a good beer, it's on the cards for me dad.Cheers for the link, I don't get the newsletter
Reviews of Member's Homebrew
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Wez
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Vossy1
Dark Nights Mild Ale by the Druids Brewery
Firstly an apology to Aleman
I've had this beer a long time, along with some of Dans, but a stinking cold that's drawn out almost 12 weeks has put the brakes on tasting any beer.
I opened the Dark Knights Mild and got a faint hiss but was surprised by the amount of CO2 the beer contained, not in any detrimental way, it was just not indicated by the gas escaping when I opened the bottle.
The head was a light tan colour and though it subsided, there was always a covering on the ale.
I'm not too familiar with milds but the aroma presented no hops that I could detect, or if it did I missed them.
The aroma was sweet with roast notes, however I thought I detected some chocolate too, swimbo concurred. there was also some alcohol in the aroma.
Taste, no where near as sweet as the smell led me to believe. To my uneducated palate a low bitterness, guessing mid 20's, nicely matched by the sweetness though a lingering mild bitterness to the finish
Lots of roast but not at all overpowering and I thought I detected some fruit initially.
To me there was also a smokey aspect to the taste, though perhaps this was the roast malt (if there was any roast in it )
Quite a light ale, sessionable and all together I quite enjoyed it.
Cheers Aleman
Firstly an apology to Aleman
I've had this beer a long time, along with some of Dans, but a stinking cold that's drawn out almost 12 weeks has put the brakes on tasting any beer. I opened the Dark Knights Mild and got a faint hiss but was surprised by the amount of CO2 the beer contained, not in any detrimental way, it was just not indicated by the gas escaping when I opened the bottle.
The head was a light tan colour and though it subsided, there was always a covering on the ale.
I'm not too familiar with milds but the aroma presented no hops that I could detect, or if it did I missed them.
The aroma was sweet with roast notes, however I thought I detected some chocolate too, swimbo concurred. there was also some alcohol in the aroma.
Taste, no where near as sweet as the smell led me to believe. To my uneducated palate a low bitterness, guessing mid 20's, nicely matched by the sweetness though a lingering mild bitterness to the finish
Lots of roast but not at all overpowering and I thought I detected some fruit initially.
To me there was also a smokey aspect to the taste, though perhaps this was the roast malt (if there was any roast in it )
Quite a light ale, sessionable and all together I quite enjoyed it.
Cheers Aleman
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Wez
Alemans - Schwarzbier
About 2 weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a box of 4 beers from Aleman. The first one I tried was his Schwarzbier IIRC Aleman said that this was a no sparge brew.
I found it to have a nice carbonation level and poured with a lovely head and a nice aroma, a very well rounded mouth feel, full bodied - but not heavy tasting it had a good balance of sweet malt/bitterness and no harsh flavours...at all. I picked up on an initial berry taste which changed to a flavour that at first I couldn't put my finger on but after some thought realised it was a smoky flavour found in Islay malts, I wasn't expecting it at all so maybe thats why I couldn't put my finger on it straight away.
I really enjoyed that beer, looking forward to the other three, I am fortunate also to have 2 from Calum to try and a beer from SteveD that I have had squirreled away for about 2 months!
About 2 weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a box of 4 beers from Aleman. The first one I tried was his Schwarzbier IIRC Aleman said that this was a no sparge brew.
I found it to have a nice carbonation level and poured with a lovely head and a nice aroma, a very well rounded mouth feel, full bodied - but not heavy tasting it had a good balance of sweet malt/bitterness and no harsh flavours...at all. I picked up on an initial berry taste which changed to a flavour that at first I couldn't put my finger on but after some thought realised it was a smoky flavour found in Islay malts, I wasn't expecting it at all so maybe thats why I couldn't put my finger on it straight away.
I really enjoyed that beer, looking forward to the other three, I am fortunate also to have 2 from Calum to try and a beer from SteveD that I have had squirreled away for about 2 months!
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Wez
Calums Snow Leopard
Tonight I tried Calums 'Snow Leopard', opening the bottle there was a very good hiss and it poured with a large head of around 1.75 inches, there was also lots of small bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass right to the end, the head formed into a tightly beaded/creamy head and stayed there to the end.
The beer was Crystal clear and a golden/orange colour, there was a nice amount of hop aroma but not overpowering.
