What are you drinking now?

[Bum]

My first smoked ale. Pretty disappointing on several levels. I can see the many things I did wrong that make it something almost entirely other than than what I was aiming for but I can also see how to rectify them so it has taught me something valuable. And after the first glass it isn't entirely undrinkable so that works too, I guess.

The biggest disappointment to me, however, is that even with Weyermann smoked malt at 60% I feel I'd have to go looking for the smoke had the other elements of the beer turned out as I'd wished. As it stands it is currently competing with a somewhat inappropriate yeast selection. Surely that much rauchmalt should be in face-slapping territory in a beer that by my own admission is almost entirely lacking in any other malt flavour? Does not bode well for my hopes of punching out a convincing Schlenkerla Urbock by year's end.

On the plus side - the colour is almost exactly what I was aiming for and it is pretty damned clear and seemingly free of chill haze. Happy with both from my first full volume 3V batch.

[Fifey]

As a bit of a test run to examine the viability of brewing single can batches in some 20L cubes my mate got from work, we brewed a Cooper's Real Ale tin to 15L with BE2. Very good, needs some hops though.

[Bum]

Little Creatures Single Batch Brown Ale - I'm not much of a fan of this brewery to be honest. That has changed somewhat with this beer. Really nice hopping. Greatly reduced "metallicness" that I get from many other of their beers. Good, firm bitterness. They should definitely keep this one and piss off one of their regulars.

[Bum]

Stone & Wood Draught Ale - I dunno. Why does everyone like this overly dry, sherbety mess so much?

Eugene City Brewery Triple Jump Ale - unbalanced but its strengths greatly outweigh its weaknesses. Very nice aromas (citrus (predominantly orange), light grass, a general fruitiness under the citrus). Flavour is similar but lacking in malt character aside from some caramel and I can't help but feel that this beer uses a little more simcoe than is wise. Still quite nice though. Seemed a much smoother beer with a little yeast roused.

[rotten]

Had a bit of a tax windfall friday so i splurged on some different beers at bottlo. Cage Road IPA, fremantle, it was good, hoppy and five days later it would be out of date. Bloody woolies bottlo. Would like to try fresh. Little Creatures Pale Ale, I tried this a few months ago and didn't know what the fuss was about, these were fantastic, obviously a fresh batch. Fat Yak, this opened my eyes originally to hoppy beers and created a menace, love it. Many clone attempts to come. James Squire Amber Ale, another one I tried months ago and didn't see what the fuss was about, fantastic this time, will ATTEMPT a clone soon for sure. Grolsch lager, this went down too easy, getting late by then so can't remeber much about it. Others were Wahoo, I actually enjoyed this ale, nice and simple if memory correct. Stella BUL and bitburger which was on special really cheap.
This was done all in name of research and inspiration, I'm thoroughly inspired. (*HICCUP)

Cheers

[matr]

Sounds like a good session Rotten!!
Can't go past the ever reliable LCPA!! Awesome beer and the focus of many homebrewer clone attempts.
Downed quite a few the other night at a work dinner. It's becoming a staple on alot of restaurant beer menus nowadays..
However I was disappointed they had none of the weinstephaner (spelling?) dunkel.

[Bum]

Before - Baird Beer Teikuko IPA. Nice little beer this one. UK IPA with a slight Germanic breadiness. Interesting.

Now - My second ever beer from a Norwegian (I think?) brewery called Beer Here. This one is called Hop Fix and one last night was called Hoptilicus. Both were disastrous. Avoid.

[Bum]

Has anyone else tried Emerson's 1812 IPA and though that it tastes like an imperialised CUB beer? It is pretty drab/bordering on yuck.

[gregb]

Has anyone else tried Emerson's 1812 IPA ...

No, and after your review, I prolly wont rush to do so. Thanks, you've saved me a couple of dollars and some disappointment.

[Bum]

Earlier I had a Jameison Beast IPA - no clue why this is often put forward as a good example of an AIPA but a very nice beer nonetheless.

