Strange-steve's Homebrew Reviews

[strange-steve]

Today I'm having a Weizenbock sent by @Oneflewover, not a style I'm overly familiar with but I know I like it...

Aroma
Deep, rich, fruity malts, raisins, bubblegum, and interestingly a touch of pear, just a hint of roasty, toasty dark malt, and a little spicy alcohol. Very nice indeed.

Appearance
Dark brown with nice ruby highlights, good head retention with a nice tan head.

Flavour
Very complex and interesting flavours as expected for the style, great balance between fruity, spicy, and toasty. Lightly tangy from the yeast which adds to the fruity impression in a very pleasant way, with the spice being subtle but adding an imteresting background note, almost vanilla-like, which is possibly enhanced by the light alcohol flavours. I was a little worried when I opened this because there wasn't much of a hiss, but actually the carbonation was perfect, well conditioned and mouth-filling. Well brewed with no off flavours.

Overall Impression
First things first, I have very little experience with this style other than two other homebrewed versions, one of which I brewed myself. However all three have been very similar, which I take as a good sign! That's as far as I can go with stylistical accuracy I'm afraid, but nevertheless this is a really great beer, and I would say a bit more easy-drinking and softer than my attempt. The flavours are complexly layered without being muddy, and I really like the yeast derived spiciness, which comes through more prominently than in mine, and again I enjoyed the interesting vanilla note to it. My first ever taste of this style was an eye opener, it's a unique beer with such a huge depth of flavour, with elements of a dunkelweizen, a doppelbock, and a dubbel all blended into one delicious package. For anyone who hasn't brewed one of these then I can't recommend it enough (just ask Oneflewover for a bottle if you want to know what it tastes like ). And this is a great example (at least I think so, but it's delicious anyway), it went down very nicely today so many thanks for sending this mate. I'm looking forward to the next one :hat:

 

[Oneflewover]

Thanks for the detailed review @strange-steve. Glad you enjoyed it. As you say, it is a great style. I find it really easy drinking too - dangerously so for a 7.5% beer.

The bretted quad is getting there, but is carbing incredibly slowly so might be best to leave that one for a while longer

 

[strange-steve]

I find it really easy drinking too - dangerously so for a 7.5% beer.

Very easy drinking, I was expecting maybe 6% or so!

 

[Ajhutch]

This Weizenbock mini-craze on here has made me interested........

Also, I couldn’t help but notice reference to a bretted quad, would you like to do a swap @Oneflewover because that sounds amazing!

 

[Oneflewover]

This Weizenbock mini-craze on here has made me interested........

Also, I couldn’t help but notice reference to a bretted quad, would you like to do a swap @Oneflewover because that sounds amazing!

I'd love to, but can I be a bit cautious and send out to you after Steve has reviewed it (outcome dependent!)? It's just that it's the first time I've used brett, and I'm not quite sure that I know what to make of the beer. It definitely needs more condition because the brett us STILL working through the priming sugar :hat:

 

[strange-steve]

Tonight's beer is a Belgian Stout courtesy of @pilgrimhudd, a style in which it can be tough to get the right balance, but when done properly can be amazing, so looking forward to this one...

Aroma
Sweet and slightly roasty with nice dark chocolate notes. Very subtle spice with faint hints of vanilla. Otherwise quite clean, inviting, and typically stout-ish

Appearance
Very deep brown/black with a thin white head. Decent head retention.

Flavour
More roasty than comes across in the aroma, with a dry, cacao nib impression, but a solid background maltiness accompanies adding a welcome complexity. There's an interesting fruitiness that I suspect is from the yeast, and certainly isn't out of place here, and also just a hint of spicy phenols but they blend nicely with the dry finish and are very subtle.

Overall Impression
I think if I hadn't known this was a Belgian stout I probably wouldn't have known, the spiciness is subtle enough that I don't think I would have picked it out if I hadn't been looking for it. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, and perhaps not unexpected considering the yeast choice, if I recall correctly you used T-58 which I believe can be a little less spicy than some Belgian yeasts. I really like the fruitiness it adds, it's not really bananary, but a general, nondescript fruitiness that just adds another layer of flavour. The roastiness is fairly robust, along the lines of a foreign stout, which supports the rather substantial 7% abv. In fact the alcohol flavour is exceptionally well hidden, I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if you'd told me this was 4 or 5%, a sign of a healthy fermentation. I also appreciated the fact that the carbonation was medium-low, which in my opinion is the way to go for a stout, I don't like my stouts too fizzy (even a Belgian one). The body is a tad thinner, and it's more fruity than a foreign stout, which does point to the Belgianyness (?) of it, but all that being said, this is simply a very good beer. I really enjoyed drinking this, which is more important than any sort of style accuracy. It was just a great stout all round so many thanks for sending this mate, really looking forward to the next one :hat:

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Glad you enjoyed it, that pic certainly makes it look nice! It's not the finished article by any means but I've rather enjoyed this one and thank you for the kind review. Also many thanks for pointing me in the direction of the t-58 which I wouldn't have thought of.

