Xmas Swap 2018 Review Thread

[strange-steve]

Steve, would you recommend the GF? What are the pros and cons?

Yes I would, I love it.
Pros, it takes up less space than 3V equipment, there's less cleaning making for a quicker brewday, precise mash temperature control, ability to easily step mash, really good counterflow chiller.
Cons, expensive, maximum 9kg of grain (which is probably plenty for most, but I tend to brew stronger beers), the pump can get clogged up sometimes when using large amounts of hops.
Overall I find it makes for an easier, more relaxed brewday.

 

[strange-steve]

This is my second swap Late Secret Santa IPA.

This is another lovely looking beer, look at that NEIPA style glow:

This is a really refreshing IPA, a nice fruity hop aroma and flavour without being too bitter. Light bodied with spritzy carbonation with a slight tang, which gives it a citrusy grapefruit flavour. A very nice beer and worth the wait

 

[Hoddy]

So my second beer I managed to try tonight. No label or info what so ever so it was a complete voyage of discovery.

A pale ale type beer. Very low carb and hardly any hiss on cracking the lid. I think I could detect that liberty bell yeast was used here as there was a familiar soft/floral character. Maybe also made with cascade hops?

Not a mega hop bomb but a pale ale. Thanks to whoever the Santa was.

 

[braziliain]

I've been dying to try my second beer, but fell ill on Christmas day so I'm saving my second secret Santa for New Year's Eve when I can hopefully appreciate it. Whoever sent it to me, please don't think I've forgotten or am being rude.

 

[big yogi]

This is my second swap Late Secret Santa IPA.

This is another lovely looking beer, look at that NEIPA style glow:

This is a really refreshing IPA, a nice fruity hop aroma and flavour without being too bitter. Light bodied with spritzy carbonation with a slight tang, which gives it a citrusy grapefruit flavour. A very nice beer and worth the wait

That would be mine I'm relieved you liked it .
I was a bit disappointed with the outcome of the flavours considering the amount of hops i used, just glad it was drinkable.

 

[Snrub]

Finally got round to trying my secret santa beers tonight. Sorry it took so long!

The first was labelled as a 'chocolate dark mild.' On opening, I got a substantial fizz and some slow gushing from the bottle. On pouring, the beer fizzed up and lost its head immediately, which was disappointing. It had a roasty aroma and a strong malt character, with a subtle chocolate aftertaste. It tasted good, but the lack of head retention let it down a little. Not my usual style I must admit, so maybe I'm not the best judge of this one.

Here it is in the bottle, and here it is after pouring

My second beer was an Abbey Beer which I'd been "looking forward to" with some trepidation from the day I received it. Described on the bottle as "not a session ale LOL" with "added vodka," I kinda wondered WTF I was going to drink. I bloody loved it...a really FUN beer. Strong citrus aroma and poured beautifully, retained a good head and tasted really juicy throughout. Again, probably not the sort of beer I'd brew for myself, but that's kinda the point of these things. The vodka really came though, and I can now proclaim to be pissed as a fart!

Here is is in the bottle (and here) and here it is while I watch 'the Death of Stalin'

Thanks very much to both my Secret Santas, thoroughly enjoyable night!

 

[Dads_Ale]

Bit slow in trying mine but circumstances have decided I couldn't drink over the festive period.

Tried my first one yesterday:
Malted Vic
Lovely golden colour and good carbonation. Initial nice hop aroma. Taste wise I got a malty flavour with well balanced hops.A nice refreshing beer.

Still got one to go, hopefully later today

 

[Dads_Ale]

My second beer was an Abbey Beer which I'd been "looking forward to" with some trepidation from the day I received it. Described on the bottle as "not a session ale LOL" with "added vodka," I kinda wondered WTF I was going to drink. I bloody loved it...a really FUN beer. Strong citrus aroma and poured beautifully, retained a good head and tasted really juicy throughout. Again, probably not the sort of beer I'd brew for myself, but that's kinda the point of these things. The vodka really came though, and I can now proclaim to be pissed as a fart!

Here is is in the bottle (and here) and here it is while I watch 'the Death of Stalin'

Thanks very much to both my Secret Santas, thoroughly enjoyable night!

The Abbey Beer was mine. I had my fingers crossed with this one as it was not a 'normal' beer. I nearly had second thoughts about sending it out.
It was brewed for a competition at my local homebrew club focusing on Christmas spiced abbey beers. I don't really like these so made a strong abbey beer with added honey and then took 7 litres and added some (a lot LoL) of christmas pudding vodka for a laugh. Weirdly it turned out quite nice if a little on the strong side, probably needed smaller bottles

 

[Tim Hunt]

So my second beer I managed to try tonight. No label or info what so ever so it was a complete voyage of discovery.

A pale ale type beer. Very low carb and hardly any hiss on cracking the lid. I think I could detect that liberty bell yeast was used here as there was a familiar soft/floral character. Maybe also made with cascade hops?

