Strange brew

With beer getting arse-bitingly exxy these days (unless you're in NZ when the buck-a-beer carton, while endangered, ain't quite extinct yet) and many thinking of turning to the black arts of DIY beer production, we've delved into the archives to bring you the following, entitled Strange Brew: How to make beer cheaply and badly, or well and for almost as much as you'd end up paying at Dan's, by Doctors Craigos and Yobbo. Be guided by our shared genius (i.e. don't fuck the same things up that we fucked up, or at least not in the same way. In particular don't let your seedy flatmate fill up the brew vessel with water out of the hose.)

Old Chateau Dodgy Brewhouse, St Lucia
Brewing Notes 2003-05

HL 15/2 Heritage Lager
Techo shit:
Setup 9/2/03
• Thomas Coopers Heritage Lager kit 1.7kg
• Coopers Premium Malt Extract 1.5kg
Volume ~23L
Initial temperature ~28ºC (added ice to get wort down to temperature)
Initial SG 1040
Finings added 13/2/03; SG 1012
Bottled 15/2/03 (brown bottles, red/gold caps); final SG 1008

Design basis: no hops added - intended as ‘plain vanilla’ test run with new kit, to determine which hops to add to second batch.
No contamination issues from ice addition or high initial fermentation temperature.
Tasting notes: pleasant enough, drinkable but lacks punch, lacking carbonation, underhopped - a very ‘home brew’ flavoured home brew (i.e. as found in plastic bottles brewed by Chrisso). Suggested hops to augment flavour - Fuggles or ‘Luncheon Lager’ (Cascade/Goldings) combo. The latter is a very reliable combo which always works with drinkable summer ales.

SA 15/2 Sam Adams
Techo shit:
Setup 9/2/03
• Goldrush Mabbott’s Ale (nee St Arnou) kit 1.7kg
• Ultra Brew 1kg
• Hallertau and Cascade hops 12g each
Hallertau and Ultrabrew simmered 10min in ~4L water
Cascade added after removal from heat, left to steep 15min
Volume ~24L
Initial temp ~28ºC (added ice to get wort down to temp)
Initial SG 1030
Finings added 13/2/03 (at half time of Australia vs England football international, Australia 2 England 0; final score Australia 3 England 1); SG 1012; brew quite cloudy at this stage
Bottled 15/2/03 (green bottles, green caps); final SG 1008

Design basis: based on recipe in Western Suburbs Home Brew (WSHB) ‘brewsletter’.
No contamination issues from ice addition or high initial fermentation temperature.
Tasting notes: action good, reasonable head, pleasant Hallertau/Cascade aroma and taste - very drinkable, disappeared very quickly. Winner.

LH 2/3 ‘Luncheon’ Heritage Lager
Techo shit:
Setup 24/2/03
• Thomas Coopers Heritage Lager kit 1.7kg
• Coopers Premium Malt Extract 1.5kg
• Hallertau and Cascade hops 12g each, steeped 10 min
Volume ~23.5L
Initial temp ~21ºC (added large amounts of ice to get wort down to temp)
Initial SG 1040
Finings added 28/2/03; SG 1011; temp ~28ºC
Bottled 2/3/03 (brown bottles, red caps); final SG 1008

Design basis: as per Heritage Lager, supplemented with same hops as Sam Adams (similar to Cascade/Goldings combo in ‘Luncheon Lager’ recipe, hence the name).
Tasting notes: nice head, good action, characteristic ‘Luncheon’ (Cascade) nose. Taste comparison with ‘genuine’ Luncheon Lager (batch brewed by Craigos Sept 2002) - this was more crisp and not as sweet as a Luncheon Lager, which has a fuller, sweeter flavour (made with more liquid malt and the use of Goldings instead of Hallertau).

IPA 23/3 India Pale Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 15/3/03
• Black Rock East India Pale Ale kit 1.5kg
• Ultra Brew 1kg
• Fuggles hops 12g, steeped 10min
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~27ºC (added ice to get wort down to temp)
Initial SG 1037
No finings added
Bottled 23/3/03 (green bottles, white caps, black text); final SG 1012

Design basis: trying for a James Squire IPA style beer, though milder (i.e. not as ferociously hopped) - using Fuggles, as used to make Squire IPA.
Black Rock (NZ) kits evidently higher density than Australian ones, hence smaller volume.
Ultra Brew used rather than Brew Booster on the basis of its higher malt content.
To try and alleviate carbonation issues earlier in the brewseason (i.e. beers flatter than Holland) used new batch of dextrose (our theory: dextrose seems to hydrate with age, so a given volume will contain less dextrose as it gets older) and made a conscious effort to ‘over-sugar’ when bottling (i.e. used up to 1½ teaspoons dextrose per standard bottle)
Tasting notes: oversugaring seemed to work - IPA had good action (small bubbles) and head. Didn’t taste much like Squire IPA though, rather underhopped (and undermalted) by comparison.

