Vic Xmas 2009 Case Swap - Tasting Thread

[Fents]

I for one am extremely disappointed at the infection my beer appears to have got. A few firsts for me on this batch, first liquid yeast, first time fermented in the shed (instead of the house), and first time bottled in the shed...I suspect I have picked up something floating around in the shed (thinking pollen-borne), but also won't use a liquid yeast anytime soon either

hey at least your taps were probably cleaner than mine!

 

[Leigh]

Thanks for the kind words fellas, no problems with me stopping brewing just yet...just need to find time again! A little annoyed with myself more than anything!

I have yet to check my taps Fents, have a CO2 leak I have to find first...

So do you get the picture that it just aint all working well at my place right now? A few weeks off over Xmas will hopefully sort it all out :chug:

 

[beerDingo]

19. Fents - cream ale

SPEWING! This was a great beer out of the tap!!!
Had a sip, and was very dissapointed! Gave Dan a sip(I told him it was your cream ale), and he made a funny face...
Oh well next time... I'm making a cream ale tomorrow, if I get pilsner grain cracked tonight(and maybe a swim)!

 

[Hutch]

Thanks for the kind words fellas, no problems with me stopping brewing just yet...just need to find time again! A little annoyed with myself more than anything!

I have yet to check my taps Fents, have a CO2 leak I have to find first...

So do you get the picture that it just aint all working well at my place right now? A few weeks off over Xmas will hopefully sort it all out :chug:

Hey Leigh, I know it's really dissapointing loosing a batch, even more so with the expense of trying a liquid yeast , but don't give up on the liquids with one bad experience. It's been said many times before, and I'm strongly of the opinion that you just can't get the same quality and complexity of flavours from dried yeast, despite their obvious convenience and simplicity. The key to liquids, IMHO, is to kick it off with a good sized starter (say 1-2Ltr) a few days before pitching into the brew. A stir-plate really helps too!

Hope you get your CO2 issues sorted, and back brewing again soon.

 

[WarmBeer]

9. Leigh - Dusseldorf Alt

Sorry mate, was all vinegar and band-aids

 

[manticle]

#23: Brewmeister70: Ringwood Special Bitter

Pours with a tight white head that thins.

Colour is golden/amber, slightly hazy

Aroma is malty with a slight hint of hop.

Malty flavours with a hint of toffee/caramel. Lingering subtle bitterness which nicely balances out that malt and caramel. Full bodied, medium-low carbonation which suits perfectly.

Not much more to say except this is a really nice beer. I'm going to attempt to culture the yeast from the bottle. As much my personal preference for malty styles of ale as anything else but I'd probably rate the russian imperial stout and this as my favourites of the swap so far.

I'll be checking the recipe thread for this one.

 

[Brewmeister70]

I'm glad you enjoyed it Manticle. It was very experimental with the Belgian malts (as well as that weirdo oat crystal malt) and a yeast I'd never tried in my beers but was good out of the keg.

It's also good that you got to it after the green apple character has subsided because mine in the swap bottle tasted a week ago was very different to the kegged version, which I understand has been a problem for bottles filled over the hot nights of the swap period.

If you were a fan of this, Hutch gave me some great feedback in recipe development as he knows this yeast and style well. Maybe PM him for some more input?

Cheers,

:icon_cheers:

 

[manticle]

#7: Brendo: Galaxy pale ale

I'm not sure if this is the same beer we brewed at the ABBD.

Pours with a tight white head, dissipates to thin lacing which remains.

Colour - amber/brown. Good clarity.

Slight hop aroma with maltiness underneath. Light toffee notes.

Medium carbonation, sherberty mouthfeel, nice body. Rich maltiness with fruitiness from the hops, light lingering bitterness.

Seems really well balanced to me. More malt as it warms. There's a slight tang of something at the end of the palate as it warms up though - not sure what that is. One of those things that's so subtle you wonder if it's your imagination which it well might be. If no other brewer picks it up it probably is. Otherwise delicious.

I have my last bottle of ABBD galaxy saved as the phenolics seemed to dissipate with time so if there's any of yours and SJ's left we should do that comparative tasting. Obviously I'll bring some more successful beers along as well.

 

[WarmBeer]

7: Brendo: Galaxy pale ale

As above, with regard to the taste and smell. I'm not a big fan of Galaxy, but it's not as "in your face" as some beers I've tried.

