Strange-steve's Homebrew Reviews

[BeerCat]

Thank you Steve, glad you enjoyed it. These beers are super easy to brew. 50% wheat and pilsner no boil. Ferment with the yeast of your choice, i used juggernaut and pitch a lacto starter about 24 hours later. Once soured i dry hopped and added a hop tea. Hops were citra and el dorado. The level of souring can be controlled by delaying the addition of lacto . I have successfully soured a week later, you just need a high lacto cell count.

 

[MartinHaworth]

In which case I appreciate you sending it all the more :hat:

For our local Norwich swaps we have to put in c12 bottles! And some of the buggers only drink bitters....some others only like beer with 300g of hops. Plebs the lot of them!

When I've aged beers, I find it hard to part with that many.

It is a pleasure to share here.

Martin

 

[strange-steve]

Today's beer is a Flanders Red ale kindly sent by @BeerCat, and this is quite possibly my favourite beer style so the pressure is on...

Aroma
Light toffee, red berries, slightly tangy raspberry, and a pleasant fruity funk. A little hint of alcohol as it warms. Very nice indeed.

Appearance
Colour is about right, slight haze but a pretty beer. Great head retention.

Flavour
Very subtle acidity initially, much lower than expected, but with a nice ripe fruity funkiness coming through. There's a soft dry leathery brett flavour which adds a nice complexity without being overpowering. The finish is a lingering earthy hop bitterness. Just a touch of diacetyl, not unusual for the style and mild enough to be quite pleasant. Surprisingly light and subtle flavours. I was a little worried initially when it opened with very little hiss, but actually the light carbonation was actually spot on.

Overall Impression
I'm not really sure what to make of this beer. I enjoyed drinking it, quite a lot actually, however I wouldn't class this a Flanders red. It's lacking the acidity, both lactic and acetic, which would really help the fruity berry flavours pop. And I wonder if that's related to the second point, namely that the bitterness is too high for the style. As you know alpha acids can inhibit many lactobacillus strains and I suspect that's what might be going in here, the IBUs taste rather higher than I'd expect for this style, and unfortunately overpowers some of the subtleties. It's a shame because I think the base beer has the potential to make a great Flanders. That being said though, I still really liked it as an interesting, complex, and somewhat unusual beer. It's almost like a bretted English bitter, which isn't something I've ever seen or heard of (although it might be a good historical interpretation) but it actually works well. So despite my moaning about the stylistic accuracy I drank this really quickly and was disappointed when it was gone! I'm always happy when I get a brett beer, even if it's something unexpected.

As an interesting aside, I was curious about the pH so took a little sample (it wasn't wasted, I drank it after), so I warmed it to room temp, degassed it with a little milk frother, and took a reading with my calibrated meter. As you can see in the pic below, it read 4.28 which is fine for a typical ale but far too high for a sour beer which should be closer to 3.0. Anyway, many thanks for sending an interesting beer and I look forward to our next swap :hat:

 

[BeerCat]

Thanks Steve. I had my first Grand Cru the other day and had no idea how acidic it would be. Vastly different to a fast lacto soured beer. Something i did not know existed to be honest! I think your description of a brett bitter is quite apt. I added a hop tea at bottling so i will miss it out this time. I have a few more on the go hopefully something more sour. As always appreciate your feedback. :)

 

[strange-steve]

Thanks Steve. I had my first Grand Cru the other day and had no idea how acidic it would be. Vastly different to a fast lacto soured beer. Something i did not know existed to be honest! I think your description of a brett bitter is quite apt. I added a hop tea at bottling so i will miss it out this time. I have a few more on the go hopefully something more sour. As always appreciate your feedback. :)

Yes it can be a bit of a surprise, but I really love the intense fruitiness of the sour flavours like cranberries and strawberries you get in a Grand Cru. These were unfortunately not quite there in yours, but don't get me wrong I still really liked it, it just didn't fit as a Flanders red.

 

[strange-steve]

Today's beer is a rather manly 7.1% Belgian Blonde sent by @Hopsteep, and it's been a while since I was last sent a blonde so this makes a nice change...

Aroma
Crisp, clean, almost lager-like aroma, probably partly due to a fresh, herbal, possibly noble hop aroma, but also just a touch of sulphur. A little spicy, slightly clove phenol, coming through which is very nice indeed. Some alcohol as it warms.