Tasting it I found a flavour that I can't put my finger on from the grain side, and looking back at some of Calums brew days it may be oats? The beer tasted good to me and this was not out of place, just something I've not had in a pale ale before. I couldn't find a brewday thread for this actual batch but I think it has Amarillo and Cascade in there, if so they work well together, for my own personal preference I'd like more Cascade, but as I say thats just what I like, it may not be what Calum wants!
There is a good bitter finish to this beer and I could happily have a few on a warm summer evening. Hopefully Calum can chip in with the recipe used (I think he's done an all cascade version of this ? I'd be interested to see the recipe for this batch) – Apologies if I missed it Calum.
A good beer, for me, I think the carbonation could be a bit lower and being a hop head, I'd have stuffed a load of Cascade in to steep LOL.
Tonight I tried Calums 'Snow Leopard', opening the bottle there was a very good hiss and it poured with a large head of around 1.75 inches, there was also lots of small bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass right to the end, the head formed into a tightly beaded/creamy head and stayed there to the end.
The beer was Crystal clear and a golden/orange colour, there was a nice amount of hop aroma but not overpowering.
Tasting it I found a flavour that I can't put my finger on from the grain side, and looking back at some of Calums brew days it may be oats? The beer tasted good to me and this was not out of place, just something I've not had in a pale ale before. I couldn't find a brewday thread for this actual batch but I think it has Amarillo and Cascade in there, if so they work well together, for my own personal preference I'd like more Cascade, but as I say thats just what I like, it may not be what Calum wants!
There is a good bitter finish to this beer and I could happily have a few on a warm summer evening. Hopefully Calum can chip in with the recipe used (I think he's done an all cascade version of this ? I'd be interested to see the recipe for this batch) – Apologies if I missed it Calum.
A good beer, for me, I think the carbonation could be a bit lower and being a hop head, I'd have stuffed a load of Cascade in to steep LOL.
Re the newsletter, all back issues can be read by clicking the 'Sign up for our Newsletter' button at the top of the forum pages (or at the bottom of my posts). 
There seems to be a tremendous problem with spam filters these days, so sometimes we can't get the newsletters to all the people who have signed up.
There seems to be a tremendous problem with spam filters these days, so sometimes we can't get the newsletters to all the people who have signed up.
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Calum
Hi Wez
Glad you enjoyed but apologies for the over carbonation. This batch went into a cornie but I had a small amount left over so I swiftly sterilised three bottles and primed with a level teaspoon of sugar each. It was a bit of a gamble as I normally batch prime so I was kind of guestimating on the amount of sugar to use.
You were just about spot on with the recipe. The aroma hops were indeed Amerillo and Cascade and you spotted the oats.
Glad you enjoyed but apologies for the over carbonation. This batch went into a cornie but I had a small amount left over so I swiftly sterilised three bottles and primed with a level teaspoon of sugar each. It was a bit of a gamble as I normally batch prime so I was kind of guestimating on the amount of sugar to use.
You were just about spot on with the recipe. The aroma hops were indeed Amerillo and Cascade and you spotted the oats.
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SteveD
1/2 teaspoon per pint is the 'usual' ammount, some use a bit less. That would be ok if bottling relatively flat from a primary or secondary fermenter.Calum wrote:I swiftly sterilised three bottles and primed with a level teaspoon of sugar each. It was a bit of a gamble as I normally batch prime so I was kind of guestimating on the amount of sugar to use.
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Calum
Thats what I thought but the carbonation certainly looks a bit excessive. If I ty to rescue the bit at the bottom again I will cut back.SteveD wrote:1/2 teaspoon per pint is the 'usual' ammount, some use a bit less. That would be ok if bottling relatively flat from a primary or secondary fermenter.Calum wrote:I swiftly sterilised three bottles and primed with a level teaspoon of sugar each. It was a bit of a gamble as I normally batch prime so I was kind of guestimating on the amount of sugar to use.
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Totem
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booldawg
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SteveD
Well, you strike up a dialogue with a forum member who's beers you might want to try - and open up with, say, 'Do you come here often?' often followed by 'How long have you been brewing?' 'My, you must be good then', and then proceed to 'I'll show you mine, if you show me yours', and arrange to exchange fluids.Totem wrote:Where do we sign up to try other members brews? Im not much of a taste expert but i like what i like
As to shipping, if you're sending multiple bottles, one of the third party internet couriers is probably best, eg parcel2go.com or many similar - up to 25kg for £5-£6 They work by selling on surplus carrier space on the major carriers like DHL so it's DHL who actually collect and deliver your package.