Reviews of Member's Homebrew

[Wez]

First up tonight...

J_P's JW's Lager



This is the first homebrewed lager that I've tried so I made sure that I got the temperature of the beer right earlier today. Looking at JP's blog this is a nive simple recipe using 1 grain (pale) and one hop (Hallertauer Mittelfruh) he also managed to bag some Camerons lager yeast for this one.

To sum this up in a line: A great session beer to serve up at a BBQ.

I found it to be nicely carbonated and a light golden colour (the pic doesn't do it justice) I thought that it could have done with more hop aroma and flavour but that could be just my preference, it had a very clean/crisp and light taste and a dry finish, ideal I would say at a meat V's hot coals contest.

I'm yet to recieve a bottle that I haven't enjoyed

Right, next up Calum's Oatmeal Stout.

[Wez]

Calums Oatmeal Stout



I've really enjoyed this one, I am not normally a stout drinker but i'd happily see a few of these off.

Carbonation was great, just enough to give the beer some life, it tasted really smooth and really gives your taste buds a treat with a full on roasted malt invasion, (does the smoothness come from the oatmeal?) It was nice and sweet with a pleasant finish, I've come to expect stouts to be filling, like having a Sunday lunch but this wasn't like that at all. It would be easy to sit on a cold night in front of the fire and see a few of these down the hatch, i'll be looking for a brew to put away for Christmas, this will be on the shortlist.

Nice one Calum

[Calum]

J_P's JW Lager

Sorry, no pictures tonight as I have a full scale battery issue this evening.

I have to agree with Wez's review. It poured beautifully crystal clear with a nice head - a very attractive looking beer (and I know what I like ). Not too much on the nose and although quite a light abv it had a good rounded sweet malty taste with a slight hoppy bite. The aftertaste was fairly clean and I agree that it could have done with a little bit more bittering to cleanse the palate.

I'm sure if you are serving this from your garden Brewpub over the summer it will fly off the shelf.

[Calum]

(does the smoothness come from the oatmeal?)

I think it is two fold. There is certainly a slickness that comes from the roasted oats. The other thing which might contribute to a smoother flavour than expected is that I used some roasted wheat in place of the chocolate malt from Vossy's recipe.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Calum]

spearmint-wino's Amber Ale

This poured clear and had a lovely amber hue. It poured with an fizzing head but this dissappeared quite quickly.

There was quite a fruity aroma - almost belgian in style. The taste was all malt, and quite sweet without too much bitterness - like an old fashioned Scottish Ale. It was quite aggressively carbonated to begin with but I knocked this out of it and the beer drank a lot better. I really enjoyed its length which was full and rich and lasted for ages.

Overall I enjoyed the beer but felt it was over carbonated which detracted from the malty character. I would be interested to know the some more about this beer (yeast, grist, fermentation temp).

[spearmint-wino]

I would be interested to know the some more about this beer (yeast, grist, fermentation temp).

Smiles Brewery - Bitter

Original Gravity: 1.045
Terminal Gravity: 1.008
Alcohol: 4.85%
Bitterness: 30.24

Ingredients:
4kg Maris Otter Pale
500g Amber Malt
250g Torrified Wheat
40g Goldings (5.8%) - 60 min
20g Goldings (5.8%) - 15 min
1 Whirlfloc Tablet (Irish moss) - 15 min
20 g Goldings (5.8%) - steeped after boil
Danstar Nottingham
Fermentation temp was 18°c rising to 20°c over 5 days

Interesting what you say about carbonation as I find it can be a bit hit or miss with my bottled beers (admittedly, for me, bottling is the other thing you have to do once you've got the corni filled). I'll pay more attention in future!

[ECR]

Calum's oatmeal stout looks superb

Definitely my next brew...

[spearmint-wino]

I also did a tasting earlier on tonight whist I started dinner: Calum's Old Grumpy



First things first, this beer had a great label - a kind of 'glowing skull on a candlestick'. Already a hit in my book

When the bottle was held up to the light the yeast had settled down properly after transportation but there was evidence of some other particles in the beer near the bottom of the bottle. They looked like small bits of flaked hop leaves, so I wasn't worried.