SP 23/3 Saaz Pilsner
Techo shit:
Setup 15/3/03
• Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsener kit 1.7kg
• WSHB Czech Pilsner brew enhancer 1kg
Ingredients: dextrose, maltodextrin, light malt and hops (primarily Saaz)
• Saaz and Hersbrucker hops 12g each, steeped 15min
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~28ºC (added ice to get wort down to temp)
Initial SG 1033
No finings added
Bottled 23/3/03 (green bottles, white caps, blue text); final SG 1006; final temp ~26ºC

Design basis: starting with WSHB recipe for Tooheys Pils knockoff (brewed by Craigos late 2002) but using Hersbrucker in place of second bag of Saaz. Hersbrucker used in Hahn Premium (and in Christmas beer brewed late 2002). Intention was to produce a beer somewhere between Pils and Hahn Premium.
As with IPA (bottled same day), oversugaring (1½ teaspoons dextrose per standard bottle) used to improve head volume and quality. Unless otherwise noted, this became the standard method for bottling all future brews.
Tasting notes: good action and head, pale colour, mild aroma - an excellent example of the pilsner variety, appreciated greatly and disappearing quickly.This basic recipe was copied extensively in future brews because we were (a) unimaginative and (b) drunkards.

CD 17/4 Vale Ale
Techo shit:
Setup (date unknown but probably end first week April 2003)
• Coopers Canadian Blonde kit 1.7kg
• Brewiser Body Brew 1kg
• Maltodextrin ~350g
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~28ºC
Initial SG 1042
No finings added
Bottled 17/4/03 (green bottles, white caps, green text); final SG 1012; final temp ~24ºC

Design basis: mild, drinkable, cheap beer for Chateau Dodgy flatmate Yuri to demolish at his leisure (rather than our more painstakingly prepared brews which were disappearing in bulk at the time). Recipe was as per the 2002 UQ Union homebrew competition winning brew, with extra maltodextrin to bolster mouthfeel and head (but mainly to increase the alcohol content). Coded CD for obvious (seedy) reasons.
Tasting notes: sampled after 4½ weeks, quickly tagged ‘Vile Ale’. How the hell did this arse-flavoured bilge win that brewing competition? No nose to speak of, head and action weak to adequate, watery and flavourless, extra alcohol not evident to the taste. Overall, an ideal beer for consuming vast quantities thereof by your less discerning drinker. Vale himself loved the stuff.

W 11/5 Weissbier (Wheat beer)
Techo shit:
Setup 5/5/03
• Morgans Golden Sheaf Wheat Beer kit 1.7kg
• Morgans Wheat Malt Master Blend 1kg (liquid)
• Maltodextrin 250g (to bolster fermentables)
• Hallertau hops 12g, steeped 20min
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~26ºC
Initial SG 1034; dark gold in appearance, little aroma
Finings added at some stage (CB couldn’t remember the exact date); SG 1014
Bottled 11/5/03 (clear Uncle Ted bottles, white caps, purple text); final SG 1012 - high(ish), excess malt/maltodextrin implicated here. Weak ‘wheat beer’ aroma; Hallertau more prominent in aroma

Design basis: first attempt at a white/weiss/whear beer, hoping to avoid ‘skank flavour’ oft-associated with same (eg Hoegaarden, so named from the Flemish Dutch for 'compost of the prostitute'). May have been another WSHB brewsletter recipe (?)
Tasting notes: good head, good action, good taste - nothing like a wheat beer, which was probably why everyone liked it so much. Hard to describe - almost like a fairly plain-vanilla lager really - but quite pleasant.

TN 21/5 Tettnanger Pilsner
Techo shit:
Setup 11/5/03
• Goldrush Pilsner kit 1.7kg
• WSHB light liquid malt 1kg
• Maltodextrin 250g
• Dextrose ~100g (dregs of bag)
• Tettnanger hops 24g (2x 12g bags - one 12g bag simmered 10min then other bag steeped in same volume for 15min)
Volume ~23.5L
Initial temp ~25ºC
Initial SG 1034
Finings possibly added (date/SG not recorded)
Bottled 21/5 (odd bottles, red caps); final SG 1010; temp ~24ºC

Design basis: using ‘framework’ of Tooheys Pils ripoff recipe (i.e two bags of hops - simmer one for bitterness, steep the other for aroma) to try out a different hop, in this case Tettnanger. Produced a relatively dark, malty pilsner.
Tasting notes: head and action good, but discordance between malty sweetness and pilsner bitterness, exacerbated by the bitterness characteristics of the Tettnanger hops. Not a classic. In fact, actually quite arse. Don't try this at home.