Appearance
Very high carbonation made it a little hard to pour, had to let it settle halfway through, but a huge foamy white head. Despite the terrible picture below it isn't brown but actually a beautiful, very pale straw colour with just a little haze.

Flavour
Huge malty bread crust flavours with a full, almost chewy mouthfeel. Finishes very dry but not overly bitter, just a nice clean bitterness with minimal hop flavour, cleaning up any sweetness. The yeast flavours are spot on, giving that perfect balance of spice and indistinct general fruitiness that I love from a Belgian yeast (WLP530?) and which speaks of a healthy fermentation and good temperature control. A nice warmth of clean, spicy alcohol in the finish reminds you that it packs a punch.

Overall Impression
This is one of those beers that incited a genuine "wow" moment on first tasting. The light colour and clean, delicate aroma made me expect something light and delicate on the palate, but it came as a very pleasant surprise that it packed huge flavours. This actually demonstrates quite well the notion of malty versus sweet, which is a sign of a good Belgian beer. The malt flavours are great but it finishes dry enough that there's no lingering sweetness, helped by a perfectly judged bitterness and just a touch of alcohol. The carbonation, which made it a little difficult to pour, is actually perfect for the style and gives that lovely mouthful-of-foam effect typical of Belgian beers, and adds an interesting contrast to the full body. If I was being picky I'd probably say it could be a little lighter in mouthfeel to be more accurate to style, but that doesn't really concern me when the flavours are this good and for a 7% beer this went down very easily. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer mate, great job and I look forward to the dubbel :hat:

 

[samale]

Today's beer is a rather manly 7.1% Belgian Blonde sent by @Hopsteep, and it's been a while since I was last sent a blonde so this makes a nice change...

Aroma
Crisp, clean, almost lager-like aroma, probably partly due to a fresh, herbal, possibly noble hop aroma, but also just a touch of sulphur. A little spicy, slightly clove phenol, coming through which is very nice indeed. Some alcohol as it warms.

Appearance
Very high carbonation made it a little hard to pour, had to let it settle halfway through, but a huge foamy white head. Despite the terrible picture below it isn't brown but actually a beautiful, very pale straw colour with just a little haze.

Flavour
Huge malty bread crust flavours with a full, almost chewy mouthfeel. Finishes very dry but not overly bitter, just a nice clean bitterness with minimal hop flavour, cleaning up any sweetness. The yeast flavours are spot on, giving that perfect balance of spice and indistinct general fruitiness that I love from a Belgian yeast (WLP530?) and which speaks of a healthy fermentation and good temperature control. A nice warmth of clean, spicy alcohol in the finish reminds you that it packs a punch.

Overall Impression
This is one of those beers that incited a genuine "wow" moment on first tasting. The light colour and clean, delicate aroma made me expect something light and delicate on the palate, but it came as a very pleasant surprise that it packed huge flavours. This actually demonstrates quite well the notion of malty versus sweet, which is a sign of a good Belgian beer. The malt flavours are great but it finishes dry enough that there's no lingering sweetness, helped by a perfectly judged bitterness and just a touch of alcohol. The carbonation, which made it a little difficult to pour, is actually perfect for the style and gives that lovely mouthful-of-foam effect typical of Belgian beers, and adds an interesting contrast to the full body. If I was being picky I'd probably say it could be a little lighter in mouthfeel to be more accurate to style, but that doesn't really concern me when the flavours are this good and for a 7% beer this went down very easily. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer mate, great job and I look forward to the dubbel :hat:

I had the pleasure of trying it as well. Really nice beer

 

[user 18729]

Today's beer is a rather manly 7.1% Belgian Blonde sent by @Hopsteep, and it's been a while since I was last sent a blonde so this makes a nice change...

Aroma
Crisp, clean, almost lager-like aroma, probably partly due to a fresh, herbal, possibly noble hop aroma, but also just a touch of sulphur. A little spicy, slightly clove phenol, coming through which is very nice indeed. Some alcohol as it warms.

Appearance
Very high carbonation made it a little hard to pour, had to let it settle halfway through, but a huge foamy white head. Despite the terrible picture below it isn't brown but actually a beautiful, very pale straw colour with just a little haze.

Flavour
Huge malty bread crust flavours with a full, almost chewy mouthfeel. Finishes very dry but not overly bitter, just a nice clean bitterness with minimal hop flavour, cleaning up any sweetness. The yeast flavours are spot on, giving that perfect balance of spice and indistinct general fruitiness that I love from a Belgian yeast (WLP530?) and which speaks of a healthy fermentation and good temperature control. A nice warmth of clean, spicy alcohol in the finish reminds you that it packs a punch.

