, probably drank it too early as the yeast would probably have cleaned up the diacetyl if left a bit longer.

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

Beer by David
Nice and lively not over the top, amber to copper colour, hazy.Subtle citrus hop aroma that lingers. Nice balance with hop flavour throughout suggesting frequent additions to the boil. Happy with this one

Ashers NS Ale
Big bold head, huge soapy bubbles and plenty of carbonation. light malty aroma with a whiff of the NS grapeiness. Surprisingly malt driven, I was expecting a Sauvin hop monster for some reason but a definate toffee note is evident. Joe White pilsner?
An excellent brew.

Amitas Wit
Well carbed, nice head that thins out but hangs around, light straw pilsner colour. Sulpher pong that goes away.Thin body but plenty of lingering flavour and complexity, orange is there. As it warmed up it went clear as a bell which would suggest a chill haze. Where did the colour come from, looks like a pilsner rather than a classic hazy Wit. But all in all a nice beer.

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

GL -
On your new beer colour scale, how would you describe a stout?

 

[Guest Lurker]

GL -
On your new beer colour scale, how would you describe a stout?

Before I invented my new colour scale, I checked, there arent any stouts in the case. But...ever met anybody with Dengue fever?

 

[randyrob]

Hey Guys,

here's my recipe for the Xmas Case as soon as i seem to have packed all my drinking notes for the beers i've tried in
the move so once i find them along with all the other stuff i can't seem to find i'll post em up.

i can't believe i ate a deep fried cornetto.....and enjoyed it! good times, good times

AMERICAN PALE ALE (SANDGROPER XMAS CASE '07)

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 40.00 Wort Size (L): 40.00
Total Grain (kg): 9.55
Anticipated OG: 1.052 Plato: 12.77
Anticipated EBC: 16.0
Anticipated IBU: 36.3
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
81.7 7.80 kg. JWM Export Pilsner Australia 1.037 3
5.2 0.50 kg. JWM Wheat Malt Australia 1.040 4
5.2 0.50 kg. JWM Crystal 140 Australia 1.035 145
5.2 0.50 kg. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 16
2.6 0.25 kg. CaraPilsner France 1.035 20

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
29.00 g. Columbus Pellet 13.70 29.0 45 min.
50.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.70 7.3 15 min.
100.00 g. Willamette Whole 5.00 0.0 0 min.


Yeast
-----
US-05

 

[randyrob]

ahh managed to find some of the piccys on my thumb drive



this beer presented in the glass amazingly, big on carbonation and an brilliant head that would just not disipate.
please tell me there was a chunk of wheat in this beer ash. loved the colour yellow with a bit of cloudiness thrown
in perfect beer in this kind of weather, didnt acutally pick nelson sauvin to begin with even tho it was written on the bottle d'uh!



mmm....pear was my initial reaction to this beer, kind of like drinking a really mellow hefe i thought another great beer out of the USB factory. soo morish...



this beer taste very polished and almost tinny if that makes any sense.



v low on carbonation with a massive flavour burst of some pretty insane hops would have taste lovely straight out of the tap.

 

[Kai]

Kai's Classic American Cream Ale

Another first for me - I need to get out more.

Little bit murky, straw coloured, well carbonated, lingering head. Bready yeasty aroma when first opened that subsided over time.

The Saaz Nobleness is evident and lingering - but I also get citrus and straw?. I'm not quite sure why the beer is called a cream ale? I found it to be quite a delicate beer, crisp and tart with a silky mouthfeel. I could quite happliy quaff this - 'refreshing' I think would be my closing comment.

And whats this 500 ml's - it was over before it began.

Good effort Kai - was good to meet you and your sister at the swap - always like chatting to wine people.

Cheers

RM

Cheers, Roger. I think the sibling had a good time at the swap, she certainly socialised a lot more than I did, I just drank everyone's beer.

Blowed if I know why the yanks chose the name cream ale but I reckon it's a great style. The Saaz was actually Tasmanian, I was initially dissatisfied with it but have changed my mind and think it goes really well.

And apologies to everyone for the smaller bottle, I didn't have enough longies and wanted to keep a few bottles for myself. Next year I promise it'll be 750's, I'll just brew a double batch so I get some too.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Recharge Khazi Golden Ale
Amber colour, I have peed this colour before after a big night but was so dehydrated I couldnt stand up at the time. Mostly caramel malt aroma. My PET bottle was squishy, very low carbonation, consequently not much head. Sweet caramel malty beer with enough bitterness to balance and give it a nice clean finish. Very drinkable.

Randy Rob APA
Amber colour, good carb, fine lacy head. Not bright but not murky either. Aroma is citrus, grapefruit and just a whiff of malt. Hop driven, citrusy, crisp flavour, with just enough soft malt to match, well balanced, with a long lingering zingy bitterness at the end that turns up all over the tongue, not just down the sides, and isnt harsh. A very good beer.

Sinkas Divine Hammer Christmas beer
A moderate hiss on opening, lowish carbonation. Dark amber colour. A bloke couldnt pee that colour and live to tell the tale. Aroma is candy and pear esters, with some Christmas cake thrown in. Head didnt last well which could be the alcohol or more likely the pork sausages I was eating at that time. Flavour is very Christmasy raisins, plums, golden syrup, pears and a little alcohol warmth but the alcohol is well hidden. The golden syrup disappears by the finish, and it finishes fruity but clean. For me a complex, interesting tasty beer, that so far is the most Christmasy, I wouldnt mind a drier finish (What was the FG?), but very good, and not a bad use of the dreaded dark crystal.

 

[deebee]

I have peed this colour before after a big night but was so dehydrated I couldnt stand up at the time.

You sat down to pee, then checked the colour?

 

[Doogiechap]

Ashers NS Summer Ale.
After digging trenches around my garden beds all day I was looking forward to this one and was not disapointed !
Grapefruit is what sums this up, both in aroma and flavor but certainly not overbearing. The carbonation was on the upper but for me was just what I was after . Lovely head that lasted all the way to the bottom. Mrs Doogiechap also liked this one. I loved the refreshing slightly hop orientated balance.
Thanks Asher for a top drop !
Cheers
Doug

 

[roger mellie]

Randy Rob APA
Amber colour, good carb, fine lacy head. Not bright but not murky either. Aroma is citrus, grapefruit and just a whiff of malt. Hop driven, citrusy, crisp flavour, with just enough soft malt to match, well balanced, with a long lingering zingy bitterness at the end that turns up all over the tongue, not just down the sides, and isnt harsh. A very good beer.

GL

Surely a mistake - there is no reference to pee?

RM

 

[sinkas]

Sinkas Divine Hammer Christmas beer
A moderate hiss on opening, lowish carbonation. Dark amber colour. A bloke couldnt pee that colour and live to tell the tale. Aroma is candy and pear esters, with some Christmas cake thrown in. Head didnt last well which could be the alcohol or more likely the pork sausages I was eating at that time. Flavour is very Christmasy raisins, plums, golden syrup, pears and a little alcohol warmth but the alcohol is well hidden. The golden syrup disappears by the finish, and it finishes fruity but clean. For me a complex, interesting tasty beer, that so far is the most Christmasy, I wouldnt mind a drier finish (What was the FG?), but very good, and not a bad use of the dreaded dark crystal.

Gald you managed to drink it,
yes carbonation is far too low, which accentuates the 1016 finish,
In my opinion now a very average beer, but one that had a great deal of hope and artistic passion wasted on it.

 

[mika]

Kinda like last years SaisonWeizen then

 

[kook]

Mike B's Wit

Pours a cloudy pale yellow colour with a medium sized, long lasting head. Nice fine carbonation visible. Great aroma of citrus, coriander and other spice. Loads of spice flavour all the way through, with a dry bitter finish. Thin bodied, but very refreshing. Amazing flavours considering the low ABV.

I really enjoyed this, but would prefer slightly more body and sweetness from the wheat & malt. Maybe a really high mash temp would help? It might detract from the light summery feel of the beer though. Nice work.

 

[roger mellie]

Too windy to venture oot in the boat so a cooling beer instead.

Simon W's Amber Ale

I felt the bottle - seemed hard - which distracts me - I was thinking GL - you have a simple colour scale based on wee. Will you at any stage be formulating a PET hardness scale or a how long the head lasts scale - just wondering.

Back to Simons Beer - Honey/Orange colour - quite dark - lowish carbonation but the head did loiter for the entire glass which was good. First taste confirmed what my nose had smelt - there is Chinook in them thar bubbles. Honey flavours dictate the initial taste but the obvious grapefuit bitterness is quick to erase the malty/honeyed flavours. Appealing silky mouthfeel and the chinook prolongs the experience - excessively good length.

In all - my kind of beer - a shame I only have one bottle - would like to come back to this one in a month.

Good effort Simon

RM

 

[roger mellie]

Beer by David

Honeyed hue - but quite Murky - perfect carbonation - spritzy and clean.

Really enjoyable pint this - I would agree with GL and say that with less carbonation this would be a top bitter type pint. Lovely Munich maltyness well balanced with the amarillo. The bitterness carries to the end.

Top Draw :icon_cheers:

RM

 

[Guest Lurker]

Asher Junctyard Sauvin Ale (Fletchs bottle) vs Knappstein lager (stole it off AusDB)
Ashers is more hazy (goes as it warms) and has better head retention. Colour and carbonation are similar, equivalent to 2 pints the night before pee colour. A bit of malt aroma in Ashers, not in Knappstein. Hop aroma and flavour in Ashers is grapey but also very citrus and grapefruit. In Knapstein it is more winey and grapey with much less citrus. Overall they are similar, but Ashers is more bitter, more fruity, more fresh and a more complex beer. The more crisp Knappstein lager is a bit one dimensional. I let them both warm up, couldnt find kerosene in either, did get some cat pee from Kanppstein. Both good beers, but I would rather drink Ashers.