A 10/6 Amber Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 31/5/03
• Morgans Royal Oak Amber Ale kit 1.7kg
• WSHB light liquid malt 0.5kg
• WSHB dark liquid malt 0.5kg
• Maltodextrin 250g
• Williamette hops 50g (25g simmered 10 min, then other 25g steeped 10min in same volume, as per above method)
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~27ºC
Initial SG 1036
Finings added 5/6/03; SG 1014
Bottled 10/6/03 (brown bottles, red caps); final SG not recorded but probably around 1010

Design basis: testing new kit and untried hop - also first use of bulk pelleted hops rather than ‘bagged’ (infusion) delivery. Messier but otherwise OK.
Tasting notes: lovely and malty but a tad overhopped. Williamette is a relative of Fuggles and Goldings, gives a fruitier, almost berry-like quality to the aroma. A good beer, could have been better with a little less sheep droppings.

MV 19/6 Mabbott’s Vienna Gold
Techo shit:
Setup 7/6/03
• Goldrush Mabbott’s Ale kit 1.7kg
• WSHB light liquid malt 0.5kg
• WSHB dark liquid malt 0.5kg
• Maltodextrin 250g
• Vienna Gold hops 50g (25g simmered 10 min, then other 25g steeped 10min in same volume, as per above method)
Volume ~21L
Initial temp ~28ºC
Initial SG 1040
Finings added 14/6/03; SG 1016
Bottled 19/6/03 (green bottles, gold caps); final SG 1014; final temp ~28ºC

Design basis: testing untried Vienna Gold hops.
First use of ‘brew belt’ electic heating band to maintain temperature on cold nights - worked well, in that the brew proceeded OK. However...
Tasting notes: fucking awful. this is the worst tasting beer we ever made. Including the ones which went off. It was horrendously overhopped, with the result that it tasted of grass clippings mixed with iron filings. Even Yuri wouldn’t touch it. It was vaguely drinkable only when mixed 50:50 with kiwi beer Tui in some sort of bizarre shandy-style cocktail, and even then, we preferred to throw out the MV and just drink the Tui, which if you've ever drank Tui, is a statement in itself. Months and years of maturation failed to dull the foulness of this brew, which was useful for only one purpose: cleaning the BBQ. Avoid this beer, and avoid Vienna Gold. Use the contents of your mower’s grass catcher instead.

PP 22/6 Paradise Pilsner
Techo shit:
Setup 14/6/03
• Goldrush Pilsner kit 1.7kg
• WSHB light liquid malt 1kg
• Maltodextrin 250g
• Dextrose 250g
• Goldings hops 25g (simmered for bittering)
• CL80 hops 12g (steeped for finishing)
Volume ~23.5L
Initial temp ~26ºC
Initial SG 1043
Finings added 21/6; SG 1012
Bottled 21/5 (green/clear bottles, gold caps); final SG not recorded

Design basis: a Craigos-instigated recipe taken from a homebrew website, very similar to the Tettnanger Pilsner recipe
Brew belt used again for majority of primary fermentation
Tasting notes: another strongly malted pilsner, very similar to Tettnanger Pilsner - rather bittersweet (literally), not my cup of overhopped tea. CL80 hops contributed rather too much XXXX Gold skankiness - one variety to avoid.

Failed winter brews
These brews were set up but failed due to low temperatures and contamination (traced to junior brewing engineer Yuri using garden hose to fill fermenter) - recipes given for future reference.

Luncheon Weissbier
‘Luncheon’ (Cascade/Goldings) style wheat beer. Aiming for more weissbier flavour than obtained from Morgans kit (see W 11/5 brew). Initial SG 1042 (volume ~23L). Setup 20/6.
• Black Rock Whispering Wheat kit 1.7kg
• Morgans Wheat Malt Master Blend 1kg (liquid)
• Maltodextrin 250g
• Cascade and Goldings hops 25g each, steeped 10min

Hitler Lager (the Eunuch from Munich)
‘Vale Ale II’ - another simple, drinkable ale. First use of Wander kit and CSR-Coopers sugar. Initial SG 1033 (volume ~23L). Setup 13/7.
• Wander Munich Lager kit 1.7kg
• CSR-Coopers brewing sugar 1kg
• Cascade hops ~10g (‘a dash’), steeped ~5min

