Vic Xmas 2009 Case Swap - Tasting Thread

[brettprevans]

Brewmeister70 has already kicked things off by tucking into the swap. So here's the tasting thread - GO!

 

[Brewmeister70]

Cheers CM2! I have to consult my tasting notes at home but will post them tonight if given the leeway to do so

 

[Fents]

i've just cracked a tester bottle of my cream ale and i think its a bit under carb'd...i filled all those bottles from a keg, even tried to counter act it by upping the pressure a few days before so it would be over carb'd but looks like no joy.

also might have oxidised a bit (im getting a hint of vinegar...a hint, not much) as i just could not fill the bottles all the way to the top due to foam. i froze the bottles, sanitised them (wet inside) prior to bottling.

fournuts whats your thoughts? headspace im thinking? tell me if it tastes anything like you had out of the same keg?

Anyways not a great beer but not a bad one all the same, was 10 outta 10 in the keg. maybe time to invest in a CPBF.

 

[Brewmeister70]

#19 Fents Cream Ale

Pale gold colour, lowish carbonation, clarity good, low head but good retention. Looks appetising...

Nose is mostly lactic acid in my bottle, making me suspect an infection before tasting.

The taste is ale malt -like with some toasty qualities and low bitterness that finishes with a lactic tang which is actually quite pleasant! There is also a delicate graininess in the finish which is dry (low mash temp?)

I see why you wanted this drunk asap now but it works well as a slightly soured beer: The sourness adds interest without funkiness to an otherwise less interesting beer (a real summer quaffer which is to style and seems to be a specialty of Fents for some reason )

There is a low-level flavour hop in the finish, maybe a citric type American hop that seems to compliment the clean lactic character. This is an interesting beer that must have been amazingly easy to drink in it's hayday, which seems to have passed us if your bottle and mine are anything to go by. Even so, I enjoyed it down to the last drop.

Cheers Fents :icon_cheers:

 

[Brewmeister70]

#1 Kleiny's Helles

Mid-deep gold, very clear with some particulate (did you counter-pressure fill these?) and a low head.

Nose is a mixture of bready malt with low - medium amount of banana esters and just a touch of noble hops (where's the recipe Kleiny?) This beer smells very European and moorish - I was chomping at the bit to drink some after taking a whiff!

The flavour shows a low - medium amount of flavour hops to balance a Munich malt driven palate that has a fruity finish which suits the beer. The body is medium - light with a hop/malt balance pleasantly favouring the malt, which is to style, and the bitterness comes in late and softly to just keep it from being cloying in the end.

A really nice drop that I can only pick as being different from a commercial Helles in the estery character (banana) in the nose and taste with a little acetaldehyde as it warmed. This beer is a credit to your brewing skills Kleiny, seeing as this must be one of the hardest styles to get right at home. Your record remains intact as one to watch in these swaps. Well done!

:icon_drool2:

 

[Fents]

Hops in that one were saphire brewmeister...usually we use Liberty but we had run out. thanks for the truthful review too makes it easier.

 

[Kleiny]

Im glad you liked it BM but i fear that the Counter Pressure filler may have left some a little low on carb. They are a right pain to use.

The recipe is the same as my 4th in vic brew last year, you can see it in the DB.

Kleiny

 

[Maple]

just a thought, but seeing as there are quite a few of us on BJCP training, it might be a worthwhile activity to actually score the swap as it would help us, as well as giving the swapies actual scoring to go by. By no means should we limit it to those just doing the training, if others want to give it a go, it can benefit us all, and develop some more potential judges for future comps. Just a thought, interested to hear what y'all think.

 

[WarmBeer]

Objective feedback is always good. Pretty sure all of us can learn a thing or two from an educated palate (or one currently undergoing edumacation).

And being honest is much better than sugar coating your opinions. I don't think any of us put our beers in thinking we're the best brewer in the world (except possibly Chris, as he might just be the best brewer in the world :beerbang: ).

