Sounds good, not overly bitter but that should suit the relatively low abv (for a neipa). Quite a dry hop, it'll be smelling a tin of delmonte tropical fruit cocktail!
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Swap you one for a pumpkin ale!
I'll happily try oneSwap you one for a pumpkin ale!
Actually, question for you @pilgrimhudd - when you made your Hazy, how did you get on with the CML Haze?
In fairness it's only been a week since I brewed it and pitched the yeast - it got going quick enough but does seem to be plodding along very slowly. Airlock is still ticking over slowly and the krausen hasn't dropped yet. It was initially at 19degC, but I've upped it since to 20degC.
It's not like I'm in a rush but I'm mildly surprised primary fermentation hasn't obviously finished yet, even if it then took days to finish the last few gravity points.
On the plus side, every time I open the brew fridge it smells wonderfully fruity and hoppy!
I'll happily try one
Actually, question for you @pilgrimhudd - when you made your Hazy, how did you get on with the CML Haze?
In fairness it's only been a week since I brewed it and pitched the yeast - it got going quick enough but does seem to be plodding along very slowly. Airlock is still ticking over slowly and the krausen hasn't dropped yet. It was initially at 19degC, but I've upped it since to 20degC.
It's not like I'm in a rush but I'm mildly surprised primary fermentation hasn't obviously finished yet, even if it then took days to finish the last few gravity points.
On the plus side, every time I open the brew fridge it smells wonderfully fruity and hoppy!
Hmmm if I remember, krausen didnt drop for ages and I have a feeling there was still debris floating after 2 weeks. It definitely didnt go off like the clippers like some. Love the smell, really amazing.
My belgianesque thing that I'm brewing at the moment has the most incredible smell, I'm not sure if I've brewed anything before with such a sweet smell to it.
Update: AG#54 Rainy Days Hazy IPA
So here's a funny thing about this Haze yeast, despite my protestations that it seems to be taking its time...
1 week after pitching, the krausen still hasn't dropped so I decided to take a gravity reading just to see where we're at;
Well as it turns out, the gravity has gone from 1.053 to 1.012, so far giving ABV = 5.4%.
(BF predicted 1.016 => 4.9%, so bang goes my hopes for a more sessionable beer!)
It's hazy, but more like weak orange squash than orange juice; Fruity hoppy aroma; Quite bitter, but lots of fruity tropical flavour with a bit of citrus too.
I'll keep checking the gravity every couple of days as i suspect it may drop another point or two, then add the final dry hop before packaging (though I'm toying with the idea of splitting this final dry hop and add some now, some at the end).
So here's a funny thing about this Haze yeast, despite my protestations that it seems to be taking its time...
1 week after pitching, the krausen still hasn't dropped so I decided to take a gravity reading just to see where we're at;
Well as it turns out, the gravity has gone from 1.053 to 1.012, so far giving ABV = 5.4%.
(BF predicted 1.016 => 4.9%, so bang goes my hopes for a more sessionable beer!)
It's hazy, but more like weak orange squash than orange juice; Fruity hoppy aroma; Quite bitter, but lots of fruity tropical flavour with a bit of citrus too.
I'll keep checking the gravity every couple of days as i suspect it may drop another point or two, then add the final dry hop before packaging (though I'm toying with the idea of splitting this final dry hop and add some now, some at the end).
Got a few updates to come today - if I get a chance to sit down and write about them!
- ESB split batch first tasting - the outcome of which surprised me a bit!
- Hazy IPA bottled
- And another brew day
Hopefully more later...
- ESB split batch first tasting - the outcome of which surprised me a bit!
- Hazy IPA bottled
- And another brew day
Hopefully more later...
I had planned originally to brew my Podium IPA again this weekend, before doing a Porter next time. But since my recent Hazy IPA has ended up rather stronger than planned I figured I'd hang back on brewing another 5.5%ish IPA and get the Porter on first. Plus, if I stick to my planned brewing schedule, the conditioning times means the Podium IPA and this Porter will be ready at the same time. It's not just a hat rack y'know..... Anyway.....
AG#55 Hurricane Porter
A name inspired by my aeronautical background, I feel London/English/Brown Porter (a bit like the Hawker Hurricane sometimes) is a bit of an unsung and underappreciated hero, inexplicably overshadowed by Stout and forgotten among all the trendy AIPAs and NEIPAs
I've brewed a Porter a few times including GH's Brown Porter, Josh Weikert's Pliers Porter and of course sampled Fuller's London Porter. Last time out I ended up with a couple of batches just under 4% ABV - very sessionable and thirst quenching when served cold and great with burgers and sausages off the BBQ!
But what I'm going for here is something a bit more robust, around the same strength as and with the thicker mouthfeel of Fuller's London Porter.
The recipe is pretty much Josh Weikert's Plier's Porter, though the hopping schedule comes from GH, and I'm using Northdown hops which I think work well. I've also added some Munich malt, partly to bump up the grain bill a bit and also just to see how it works out.
And if you haven't tried it before, I really recommend you try out Chocolate Rye Malt - I've used it in a few styles now, including back to back against regular Chocolate Malt in Porter and it really brings something extra.
18L tap water, 1.25ml lactic acid 80%, 4g CaCl, 1g Gypsum, 0.5g NaCl, half a Campden tablet.
(Calculated 208.5 Ca; 166 Cl; 71 SO4; 269 HCO - but a bit high on Ca & HCO)
Grain Bill:
2000g Maris Otter
500g Munich
250g Dark Crystal
250g Brown Malt
250g Chocolate Rye Malt
TOTAL 3.25kg
Overnight (~9.5hrs) full-volume no-sparge mash @ 70degC
(As before I think the temperature was up and down all night probably about +/-4degC so who knows!)
Boil 30mins:
25g Northdown 7.5% 30mins
15g Northdown 7.5% 10mins
1/4tsp Irish Moss powder 10mins
Ended up with 11L in the FV, plus 4L crud which should yield another 1-2L once it's settled out.
Pitched 6g CML Beoir and put it in the brew fridge set to 18.5degC.
Ended up at OG = 1.051, just a point lower than expected which is fine. 26 IBU's (Rager) and a dark 24 SRM.
Anyone's guess how it'll attenuate but around 5.2% ABV if it stops at 1.011 as predicted by Brewer's Friend - I'm hoping it doesn't go too low to preserve some body and mouthfeel rather than ending up too thin.
AG#55 Hurricane Porter
A name inspired by my aeronautical background, I feel London/English/Brown Porter (a bit like the Hawker Hurricane sometimes) is a bit of an unsung and underappreciated hero, inexplicably overshadowed by Stout and forgotten among all the trendy AIPAs and NEIPAs
I've brewed a Porter a few times including GH's Brown Porter, Josh Weikert's Pliers Porter and of course sampled Fuller's London Porter. Last time out I ended up with a couple of batches just under 4% ABV - very sessionable and thirst quenching when served cold and great with burgers and sausages off the BBQ!
But what I'm going for here is something a bit more robust, around the same strength as and with the thicker mouthfeel of Fuller's London Porter.
The recipe is pretty much Josh Weikert's Plier's Porter, though the hopping schedule comes from GH, and I'm using Northdown hops which I think work well. I've also added some Munich malt, partly to bump up the grain bill a bit and also just to see how it works out.
And if you haven't tried it before, I really recommend you try out Chocolate Rye Malt - I've used it in a few styles now, including back to back against regular Chocolate Malt in Porter and it really brings something extra.
18L tap water, 1.25ml lactic acid 80%, 4g CaCl, 1g Gypsum, 0.5g NaCl, half a Campden tablet.
(Calculated 208.5 Ca; 166 Cl; 71 SO4; 269 HCO - but a bit high on Ca & HCO)
Grain Bill:
2000g Maris Otter
500g Munich
250g Dark Crystal
250g Brown Malt
250g Chocolate Rye Malt
TOTAL 3.25kg
Overnight (~9.5hrs) full-volume no-sparge mash @ 70degC
(As before I think the temperature was up and down all night probably about +/-4degC so who knows!)
Boil 30mins:
25g Northdown 7.5% 30mins
15g Northdown 7.5% 10mins
1/4tsp Irish Moss powder 10mins
Ended up with 11L in the FV, plus 4L crud which should yield another 1-2L once it's settled out.
Pitched 6g CML Beoir and put it in the brew fridge set to 18.5degC.
Ended up at OG = 1.051, just a point lower than expected which is fine. 26 IBU's (Rager) and a dark 24 SRM.
Anyone's guess how it'll attenuate but around 5.2% ABV if it stops at 1.011 as predicted by Brewer's Friend - I'm hoping it doesn't go too low to preserve some body and mouthfeel rather than ending up too thin.
One of the reasons I started home brewing was because I wanted to brew my own porter and stout. In nearly two years I've never done a porter but this sounds nice. If it ends up anything like fullers it'll be good, you must have similar water there so that must help!
First Tasting: AG#52 "Chocks Away" ESB split batch
After four weeks in the bottle it was time for a taste. This was a split batch, with half fermented using CML Midland (6.7% ABV) and the other half with CML Beoir (6.6% ABV).
At bottling I noted that "Midland maybe brings out the bitterness of the hops more whereas Beoir is more rounded and malty. I think both will be very tasty but I've a feeling Beoir will just edge it."
So how did it pan out in the end?
Well a lot of points were common to both of course:
Appearance = Copper-amber; Chill haze; Off-white head. Head retention not great but lacing is so so; Modest carbonation; Big mouthfeel!
In addition I noted for Midland:
Aroma = Nutty, malty
Taste = Orange marmalade (not the first time I've said this about a beer!); gentle bitterness, esters and fruitiness. Very drinkable!
And for Beoir I noted:
Aroma = More subtle, a little malty
Taste = Very nice. Maltiness is more pronounced. There is a bit of ester there maybe, but not really not getting much hoppiness coming through.
Both of these are really nice beers and I'm definitely gonna enjoy drinking them. They're certainly not night and day but the difference between them is still pretty distinct - I can see Beoir being great in a more malt forward style, I guess like a Scottish Ale maybe, Stout or Porter or even a pseudo-Helles. But despite initial impressions for this ESB it's the Midland yeast that wins, creating a great balance between the malt, hops and esters.
After four weeks in the bottle it was time for a taste. This was a split batch, with half fermented using CML Midland (6.7% ABV) and the other half with CML Beoir (6.6% ABV).
At bottling I noted that "Midland maybe brings out the bitterness of the hops more whereas Beoir is more rounded and malty. I think both will be very tasty but I've a feeling Beoir will just edge it."
So how did it pan out in the end?
Well a lot of points were common to both of course:
Appearance = Copper-amber; Chill haze; Off-white head. Head retention not great but lacing is so so; Modest carbonation; Big mouthfeel!
In addition I noted for Midland:
Aroma = Nutty, malty
Taste = Orange marmalade (not the first time I've said this about a beer!); gentle bitterness, esters and fruitiness. Very drinkable!
And for Beoir I noted:
Aroma = More subtle, a little malty
Taste = Very nice. Maltiness is more pronounced. There is a bit of ester there maybe, but not really not getting much hoppiness coming through.
Both of these are really nice beers and I'm definitely gonna enjoy drinking them. They're certainly not night and day but the difference between them is still pretty distinct - I can see Beoir being great in a more malt forward style, I guess like a Scottish Ale maybe, Stout or Porter or even a pseudo-Helles. But despite initial impressions for this ESB it's the Midland yeast that wins, creating a great balance between the malt, hops and esters.
When it's ready I'll get one in the post
My FIL commented recently that my darker beers tend to be some of my best. Binghams Brewery just down the road brews a CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain Vanilla Stout. I don't know what water Fuller's use but yeah, I think the water here just "works" for dark beers like this.
For me there's something about Porter that Stout doesn't do for me - I like Stout, but it's a little more abrasive perhaps whereas Porter seems smoother somehow. Notwithstanding the fact that the distinction between the two styles is very blurred!
I need to figure out the secret to good thick black beers. Pales, IPAs and pilsners are my bread and butter but I've yet to pull off a top quality black beer like Batemans Salem Porter. I think it's all in the water.
Bottling: AG#54 Rainy Days Hazy IPA
FG = 1.011
ABV = 5.5%
SRM = 5
IBU = 36 (Rager)
Yield = 20 x 500ml bottles
Colour = Like strong orange squash; much more hazy than prior to second dry hop and actually looks quite bright in the clear bottles.
Aroma = Tropical fruit (Mrs76 said mango!); hoppy
Taste = Need to wait a couple of weeks but certainly fruity and hoppy
Well bang goes my hopes for a session hazy! I've been thwarted by the vagaries of my overnight mash temperatures and the appetite of CML's yeast. But despite that I'm pleased so far - it was looking a bit wishy washy before I added the second dry hop but it's come out looking pretty good and I'm really pleased with the colour. Truth be told the bitterness seems more aggressive than it probably should be for the style but there's plenty of hoppy fruity notes there which I'm looking forward to tasting properly once it's carbonated.
FG = 1.011
ABV = 5.5%
SRM = 5
IBU = 36 (Rager)
Yield = 20 x 500ml bottles
Colour = Like strong orange squash; much more hazy than prior to second dry hop and actually looks quite bright in the clear bottles.
Aroma = Tropical fruit (Mrs76 said mango!); hoppy
Taste = Need to wait a couple of weeks but certainly fruity and hoppy
Well bang goes my hopes for a session hazy! I've been thwarted by the vagaries of my overnight mash temperatures and the appetite of CML's yeast. But despite that I'm pleased so far - it was looking a bit wishy washy before I added the second dry hop but it's come out looking pretty good and I'm really pleased with the colour. Truth be told the bitterness seems more aggressive than it probably should be for the style but there's plenty of hoppy fruity notes there which I'm looking forward to tasting properly once it's carbonated.
Damn straight. Had it from the brewery tap back in the 90s with our Uni real ale soc and it was incredible. Thick, creamy and great with fish chips and mushy peas.
Never tried it but looks like I'll have to source me a bottle.
Looks lovely but it still surprises me that someone such as yourself who takes such obvious pride in detail can't take the bleddy fursty ferret label off.
I would still like to book a bottle please.
I have found with these and I'm no expert.... that the bitterness fades after a month or so and they become very drinkable.
For the record, it's not fursty and there are no ferrets in itLooks lovely but it still surprises me that someone such as yourself who takes such obvious pride in detail can't take the bleddy fursty ferret label off.
I would still like to book a bottle please.
I have found with these and I'm no expert.... that the bitterness fades after a month or so and they become very drinkable.
If I wasted time taking off labels then I wouldn't have as much time making my beer so awesome
Happy to get one in the post for you. I'll be interested to see how they age - I haven't used galaxy before but others have said it's quite intense. Maybe that's the source of the bitterness and it'll mellow. But it ain't half bad as it goes so let's see
First Tasting: AG#54 "Rainy Days" Hazy IPA
Yeah baby, now we're talking! I'm very pleased with this...
Only a week after bottling but I couldn't resist... And they do say hoppiness fades with time... (they do say that don't they?)
I'm really pleased with the colour - it's opaque but "bright"...
Carbonation is modest but sufficient as intended so as not to be too bloating (and possibly not quite fully there after only a week). Head is pretty decent and lacing good...
Fruity aroma and taste, and certainly very drinkable... Possibly where it falls a bit short is it's almost certainly too bitter for the style - which I pretty much knew at bottling. Maybe it's all that Galaxy being over-assertive? That said it's quite a nice bitterness, like white grapefruit - and personally I do like my beers bitter so it works for me. But in this case it maybe gets a bit in the way of the fruitiness a little. On the flip side, it probably makes it more quaffable.
There's a bit of room for improvement but overall I'm very happy with my first go at this style, and for sure it's far from being the worst beer I've made lately!
Yeah baby, now we're talking! I'm very pleased with this...
Only a week after bottling but I couldn't resist... And they do say hoppiness fades with time... (they do say that don't they?)
I'm really pleased with the colour - it's opaque but "bright"...
Carbonation is modest but sufficient as intended so as not to be too bloating (and possibly not quite fully there after only a week). Head is pretty decent and lacing good...
Fruity aroma and taste, and certainly very drinkable... Possibly where it falls a bit short is it's almost certainly too bitter for the style - which I pretty much knew at bottling. Maybe it's all that Galaxy being over-assertive? That said it's quite a nice bitterness, like white grapefruit - and personally I do like my beers bitter so it works for me. But in this case it maybe gets a bit in the way of the fruitiness a little. On the flip side, it probably makes it more quaffable.
There's a bit of room for improvement but overall I'm very happy with my first go at this style, and for sure it's far from being the worst beer I've made lately!
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