Proton Pils
Simple, flavoursome pilsner - all ingredients sourced from Big W so also bloody cheap. Initial SG 1036 (volume ~23L). Setup 13/7/03.
• Brewiser Pilsner kit 1.7kg
• Ultra Brew 1kg
500g light malt, 250g maltodextrin, 250g dextrose
• Cascade, Saaz and Hallertau hops 12g each, steeped 10min

Back to the shit that actually worked

TB 27/9 Time Bomb
Techo shit:
Setup 20/9/03
• Wander Lager kit 1.7kg
• CSR-Coopers brewing sugar 1kg
• Cascade and Goldings hops ~5g (‘a dash’), dry hopped
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~28ºC
Initial SG 1035
Finings added 21/6; SG 1012
Bottled 24/9 (green bottles, white caps, red text); final SG 1005

Design basis: a simple, drinkable ale, basically a test run to see if we had sorted out our contamination issues, using relatively cheap ingredients. Waited until late September to ensure ambient temp was sufficient to brew without additional heating (eg Brew Belt). Named Time Bomb because we reckoned it was bound to go off at some stage (see 'Failed Winter Brews').
First successful use of Wander kit and CSR-Coopers sugar.
Tasting notes: this turned out really well, light and ‘luncheony’, disappeared very quickly. Cascade/Goldings combo (a recurring theme in the produce of Old Chateau Dodgy Brewhouse) gives that fresh citrusy zest that really sparks up a nice clean lager. You tossers.

RR 19/10 Roger Ramjet (Proton Pils)
Techo shit:
Setup 11/10/03
• Black Rock Pilsner Blonde kit 1.5kg
• WSHB liquid light malt ~250g
• Maltodextrin ~500g
• Dextrose ~400g (added at finings stage)
• Cascade, Saaz and Hallertau hops 12g each, steeped 10min
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~26ºC
Initial SG 1040
Finings added 14/10/03 (with dextrose); SG 1026, temp ~22ºC
Bottled 19/10 (clear bottles, red caps); final SG 1015

Design basis: simple, flavoursome pilsner - based on failed 13/7 recipe using higher quality kitbase and more malt.
Late dextrose addition not so much crafty experimentation as forgetting to put it into the fermenter in the first place.
Tasting notes: great beer - good action and head, pilsner freshness with Hallertau mint and Cascade citrus elements. Went in a hurry.

PW 26/10 Piss Wheat
Techo shit:
Setup 19/10/03
• Black Rock Whispering Wheat kit 1.5kg
• WSHB liquid light malt ~750g
• Maltodextrin 500g
• Cascade and Goldings hops 20g each, steeped 10min
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~29ºC
Initial SG 1039
Finings added 24/10/03 (with dextrose); SG 1019
Bottled 26/10 (brown bottles, gold caps, green text); final SG 1018

Design basis: another variation on the weissbier theme, based on the failed ‘Luncheon Weissbier’ recipe with extra malt
Tasting notes: not brilliant but not bad - good action and head, a little weissbier skank but brightened up with citrusy aroma and smoothed out with malt sweetness. Drinking mostly outsourced to Vale, Y.

05 18/11 Peter Bock
Techo shit:
Setup 8/11/03
• Muntons Bock kit (1.8kg)
• WSHB light liquid malt 1kg
• WSHB dark liquid malt 1kg
• Fuggles hops 12g, dry hopped
Volume ~20L
Initial temp ~22ºC (added ice to get wort down to temp)
Initial SG ~1050 (off measurement scale of hydrometer)
Finings added 15/11/03; SG 1020
Bottled 18/11/03 (brown bottles, white caps, purple text); final SG 1020 - quite high (unsurprisingly)

Design basis: based on a beer called Aviator Bock, brewed by the Wig and Pen brewpub in Canberra, which was a massively malty and ultra-strong dark lager, a gorgeous beer.
Tasting notes: I quote from the original brewing notes - “Jesus Christ what a beer. HUGE malt flavour, rounded and almost fruity (courtesy Fuggles)”. Worked brilliantly, very much like the Aviator Bock which this is based on.

DUFF 23/11 Duff Beer
Techo shit:
Setup 18/11/03
• Morgans Blue Mountain Lager kit 1.7kg
• Morgans Extra Pale Malt Extract 1.5kg
• Hersbrucker hops 12g (finishing)
• Drying enzyme 3g, added with yeast
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~28ºC
Initial SG 1038
Finings added 21/11; SG not recorded
Bottled 23/11 (green bottles, gold caps); final SG 1005

Design basis: a Craigos-instigated recipe taken from… not sure, think he just plucked it out of his arse basically. Brewed to take on a golf trip up to the Sunshine Coast because he was too cheap to buy commercial beer.
First use of drying enzyme since Craigos' 2002 Crown Lager ripoff brew.
Tasting notes: most of this went on the golf trip so not much was kept for tasting purposes. Those sampled for tasting started out as nothing special (early in maturation process) but after around 4 months a really interesting malt element started to come through, presumably due to effects of the drying enzyme ‘mopping up’ the excess sweetness. Wish we’d kept more to see how it improved further as it matured.

CS 8/2 Cerveza del Spurioso
Techo shit:
Setup 1/2/04
• Black Rock Export Pilsner 1.5kg
• WSHB Czech Pilsner brew enhancer 1kg
• Saaz and Hersbrucker hops 12g each, steeped 10min
Volume ~23L
Initial temp ~32ºC (used wet towel to bring temp down by evaporative cooling; to 27ºC within ~6hrs)
Initial SG 1034
Finings added 5/2/04; SG 1014
Bottled 8/2/04 (brown bottles, white caps); final SG not recorded

Design basis: first brew in new place (Casa del Spurioso, Mitre St) - decided to begin with the tried and true Saaz Pilsner recipe. Only change was to the kit used.
First use of wet towel method (‘wicked’ into bucket of water) - worked very well, maintainted temp at 24-26ºC throughout brew
Tasting notes: very near last year’s Saaz Pilsner, a cracker. Sharpish saaz flavours, light and golden, great nose. Difficult to pick significant differences between this and ‘03 SP even in extensive back-to-back tastings. And we do mean extensive.

IR 28/3 Irish Red
Techo shit:
Setup 21/3/04
• St Peters Irish Red Fresh Wort kit 15L
• Safale yeast
Volume ~18L
Initial temp ~26ºC (stabilised with Wet Towel Technology™)
Initial SG not recorded but probably fairly high
Finings not added
Bottled 28/3/04 (green bottles, gold caps, red text); final SG not recorded either (due to lack of functional hydrometer as we'd dropped them all on the concrete floor)

Design basis: first use of pre-kettled fresh worts produced by St Peters Brewery in Sydney and available through WSHB.
SGs not recorded over this period of the brewseason as all our hydrometers were non-functional.
Tasting notes: a true Irish red beer in the style of Kilkenny or Monteith’s Celtic, dry and earthy with nice malty elements, not overly bitter. Head and action of excellent quality, very creamy. Large amount of yeast sediment; in hindsight, should have used finings. Definitely one for the fans of your Irish red beers. Of which neither of us were actually one so we should probably have thought this one through a bit better.

DH 12/4 Da Herb
Techo shit:
Setup 4/4/04
• Brewiser Pacific Draught kit 1.7kg
• Ultra Brew 1kg
• Dextrose 180g
• Hallertau hops 12g
• Fresh basil and mint
Hallertau and herbs steeped together 15min
Volume ~21.5L
Initial temp/SG not recorded
Finings not added
Bottled 12/4/04 (green bottles, green caps); final SG not recorded (hydrometer still broken).

Design basis: our most controversial beer. The Old Man was steadfast in his belief that this beer would not work. Whether he is right is still a matter of conjecture. Rather than use hops, we used fresh green herbs from the future Dr Mrs Dr Yobbo's flourishing herb garden - great handfuls of fresh basil and mint.
Kit was out of a cheapo pre-packed box from Big W containing kit, Ultra Brew, hops and bag of dextrose for bottling (which we threw into the wort to supplement the fermentables.
Tasting notes: herb flavour very prominent. VERY prominent. One is nice; two is, um, interesting; three, starting to wear thin. Took a while to get rid of this one. Went very well in cooking though. And cleaning the BBQ, since we'd used up all the Mabbott's Vienna Gold.

46 22/4 The Doctor’s Orders
Techo shit:
Setup 17/4/04
• Coopers Sparkling Ale kit 1.7kg
• Morgans Extra Pale Malt Extract 1.5kg
• Cascade and Goldings hops 15g each, steeped 10min
Volume ~25L
Initial temp/SG not recorded
Finings added 20/4
Bottled 22/4/04 (green bottles, gold caps, blue text); final SG not recorded (hydrometer still broken).

Design basis: envisaged as a ‘session’ beer, one for long hot Qld afternoons and weekends - hence additional volume (to make more of it) and malt (to ensure it wasn’t too watery.) Named (and numbered) in honour of the first MotoGP win for the Doctor (Valentino Rossi) on the Yamaha YZR-M1, in the South African GP.
Tasting notes: went exactly as planned (except that we planned to add a drying enzyme to try and get the late-onset malt element of Duff (18/11), but forgot to buy the drying enzyme.) Tasty, nicely hopped, malt elements just right, good head and action. Went fucking quickly and popular with the ladies. Much like Rossi himself.

RH 9/5 Red Eye Honey Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 3/5/04
• Morgans Pale Malt Extract 1.7kg
• Morgans Caramalt Master Blend 1kg
• Beechworth Honey 1kg
• Hallertau hops 50g (bittering) + 12g (finishing)
• Safale yeast
Half Pale Malt Extract simmered (‘kettled’) 45min in ~4L water with 50g Hallertau; 12g Hallertau then steeped in this for 10min.
Volume ~23L
Initial temp/SG not recorded
Unsure whether we added finings or not
Bottled 9/5/04 (brown bottles, gold caps, purple text); final SG 1012 (finally bought another hydrometer)

Design notes: recipe taken from Morgans ‘brewsletter’ - no actual kit involved, hence ‘kettling’ of malt extract with bittering hops (Hallertau - fairly low alpha acid level, so not strongly bitter).
With the amount of fermentables used (a good kilo over typical levels), figure on 6-6.5% alcohol for this
Tasting notes: A real favourite - really worked well. Hallertau not overly bitter but consistent in its bitterness level, rounded off by excess malt and honey - maybe a little too rounded in the end, as it ended up a little like the overly malted pilsners (TN/PP) brewed in 2003 - nowhere near as discordant though. Would have been interesting to try this brew again perhaps with a drying enzyme to mop up some of the excess sweetness.

PA 25/5 Pale Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 16/5/04
• Malt Shovel Brewery Pale Ale 2 x 1.7kg
• Williamette and Cascade hops ~20g each, steeped 10min
Volume ~20L
Initial temp ~26ºC
Initial SG not recorded (broke new hydrometer trying to record it)
Finings added 22/5; SG 1020 at 23/5
Bottled 25/5 (brown bottles, white caps, red text); final SG 1018

Design notes: Aiming to reconstitute Cascade First Harvest (limited release pale ale) or something like it.
First attempt at using two kits (rather than a kit plus extra malt/sugar), though this method had been attempted by the Old Man at the Broom with another MSB kit.
Considered using bulk priming for bottling but post-finings fermentation took too long.
Tasting notes: big, earthen and malty in the true English pale ale tradition, excellent head and action, but alarmingly over-hopped - extra Williamette and Cascade (named as ingredients in Cascade First Harvest) rather overdoing it. Should have gone sans hops or picked a less hoppy kit to start with. Still a good beer but not one for afternoon sessions.

bp 18/7 (A) Bitter Pils (to swallow)
Techo shit:
Setup 23/5/04
• Black Rock Pilsner Blonde kit 1.7kg
• Morgans Extra Pale Malt Extract 1.5kg
• Saaz (12g), Cluster (12g) and Super Alpha (25g) hops - simmered briefly then steeped 10min
• 3g drying enzyme
Volume ~21L
Initial temp ~26ºC
Initial SG 1058 (seemed rather large at the time)
Finings added (liquid - first use of same); SG 1015; temp ~22ºC - very pale, lots of dissolved gas (cloudy appearance)
Bottling (initial) 30/5/04; SG 1014, no bubbling through airlock

Became obvious during bottle maturation process (June) that each bottle was badly overgassed (direct quote from the original brewnotes: “bp 30/5 is a batch of hand grenades”) Likely that they were bottled too early, before primary fermentation was complete.

Revisited 3/7: Entire 30/5 batch of bottles opened (very carefully - bottlecaps became projectiles very easily) and contents returned to fermenter - 17L recovered, topped off to 20L with Da Herb (DH 12/4, which we were trying to get rid of), and added powdered finings. SG 1018, temp ~22ºC.
Bottled 18/7/04 (green bottles, white caps, green text, hereafter referred to as ‘bp Ultimate’); final SG 1007

Design basis: intended as a cross between Duff (i.e. trying to get that ‘late-onset malt’ using the Morgans Extra Pale malt and the drying enzyme) and Steinlager (or other more bitter pilsners, hence Super Alpha and Cluster.)
First use of liquid finings; when brew maturation went awry over June, contamination was suspected and liquid finings implicated, but turned out not to be the case.
Tasting notes: in the end, turned out surprisingly well. Still overgassed but managably so (though still capable of self-grenading in the boot of cars on hot bumpy journeys). Flavour balance probably slightly compromised by length of (both) primary fermentation(s) - a bit of ‘skank’ definitely crept into the flavour.
Cluster not a good hop; do not use, other than as a weapon.