Overall Impression
This is one of those beers that incited a genuine "wow" moment on first tasting. The light colour and clean, delicate aroma made me expect something light and delicate on the palate, but it came as a very pleasant surprise that it packed huge flavours. This actually demonstrates quite well the notion of malty versus sweet, which is a sign of a good Belgian beer. The malt flavours are great but it finishes dry enough that there's no lingering sweetness, helped by a perfectly judged bitterness and just a touch of alcohol. The carbonation, which made it a little difficult to pour, is actually perfect for the style and gives that lovely mouthful-of-foam effect typical of Belgian beers, and adds an interesting contrast to the full body. If I was being picky I'd probably say it could be a little lighter in mouthfeel to be more accurate to style, but that doesn't really concern me when the flavours are this good and for a 7% beer this went down very easily. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer mate, great job and I look forward to the dubbel :hat:

Thanks for the review Steve, really appreciate that. This was my first effort at a Belgian beer that’s not a wit and I’m really pleased with it.

The yeast was actually the Hoegaarden strain (wyeast forbidden fruit) pitched cool and ramped up gradually to get flavour. I’m so impressed with the strain I’ve used it in your Dubbel recipe as I think the tart fruity funk would compliment the dark malt. Interested to see what you make of my effort! It’s considerably lighter in colour from memory as I had hardly any evaporation during the boil but flavour wise I think it’s nice

 

[strange-steve]

The yeast was actually the Hoegaarden strain (wyeast forbidden fruit) pitched cool and ramped up gradually to get flavour.

Ah yes, I remember you saying that now. That's interesting, my first experience of that yeast strain but it explains the hint of clove I got in the aroma. Great job

 

[strange-steve]

Today we have something a little different. @Pennine very kindly sent me 3 beers which are essentially the same base recipe but with a different hop used. So I have one with Mozart, one with El Dorado, and one with Motueka, three hops I have never used before. So I broke out the numbered glasses for a side-by-side tasting...

Mozart
Unfortunately this one poured a little flat, not sure if that's a priming issue or if perhaps some pressure was lost during shipping.
First impression on the aroma is lots of fruit, especially sweet orange, almost like a tinned orange in syrup impression, but also a touch of strawberry, and unusually a little onion. Tons of bold hop aroma, especially considering it's the oldest of the 3 but doesn't quite have the same light, summery character as the other 2. An unusual one for sure.
There's a little hint of funk comes through in the flavour as almost a "wild" quality that I can't really pin down. Otherwise the hop flavours are similar to the aroma but not quite as prominent, mostly stewed orange coming through and an assertive bitterness.

El Dorado
Plenty of fizz this time, poured with a nice foamy white head.
Aroma this time is more of a tangy citrus, like lemon and lime, along with overripe fruitiness and a slight funkiness. This one has a bit of a green hop character to it which is interesting because it's also a little more muted in aroma than the other 2.
This has a more subtle hop flavour than the Mozart but it blends beautifully well with the malt flavours, tropical and citrusy lime is the impression I get from it predominantly. It tastes fresh, fruity, and delicious.

Motueka
Again nicely carbed with some great lacing this time from the head.
This one is has a very unique aroma, much more floral initially with a beautiful and delicate rose quality, and almost some soft coconut, with a deep resinous aroma behind that. Really delicious, not as bold as the Mozart but more complex and my favourite of the 3 going by aroma.
From the flavour again this is a really unusual hop, I don't think I've tasted anything like this one before. The coconut I picked up in the aroma comes through in the flavour which is really interesting and there's a elegant delicacy to the flavours which I really appreciate. It's not a punch in the face with a grapefruit which is typical of many new world hops, but still plenty of flavour in a more complex way.

Conclusion
This was a really interesting side-by-side tasting which really demonstrated to me the importance of hop selection, these are 3 beers which are remarkably different. I really appreciate Pennine sending these, especially as I have never used any of these hops, but I certainly will in the future. Well, at least 2 of them.

I'll be honest, the Mozart didn't do it for me. At first it was OK but the more I tasted and smelled, the more the onion came through, especially as it warmed a little. I don't think this is a hop that I would choose personally.

