General Update

It seems like Rocktober was a little quiet on the brewing front for me - a total of zero (0) brews put down during the entire month... I didn't even get to Oktoberfest! ! ! My brothers "house warming" didn't exactly go ahead either, so I have been left with a glut of beer to consume - what a predicament! The hopburst is very cloudy, presumably from the massive amount hop polyphenols that would be present within such a hop-heavy brew, but the taste is absolutley divine. My American Amber Ale (Wetpak with additives) is probably one of the best I have tried to date, and I can't wait to give it a shot as an all-grain effort.

Speaking of which, the brewery is still coming along slowly. Looks like I will be purchasing a much better pump (self-priming, at that!) through the guys at the Country Brewer, but will likely have to wait until near Christmas before I have the funds for it - so I will have to resort to the old weight-lifting brew days for another few months at least. At any rate, the stand is still sitting at Girraween waiting for me to find the time to drop in and help weld it up. Bloody work getting in the way of my hobbies again - will have to find a way to fix that problem once and for all. Until then, it's time for another beer!

Cheers,
TSD

Wet Paks

I really should state straight up that I used to work for the Country Brewer - I did so for three years - so I guess in a way my opinion about their products could be slightly biased. That being said, I sincerely believe they are a classic example of a hard working small Aussie business that has taken on the "big guns" of the homebrew industry and come out on top. At any rate, whether or not you think I am here to advertise, or to simply share my opinion, feel free to read on...

I have previously posted on my current lack of an all grain brewery, and subsequent need to revert back to brewinig extract beers. I don't want anyone to think that by saying "revert back", I am implying that these extract beers are in any way inferior. In fact, I have won several awards at homebrew competitions up to state and national level with beers I have brewed from extracts, and even using tinned pre-bittered concentrates as a base. Those who state that beers made this way are inferior are either kidding themselves, trying to justify their existence (and time spent making all-grain beer), or are just downright ignorant!

Being sans-beer-frame, I have taken to brewing the Country Brewer WetPaks again and I have to say I am loving them! They take a little more time than the average kit (one hour boil), but the extra time and effort are really worth it. These beers have more flavour, more body, and more aroma than any pre-bittered concentrates and just seem to taste... fresher. I currently have on tap both an American Pale Ale and an Oak Ale from the WetPak range and can't get enough of either.

The range seems to be expanding at a reasonable rate too. They started off with five classic styles - Pilsner, Lager, Bitter (English-style... certainly not a V.B. clone), Porter and an American Pale Ale. Since its conception, the range has seen the addition of a Hefe-style wheat beer and an Oak Ale. Although the oak Ale has only been on the shelf a few months, I have already made three of the suckers... it is simply that good.

Now many purists will tell you that oak has no place in a beer and, theoretically, they are correct. Even though historically beer was stored in oak barrels, the inside of these casks were apparently coated in pitch to mitigate any chance of oxidation. However, one thing I learnt from Beavis (one of the directors of the Country Brewer) during my time there was a "why not" attitude when it came to brewing. This is evidenced clearly in the Oak Ale Wetpak. I know of no other brand of homebrew kit that has introduced the addition of oak chips to the brewing process, but it has come off as a great success. The oak is quite dominant, but not overpowering, and it sits on a base that I would consider to be remeniscent of a British pale ale. In fact, this would have been a great brew in and of itself, but the addition of the oak truly sets it apart.

So if any of you who currently brew all-grain find yourselves, as I have, without the equipment necessary to do the job properly, don't run your taps dry... get a WetPak in the boiler and enjoy.

Cheers,
TSD

Aussie Homebrew Competitions

Like many others out there, I brew my beers with only one person in mind. If I like the beer then, to me at least, it is a success. That being said however, it is sometimes nice to get favourable feedback about your creations from others; particularly those who either know a fair amount about the way beer should taste, or are in the industry themselves. Hence regular entries in regional, or even national, brewing competitions are a must if you really want to improve your brewing.

Almost every competition I have entered has mailed the results and tasting notes to me afterwards - even if I did not take a place. These notes are invaluable in two ways. Firstly they give you a good idea of what people "in-the-know" think of your beer, and how it stands up to style. Secondly, a well presented tasting sheet filled in by a concientious judge will give you an indication of what you may be doing wrong through the brewing process, and how, in the judges eyes, you could improve your methods or recipe structure.

I have watched with great anticipation, bordering on national pride, as more Australian-based brewing competitions have either started up or gotten enough advertising/coverage to be noticed by the homebrewing community. While some such as the Castle Hill and Luddenham shows will always be on a small scale due their minimal size and mostly local interest, many have grown considerably over the years. One such show is the "Bathurst Homebrew Competition", which became known in the homebrew industry (at least while I was a part of it) as the unofficial Nationals due to the fact that more prestige was given to the category winners of Bathurst than any other competition in Australia due to both the sheer number of entries and the stiff competition between competitors.

That being said, it is always wise to support the small regionals, as the more people notice that homebrew is no longer reminiscent of the foul tasting concoctions their grandfathers coughed up, the more the hobby will grow - and that can never be a bad thing.

For a list of upcoming Australian Homebrew Competitions, click here

Cheers,
TSD

BeerTools Pro - and a simple amber ale

To the right is a screen capture of the BeerTools Pro software. I have been using BeerTools online as a recipe calculator for many years, and indeed I have crafted many an enjoyable brew using this resource. BeerTools Pro is in beta testing at the moment, and even though I have been unable to test it thoroughly - due to afore mentioned temporary lack of proper equipment - I have watched it unfold with great anticipation. Each beta release has revealed more and more of what awaits us, and I have to say that finally there will be a true competitor to ProMash. Due for release in October.

The recipe is a simple amber ale that I plan to use as my maiden brew, once the system is up and running. I have other recipes that I am hanging to brew, but I think a simple batch for the maiden is a safer bet.

Cheers,
TSD