Vic Xmas 2009 Case Swap - Tasting Thread

[brettprevans]

last night I tasted.....ummm nothing. GOD DAMN IT! why am i torturing myself with this thread.

well definitewly seems that Kleiny munich is leading the way by the reviews.
4*'s 'love you long time' larger is exectly as it is meant to be. nothing more, nothing less.
Notung - sounds like you should tweak and resubmit at a future caseswap as you might have a winner on your hands.
Fents - tough break. thank for demomstrating to us the need to clean our taps. That's the real reason you did it wasnt it just to help us.

a note to tasters. mine (#6) is filled straight from the keg to the bottle so carb levels wont be as high as they should. hence the drink now. otherwise it can last ages. its been happily lagering in the keg for about 3 months now.

I expect to see a lot of tasting posts with the weekend upon us.

 

[Kleiny]

I tried this last night and my bottle was infected too . That's really unfortunate timing. If you have some from another batch I'd be happy to try it though

The same.

This is the only swap i have opened so far and i do have notes on it i just have not had the time to post them yet.

Just had Acetlealdehyde all through on the aroma and flavour.

I will post the notes soon

Kleiny

 

[Brewmeister70]

#10 Manticle's Robust Porter (Tried this last night and not working today )

Clear translucent light brown. Medium light tan head. Possibly a bit pale?

Medium intensity roast malt on the nose, low -level earthy hops and minimal yeast character (some banana ester as it warms). Quite clean and inviting.

Very good balance of malt to hop bitterness with both still there at the finish. This seemingly low-gravity version of the style finishes dry with a light to medium body. The subtle banana flavour from the yeast reminds me of Coopers yeast. This seems to be a subtle and very well-balanced version of robust porter with just enough roast malt to lend a dry chocolate character without getting into coffee-type roasted malt flavours. Crystal malt character is also well-judged lending a supporting malt sweetness through the middle without sacrificing a dry finish.

This is a highly drinkable session-style porter that has won me over with its balance and uncomplicated expression of the ingredients. My guess is that this won't be the last time you make this beer, Manticle.

Cheers :super:

 

[Hutch]

...various computers at home are out of action, so I'll be posting delayed tasing notes from memory...

24. Wonderwoman - summer ale

LOVED the lable WW!!! Gave me a laugh...

Pale gold, good carb, very good head retention, a little hazy, though it has only been 3 weeks in the bottle.
The nose was, as expected, pungent - great hop combination, really works well in a summer ale. You dry-hopped this with Galaxy /NS right? Not grassy or over the top, as I would have expected for 30gm of these varieties.
No evident fermentation flaws - very clean, no fusels or acetaldehyde (I'm quite impressed, because I always get green apples with US-05).
The flavour is again dominated by fruity hops, minimal grain flavour, dry and crisp.
Mouth feel was towards dry, though I detect a slight lingering sweet'n'sour from the extract that detracts somewhat from the clean ferment.

For an extract beer this is a credit to you WW.
Perhaps the only suggestion I would make is to balance the prominent hopping with some more malt character and sweetness, subbing in a fair whack of Munich 1, and perhaps a touch of Cara. High %aa varieties like Galaxy and NS can lend a certain astringency, which can seem out of balance with little malt and a dry finish. Otherwise, I think you're on a real winner there...
...and not a touch of Golden Syrup!!!

:icon_cheers:
Hutch.

 

[manticle]

#10 Manticle's Robust Porter (Tried this last night and not working today )

Clear translucent light brown. Medium light tan head. Possibly a bit pale?

Medium intensity roast malt on the nose, low -level earthy hops and minimal yeast character (some banana ester as it warms). Quite clean and inviting.

Very good balance of malt to hop bitterness with both still there at the finish. This seemingly low-gravity version of the style finishes dry with a light to medium body. The subtle banana flavour from the yeast reminds me of Coopers yeast. This seems to be a subtle and very well-balanced version of robust porter with just enough roast malt to lend a dry chocolate character without getting into coffee-type roasted malt flavours. Crystal malt character is also well-judged lending a supporting malt sweetness through the middle without sacrificing a dry finish.

This is a highly drinkable session-style porter that has won me over with its balance and uncomplicated expression of the ingredients. My guess is that this won't be the last time you make this beer, Manticle.

Cheers :super:

Very glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback. My initial impression when it was fermenting was that it was paler than I'd aimed for, despite caramelising a portion of first runnings (basically to a thick dark toffee) and adding some steeped, boiled spec malt liquor a day or so into ferment. I didn't want it to be black like a stout nor brown like a brown ale but that balance may have been missed.

I'll certainly be having another crack at this and I'll be tweaking based on comments received like these.

Interesting about the perceived gravity - my initial recipe calculates around 6.1% (og 1063,). I think my actual gravity was slightly less (maybe 1057) due to getting a higher volume but it also finished a few points lower than expected so I would hazard between 5 and 6% abv.