The El Dorado was great, I think this would work beautifully in a light, summer beer like a session IPA or maybe in a hoppy Berliner, which isn't to say it didn't work in your recipe because it really did. Beautifully fresh and zingy, and I'll definitely be looking out for this one in future.

Then the Motueka which was my favourite. It wasn't the boldest of hop flavours, actually quite subtle in some ways. But such an unusual combination of flavours that I don't think I've really experienced from a hop before. Delicate but complex and delicious. Without a doubt I'll be ordering some of this soon.

I really liked the base recipe too, well balanced with the hop flavours. But this whole thing got me wondering what they would be like with a little blending. So I mixed a little of the El Dorado and the Motueka together and that produced something really rather good too, and that might be a combo I would use in the future. The Motueka was a tad overshadowed so I'd maybe go a little lighter on the El Dorado if using both, but together they produce a beautiful tropical bouquet of flavours.

Thanks again to Pennine, this was a great little experiment which I thoroughly enjoyed :hat:
PS. Don't worry, those bottles will all be finished before the evening's out!

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I brewed a motueka/chinook pale at the beginning of the year and the aroma was amazing, taste wise I think the chinook took over a bit but the aroma was all motueka, on my list to do again.

 

[strange-steve]

I brewed a motueka/chinook pale at the beginning of the year and the aroma was amazing, taste wise I think the chinook took over a bit but the aroma was all motueka, on my list to do again.

Chinook is a great hop too, but yeah I can imagine it might dominate a little.

 

[Pennine]

thats a great write up of the them and i am glad you were happy with base recipe, i am still a bit skeptical about it. funny enough i preferred the mozart one the most and the motueka the least. i thought the mozart was more like mosaic but your description fits it well. i also love summit and columbus which are orangey, dank and oniony.

the motueka was surprisinly floral and
saazish but then also fruity too. a very interesting hop, it think it would be a great pilsner hop.

the el dorado one has changed the most i noticed. it was very much like cherry candy at first but now its definitely more citrusy and does have a hoppy funk. its an interesting one and i think it would be better mixed with other hops.

hope it was a educational tasting. one of these days i will try to brew up 3 batches at the same time to compare as age really infouences the hop character.

 

[strange-steve]

thats a great write up of the them and i am glad you were happy with base recipe, i am still a bit skeptical about it. funny enough i preferred the mozart one the most and the motueka the least. i thought the mozart was more like mosaic but your description fits it well. i also love summit and columbus which are orangey, dank and oniony.

the motueka was surprisinly floral and
saazish but then also fruity too. a very interesting hop, it think it would be a great pilsner hop.

the el dorado one has changed the most i noticed. it was very much like cherry candy at first but now its definitely more citrusy and does have a hoppy funk. its an interesting one and i think it would be better mixed with other hops.

hope it was a educational tasting. one of these days i will try to brew up 3 batches at the same time to compare as age really infouences the hop character.

Educational indeed, it was great to have an opportunity to taste 3 new (to me anyway) hops in isolation so thank you. I was surprised by the Mozart, normally I really like those dank, marmaladey hops but once the onion hit me I couldn't get past it! I think you're right about a Motueka pilsner though, that sounds delicious.

 

[strange-steve]

Tonight is another beer kindly sent by @Pennine, this time a Strawberry Saison which sounds really very interesting. Bring it on...

Aroma
Typical slightly funky saison character with soft peppery spice and a touch of clove. Also a big noseful of citrusy fruits, particularly lemon and lightly floral which adds a pleasant contrast to the earthy funk. A slight carbonic bite gives a nice sharpness. As it warmed in the glass I started to get a lot of orange in the aroma too.

Appearance
Incredible thick, white, moussey, head. Lovely orange colour. Poured a bit yeasty hence the haze.

Flavour
Initially very fruity with an interesting and unusual hop flavour that's hard to pin down. I'm not getting strawberry, more zesty lemon and orange with a little mild peach. This is followed by a lovely bready malt flavour and a soft spiciness with hints of clove and just a touch of tanginess. The bitterness cuts through nicely in the finish and really lingers on the palate.