IBF 6/6 Dark Shark Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 29/5/04
• Malt Shovel Brewery Deep Roast Ale kit 1.7kg
• Morgans Chocolate Malt Master Blend 1kg
• Goldings (10g), Williamette (10g) and Green Bullet (5g) hops - dry hopped
Volume ~15L
Initial temp ~24ºC (an estimate - liquid volume not within range of thermostrip on fermenter)
Initial SG 1054
Finings added 3/6; SG 1024
Bottled 6/6 (brown bottles, white caps, black text); final SG 1023

Design basis: Strong dark ale with staunch stout leanings. Named after Ian Baker-Finch (as tagged by Roy and HG). Brewed in a concentrated volume (around 15L) to get that dense, syrupy stout consistency and mouthfeel.
Tasting notes: Deep and robust scent, burnt-black and malty with coffee and chocolate overtones. Even the head is dark brown. More bitter than Bock, not quite as dense despite concentrated volume. Lord alone knows what the alcohol content is but it ain’t 5%. Large flakes of hop remain in the bottle, adding flavour, but to be avoided when pouring - recommend using a tea strainer.

AA 28/8 Anniversary Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 8/8/04
• Coopers Pale Ale kit 1.7kg
• WSHB Brew Booster 1kg
• Williamette, Goldings and Cascade hops a dash (~5g) each, dry hopped
Volume ~21L
Initial temp ~26ºC
Initial SG 1042
Finings added 21/8/04; SG 1016, still lots of dissolved gas
Due to concerns over long fermentation and possibility of a ‘bp’ repeat, bottled part of batch 22/8 (SG 1009) and part 28/8 (SG 1008) - green bottles, white caps, blue text.

Design basis: testing new Coopers’ Pale Ale kit - brewed to mark Megan and James’ 2½ year anniversary (Megan being a fan of Coopers’ Pale Ale).
Tasting notes: light and pleasant, very Coopers Pale Ale-esque but with hint of citrusy goodness. No real difference between the two batches.

Dr Yobbo’s Graduation Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 22/10/04
• Morgans Pale Malt Extract 1.5kg
• Morgans Caramalt Master Blend 1kg
• Capilano Honey 750g
• Golden Nectar Leatherwood Honey 250g
• Hallertau hops 50g, bittering
• Cascade, Goldings and Super Alpha hops 10g each, finishing
• Safale yeast 7g
• Drying enzyme 3g
Half extract + Master Blend simmered 45min in ~4L water then finishing hops steeped in wort 10min (as per Red Eye recipe)
Volume ~25L
Initial temp ~28ºC
Initial SG ~1050
Finings added 4/11/04; SG 1008; aroma of honey as well as sharp hop bitterness a la James Squire Pilsener
Bottling 6/11/04 (green bottles, patterned caps, custom labels); final SG 1008

Design basis: brewed for Dr Yobbo’s graduation (9/12/04), based on Red Eye Honey Ale recipe (varying finishing hops and type of honey, plus addition of drying enzyme.) Given out to all those who had contributed in a positive way towards the Doctor’s tenure at the IMB and the attainment of his PhD (Piss Head Degree).
Tasting notes: brilliant, as you’d expect. Compared to Red Eye Honey Ale, dryer taste, stronger hop flavours and bitterness, sharpness of leatherwood honey also evident. As most of this was given away, how the flavours of this matured with age isn’t known, but it’s a safe assumption to make that it would have dried up further, the malt would have advanced further, the hops would have rounded off, and it would have tasted Bloody Tops. (Postscript: A couple of old bottles unearthed by the Old Man at Xmas 2007. All of the above is true.)

X 21/11 Xmas Ale
Techo shit:
Setup 14/11/04
• Cascade Golden Harvest Lager kit 1.7kg
• WSHB light liquid malt 1kg
• Cascade and Goldings hops 12g each, steeped 10min
• Hallertau hops 20g, dry hops
• Drying enzyme 3g
Volume ~22L
Initial SG 1040
Finings added 18/11/04; SG 1008
Bottled 21/11/04 (green bottles, red caps); final SG 1006

Design notes: second attempt at a Christmas beer (after 2002’s effort). Based on newly released Cascade kits (available in supermarkets) with the reliable combination of Cascade, Goldings and Hallertau (first used together in the Schoolies Brew of ’02). Again, drying enzyme used to clean up and dry out the taste.
This recipe actually set up as a brew 22/8/04 but fermentation failed due to contamination.
Tasting notes: good summer beer though Hallertau mintiness did tend to predominate over Cascade citrus elements - not entirely complementary with Golden Harvest kit. Still quite a decent brew. Not aged sufficiently by Xmas break to see the benefit of drying enzyme, after which point most of this brew had disappeared. Merry Christmas.

