Apologies for the somewhat late notice. Next meet is on the last Thursday of the month as usual, but as there's a table quiz going on in the lounge, we have a table reserved in the bar. Just on the left as you come in the door.
Table quiz might be a bit high-brow for us... ;)
Sign-up below...
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated :)), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated :)), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
Would have loved to have gone to this one, alas I have to go to a wedding back in Germany. Will get to the next one with hopefully a drinkable first AG effort.
Quote from: ronnieb on August 20, 2014, 07:44:44 PM
Would have loved to have gone to this one, alas I have to go to a wedding back in Germany. Will get to the next one with hopefully a drinkable first AG effort.
Sounds good look forward to it.
Shanna
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated :)), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
4. Brewtus - Belgian Blonde and Dubbel
Hope our newest competition winner John (winner of the Garden County Brewers Irish Red Ale Competition) can attend and bring us a sample of his winning beer with him for us to taste.
Shanna
I do believe "The Champ" brought his winning bevvie to last month's meet! But hopefully he can spare us another bottle!!
Well done John lad.
Looks like the next meet is going to a bit of a Belgian/German affair, but unfortunately I don't have anything that fits the theme. I've got a dubbel in the bottle, but although promising, it's still a little green.
Quote from: Bubbles on August 24, 2014, 07:36:14 PM
I do believe "The Champ" brought his winning bevvie to last month's meet! But hopefully he can spare us another bottle!!
Well done John lad.
Was that not a saison? anyway looking forward to trying as my own effort was pants & not well received :(
Shanna
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated :)), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
4. Brewtus - Belgian Blonde and Dubbel
5. Rossa - ESB, red
Ehh... True, he did bring a saison. He might have brought the irish red the month before??
Ah well, you have plenty of time to work on your recipe before the nationals. We'll hold john down and get the recipe out of him. :)
I find irish red a difficult style to do well in competition. We were discussing this last month in the DH. I've always been really pleased with my own efforts, but the judges don't seem to agree. Scored 38 in 2013 and 35 in 2014. I like more hops in my reds than is recommended for style.
Quote from: Bubbles on August 24, 2014, 08:43:43 PM
Ehh... True, he did bring a saison. He might have brought the irish red the month before??
Ah well, you have plenty of time to work on your recipe before the nationals. We'll hold john down and get the recipe out of him. :)
I find irish red a difficult style to do well in competition. We were discussing this last month in the DH. I've always been really pleased with my own efforts, but the judges don't seem to agree. Scored 38 in 2013 and 35 in 2014. I like more hops in my reds than is recommended for style.
Me too. We had some cracking beers yesterday but some just weren't to style. The judges should be telling entrants with great beers that they are fantastic but may not be to style. A 35 pointer could be deemed not to style but still a cracker of a beer.
True. I think brewing for competitions and matching beers to an appropriate category is a big skill in itself. Too often home brewers will blindly follow a recipe and enter a beer in a competition category just because that was the category specified in the recipe they followed. Brewers need to use their own judgement and tastebuds in order to match their beer to the best category in the style guidelines.
I don't think it helps that all of the commercial irish reds are pretty different. The new (draft) BJCP guidelines lists o'haras and franciscan well as the best two commercial examples of the style, and they couldn't be more different. As nice as the FW beer is, i think it would actually score poorly in a BJCP competition. It's got none of the roasted barley dryness that is deemed an integral part of the style.
Rossa, any specifics on why some of yesterday's beers weren't to style?
Some were too hop forward and others were too roasty more like a dark mild touching even on hobgoblin territory. Some nice beers mind you.
Yep, very easy to overdo the roasted malts in an irish red.
Quote from: Bubbles on August 24, 2014, 09:59:28 PM
Yep, very easy to overdo the roasted malts in an irish red.
Now your just goading me :) I am still having nightmares about the roasted barley I put in mine and the fact that the brewing software told me it was fine.
Shanna
Never trust the software... :)
Cheers lads,
The winning beer is the one I brought 2 months ago. I put the recipe and score sheets up here:
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,7556.0.html
Yee're right about overdoing the roast barley. My most recent red, I had to cut with a blonde ale to bring the colour down. The 'exact right' colour is at the very upper end of the style guidelines. Maroon ale should be an official category; for people who tried to brew a red but missed.
I'm not certain whether I'll be there on Thursday or not but I'll put myself down provisionally.