On pouring the beer had an excellent level of carbonation and gave a thick, creamy, lasting head. The beer itself was hazy (although not totally opaque, and I seem to remember the recipe is one of Wez's? ) and a few small bits of hop leaf had made it into the glass.

On drinking, a sweet and distinctly hoppy flavour quickly led to a solid hop bitterness with malty notes and a nice sweetness on the satistying and long-lasting farewell. The taste was very reminiscent of Ringwood's Old Thumper, (as I remember it) and the 5 1/2 % alcohol was well balanced with malt and bitterness.

The beer had a good mouthfeel and like the Oatmeal Stout was very moreish with a good balance of sweet, bitter and alcohol notes. I'd quite happily drink a few of these too, another very pleasing beer

[Calum]

Interesting what you say about carbonation as I find it can be a bit hit or miss with my bottled beers (admittedly, for me, bottling is the other thing you have to do once you've got the corni filled). I'll pay more attention in future!

I think that might be all it is. I tend to batch prime so I generally get an even carbonation across the whole squad (I'm using squad as the collective noun for a shelf of bottles in my garage ). The fruitiness was obviously coming from the Nottingham yeast and the carbonation from being heavy handed with the Tate & Lyle

[spearmint-wino]

carbonation from being heavy handed with the Tate & Lyle

Yup!

I'll send you a 'Landlady' for some comparison if it turns out ok. I do have other beers on hand now but if you think the Smile's Bitter is over-carbonated...

[Calum]

and I seem to remember the recipe is one of Wez's?

Wez has got plenty of great beers but this one is mine clicky.

[spearmint-wino]

Ah yes was confusing Old Grumpy/Grumpy Bum

Interesting late hops there - I could have sworn I was getting English rather than American hops, just goes to show how much more education my palette needs

[Calum]

Ah yes was confusing Old Grumpy/Grumpy Bum

That's easy to do on this forum

[Wez]

Hmmm, might be time to do a Grumpy Bum again, it'll be nice to see it without a haze...

[Aleman]

Calum's Old Grumpy Bottled 29th July 2007

Well finally I have decided to try this beer considering how long I've had it, but I reckon my taste buds are in a as good a condition as they are going to get. The yeast had settled well (it would have after three months plus in the cold store ) and the beer looked clear in the bottle.

On opening there was a very satisfying hiss, but after I had turned away to dispose of the crown cap I turned back to find "Oh my god, We've got a gusher!" and a waste of good beer on the worktop. A lot of carbonation was present, and because of the excellent head formation/retention characteristics of the beer I was unable to pour a full pint, probably ending up with 2/3rd of a glass full of beer the rest was a creamy off white head, which took 15 minutes or so to subside. There wasn't a hugely overpowering aroma, but certainly a grapefruit citrussy presence that I put down to styrian like. A small sip revealed orange and grapefruit and a sweetness form the malt, and a hop bitterness that has incredible length, just when you think it's faded it comes back to bite you again. I was still tasting it after 30 minutes!

I will now admit that when I had read reviews of this beer I wasn't too sure what I would make of it, as I am not a big fan of american citrussy hops. However this beer is very subtle rather than being in your face, and the citrus is well balanced by the malt.

Flaws . . . . nothing glaringly obvious, I thought I picked up a hint of Butrytic acid initially, but with further tasting there was nothing there at all. Certainly nothing evident after I had knocked out some of the carbonation with the pocket beer engine trick All in all its a nice well rounded pint, and one to enjoy on a winters evening in front of a nice fire.

My only criticism is that the bottle was not clean on the inside definite signs of some sort of growth on the bottle walls . . . but it must have been well sterilised as there was no sign of an infection

I've heard rumors that my IPA is coming along nicely so I'll try and get a bottle in the post to you soon Calum