SP 27/11 Summer Pilsner
Techo shit:
Setup 21/11/04
• Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsener kit 1.7kg
• WSHB Czech Pilsner brew enhancer 1kg
• Williamette (5g), Saaz and Hallertau hops (24g each), steeped 10min
• Drying enzyme 3g
Volume ~23L
Initial SG 10403
Finings added 25/11/04; SG 1009
Bottled 27/11/04 (brown bottles, gold caps, black text); final SG 1005

Design basis: back to the reliable Saaz Pilsner recipe for summer, with different (and more) hops, and again testing the use of a drying enzyme to remove any residual malt sweetness in the beer - figured a pilsner would particularly benefit from the use of this treatment.
Tasting notes: again, another good ‘summer’ beer, though again, the Hallertau flavour tends to shout over the top of everything else. Probably overhopped. Again, most of this went over the Xmas break so the effect of the drying enzyme wasn’t able to be determined.

K 16/7 Kleinlager
Techo shit:
Setup 31/3/05
• Black Rock NZ Lager kit 1.7kg
• Brewcraft Brewblend #15 - Lager Enhancer 1kg
• Cascade and Hallertau hops 12g, steeped 10min
• Saflager yeast
Volume ~23L
Initial brew temp ~20ºC, ambient temp ~18ºC
Initial SG 1040
After 4 days: SG 1022, brew temp ~16ºC, ambient temp ~14ºC; lots of dissolved gas and quite the lagerescent pong
Finings added 7/4/05; SG 1012
Bottled 16/4/05 (mixed bottles, predominantly green; gold caps, red text); final SG 1010 (stable since 11/4)

Design notes: first ‘small’ attempt at brewing a true lager (i.e. with lager yeast within lager fermentation temps, keeping in the mid teens) - also first brew in NZ. Vague aim was Steinlager.
Lager fermentation takes longer and seems to generate more carbonation - heavy frothing when bottling, had to leave bottles to settle before topping up and capping.
Tasting notes: took time to mature, initially a touch skanky, but developed into a really nice, clean NZ lager with a zesty hop bouquet.
Wanted to use Goldings but not available in NZ.
Maltier and more interesting than Shitelager.

P 29/5 Proton Pils
Techo shit:
Setup 12/5/05
• Brewcraft Czech Pilsner kit 1.7kg
• Black Rock Blond malt 1.5kg
• Saaz hops 12g, steeped 10min
• Saflager yeast
Volume ~20.5L
Initial brew temp ~18ºC
Initial SG 1048
Finings added 26/5/05; SG 1012
Bottled 29/5/05 (green bottles, gold caps, black text); final SG 1010

Design notes: trying simple pilsner recipe with lager yeast - heavier on malt (as pale as was available) and lighter on hops (sticking with Saaz) than late ’04 Australian efforts.
Again, fermentation took longer than expected and bottling was more difficult due to overfoaming of bottles.
Tasting notes: very nice. A bit darker than expected (probably due to condensed volume as well as high malt content), saaz not as prominent, but still crisp and quite dry despite lack of drying enzyme. Strong alcohol content as well.

B 3/7 Bock
Techo shit:
Setup 12/6/05
• Muntons Bock kit 1.8kg
• Black Rock Amber Malt 1.1kg
• Saflager yeast
Volume ~20L
Initial brew temp ~16ºC
Initial SG 1064
Finings added 19/6/05; SG 1022
Bottled in two batches due to concerns over amount of dissolved gas - first batch 26/6/05, second batch 3/7/05 (mixed bottles, gold caps, blue text); final SG 1018 (consistent between batches)

Design notes: standard bock recipe, as used in Australia, but using a lager yeast (as per traditional German brews). Fermentation took several weeks - probably as much to do with low temps and large amounts of malt to chew through as the characteristics of the Saflager yeast.
Tasting notes: massive malty bock, heavy and syrupy. Would have possibly appreciated a dash of Williamette or similar to round off flavour a touch. Otherwise very good.

The Doctor is OUT to track down a beer.