 

[Wonderwoman]

24. Wonderwoman - summer ale

LOVED the lable WW!!! Gave me a laugh...

thanks for the comments and advice hutch.

as for the label - when I read that description of Mother Bunch - I knew it had to be my brewery name! :lol:

edit: "You dry-hopped this with Galaxy /NS right?" yes

 

[brettprevans]

well guys and gals ive had some feedback on my contribution and it looks like we might have an interesting situation.
I had 2 kegs of my beer. started drinking from keg #1 and it was great. but it meant that i ran out before i could finish bottling. so i hooked up keg #2 and finished bottling.

now the feedback ive had is that there was something wrong with my beer. so it may be that the #2 keg had an infection. so those who got bottles from #1 keg will hopefully get good beer. sorry to those who get #2 keg bottles (if thats the case). I suppose it could have been a bottle issue rather than a keg issue. i gues we will see.

good news is that less than half (maybe even only 1/4) of the swap bottles came from #2keg. I will go home tonight and investigate what #2 keg tastes like from the tap as I havent tried it yet.

 

[manticle]

I got a good one.

Seems to be a few infections already. What's happening there brewers?

 

[Maple]

I see you're having a bit of difficulty keeping away from the beer, perhaps I can store those kegs for you....just trying to help mate...

 

[brettprevans]

I see you're having a bit of difficulty keeping away from the beer, perhaps I can store those kegs for you....just trying to help mate...

I havent had a drink in a couple of weeks (ok bar the case swap). i'll only go home and have a 60ml test sample. besides you've got my keg of golden rye at your place

hook in

 

[Supra-Jim]

Fingers are crossed CM2, I've got your offering lined up for tonights fish n chips feed!!

Cheers SJ

 

[brettprevans]

im fkn spewing about i cause i checked the beer to make sure i didnt contribute a bad batch. guess i should have checked the 2nd keg also.

Since CM2brewery is closed for renovations (well the brewer is anyway), Im going to go postal on the setup, kegs, fermentors, reminaing bottles and make sure anything living thing that shouldnt be there dies!

Fingers crosseed SJ.

Anyone who gets a dodgy bottle, let me know and I'll hook you up with a bottle of something else.

 

[Maple]

im fkn spewing about i cause i checked the beer to make sure i didnt contribute a bad batch. guess i should have checked the 2nd keg also.

Since CM2brewery is closed for renovations (well the brewer is anyway), Im going to go postal on the setup, kegs, fermentors, reminaing bottles and make sure anything living thing that shouldnt be there dies!

Fingers crosseed SJ.

Anyone who gets a dodgy bottle, let me know and I'll hook you up with a bottle of something else.

I got three dodgy ones... and a keg too, can I get replacements please...

 

[Leigh]

I should pull my finger out and actually put some of these in the fridge for consumption...but with a keg of my Aussie Lager and another of Rook's Alt in the fridge, it is hard to go for something different...

 

[Brewmeister70]

Interesting about the perceived gravity - my initial recipe calculates around 6.1% (og 1063,). I think my actual gravity was slightly less (maybe 1057) due to getting a higher volume but it also finished a few points lower than expected so I would hazard between 5 and 6% abv.

It didn't come across that strong though it was the second beer of the night... You're recipe when I went back to suss it out after trying it said 1.047, I think, which would be consistent with the lighter body/less alc.

The hops are the big surprise to me: I didn't pick them up and they aren't a subtle (or earthy) hop.

Either way, you made a damn fine beer. Well-done.

 

[Supra-Jim]

Anyone who gets a dodgy bottle, let me know and I'll hook you up with a bottle of something else.

Where it's dodgy or not, I'm gonna say it was infected and come looking for that 60L of Pliny you mentioned in the IPA thread :icon_drool2:

Cheers SJ

 

[manticle]

It didn't come across that strong though it was the second beer of the night... You're recipe when I went back to suss it out after trying it said 1.047, I think, which would be consistent with the lighter body/less alc.

Sure you weren't skim reading one of my other proposed beers (originally intended a SMASH pilsner that probably would have been around that OG). The robust porter in the recipe thread says 1063 (this page: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...36966&st=60)?

Anyway the main thing is that it's been enjoyed.

 

[Brewmeister70]

Don't know what I was reading now but feel better that you actually DID use earthy hops and not Amarillo or I would call it quits on reviewing anything else. Thanks for the link.

 

[manticle]

One of my other proposed swaps was an all amarillo american brown which is posted earlier in the recipe thread. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[brettprevans]

Where it's dodgy or not, I'm gonna say it was infected and come looking for that 60L of Pliny you mentioned in the IPA thread :icon_drool2:

Cheers SJ

there seems to be a bit of interest in the pliney.....um um um, its infected also, so you dont really want to taste it

I got three dodgy ones... and a keg too, can I get replacements please...

yup. you can have replacements bottles consisting of summer ale + W3711 & wild yeast, Vienna + 34/70 & wild yeast. and some light beer. sound good?