Sydney Easter Case Swap - Drinking Reports

[caleb]

Um... so has anyone drunk mine yet? I've only seen two reviews...

 

[white.grant]

Happy to oblige, seemed to have lost track of impressions posted.

Calebs ESB

7.5.09

Poured vigorously into a nonic for a thick creamy head and a golden, slightly hazy body.

Nice ripe melon aroma, am sensing sweetness. Low carbonation carries malty sweetness , soft toffee and honey up front moving on to a bitter finish that lingers. As the beer warms in the glass the malt sweetness intensifies and brings out a gentle alcohol warmth. Nice one Caleb.

Cheers

Grant

 

[white.grant]

I've got a few more.

No. 1 Retsamham's IPA

Well carbonated, pours clear honey into a nonic with a monumental foam stand. Aroma is all about the hops. Sipping, the hop flavours are assertive but balancing out with the sweeter malt notes underneath before lingering bitterness on the end palate. Nice one.

No. 4 Fatgodzilla's Bright Ale

Opens with a fzzt and pours clear and light into a nonic with a big fluffy head, that strangely keeps on fluffing.
Pleasant aroma of light malt, followed up by some hop notes and yeast phenolics. Very bright mouthfeel, evaporating quickly on the tongue, flavours are quite astringent with a harsh bitterness. Not sure what to make of this one Fatz, its not quite right.

Thommo's Pale Ale

Pours light copper with a slight haze and strong head. Aroma's of fresh fruity hops and some underlying malt. Bright mouthfeel, satisfying hop flavour dominating the malt to a long bitter finish. Cheers Thommo.

Discostu's Sideswap Belgian Dubbel

Pours dark into chalice with a strong off white head. Nice aroma's translating to flavours of pear, dark lemon, darker malt toast and dry alcohol notes on the finish. Very crisp and drinkable. Thanks Stu

 

[DiscoStu]

So I cracked of my case swap entries the other night and I could smell the phenolic medical smell as soon as the cap came off. I actually tipped it down the sink. This does appear to have a fault, I suspect the ferment temp got away from me in the early stages and stressed the yeast as Muggus suggested rather than infection.

Anyway apologies to everyone in the swap, I'm not happy about it but there's bugger all I can do except put in an exceptional entry in the next case swap I summon the courage to enter.

mea culpa

Stu

 

[white.grant]

No worries Stu :icon_cheers: .

The xmas in july swap is on the 25th July and has plenty of room. Get back on the horse.

cheers

grant

 

[Fatgodzilla]

So I cracked of my case swap entries the other night and I could smell the phenolic medical smell as soon as the cap came off. I actually tipped it down the sink. This does appear to have a fault, I suspect the ferment temp got away from me in the early stages and stressed the yeast as Muggus suggested rather than infection.

Stu

Found a few case swap beers in my box and yours was there DS .. will crack over weekend and see if my bottle is infected too .. if not, might help diagnose problem eg was infection inside bottles maybe .. anyway time to see.

No. 4 Fatgodzilla's Bright Ale
Opens with a fzzt and pours clear and light into a nonic with a big fluffy head, that strangely keeps on fluffing.
Pleasant aroma of light malt, followed up by some hop notes and yeast phenolics. Very bright mouthfeel, evaporating quickly on the tongue, flavours are quite astringent with a harsh bitterness. Not sure what to make of this one Fatz, its not quite right.

You may help solve something here Grant. Two problems - the astringency and the harsh bitterness - two seperate problems ? Astringency is possibly too hot sparging water. Have taken better control of that. Anything else jump top mind ?
Harsh bitterness - reckon its a hop bitterness ? I have a theory that by no chilling, I've been exposing hops to prolonged boiling temps, therefore excessive bitterness ? Makes a mess of my Beersmith calculations.

Keen on your opinion

 

[white.grant]

You may help solve something here Grant. Two problems - the astringency and the harsh bitterness - two seperate problems ? Astringency is possibly too hot sparging water. Have taken better control of that. Anything else jump top mind ?
Harsh bitterness - reckon its a hop bitterness ? I have a theory that by no chilling, I've been exposing hops to prolonged boiling temps, therefore excessive bitterness ? Makes a mess of my Beersmith calculations.

Keen on your opinion

I'm no expert Ian, but my thoughts, based on the tasting notes I made, I don't think there was a problem with the wort production, likely more of a fermentation issue.

I felt that the beer had good appearance and a nice malty aroma, energetic head notwithstanding, so its been made well and come through primary fermentation OK. I'm thinking that we're looking at something going awry during secondary fermentation and most likely introduced at bottling.

Not sure what process you use to prime and bottle but I'd start there and work backwards looking closely at everything between the finally enclosed bottle and the end of the primary ferment.

Come to think of it, about time I got a new bottling wand....

cheers

grant