Saying that, I find the body, and maltiness, a little too heavy. I still think it's a good beer, but I'd be looking for something a little lighter for a casual Friday night drink.

( B ) Thanks, Brendo

Edit: Just read your recipe, and I guess the reason I'm not getting as much overt passionfruit on the nose is yours is mostly a 20 min addition or more.

 

[seemax]

Been too busy to take detailed notes, but in summary...

#7 - Good beer but was also expecting a more "in your face" fruitiness.

#5 - 4*'s Viet Lager hit the spot on a hot day. Excellent replication of the "style".

#24 - WW's summer ale has been one of my faves.... do you have any left to perhaps swap with ??

#15 - One of the better weizens I've tried recently, nice and subtle... low on phelonics.

#10 - Excellent porter, went very quickly!!

#19 - cream ale... serious vinegar action.. sorry (not that I can talk)

#17a - mid range IPA, good hop bite, decent maltiness... but too fruity for me (S-04 yeah?)

 

[brendo]

Thanks Manticle - it is the same recipe, but I tricked up the hops a little.

It is interesting as the kegged version is more in your face with the hop profile and more aroma too - I will have to try another bottle shortly.

As for the taste - it is not your imagination - I believe it is a character of the galaxy hops. It is almost green apple - but definitely not acetylaldehyde but rather something I find consistently with the hop regardless of age and conditioning of the beer.

Either way - glad you enjoyed it and def up for the comparison at some stage.

Cheers

brendo

 

[manticle]

Being generally keener on malt than a whack in the face with a hop boot, I was not disappointed.

 

[Fourstar]

17a. Zebba - "Redcoats" IPA

Thick moussy head, hazy copper to gold in appearance
Score:1.5/3

soapy phenolics, light tin/metal aroma, some malt, not much else.
Score:4/12

Metallic and soapy palate, some sweet malt present, smooth botterness but cannot get past the unfortunate infection. Hop characteristics are too masked by the off flavours, sorry. Finish is somewhat 'clean'
Score: 7/20

Thin to moderate mody, high carbonation, some hop astringency in the finish.
Score: 2/5

An unfortunate infection has ruined this beer. I used to have a similar infection profile w/long term bottle storage that i can only put down to not thoroughly cleaning and sanitising my bottles/equiptment at this stage. I will assume its an issue with your bottling process. In future, ensue all equiptment is thoroughly cleaned and sanisied to avoid this bottle infection. I had a perception of the recipe somwbhat in the flavour. The unfortunate issue is this kind of infection strips all of the qualities of this beer and its hard to pick the key features of an IPA thru this problem. I hope this feedback helps for future bottling.
Score: 2/10

Overall 16.5/50

 

[brendo]

Yeah I know what you mean Manticle - just interesting how the hops aren't as prominent in the bottle when compared to a keg.

 

[chris.taylor.98]

7. Brendo - Galaxy Amber Ale

Aroma 7/12

Citrus, piney hop

Some background malt, but expect more for an amber ale

No esters


Apperance 3/3

Deep gold, persistant off white head, clear


Flavour 14/20

Dominant hop flavour same as aroma, citrus piney with a hint of passionfruit.

Medium bitterness, very balanced

Bready malt sweetness but not out of balance with hops, would expect more for this style

Dry finish

Clean, with no noticable fruity esters


Mouthfill 4/5

Medium to full bodied, great finish with loads of hop oil to help it slide down the pallate.


Overall Impression 7/10

Great beer Brendo. Really enjoyed it. For me this came across a lot more like an APA them an AAA. Think it needs a bit more pale crystal to try and break through the high hopping rate.


35/50

 

[brendo]

Thanks Chris - glad you enjoyed it mate. I agree with you - I would put it at the top end of the scale for an APA rather than an amber.

Cheers

brendo

 

[zebba]

#17a - mid range IPA, good hop bite, decent maltiness... but too fruity for me (S-04 yeah?)

Yes

An unfortunate infection has ruined this beer. I used to have a similar infection profile w/long term bottle storage that i can only put down to not thoroughly cleaning and sanitising my bottles/equiptment at this stage. I will assume its an issue with your bottling process. In future, ensue all equiptment is thoroughly cleaned and sanisied to avoid this bottle infection. I had a perception of the recipe somwbhat in the flavour. The unfortunate issue is this kind of infection strips all of the qualities of this beer and its hard to pick the key features of an IPA thru this problem. I hope this feedback helps for future bottling.