 

[Pennine]

Tonight's beer is a Belgian Stout courtesy of @pilgrimhudd, a style in which it can be tough to get the right balance, but when done properly can be amazing, so looking forward to this one...

Aroma
Sweet and slightly roasty with nice dark chocolate notes. Very subtle spice with faint hints of vanilla. Otherwise quite clean, inviting, and typically stout-ish

Appearance
Very deep brown/black with a thin white head. Decent head retention.

Flavour
More roasty than comes across in the aroma, with a dry, cacao nib impression, but a solid background maltiness accompanies adding a welcome complexity. There's an interesting fruitiness that I suspect is from the yeast, and certainly isn't out of place here, and also just a hint of spicy phenols but they blend nicely with the dry finish and are very subtle.

Overall Impression
I think if I hadn't known this was a Belgian stout I probably wouldn't have known, the spiciness is subtle enough that I don't think I would have picked it out if I hadn't been looking for it. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, and perhaps not unexpected considering the yeast choice, if I recall correctly you used T-58 which I believe can be a little less spicy than some Belgian yeasts. I really like the fruitiness it adds, it's not really bananary, but a general, nondescript fruitiness that just adds another layer of flavour. The roastiness is fairly robust, along the lines of a foreign stout, which supports the rather substantial 7% abv. In fact the alcohol flavour is exceptionally well hidden, I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if you'd told me this was 4 or 5%, a sign of a healthy fermentation. I also appreciated the fact that the carbonation was medium-low, which in my opinion is the way to go for a stout, I don't like my stouts too fizzy (even a Belgian one). The body is a tad thinner, and it's more fruity than a foreign stout, which does point to the Belgianyness (?) of it, but all that being said, this is simply a very good beer. I really enjoyed drinking this, which is more important than any sort of style accuracy. It was just a great stout all round so many thanks for sending this mate, really looking forward to the next one :hat:

yum looks delicious t58 makes a great stout. I have never had an actual belgian stout, I think this sounds like a great mix though.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

yum looks delicious t58 makes a great stout. I have never had an actual belgian stout, I think this sounds like a great mix though.

Nor have I mate to be honest and I'm not sure if it is true to style or not, but it is quite nice, I suspect I will do it again.

 

[strange-steve]

yum looks delicious t58 makes a great stout. I have never had an actual belgian stout, I think this sounds like a great mix though.

It's not actually a BJCP recognised style, if that means everything, but the few I've had have been excellent and pretty much exactly what you'd expect, like a slightly spicy imperial sout.

 

[user 18729]

This evening's beer is a Belgian dubbel courtesy of @Hopsteep, one that I've been sitting on for a while to make sure it was properly conditioned, so looking forward to it...

Aroma
Lightly toasty malts with toffee and nuts coming through with a hint of banana, and a slight woody note that may be from the hops. Plenty of alcohol coming through as it warmed. Interesting and subtle.

Appearance
Just about perfect for the style although on the lighter end of the scale (quite a bit lighter than it appears below). A very pretty deep copper colour with good clarity and a thin white head.

Flavour
Spicy phenols up front with some soft, bready, pale malt flavours, a little brown sugar and a slight tartness. Fruity esters, particularly banana. Definitely some alcohol warmth to it which I like, and which adds to the boozy Christmas pudding flavours I enjoy in a dark Belgian beer. Finishes dry with a fairly pronounced bitterness and just a touch of black pepper. Perfect carbonation.

Overall Impression
Overall I would say this is a fairly solid effort at a dubbel, however there are a couple of tweaks that might really elevate this beer. Firstly the malt flavours are a tad too crisp, whereas I'd maybe prefer a touch more complexity in there. It's a tough thing to get right (and is why the Belgians are masters at this) because a typical commercial dubbel usually has a fairly simple grain bill but with big flavours. Many homebrewers stick a load of specialty malts in there to try to replicate that but end up with muddy flavours, often with too much caramel. Getting the balance right is an art, one which I haven't gotten close to. Secondly is maybe to take a look at yeast selection or management. This is very much yeast driven, whereas more of a balance with the malts might add to the complexity. I'm not sure what yeast you used for this but there's a slight metallic bite to it which detracts slightly (for my taste at least) and I'm not sure if that's the particular strain or due to temperature. It seems like I'm being a little harsh though, but it's only because I have a particular fondness for Belgian beers and I can see the potential in this, I actually really enjoyed drinking it and with a couple of small tweaks this could be fantastic. I appreciate you sending this, it was interesting as always :hat:

Only just seen your review Steve. It was your recipe, a clean water profile and fermented with the Hoegaarden strain (quite cool to begin with). Must be the yeast that you didn’t quite like in this one. It’s a wit yeast so does throw a lot of spice

 

[strange-steve]

Only just seen your review Steve. It was your recipe, a clean water profile and fermented with the Hoegaarden strain (quite cool to begin with). Must be the yeast that you didn’t quite like in this one. It’s a wit yeast so does throw a lot of spice

Sorry forgot to reply to this. You could well be right, I've never been much of a fan of wit as a style, and I wonder if the yeast flavours overtook a little.

 

[strange-steve]

This evening's beer is a Belgian Abbey Ale kindly sent be @pilgrimhudd, and other than that I know nothing about it, so let's go...

Aroma
Warm clove spiciness, a light lemony tartness, soft bready malt and a nice herbal hoppy aroma.

Appearance
A beautiful golden colour, decent clarity but a touch of chill haze, and a small white head. A very good looking beer.

Flavour
Parallels the aroma with a light phenolic spiciness, although more subtle than the aroma would suggest, and a really pleasant bread crusty, pilsner maltiness coming through with just a hint of yeast fruitiness. There's a very subtle sweetness towards the end but is quickly balanced out by the soft bitterness which is very well judged and leaves a crisp finish.

Overall Impression
Abbey ale is one of those vague descriptors that covers many styles meaning you're never entirely sure what you're getting, but going by flavour I'm assuming this is a Belgian blond (or maybe a Belgian pale?) which I was very happy to receive. It's a style I have rarely brewed, but after drinking this I'm wondering why, because it's delicious. I might be wrong but I'm guessing this is a relatively low ABV beer, because it's extremely easy-drinking, helped by the lightness of the body and high carbonation that foams beautifully on the tongue. This definitely has the sought-after "digestibility" of a good Belgian beer and I could happily get through several bottles of an evening. I think you've done a great job with this mate and I really want to see your recipe. I'm particularly interested in your yeast choice because the fruity/spicy flavours are great. Also there are no unusual/funky flavours which speaks of a healthy fermentation and good temperature control, which is often the downfall of these beers. I can't really fault it to be honest, a cracking beer that went down very quickly, thanks again for sending this :hat:

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Wow, thanks for that review Steve i'm glad you enjoyed it.

To be honest when I first tried it back in May I was a bit disappointed in this one but it has really improved over the last month, I had two on Saturday and really enjoyed them.

The recipe is

4kg pilsner
900g vienna
400g biscuit

Mashed for 90mins at 66c.

Boiled for 60

Perle 30g @ 60
Styrian Goldings 20g @5

Yeast MJ 47 Abbey Ale, pitched at 20c but slowly raised to 24 over 2 weeks.

Og 1055 19.8 ibu. I ended up with 15l in the FV, finished up at 1010 5.8% abv.

 

[strange-steve]

A nice simple recipe there @pilgrimhudd, and I'm rather pleased that you used a dry yeast for this. I tried M41 once and really didn't like it but I love the simplicity of using dry yeasts so this one is definitely going on my brew list. Thanks again :hat:

 

[strange-steve]

Today's beer was something a bit different, it was brewed by @UKSkydiver and started as a Pelforth Brun clone but had the yeast swapped for M29 French Saison. So the point of this swap was sort of to see if it was saison-y and to offer some critique...

Aroma
Rich toffee and brown sugar with a raisiny fruitiness, and a light tartness. Subtle spiciness and a definite alcoholic note.

Appearance
A deep reddish brown with a fluffy white head which stuck around nicely. Very hazy, probably just not fully settled yet.

Flavour
A nice initial bready malt flavour with some gentle spice and fruity flavours, followed by a robust bitterness and fairly prominent alcohol coming through. Very dry finish.