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated :)), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
4. Brewtus - Belgian Blonde and Dubbel
5. Rossa - ESB, red
6. JohnC - Red Saison
thought i would be stuck in work but i got asked to go in earlier. its fate!
i find subing in chocolate malt either a % or all works really well. you get a similar colour and taste without the as much of the harshness
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated ), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
4. Brewtus - Belgian Blonde and Dubbel
5. Rossa - ESB, red
6. JohnC - Red Saison
7. beerfly - chilli pale ale
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated ), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
4. Brewtus - Belgian Blonde and Dubbel
5. Rossa - ESB, red
6. JohnC - Red Saison
7. beerfly - chilli pale ale
8. Cno1 - I'll see what I can find
Quote from: beerfly on August 27, 2014, 04:40:31 PM
thought i would be stuck in work but i got asked to go in earlier. its fate!
i find subing in chocolate malt either a % or all works really well. you get a similar colour and taste without the as much of the harshness
Good stuff!
I think a bit of dark crystal combines well with the roasted malt to give the deep red colour. Lots of approaches you can use. I wonder would using a dehusked roasted malt give the colour without the harsh roast flavour...?
Anyone want some amber malt or flaked maize for free? I can bring some tomorrow.
Quote from: Rossa on August 27, 2014, 07:52:35 PM
Anyone want some amber malt or flaked maize for free? I can bring some tomorrow.
Tentative Yes. How much are you talking about? Can offer some Munich or Crystal malt or both in exchange.
Shanna
As much asmy bag can take
1. Bubbles - dunno yet, probably an oaked porter
2. Shanna - Spiced wit beer (assuming it's carbonated ), Control Sample of English Barley Wine, Barrel Sample of English Barley wine
3. Dn218 - Lazarus Frankenkaner Weissbeir
4. Brewtus - Belgian Blonde and Dubbel
5. Rossa - ESB, red
6. beerfly - chilli pale ale
7. Cno1 - I'll see what I can find
I took myself off the list. I don't think I'll make it in.
Quote from: Rossa on August 27, 2014, 10:42:58 PM
As much asmy bag can take
How about a kilo of amber and a kilo of flaked maize in return for a kilo of Munich and a kilo of crystal?
Will bring a long a couple of bags with me tomorrow.
Shanna
Quote from: Shanna on August 27, 2014, 11:18:30 PM
Quote from: Rossa on August 27, 2014, 10:42:58 PM
As much asmy bag can take
How about a kilo of amber and a kilo of flaked maize in return for a kilo of Munich and a kilo of crystal?
Will bring a long a couple of bags with me tomorrow.
Shanna
What crystal is it?
Starting any time around 8pm chaps.
Remember we're in the bar this evening, not our usual spot. Though I'll double-check that on my way past this evening.
Quote from: Rossa on August 28, 2014, 03:29:47 PM
Quote from: Shanna on August 27, 2014, 11:18:30 PM
Quote from: Rossa on August 27, 2014, 10:42:58 PM
As much asmy bag can take
How about a kilo of amber and a kilo of flaked maize in return for a kilo of Munich and a kilo of crystal?
Will bring a long a couple of bags with me tomorrow.
Shanna
What crystal is it?
Fawcetts EBC 155 if memory serves me.
Shanna
Good job I dropped in! They hadn't even booked us in, let alone reserved a table for us!
Looks like the "Table" was delivered today, but won't be on tap when we're there... :(
They do have Founders All-day and AmberElla on though, in addition to all the regulars.
Well we liffey brewers met tonight and not only are we set up but a lash of sausages and chips to boot. :) :)
Ah feck off dempsey boy!! Serious quality at the sd meet tonight! Serious Belgians, ciders, smoked porters, the whole works. Ye can keep your sausage factory!! ;!
Great night last night, paying for it now tho' ;-) Cno1 IOU a tender for next session!
Highlights - Shannas clovey wit (beer that is!!) Brewtus' Belgians the subtle smoked porter from Bubbles and the earthy Chilli PA from Beerfly, also the sheer volume and quality of Rossas many contribs! I think Declan's by a nose....! ;-)
Great craic lads. But that Galway Bay oatmeal IPA did me in - far too drinkable.
Great standard of beer last night. It's a tough call to pick my favourite, but I'd go for Ronan's chilli pale ale if pressed.
Quote from: dn218 on August 29, 2014, 08:45:10 AM
Great night last night, paying for it now tho' ;-) Cno1 IOU a tender for next session!
Know what you mean about paying for it, the head is a bit messed up today. We had a cake sale at work for a charity and its a struggle to put away the sweet things on top of a hang over :)
Bruce's Belgian beers were really nice last night. Would be interested to taste them again in six months when the alcohol has rested for a bit.
Was glad that the wit beer that I did was better than the previous Belgian Amber Ale (that really a cider now :)
Shanna
Quote from: dn218 on August 29, 2014, 08:45:10 AM
Great night last night, paying for it now tho' ;-) Cno1 IOU a tender for next session!
Tender plus tenner!!! ;-)
That oatmeal IPA is far too drinkable for 6%+