Vic 2017 Xmas in July Case Swap - TASTING

[droid]

You assume too much grasshopper!

I only had bottles at the swap, I handed out some tags earlier in the year at a colab brew., which turned up on a keg at the swap. My marketing is starting to pay off with these tags.

But even so I think Martin picked up DMS in my Euro Lager

 

[MartinOC]

Droid, you're right. It was the Euro Lager I picked up DMS in. It comes across as the smell of canned sweetcorn.

Usually comes from lager/pils malts with a short boil &/or a covered boil. 'Hope that helps.

 

[malt junkie]

the LCBA keg was mine, no DMS in that, under carbed due to the drive, but otherwise was there for a break from the litany of high ABV offerings!

 

[TheWiggman]

Now I'm hella confused.
The Little Creatures keg had 'something' not right with it. I was told there was a keg with classic diacetyl so a few of us gathered around to sample. To my taste/understanding it wasn't, but I definitely agreed it had a butterscotch smell about it which is the common descriptor. [side note: a mate RUINED a beer once with some wort I made with everything that would produce diacetyl (underpitch, UK yeast brewed too cool, bottled too early, stored cool) so that's a fault I can pick up straight away. When I've bottled lagers in the past I got the same flavours. I associate diacetyl with crystal/candied sugar flavour] We all sampled and talked about it, adjusted our monocles and straightened our lapels feeling we'd broadened our knowledge.
Around the campfire the DMS discussion was arisen and somehow - perhaps being about 10 standard drinks under by the point - a few of us mixed us the conversion about droid's lager and the Little Creatures keg. Martin was describing how all he got was creamed corn on the aroma. I was a little baffled because I was thinking of a different beer, hence why I thought the keg was droid's.
Simples!

 

[malt junkie]

also I had a Droid label on it

 

[Mardoo]

Droid, your marketing may be sending the wrong message. Like the Ford Gelding .

BTW your Stout blend was ace. It's going to age in a very interesting fashion. My prediction is that every 6 months it'll be a different beer. Split that sucker into 3 or 4 9-litre kegs and drink one every 6 or 8 months. Should be interesting.

 

[MartinOC]

Gents, my off-sider at work is a National-rated BJCP judge & runs the Melb.-based judge-training sessions.

I'll get into his ear on Monday & see if I can score some "tainting" vials that I can use at the next case swap to introduce everyone to the usually-encountered faults, so everyone can get a handle on them if there's interest in doing so?

It'll mean buying a case (or two) of something bland & awful as the base beer, but might be good as a learning experience for everyone?

I haven't judged in a VERY long time, but I'm happy to walk folks through stuff & do the show & tell with a triangle test.

 

[AJ80]

My marketing is starting to pay off with these tags.

You were pushing keg tags at the swap? Why droid I had no idea. I'm sure I would have taken some if they were offered to me...

 

[AJ80]

10. Shortybronx Sierra Nevada pale ale clone

This is a nice pale ale mate. Dark golden straw colour with minimal haze and a thin head that's juuuuuuust hanging around. A hint of fruit on the nose and that's about it. Flavour is ok, malt bill seems good to me, but the hops are lacking a touch. For my mind, I'd decrease the bitterness just a touch and up the late/dry hops a reasonableness amount. Still Ann enjoyable beer and thank you for sharing. Welcome to the case swap family!

 

[droid]

You were pushing keg tags at the swap? Why droid I had no idea. I'm sure I would have taken some if they were offered to me...

oh yeah, sure

 

[droid]

Droid, you're right. It was the Euro Lager I picked up DMS in. It comes across as the smell of canned sweetcorn.

Usually comes from lager/pils malts with a short boil &/or a covered boil. 'Hope that helps.

Thanks mate, naturally at the time I wanted to slap you but yes, it was a bush brew with a few corners cut

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I missed out on all these questionables, Diacytils and DMS's.
Is that what was going on around the fire circle when the happily inebriated plebs were bagging the spent grains?

Actually very interested in being able to distinguishing these off flavors. I know I have got them before but defining is refinement etc.