Overall Impression
The main purpose of this swap was to determine whether this was saison-like or not, and to be honest it's not really. It has the dry finish for sure and some light spiciness but that's about as far as the similarities go. If I were to try to classify this it would probably be closest to a dubbel, however it's sort of somewhere in between as the maltiness isn't rich enough for a dubbel. I think with the right yeast, one that finished maybe a little higher perhaps, something like WLP540 comes to mind, and this recipe could be really good. On the other hand if you wanted a saison then skip the special B, drop the OG a bit, maybe ferment a couple of degrees warmer to drive the yeasty flavours. I don't mind a strong beer, but a saison imo needs to be refreshingly easy-drinking which is difficult with an 8%+ beer. Also the lower the FG he more the bitterness comes through, and this does come across a tad over-bitter for my taste. Overall it's not a bad beer but it is lacking a bit of depth of flavour and I suspect that is mostly a yeast-choice issue. Thanks for sending this mate, it's always interesting doing these reviews especially for beers that don't quite fit a particular style :hat:

 

[UKSkydiver]

Thanks @strange-steve

As I said in the original brew day recipe, it wasn't supposed to be a saison and my selection of yeast totally changed this brew, not just in flavour, but the phenomenal attenuation which contributed to the much higher ABV and bitterness.

More research needed next time.

I really appreciate the review / feedback and I hope it helps junior brewers such as myself; It really does show what can happen if you veer from a recipe or select a different ingredient.

The original recipe called for S-04. At some point I will plan the original brun brew with a more appropriate yeast (suggestions?)

 

[strange-steve]

Thanks @strange-steve

As I said in the original brew day recipe, it wasn't supposed to be a saison and my selection of yeast totally changed this brew, not just in flavour, but the phenomenal attenuation which contributed to the much higher ABV and bitterness.

More research needed next time.

I really appreciate the review / feedback and I hope it helps junior brewers such as myself; It really does show what can happen if you veer from a recipe or select a different ingredient.

The original recipe called for S-04. At some point I will plan the original brun brew with a more appropriate yeast (suggestions?)

Pelforth Brune isn't a beer I'm familiar with, but the "brune" makes me think it's a Belgian style beer?

S-04 I reckon would make a nice beer in this recipe, I suspect it might be along the lines of Robinson's Old Tom which (to me at least) has a fruity/maltiness which is reminiscent of a dark Belgian ale.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Yeah - I've only had it a couple of times when I pop round to the next door neighbour. In my head, it's similar to the Leffe Brune, but I may have completely made that up, and why I think it has some yeast derived flavour. It may be completely false. Need to find some from somewhere.

It it possible to blend yeasts? (Well - I'm sure it's possible, it's whether the result is likely to be successful or not) E.g. say, half and half S-04 and a Belgian type yeast to only get a hint of Belgian-y-ness.

 

[strange-steve]

Today's beer is a Brett Quad brewed by @Oneflewover which I've had stashed away for a while now, and it holds special interest for me because my own brett quad is currently conditioning so it'll be interesting to have something to compare to...

Aroma
Lots of overripe fruitiness of berries, cherry, raisin and funk from the brett, with an interesting cacao hint and subtle vanilla spice. Some alcohol on the nose too but very complex and inviting.

Appearance
Very little hiss on opening and I had to pour this vigorously to get some head on it but it lingered quite well. Gorgeous deep red/brown colour and good clarity.

Flavour
A sugary sweetness up front with complex malt flavours following, but actually quite light on the palate. Some pleasant and subtle aromatic spiciness and then the ripe fruitiness, which adds a nice sort of mid-level of flavours along with some soft, biscuity malt before the finish, which is surprisingly dry after the initial sweetness, with a herbal bitterness. Also an interesting, almost savoury earthiness to the brett funk.

Overall Impression
Now there's a lot going on here and a lot to unpack in this one. First of all it's a shame that it's rather under-carbed. It's lightly sparkling to a point that I'd maybe like an impy sout or something, but this would really be improved with more fizz. I have a suspicion that some unfermented priming sugar is the reason for at least some of the sweetness up front, which is a bit more than I'd like and does take a couple of sips to get used to. Those are the negatives, and I hope with a bit more conditioning those things will sort themselves out, but there's really a lot to enjoy in this too. The alcohol flavour is noticeable, but it's soft and smooth which suggests a healthy fermentation, and personally when drinking a strong beer like a quad I like it to feel like a strong beer, it enhances the perception of "specialness" for me. Next is that interesting earthiness I'm picking up from the brett, which as soon as I tasted it made me think of the smells and tastes I experienced at the Cantillon brewery. Trust me, that's a really good thing and is the embodiment for me of what Belgian funkiness is all about. I really enjoyed this, but it also frustrated me just a little because it's right on the cusp of being incredibly good, and if only it carbed up it might be there. If it makes you feel any better though I'm in the same boat, my brett quad is taking an age to carbonate. In my mind there's really something special about a good quad and when done right I think it's untouchable in the the world of beer styles, and adding brett to this creates something really unique, truly unlike anything I've tasted elsewhere so thank you for sending this mate, it was an enjoyable experience, and if mine ever carbs up I'll send a bottle out to you in return :hat: