Xmas In July Tasting - VIC

[Grainer]

Grainer is this your robust porter or treacle stout?

Treacle stout... The treacle stout was way better than the porter.. but unfortunately I kegged the treacle and only had a few bottles left over.. turns out I didn't need to top up cause of the 3 no shows.. but ohh well..

The robust porter is to style but it needs more mouth feel it is a bit light on and a porter should have a little more mouth feel, but less than a stout.... and this is where it falls down - Judged as well at Bayside brewers

I only have 1 bottle left in the shed.. it will be kept for a competition probably.. unless I can't help myself!!

always editing and fixing spelling mistakes LOL

 

[Black n Tan]

Think Im gunna try a rye IPA sometime soon.. this is inspiring me ... but I love the idea of the hot rock method to caramelise !! Will have to find out what rocks to use and how to do it !!

Use granite. Have a squiz at this https://byo.com/stories/item/857-hot-rocks-making-a-stein-beer

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Cheers D.J.


Cheers DJ. I was a bit disappointed with the aroma on this one. I got the wife to smell it and she thought it smelt like wine. I think I muddied it with too many hop varieties? I used magnum for early bittering then cascade, chinook, columbus and citra from 20mins (every 5mins). Then I made an inebriated adjustment on the night and threw some late galaxy in. How much I do not recall!

Yep similar hops but different timings, so apparently I can pick hops, yay! I cant detect galaxy though, where is the caramel coming from? Its reminding me of the aftertaste of a landlord ESB I brewed recently and I think it was medium crystal I used.

Bravo in any case, id be saving that IPA recipe as a house favorite!!!

 

[breakbeer]

Just went to the garage to grab a couple of bottles for tasting, unfortunately looks like my two crates were a little light, here's a list of beers I'm missing

2. Mardoo - Two Takes on Three Cascades
6. Grainer - Robust Porter.. plus some top up of something else..not enough bottles as it is going in a comp
8. Relaxed brewer - oatmeal stout and EPA (a stubby of each... accidentally drank to many to put 2 stubbies of 1 type in)
10a. CarpeDaym - Quaffer Pale Ale
21. AJ80 - chocolate vanilla stout

 

[Grainer]

Just went to the garage to grab a couple of bottles for tasting, unfortunately looks like my two crates were a little light, here's a list of beers I'm missing

2. Mardoo - Two Takes on Three Cascades
6. Grainer - Robust Porter.. plus some top up of something else..not enough bottles as it is going in a comp
8. Relaxed brewer - oatmeal stout and EPA (a stubby of each... accidentally drank to many to put 2 stubbies of 1 type in)
10a. CarpeDaym - Quaffer Pale Ale
21. AJ80 - chocolate vanilla stout

WTF they were all sorted in order!! you can have my porter from my batch if you want ! and I have a spare 21 I think... you just have to pick them up tho...good chance to sort out that brewery sign !

 

[Black n Tan]

6. Grainer Treacle Stout

There was way too much head space in the bottle. This was straight out of my cellar (aka broom closet) and poured deep brown with ridiculously large loose tan head that was a little ugly: I think may be it is a little over-carbonated although it could be the serving temp. The head quickly collapsed leaving a smaller denser and more pleasing head. Some lacing that quickly slips of the side of the glass. Chocolate, roast and molasses on both the nose and palate, with a slightly bitter finish. Lovely silky and luscious mouth feel and very smooth to drink. I really enjoyed this beer and will continue to sip over the next hour. Top job.

 

[Camo6]

Yep similar hops but different timings, so apparently I can pick hops, yay! I cant detect galaxy though, where is the caramel coming from? Its reminding me of the aftertaste of a landlord ESB I brewed recently and I think it was medium crystal I used.

Bravo in any case, id be saving that IPA recipe as a house favorite!!!

Malt bill was pretty simple. 40% pils, 40% vienna, 20% rye. Good old us-05 to bring it together. Will definitely try to work on this one and get it where I want it.

 

[Mardoo]

5. GrumpyPaul - "Grumpy's Scottish Litter" (Scottish 80 to be aged on bourbon soaked oak)

I was very sad to see the bottom of the glass on this one! Really, really nice beer. I could have easily drunk a four pack, maybe six. I love how the oak worked with the sweetness of the malt, making the whole package a bit savory, bringing balance to the picture. Sometimes I find the sweetness of Scottish styles a bit much personally, but the oak really completed the picture for me. The bourbon was balanced nicely, could have been just a bit less, but it was a good complement to the oak and the malt. Rich malty and caramelly flavors. Not sure about the hops as I was so focused on how nice the oak was that I wasn't paying enough attention to the hops. Solid head. Wouldn't go away. Actually I did a first pour and then topped up the glass and so the head had a head. Crazy amount of head. A ziggurat of head! Carbonation was spot on to my palate.