I for one look forward to a sh!t-canning that I can learn from, and better with my next case swap beer.

 

[manticle]

I'd prefer no sugar coating. Half the reason for swapping is to get useful feedback (the other half is to get beer).

Just put a couple in the fridge for tasting tomorrow. No BJCP from me but I will be honest.

 

[Fourstar]

also might have oxidised a bit (im getting a hint of vinegar...a hint, not much) as i just could not fill the bottles all the way to the top due to foam. i froze the bottles, sanitised them (wet inside) prior to bottling.
fournuts whats your thoughts? headspace im thinking? tell me if it tastes anything like you had out of the same keg?

I'll have to crank yous into the fridge tonight and have a taster. If you are getting Vinegar thats an acetobacter infection. It could also be lacto, it could be hard to differentiate in the early stages.

Did you do a run through of sanitiser/clean the bar tap before you began filling the swap beer bottles or have you broken your tap down recently for a scrubbing? It might be hiding gunk thats eventually souring your beer once it gets into the bottles but perfectly fine into your glass if the beer isnt sitting long enough in the lines and tap for it to funk up.

Atleast thats what i found with one of my broncos after cleaning and sanitising for the swap. I thaught, 'i might as well break it down and check it', im glad i did.

There was some gunk around the seal on one of them, needless to say im now going to be scrubbing my taps quarterly or before bottling for competitions from now on.

I hope my bottle isnt funked mate, as the cream ale was tip top the night you bottled it. I can vouch for that!

EDIT: Just noticed the headspace thing, i doubt thats the case as when you where filling you had foaming at the end everytime to the mouth of the bottle, knocking out any excess O2. I'd say you would be safe on that one, just guessing i'd point it to something todo with the tap and not the bottling process/bottles at this point. h34r:

 

[brettprevans]

i cant fn beleive im going to have to wait 4 months to taste these beers. there;s no way i can read this thread anymore. its going to be torture.
Just a reminder fellas to update the wiki to show when your beer should be drunk.

 

[Maple]

i cant fn beleive im going to have to wait 4 months to taste these beers. there;s no way i can read this thread anymore. its going to be torture.
Just a reminder fellas to update the wiki to show when your beer should be drunk.

uh, about that... I may have accidentally consumed a few of your swap beers. had a couple outta my box, and could stop at just one, and thought, hey, there's another box of em just here...and well the next swap will be coming up soon anyway mate.

 

[brettprevans]

nice dave. really nice.

no worries. i'll put it down to being a transport levy to bendigo & back and 1 nights accomadation in the shortbus!

 

[Maple]

nice dave. really nice.

no worries. i'll put it down to being a transport levy to bendigo & back and 1 nights accomadation in the shortbus!

Just kidding bro! seeing if you were paying attention.

 

[brettprevans]

smart arse! keep it on topic!

 

[Leigh]

Please score away BJCP guys...would be interested to see what the numbers might be...

 

[Fourstar]

Please score away BJCP guys...would be interested to see what the numbers might be...

More so if they are within a 7 point spread!

Do you guys want us to post the results here? Even if they are bad.... h34r:

I don't really want to be publicly dragging people through the mud here. Results even if poor will come with constructive suggestions for improvement.

 

[WarmBeer]

More so if they are within a 7 point spread!

Do you guys want us to post the results here? Even if they are bad.... h34r:

I don't really want to be publicly dragging people through the mud here. Results even if poor will come with constructive suggestions for improvement.

Yeah, go ahead, bring it on, Fourstar

It will only be of interest to ourselves, it's not like any of the Queenslander's regularly troll this thread. Oh, hang on...

 

[Maple]

Fair points, perhaps we only score those that want it, those who do not comment - no score. I think it'll be an interesting exercise to see how the spread works out.

I'll gladly put my contribution up, so I think we have so far:
Maple
Warmbeer
Manticle
Leigh