General homebrew discussion, tips and help on kit and malt extract brewing, and talk about equipment. Queries on sourcing supplies and equipment should go in The Store.
Have you ever made that perfect brew ??. In your own mind. That one that has hit the nail on the head, and the reason you brew your own, and become obsessed in your hobby. The brew that you swear will make time and time again.
Personally, i have not. Ive come reasonably close with a couple. But i suppose im a perfectionist. This is one reason that keeps me going. Aswell as just enjoying every brew i make........i am still searching for that Holy Grail . Adding to that, i must admit i have made some vinegar in my time too.
So any one of us out there hit their bullseye ? If so....please share the recipe !!
i have made some corkers, but nothing that i would say is the best i'll ever do. i hope i don't make the best brew ever though...it's nice to have something to aim for.
Aparanltly so i've been told, a japaneese/chineese/asian curse is 'may all your dreams come true'.
But a blessing is 'may all your dreams bar one come true'.
Not as good as Black Adders "Dear Enemy: may the Lord hate you and all your kind, may you be turned orange in hue, and may your head fall off at an awkward moment.", but a lot more obscure
i am however making a milk stout with oats, which i think will beat the rest that i have done so far
If you brew or even drink a perfect brew, the sad truth is that everything else is going to be a let down from there. Even if you could reproduce the perfect brew everytime would you not get bored with it? Also, I know that what 10 years ago would have been a top brew would not even be a contender against my currrent tastes etc.
In answer to the question, I have brewed some very drinkable batches but I doubt any would be perfect.
I used to be a "brew a stout, then brew a wheat beer, then a lager" kinda guy. I then realised that only one of the four of my kegs was being emptied on a regular basis. Sure, a stout you gotta chew through may be cool once in a while but you couldn't have a night on it. Same goes for the porter I recently brewed.
This put me on the quest to brew a good session beer and perfect it. First one OD'd on the cascade hops. Something I thought was a good thing until you're on your 8th. So I'm up to SessionBeer v2 at the moment. Not so hoppy, but still a bit on the big side malt wise. Next one I'm thinking of chucking in some of the dreaded dextrose or maybe using a more attenuative yeast. Probably the yeast. Dunno if I could bring myself to use the dextrose.
When I get it right I'll invite all you guys round for a sesh.
yeah me 2, all my brews have been mediocre, my friend likes the wheat beer iv just done, its a bit bitter for my liking, as for drinking the perfect beer, i have a passion for a beer called duchars, and its my aim ...... well .... in life i guess to brew the bugger.
it absolutely lush. but like i guess oliver was suggesting, it still has its flaws and i would change some aspects of its profile if i could, suppose thats one of the main reasons i home brew, or aspire to. !!
Never missed once, must be an Ontario thing, mind you, the bar is pretty low here.
Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
I have one that was very close to perfect, I wanted to make something like sam adams and pulled it off. Is it the perfect beer, well, maybe not, but to hit the target dead on was pretty satisfying, everything on the mark, the right hops, right amount of specialty malts, right dry hopping time.
On a slight side note, Goatee, I have made some nice milk stout, none with oats, but some with oak. Adds a nice barrel aged quality to the beer with hints of vanilla. Might be something to consider trying if you like the style.
How long did you need to age it to round off the oak?
Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
I think I used about 50g of steamed oak "chunks", they werent those really fine chips that you sometimes see, but about 5mm-1.5cm pieces. It sat for about two and a half weeks in the secondary. The oak taste was really sharp out of the fermenter, but it mellowed quite a bit after about a month in the bottle to a really nice, balanced flavor. I basically just tried a bottle every now and then to see when it was ready.
I have some oak from some wine kits, I may give it a go latter this year
Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
. Adding to that, i must admit i have made some vinegar in my time too.
englend victorious "ashes 2005"