Just polished off a Brew Boys Ace of Spades (my first). Very impressive beer. I must admit it did have a strident metallic quality to it though but perhaps this bottle had been better days - either way it was still highly enjoyable.

[speedie]

what type of beer (brew) do you like Preference would it be ale or lager.
Listen what was your last brew did you enjoy the end result did you use those elaborate hops that you were saving or was it just another brew!
i hate to say this bum but from your posts i can only assume that you are a beer snob

[matr]

Speedie I think you should start another thread to stir / provoke bum instead of taking this one off topic.

[Bum]

I prefer ales.

My last brew was a ginger beer but it was bottled recently so I can't give any impressions yet. Prior to that was a pretty disastrous smoked chocolate porter (I basically over extended myself on that one). I currently have an APA (Golden Promise, ale malt, biscuit, crystal, simcoe, amarillo, citra) brewing which is shaping up to being pretty tremendous but I'm sure I'll fart in every bottle or something and it'll turn out crap.

Yeah, I guess I am something of a "beer snob" but I do like to think that I am open to new beer experiences. However, I do think you consider "beer snob" to be basically the same thing as a "wine snob" and that is an accusation I'll refute (culturally, I mean).

You still don't know how to use the word "elaborate".

[speedie]

Tonight we consumed a really nice wheat beer, a golden ale(taste) lookalike, stout and smoked ale all of which are homebrewed!
I omitted to get out the strong ale as we have to drive home!
Please take your aggression out of these posts and just try to be normal!

[speedie]

Doctor
If you had enough malt to brew what your heart desired what you would brew
I have in stock pils malt ale malt wheat malt rye malt chocolate malt brown malt patent malt dark crystal Munich malt, oats and other good stuff
I prefer t use dehydrated yeast bas it is always consistent
Please don’t get me wrong as there are lots of brew possibilities

[Bum]

Did you hook into the strongs once you got home? Dude, you're shattered!

[speedie]

more than you could ever know?

[Bum]

Your random punctuation lends you the air of the enigmatic.

[drsmurto]

Speedie,

I have all the malt i want/need so i can brew and do brew whatever i want. At last count i had 20 different speciality malts and 8 base malts (MO, trad ale, pils, munich I and II, vienna, rye, wheat).

My preference is for a 3-4% english bitter, served warm and with low carbonation. I lived in the UK for 2 years and was in beer heaven. I have my Landlord on tap at the moment and a few weeks again had a rye ESB served through my english handpump.

At this time of the year and living in the chilly Adelaide Hills i love stouts, in the irish dry style but with more malt complexity. Porters (brown or robust), dark milds....

I love munich dunkels and dusseldorf altbiers. APAs although i tend to make mine balanced with the hops not dominating usually with a big whack of munich or vienna. I have recently discovered rye and have used it in my golden ale, AIPA and an ESB. A roggenbier is on the cards after i made my first dunkelweizen and enjoyed it. I am not a big fan of wheat beers or belgians.

I use liquid yeast predominantly although do resort to US05 occasionally. That may change after using the rogue pacman yeast in the last golden ale.

My next few beers will use my homegrown hops - chinook, goldings, cascade, POR and Victoria.

I tend to brew beers on the lower end of the ABV scale as i am not drinking to get hammered, rather i enjoy the taste of my beers.

That said, i have the RIS in a keg and an english barleywine that has been in the bottle for 18 months and is sublime.

Hope that helps you get an idea of what and why i brew.

For the record, i have won a few brewing awards in the past, my best effort to date was the 2008 ANAWBS where i entered 5 beers and scored 2 x 1st (english bitter, dry stout), 1 x 2nd (dark ale), 1 x 3rd (Alt) and 1 x 4th (IPA). I took home beer of show and most successful brewer of show. I now tend to judge at these comps (SABSOSA, ANAWBS) more than enter.

Cheers
DrSmurto

[Bum]

Just so you know, DrS, this thread has been cleaned up quite a bit this morning.

[EDIT: deleted some stuff that may have unintentionally been provocative]