Not a mega hop bomb but a pale ale. Thanks to whoever the Santa was. View attachment 17080

I think that's mine (I wrote the name on the tube rather than the bottle so it may have been missed). You'd be right on the floral but off on the yeast and the hops :p it's an earl grey IPA although as you say a little light on the hops but with earl grey tea in with the dry hops. The yeast was standard safale us05 but the hops were new Zealand hops id never used before, Motueka, Southern cross and Pacific jade, nice taste but not as strong as I would have hoped.

Next time I'm going to bottle as normal with priming sugar rather than from the corny keg as the carbonation isn't quite right.

 

[RichardM]

I'm afraid I have to hold my hands up and admit to that being mine.

I was a bit worried about this one when I brewed it as I didn't get the mash efficiency I wanted. However, I tasted it after fermentation and thought it had a really good flavour so popped it into a pressure barrel and added the priming sugar. When it came to posting a bottle of secret santa beer out, I poured a glass from the keg and it looked great - fantastic head and really surprised me at how much it had been rescued. I was so pleased with it, I scrapped the idea of sending an alternative beer and plumped for the stout, drawing a few bottles from the keg. I popped one in the post to you and took a few others to a friends house where the bottles were, sadly, as flat as you have seen and generally just a bit thin. Tested from the keg and it was pouring flat too. So no idea how the first pint or two from the keg were so good and then the rest so awful.

I still think the flavour is there, it's just not up to scratch on the carbonation/mouthfeel, so I've resolved to do two things:

1) Send you a different bottle of beer (something bottle conditioned and acting a bit more consistently!) as I really do think what I sent you was a massive let down. Will try and get in the post tomorrow if I can.
2) Buy some cornies

Hi Bezza,
The second bottle arrived today. I'll leave to settle for a day or two before I try it. There's no label on it so apart from knowing it is pale, I don't know what it is. I'll come back with a guess when I have tried it.

 

[-Bezza-]

Hi Bezza,
The second bottle arrived today. I'll leave to settle for a day or two before I try it. There's no label on it so apart from knowing it is pale, I don't know what it is. I'll come back with a guess when I have tried it.

Cool. No cheating!

 

[RichardM]

Cool. No cheating!

It's well carbonated, with a good head. It passed Quality Control by my wife and I like it as well. It reminds me of an American Wheat Ale that I brewed a while back. If you pm your details I'll send you something in return

 

[RichardM]

It's well carbonated, with a good head. It passed Quality Control by my wife and I like it as well. It reminds me of an American Wheat Ale that I brewed a while back. If you pm your details I'll send you something in return
View attachment 17122

My wife wants the recipe so that I can brew it

 

[BeerCat]

Some lovely looking beers everyone!

 

[-Bezza-]

My wife wants the recipe so that I can brew it

Well you didn't hang around long for the yeast to settle!

It was supposed to be a saison (recipe in first post in here: https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/bezzas-brewdays.78208/) but I'm not convinced that's how it turned out, although rousing the yeast slightly did help a little. I think it tasted a lot like a hoppy lager or a very pale ale of some sort. I'd use the MJ Saison yeast again if I wanted a dry ale but would look for something else if I wanted to make a proper saison.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it more than the flat stout!

 

[RichardM]

Well you didn't hang around long for the yeast to settle!

It was supposed to be a saison (recipe in first post in here: https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/bezzas-brewdays.78208/) but I'm not convinced that's how it turned out, although rousing the yeast slightly did help a little. I think it tasted a lot like a hoppy lager or a very pale ale of some sort. I'd use the MJ Saison yeast again if I wanted a dry ale but would look for something else if I wanted to make a proper saison.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it more than the flat stout!

Hoppy lager was one of my initial thoughts. I'm assuming the saison yeast and the higher fermentation temperatures were the source of the flavours that I thought we wheat ale type flavours. I've never drunk or brewed a saison before but I enjoyed yours so might give one a go. I'll probably leave out the coriander and the orange zest though.
By the way I enjoyed the flat stout, I just didn't expect it to be flat!

 

[strange-steve]

I believe there are still a few reviews outstanding, so if you haven't tasted your beers yet please do so and give it a mention here. I didn't expect to have to tell people on a brewing forum to drink up

 

[Dads_Ale]

Apologies for the delay

If I remember correctly this is a Belgian Dubbel. Good carb and poured very well, nice and clear. The aroma definitely said strong beer in a good way. Hints of whisky and sherry. Taste was similar but was well balanced. Definitely a sipper but none the worse for that.

 

[MickDundee]

Apologies for the delay

If I remember correctly this is a Belgian Dubbel. Good carb and poured very well, nice and clear. The aroma definitely said strong beer in a good way. Hints of whisky and sherry. Taste was similar but was well balanced. Definitely a sipper but none the worse for that.

I think you’d guessed that was mine earlier in the thread. Yeah it’s definitey a sipper!

I was disappointed with it because I was hoping for something akin to Westmalle Dubbel or Tint Meadow rather than this strong beefy beer.

 

[Dads_Ale]

I think you’d guessed that was mine earlier in the thread. Yeah it’s definitey a sipper!

I was disappointed with it because I was hoping for something akin to Westmalle Dubbel or Tint Meadow rather than this strong beefy beer.

I did guess as the address under the christmas card said Mick from Dundee
Yes not really come out as a Dubbel but a nice strong beer nonetheless