Sandgroper Xmas 2007 Recipes And Tasting

[Kai]

ausdb's lost mojo:

good fizz on opening the PET, hazy pour. Strong amber colour. Crisp assertive bitterness follows after a deceptively mild aroma. Good hop aroma too, I'm not even going to take a stab at identifying it. Whatever it is though, it's got a good honeyed crisp malt backing.

I think it's my last beer of the case too, since I cannot find any more. I had to polish off the remainder tonight to alleviate the fact that too many of the elder gentry beat me to the finishing line.

 

[Guest Lurker]

How's the head Kai?

 

[mika]

tastes like it finshed 1.025-1.030.

Actually finished at 1014, so interesting that you get sweetness out of it.

doesn't taste 40 IBU.

I'd believe it as I get the impression that I don't get good hop utilisation on my system.

I was worried about using a bunch of crystal malts in this beer and then trying to get it dry enough without being a big sweet syrup. However I think that with that much alcohol in there it's hiding the subtle spices. Maybe just need to take the Texan approach, Bigger is Better ! and add more spices next time.

I've got 4 bottles left over that I will 'cellar' for up to a year. If we have a mid-year swap I'll bring a long one for tasting and 2L of cooking oil so if we don't like it we can deep fry it !

 

[randyrob]

Recharge Golden Ale

this was a nice malty beer with just a whiff of hops, didn't get a big bitterness more balanced towards the malt profile quite refreshing beer thanks!




Amita Wit

colour good, nice clarity, head good, smells ok perhaps a little thin for me but my mates would have probably loved it.

Rob.

 

[Kai]

How's the head Kai?

Surprisingly good. Someone vandalised my kitchen while I slept last night, though.

I think I really enjoyed the case.

 

[Simon W]

...
I'm almost tempted to organise a mid year one.....
...

I'd been thinking a WinterWarmer Case Swap could work... looks like the ball is rolling and there's enough interest already. I'll be there with a bottle of oil and maybe a donut maker. Donut's and beer? :huh:


Just a reminder that I'm crap at this, but here goes...
RM's Pilsner
Poured a nice straw colour with a very, very faint almost non existent haze and a small head that faded quickly.
A sweet aroma that was kinda like grapes. First taste went thru quick transitions: Grape/wine to a bitter bite that was followed by a smooth malty taste finishing with a second bitterness that lingered, even strengthening. Strong hop flavour but beyond my ability to name it. Very nice.

Clay APA
Poured a slightly cloudy, dark straw colour. Spot-on carbonation that propped up a nice pillowy head that lingered and laced -- Looks like I got my glass problem sorted... with 4 beers to go
A nice Cascade or Amarillo aroma. Flavour is citrusy but soon makes way for a kinda toasted/roasted almost smokey malt taste... or maybe its the hops, I really can't describe it.
Sharp bitternes with a bite that lingers for some time. Good stuff.

 

[sinkas]

Rude kid Pils
Astonishingly sweet hop flavour, for a minute I was worried that it was too sweet, but once I realised its was just the hop flavour complimenting the malt backbone, I was happy. Damn Good Brew.

The Divine Hammer (for you indi music buffs this was a Breeders reference)
Yes this is my own, but I thought id share my thoughts.
Im sorry I didnt bottle condition this one.
My last pint (yes pint) was poured this evening, and I was impressesed, none of the diacetyle really prominant like the chrismas case CP filled bottles, To me this tastes exactly like the melanoidins of the slightly burnt glaze on the outside of a Adealide Hills bakery christmas cake, rasins, prune, dark cherry, with that slight sourness of the undisclosed late yeast addition, that begs for Paris Creek butter, or St Agnes Brandy sauce.
Not perfect, and not a great summer beer, but bearable enough to knock your socks off. 2 pints a bit much.

 

[ausdb]

If the grand convener is tempted to do a mid-year case to give the opportunity for winter beers to shine through, then I would happily support it. I'd even bring 2 litres of oil.

Plus a stubby of this years case beer for everyone to makeup for the shortfall

 

[ausdb]

ausdb's lost mojo:

good fizz on opening the PET, hazy pour. Strong amber colour. Crisp assertive bitterness follows after a deceptively mild aroma. Good hop aroma too, I'm not even going to take a stab at identifying it. Whatever it is though, it's got a good honeyed crisp malt backing.

Hopping was hallertauer hersbrucker and czech saaz for flavour, aroma and at end of boil and then for good measure about 5 plugs of czech saaz in the hopback as well. I was bit disappointed with the colour a lot darker than my last attempt at this beer, it think the crystal I used was different, I will put the recipe up tonight. Sounds like it is settling down in the bottle now compared to earlier reviews.

 

[Tony M]

The reviews so far. I hope I haven't mixed too many up.

View attachment 2007_Xmas_Case..doc

 

[amita]

Tony, thanks very much for all that work !!!TOP JOB!!!
I really appreciated it, makes it very easy and clear to read and acknowledge what and how other people reviewed the beers,

thanks again,

cheers amita

 

[roger mellie]

Barfridges Deuchars IPA

I have had plenty of this in Edinburgh on tap and enjoyed it - all I can say is it doesn't travel well.

Has a disturbing burnt character - and a stale tea flavour.

RM

 

[deebee]

Chilla's Alt
Colour a little like cloudy coca cola. Head dissipates quickly. Dont know what to compare this with as the only commercial example of this I have drunk was Bug Alt many years ago and I reckon I got an off pint. So not sure where to start with another unfamiliar style. This beer was mainly malt-driven: a burnt toffee kind of malt. Hops flavour and aroma very subtle. Perhaps underbittered? Still an enjoyable beer.

Simon W's Amber Ale
I went out netting mullet with my Dad in the Peel Estuary at Mandurah last night. Later on, while the old boy was cleaning the fish I poured us a couple of glasses of this and cleaned up the gear. I was too busy to take notes so this is from memory the next day. Only a little fart on opening, but not obviously undercarbed. It is the colour of an amber ale. Amber, that is. Has a big malty profile and a toffee or caramel flavour about it. Big cascade/centennial/chinook flavour and aroma and seems more bitter than 25-28 IBU to me. At his first sip, Dad said, "God, this is lovely." He was up to his shoulders in mullet guts, a tiny artery squirt across his face and he had scales stuck to his glasses, but I reckon he got it right in one.

Lost Mojo Ale
I drank this straight after Simon Ws amber ale while I was picking weed out of the mullet net. Again, no notes and I can't remember much about this beer, except I enjoyed it and my Mum said: "Ooh, that's really nice." For me I really liked the hops aroma though the bitterness seemed unbalanced, slightly too harsh or something. Was it too dry? Not from what the other reviews said. Sorry my memory isn't better.

Rude Kid Pilsener
Drinking this now and it looks very classy: clear and bright, perhaps undercarbed, but still with a good head. It smells beautiful: freshly baked bread maltiness and noble hops: a killer combo for me. Is there also something US and citrusy in the hops aroma? I must give these D Saaz a try. A sweet honey side to the aroma is a little distracting but I reckon this would be blended in given another month. I personally love that gorgeous biscuity malt flavour -- I use a lot of Munich malt in my beers -- but this one isn't quite dry enough for a perfect score. I sometimes miss diacetyl that others pick up in a beer, and I definitely didn't get any here. I just think it's a minor attenuation problem that will clear up in a month. Prolly no bottles left by then. No matter. This is a really good beer. Always love a Viz reference Rog.

 

[ant]

Actually finished at 1014, so interesting that you get sweetness out of it.
I'd believe it as I get the impression that I don't get good hop utilisation on my system.

I was worried about using a bunch of crystal malts in this beer and then trying to get it dry enough without being a big sweet syrup. However I think that with that much alcohol in there it's hiding the subtle spices. Maybe just need to take the Texan approach, Bigger is Better ! and add more spices next time.

I've got 4 bottles left over that I will 'cellar' for up to a year. If we have a mid-year swap I'll bring a long one for tasting and 2L of cooking oil so if we don't like it we can deep fry it !

Yeah, I suspect this is a big part of my palate education - I tend to rate a beer 10 to 15 points higher in FG when MO or GP used in significant quantities. I thought it had enough dry to it to be balanced, it justed "sweet" to my undecuated palate, but that's just my perception of the malts. Will be really interesting to see how the spices come out over the next 6-12 months.

The Divine Hammer (for you indi music buffs this was a Breeders reference)
Yes this is my own, but I thought id share my thoughts.
Im sorry I didnt bottle condition this one.
My last pint (yes pint) was poured this evening, and I was impressesed, none of the diacetyle really prominant like the chrismas case CP filled bottles, To me this tastes exactly like the melanoidins of the slightly burnt glaze on the outside of a Adealide Hills bakery christmas cake, rasins, prune, dark cherry, with that slight sourness of the undisclosed late yeast addition, that begs for Paris Creek butter, or St Agnes Brandy sauce.
Not perfect, and not a great summer beer, but bearable enough to knock your socks off. 2 pints a bit much.

Late yeast addition huh? Whatever it was took off in my bottle, soured it up beautifully, and it was great. This was my pick of the case.


Did I mention how much I enjoyed the case?

 

[roger mellie]

Rude Kid Pilsener
Drinking this now and it looks very classy: clear and bright, perhaps undercarbed, but still with a good head. It smells beautiful: freshly baked bread maltiness and noble hops: a killer combo for me. Is there also something US and citrusy in the hops aroma? I must give these D Saaz a try. A sweet honey side to the aroma is a little distracting but I reckon this would be blended in given another month. I personally love that gorgeous biscuity malt flavour -- I use a lot of Munich malt in my beers -- but this one isn't quite dry enough for a perfect score. I sometimes miss diacetyl that others pick up in a beer, and I definitely didn't get any here. I just think it's a minor attenuation problem that will clear up in a month. Prolly no bottles left by then. No matter. This is a really good beer. Always love a Viz reference Rog.

Thanks for the comments DB.

How would you amend the grain bill ? What % Of Munich - I was pretty happy with the thinness so would look at keeping the Rice. Am going to do this one again this weekend I think.

4.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 84.9 %
0.40 kg Rice, Flaked (2.0 EBC) Grain 7.5 %
0.30 kg Wheat Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.0 EBC) Grain 5.7 %
0.10 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 1.9 %

I got the FG down to 1.007 which I though would transfer into a dry lager - obvoiusly not with the sweetness of the D Saaz - I reckon this would go well with NS as the sole hop also - but then again I love NS.

10/10 BTW - there was the remnants of a packet of Amarillo - probably only 10g at flameout.

And no - there is none left.

RM

Edit : And As I think I have said before - this is Ross's base recipe (grain bill) - so I take no kudos there.

 

[deebee]

How would you amend the grain bill ? What % Of Munich

I'm a bit scared to suggest how to amend the bill; I really enjoyed this beer. It might be interesting with some Munich though. Maybe replace half the pils malt with munich and mash no higher than 66? Hesitate to mess with a successful recipe though.


DB

 

[Goat]

Kai's Caca

this in an interesting one... a bit hazing straw colour with healthy white cream-textured head which really lasted the whole drink. Full mouthfeel considering the cleanness of the flavours (I assume thats the 'cream' part) that you wouldn't really associate with that colour. Didn't pick up any malt in aroma but definitely a english type citrusy hoppiness which was more evident in the flavour. A really great beer and the bottom of the glass came far too quickly. In fact, there may need to be adjudication from the Capt'n, but I'm not sure this was a regulation size vessel and as such demand the rest of my allotment !

 

[Kai]

I plead the fifth.

5) A longneck can be plastic or glass' date=' it contains between 500 and 800 ml of beer, 750 ml is best but anywhere in the range is OK.[/b']

Can I also plead being difficulty coming to terms with the notion of giving away almost an entire batch? These are my babies, I had to drink at least a few of the litter.

 

[recharge]

RR's Lucky 13
Sorry i didn't do this beer any favours as it fell out of my keg fridge and bust its seal right after i poured a pint.
What to do (was already a little done up) Glad wrapped my pint put back in fridge and carefully removed the seal.
As you can gather it poured a slightly murky amber colour.
Carbonation was still good and had a mild bite.
Nice aroma and flavour with a sorta citrusy up front hop character with a decent amount of hop flavour to back it up.
I'm not really good at describing beers but this was still another excellent drop from the Sandgroper offerings.

Then i finished my pint and went to work next day with a headache and brewed a batch.

Regards

Rich

PS I'm in for Xmas in july (is everyone refilling 500ml bottles for Kai :lol: :lol: :lol: )
Can bring oil too and something to fry in it.

 

[roger mellie]

Lost Mojo

On the lower end of the carb scale - and probably drunk too early. Murky amber colour with an interesting citrus nose. I get a hessian aroma as well.

Strong hops on the first taste - malt is there but the hops are dominant - orangey/marmalade flavours dominate - hop flavours are strong at this stage. It misses on appeal because of this unbalance - but a month in the bottle may cure the imbalance - sure isnt lacking in flavour.

I liked this - just drank too early. Surely this must qualify as 'found mojo' - back off on the bittering hop a tad perhaps.

RM