Took that advice after Kleiny had the same problem. Last bottling run involved sodium perc, a power drill and bottlebrush, then idophur. Fingers crossed.

And my apologies.

 

[notung]

12. Hairofthedog - imperial stout -

This beer is black as the ace of spades with a creamy yet quickly dissipating head.

Aroma-wise I got a strong sensation of burnt licorice-flavoured ice cream. Don't get the wrong idea though - it is very pleasant!

The first thing that hit me when I sipped this beer was the full body and treacly sweet taste. It is slightly roasty. There are beautiful malt notes in this brew. A possible downfall may be that I hoped for slightly more malt complexity but I'm not sure if this is a requirement of an imperial stout in style guidelines or whatever. I think my favourite thing about this beer is the subtle hopping. I liked how you swallow your sip and as the sweetness fades the hops colonise your palate in a gentle yet overt way.

Overall this has been my favourite beer of the swap so far. I just love these kind of beers, and this particular one was delicious. I enjoyed it with chocolate for dessert, then drank the leftovers as I brewed this afternoon. HOTD, can you tell us more about the recipe? Was it an extract brew or all grain? What hops are they? How long have you been aging this?

Thanks a lot! :icon_cheers:

 

[Wonderwoman]

#24 - WW's summer ale has been one of my faves.... do you have any left to perhaps swap with ??

thanks! unfortunately none left at the moment (2 other batches all gone after my birthday party last weekend), but I should have more on tap about mid-jan... your welcome to come over for a sample then and to admire my keg setup

 

[Fents]

How long have you been aging this?

hahaha probably about 5 years knowing him.. :lol:

 

[hairofthedog]

24 WW summer ale

top job WW really enjoyed this beer not a lot of malt flavor but a awesome hop combo summers day winner :icon_cheers:

 

[hairofthedog]

12. Hairofthedog - imperial stout -

This beer is black as the ace of spades with a creamy yet quickly dissipating head.

Aroma-wise I got a strong sensation of burnt licorice-flavoured ice cream. Don't get the wrong idea though - it is very pleasant!

The first thing that hit me when I sipped this beer was the full body and treacly sweet taste. It is slightly roasty. There are beautiful malt notes in this brew. A possible downfall may be that I hoped for slightly more malt complexity but I'm not sure if this is a requirement of an imperial stout in style guidelines or whatever. I think my favourite thing about this beer is the subtle hopping. I liked how you swallow your sip and as the sweetness fades the hops colonise your palate in a gentle yet overt way.

Overall this has been my favourite beer of the swap so far. I just love these kind of beers, and this particular one was delicious. I enjoyed it with chocolate for dessert, then drank the leftovers as I brewed this afternoon. HOTD, can you tell us more about the recipe? Was it an extract brew or all grain? What hops are they? How long have you been aging this?

Thanks a lot! :icon_cheers:

thanks for the kind review notung yeah it is all grain its been aged about 12 months the hops are green bullet & if i can find the recipe ill post it

 

[chris.taylor.98]

12. Hairofthedog - imperial stout

Oh boy oh boy oh boy .. is it really true .. a RIS in the case swap :icon_drool2: .. it really must be xmas!!

Tons and tons of roast followed by molasses, liquorice all off the aroma.

Black, and opaque, small dark tan head.

Absolutely bucket-loads of roast with an appreciable malt backbone, perfectly balanced by the stout trademark bitterness, all smoothed over by appreciable amount of alcohol.

Think this is going to take me the rest of the night to get through, but a great follow up to the Imperial Kolsch I had early .. maybe this is going to be an early night

Fantastic beer Hairofthedog. Hard to see anyone topping it from here (and yes this would have to be one of my favorite styles)

 

[hairofthedog]

thanks heaps for the great review chris :icon_cheers:

 

[zebba]

13. Notung - bloodorange honey hefeweizen

Mine had almost no carbonation at all (I did crack it and re-seal after your warning). Shame, as with carbonation I would have loved this. I've had very little experience with this style, but I can see that there is stuff here I'd like, but it needs carb. Some nice flavours there - can really taste the honey (in a good way). I think Chris Taylor said it right earlier when he said with a little tweaking we'd have a winner.