 

[Shortybronx]

10. Shortybronx Sierra Nevada pale ale clone

This is a nice pale ale mate. Dark golden straw colour with minimal haze and a thin head that's juuuuuuust hanging around. A hint of fruit on the nose and that's about it. Flavour is ok, malt bill seems good to me, but the hops are lacking a touch. For my mind, I'd decrease the bitterness just a touch and up the late/dry hops a reasonableness amount. Still Ann enjoyable beer and thank you for sharing. Welcome to the case swap family!

Cheers mate. I really have no idea in the beer world so i just fumbled along. Glad it wasnt to bad.

 

[AJ80]

The wiggman hater's wheat

Haters gonna hate, taters gonna po-tate.

Nice wheat beer mate. Lots of clove on the nose, cloudy golden straw appearance and great head retention and glass lacing. Flavour is really well balanced between clove, bubblegum and banana. This is a very enjoyable beer. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TheWiggman]

4. AJ - Grapefruit Pale
Timely. Looks textbook, slightly hazy with a standard orange / lightly burnt copper hue. On the fizzier side of carb which for mine is par. A hint of hops and bitter citrus on the nose. Flavour-wise... a winner. It's a US pale ale with nothing that shouts out and everything that talks collectively. I recall others saying otherwise, but I'm getting a hint of grapefruit on the citrus edge of the hops and a tangy aftertaste that reminds me of that feeling on your teeth about 10 mins after devouring a juicy grapefruit after breakfast. Honestly to my tastes the balance is superb.
This is up there with Nullnvoid's showing last year. I'm finding very little to fault, I hope I grabbed two of these.
Ed: I like grapefruit, a polarising fruit but an important qualier

 

[Midnight Brew]

8a American Rye - Grumpy Paul
Deep golden colour with little head and a hint of fruit ester in the aroma. Flavour is well balanced, malt sweet upfront then a nice refreshing spicy bitterness (I assume rye lends to the spicey edge). The bitterness is smooth. Very smooth. The flavour reminds me of this wheat beer ferment I had where I got this bubblegum charter that was quiet pleasant, this beer has that character toned down heaps but still pleasant. The body is quiet full, even with the small amount of carbonation. This beer is filling.

I really love that yeast character, what yeast did you use and what temperature?
How much rye?

 

[mofox1]

The wiggman hater's wheat

Haters gonna hate, taters gonna po-tate.

Nice wheat beer mate. Lots of clove on the nose, cloudy golden straw appearance and great head retention and glass lacing. Flavour is really well balanced between clove, bubblegum and banana. This is a very enjoyable beer. Thanks for sharing.

I've been holding back on the reviews a bit. This was a standout brew for me. Not because of any particular attribute, but, like what you said about AJ's beer, it doesn't "scream" anything (yeah, looking at my brews here). It's nicely tied together, very clean palate other than the obvious wheat presence. I got the clove and somewhat subdued banana, but not the bubblegum which for me is a good thing. Decent carb and light body meant this went down fairly quick.

The only detractor is that I'm usually rather seasonal with my wheat beers... Bring on summer and bring on the wheats!

 

[GrumpyPaul]

8a American Rye - Grumpy Paul
Deep golden colour with little head and a hint of fruit ester in the aroma. Flavour is well balanced, malt sweet upfront then a nice refreshing spicy bitterness (I assume rye lends to the spicey edge). The bitterness is smooth. Very smooth. The flavour reminds me of this wheat beer ferment I had where I got this bubblegum charter that was quiet pleasant, this beer has that character toned down heaps but still pleasant. The body is quiet full, even with the small amount of carbonation. This beer is filling.

I really love that yeast character, what yeast did you use and what temperature?
How much rye?

The yeast is just Mangrove Jacks M44 US West Coast. - so it really wasnt a wheat yeast as such.I really dont know how it got that bubblegum/wheat flavour.

I dont know if re-using the yeast after it was used in the sour has any affect on the yeast or not. It was fermented at 18 until finished then cranked up to 22 for a D-rest for a couple of days before chilling

 

[Midnight Brew]

The yeast is just Mangrove Jacks M44 US West Coast. - so it really wasnt a wheat yeast as such.I really dont know how it got that bubblegum/wheat flavour.

I dont know if re-using the yeast after it was used in the sour has any affect on the yeast or not. It was fermented at 18 until finished then cranked up to 22 for a D-rest for a couple of days before chilling

Worked for me either way haha it managed to get in there.

 

[TheWiggman]

Was it not just the rye?