FWIW, as this is something I have no personal experience in but have talked to lots of winemakers who do, so take it as information, not experience: One thing about the oak is that is was just verging on the sawdusty oak that can come from using oak chips/pieces that are too fine. Working in the wine industry I see tons of wines that actually have an oak sawdust flavor to them, and the winemakers I talk to say this is a matter of using oak that is too finely cut. There was a period where winemakers were actually experimenting with oak sawdust tea bags! (Definitely makes the wine taste a bit tea-bagged ) I'm not sure what size of oak you used, but the winemakers who make good wine that I talk to, and who add oak to the tank rather than age in barrels, all say to use the cubes or other chunk shape when working on our scale, as they give you more control over the amount of oak flavor. Maybe step up a size from what you used. It's all about surface area. A greater volume of the liquid has contact with the oak when aged in a hogshead (240 liters), when compared to wine aged in a butt (480 liters). I'll leave the jokes there for you guys to pick up. Low-hanging fruit!

Couple questions if you have the time:
Did you add anything to help head development?
What type of oak did you use and how did you add it, timing etc?
Can I have another?

 

[GrumpyPaul]

Mardoo - thanks for the review. That is great feedback.

Nothing added to help with the head retention.

Pretty simple grain bill

90% Pale Ale malt
8% Caramalt
2% Chocolate malt

40g Challenger @ 60

Mashed at 67 for 90 mins.
mash out at 75 for 10mins

Fermented at 16 with Wy 1728 about 2 weeks in primary.

Soaked 25g Oak in bourbon for the 2 weeks it was fermenting

Transferred to a corny onto the Oak and most of the bourbon (should drain the bourbon and just use the oak....but I got carried away and just tipped it all in).

I didn't keep accurate record of the time on oak - but it was somewhere between 2 to 3 weeks.

It is the same recipe as the one I have done for the club dinner except the club one had 50g oak instead. I wanted to see if more oak meant less time.

I'll have to drink them side by side to see the difference.

Once again - thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it

 

[r055c0]

Thanks all for the kind words re my Rye IPA, I've brewed this again recently and on checking a couple of bottles I've found these are also overcarbonated. It's a real head scratcher as again I was sure of my FG, and I've not had this issue with any of my other brews. I'm going to try it again and this time when I think it's stopped I'll add a high attenuating yeast to finish it off further and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Mardoo]

Ro55c0, Any chance you have a tap or a ball valve that needs a good clean?

 

[r055c0]

It's possible, I'm pretty thorough with my cleaning and as I said I haven't had any issues with other brews recently, and they all go through the same system. I'll replace some taps and seals and see if that helps

 

[breakbeer]

I don't reckon it was an infection issue with Ro55co's beer, just over carbonated

How did you carb your bottles?

 

[breakbeer]

btw, just checked my crates again & I'm definitely missing the ones I listed, BUT I have two 4's & two 7's

& a 3b, which is weird coz I didn't think that was a split swap number

 

[Grainer]

btw, just checked my crates again & I'm definitely missing the ones I listed, BUT I have two 4's & two 7's

& a 3b, which is weird coz I didn't think that was a split swap number

Yeah he bought 330ml bottles if memory serves.. there were extras that Yob didn't want so we split them to the remaining crates..so some people will get doubles..

 

[Mardoo]

Breakbeer I PM'd you about your spit roaster and my beers. I can give you some of my beers.

They are 3A and 3B, 500ml bottles.

 

[Camo6]

I had a big brown cock ale in my grasp last night Mardoo. Enjoyed it immensely, those hops complimented each other like they were related! Drank very smooth but no hiding the subtle kick of alcohol in the background. Well brewed, look forward to the next bottle.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

I had a big brown cock ale in my grasp last night Mardoo. Enjoyed it immensely, those hops complimented each other like they were related! Drank very smooth but no hiding the subtle kick of alcohol in the background. Well brewed, look forward to the next bottle.

What beer did you have?

Sorry mate, had to...

 

[Camo6]

Haha! Bitch, are you on your phone while I shower? I'm gonna make round two somtink too 'member.

 

[Mardoo]

Hey Camo6, Cheers for the feedback. Yep, the alcohol standing out is why I changed drink date from now to September, hoping it would ease up a bit. Wasn't thrilled with the lack of balance in that regard.

Funny, thinking about using the three Cascades (US, Oz, and NZ) theoretically they'd all be genetically identical.