 

[notung]

13. Notung - bloodorange honey hefeweizen

Mine had almost no carbonation at all (I did crack it and re-seal after your warning). Shame, as with carbonation I would have loved this. I've had very little experience with this style, but I can see that there is stuff here I'd like, but it needs carb. Some nice flavours there - can really taste the honey (in a good way). I think Chris Taylor said it right earlier when he said with a little tweaking we'd have a winner.

Thanks heaps for the feedback Zebba. I have noticed the same thing with my bottles of the hefe. Listen, I think I'm never going to much around with bulk priming again. It has failed me bad!!! I agree that the honey is present. A bit lighter in the body and much higher carbonation for the next one. Cheers.

 

[chris.taylor.98]

17. Supra Jim - American Pale Ale
Aroma 7/12

Some hops, but fairly low level. Citrus, piney.

Sweet malt, (doughy bready)

No noticeable yeast esters.


Appearance 2/3

Very slight haze, gold colour, persistent white head, some lacing.

Flavour 13/20

Pleasant but somewhat restrained hop character, with good supporting malt. Slight phenolic most probably hop derived.

Slight harshness in the finish ( could be fermentation issue maybe, or hops still needing some time to age a bit )

Low to moderate bitterness

Dry with slightly harsh finish.

Mouth feel 3/5

Medium body

Medium to high carbonation (good for this style)

Noticeable alcohol


Overall Impression 7/10

Interesting choice of hops, and very easy drinking. More towards the lawn mower end for this style (personally how I prefer them) but would not stand out in a competition (I judge APAs at Beerfest last year). If you want to brew this style for comps I would add some hop tea (french press) hops to add a bit more kick on the flavour aroma side. Also has the benefit of smoothing out the dry finish a bit. The only downside is that you may lose a bit on the clarity, but nothing a bit of settling time won't clear up.

Some minor technical faults. Finished a tad too dry, which also lends a little harshness.

No fermentation issues, very clean.

Overall very refreshing, perfect for a summers evening.

32/50

 

[Hutch]

7. Brendo - Galaxy Amber Ale

Not sure if I had a different beer, but I found this to be quite dark (certainly the dark end of amber), with little hop aroma. Certainly was expecting a lot more prominance from the Galaxy, however it was quite lacking.
Carb and head retention both excellent, some definite chocolate malt character, and a little caramel as well. In the finish, I got a quite distinct sour/mineral flavour, particularly noticable as it warmed. It reminded me of the taste of a yeast starter with a liberal dose of yeast nutrient. I wonder if this has anything to do with the 2tbsp of 5.2pH stabiliser? Seems like a lot to have used with Melbourne water. I recall at ANHC the 5star rep talking about the likelyhood of tasting it if it were used at the recommended dose (1tsp per 20 Ltrs) with soft water.

Sorry Brendo - I'm being brutally honest, and just taking a guess here - not sure if this is what I'm tasting in your beer.
On the positive, there were certainly no adverse fermentation issues to note, it was well balanced and nicely presented, though I found it somewhat hard to get past the mineral aftertaste.
Cheers,
Hutch.

 

[Hutch]

2. Maple - Rye IPA

It's a Rye-volution! Lovely IPA Dave.
Abundent US C-hops, nice sweet malt character, great lingering bitterness, and very restrained higher alcohols. Exceptionally well made, I absolutely love the hop combination - I will definitely be hunting down this recipe! Probably the best swap beer for me so far.
Stellar!
Hutch.

 

[Supra-Jim]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the feedback on the beer. I thought the hop aroma/flavour could be bumped a bit too, next time i make this I think i'll be increasing the flame out addition and probably giving it a little dry hop late in the fermenter.

Now some feedback of my own:

Chris Taylor - English Pale

I really enjoyed this beer, poured a lovely coppery colour with a good thick head that lasted quite well. Realy nice big malty hit with good amount of earthy hop flavours.

Don Mateo - Hefeweizen

Great wheat beer here Don, nicely restrained phenolics (i really don't like banana flavours in wheat beers and this had none!! so i was happy!!). Carb was high and really good, poured a nice thick head, that slowly dissipated.

Cheers SJ