Overall Impression
There's an awful lot going on here, with a complexity of flavour which is to be expected in a great saison. One thing that stands out is that there's a lovely soft mouthfeel which then quickly fades leaving an impression of lightness on the palate. It's an unusual combination but it really adds to the drinkability, and of course drinkability is key to this style. I've never used M29 but it seems in this regard to be like its namesake Wy3711 which also has an interesting way of giving that full body/light finish effect. I think the use of citra was inspired, the flavours blend beautifully with the typically citrusy saison flavours, enhancing them just enough without turning this into a Belgian IPA. I'm not really sure what the belma brings to the table because I've never used it and don't really know what it tastes like, but again the hop additions have been very well judged I think. If I was being super picky there is perhaps a touch more clove in there than I might expect for a saison, and that gives it a bit of a weissbier feel. It's perhaps not quite as bone dry in the finish as it could be, not sure why that is, maybe down to the grist, and a touch more carbonation would be welcome for my taste. I'm being harsh saying that though because this is a fantastic beer, and I loved every drop of it. I would happily polish off several of these of an evening. Thanks for sending another great beer, and I look forward to the next one :hat:

 

[Pennine]

thanks for the feedback its much appreciated. I like your idea of increasing the carbonation a bit. it will likely help dry it out some more. I added crystal malt and munich because I prefer them a little less dry but that's definitely not to style just a preference. I am wondering if just munich would be enough though. belma is definitely an odd hop and is very hidden in this one, although the citra is noticeable. citra just seems to compliment saisons so well.

also m29 is a unique one, much more phenolic then the other saison dry yeasts. I might actually do a 3 way batch with the yeasts to really get a good feel for them next time around.

 

[strange-steve]

Today's beer is a German Porter, a style I'd never heard of until I read @Pennine's brewday post, so I was very happy that he sent me one, and the fact that this has brett in it is a bonus...

Aroma
The earthy brett aroma is noticeable but not overly prominent, it blends really well with the subtle coffee roastiness. Gentle herbal hops and just a little hint of alcohol. Surprisingly subtle but very pleasant.

Appearance
Deep brown/black colour with nice ruby highlights. Poured with a nice white head which settled fairly quickly.

Flavour
Unlike the aroma the flavour is not subtle at all. There's an interesting citrusy note initially, perhaps enhanced a little by the slight acidity from the brett which gives a nice orange quality. The maltiness is big with toasty toffee flavours, but without any hint of sweetness, and a fairly robust dry, roasty, dark chocolate finish. There's also just a hint of smokiness in the finish (which I'm grateful for as I'm not a big fan of smoked malt) and then the earthy brett comes through. A sturdy bitterness, probably exaggerated by a low FG from the brett.

Overall Impression
This is a really interesting beer and a fusion of many different styles and ingredients that I honestly wasn't entirely sure would work. I'm not sure I've ever had a beer exactly like this before, but it's (in my opinion) essentially a really nice porter with some embellishments, which add subtle but interesting layers of complexity. The smoked malt adds a little something extra to the brown malt flavour without being obviously smokey, and brett is always welcome to me. This is still a relatively young beer and so the brett isn't in your face, and it blends really beautifully in a fruity, lightly funky way. It'd be really interesting to see how this ages over a year or so. I've been convinced that this is a recipe that works really well, and I thoroughly savoured every drop so many thanks for sending this mate. My bretted Belgian stout is getting bottled next week so I'll be really interested to hear your opinion on it :hat:

 

[Pennine]

Today's beer is a German Porter, a style I'd never heard of until I read @Pennine's brewday post, so I was very happy that he sent me one, and the fact that this has brett in it is a bonus...

Aroma
The earthy brett aroma is noticeable but not overly prominent, it blends really well with the subtle coffee roastiness. Gentle herbal hops and just a little hint of alcohol. Surprisingly subtle but very pleasant.

Appearance
Deep brown/black colour with nice ruby highlights. Poured with a nice white head which settled fairly quickly.

Flavour
Unlike the aroma the flavour is not subtle at all. There's an interesting citrusy note initially, perhaps enhanced a little by the slight acidity from the brett which gives a nice orange quality. The maltiness is big with toasty toffee flavours, but without any hint of sweetness, and a fairly robust dry, roasty, dark chocolate finish. There's also just a hint of smokiness in the finish (which I'm grateful for as I'm not a big fan of smoked malt) and then the earthy brett comes through. A sturdy bitterness, probably exaggerated by a low FG from the brett.

Overall Impression
This is a really interesting beer and a fusion of many different styles and ingredients that I honestly wasn't entirely sure would work. I'm not sure I've ever had a beer exactly like this before, but it's (in my opinion) essentially a really nice porter with some embellishments, which add subtle but interesting layers of complexity. The smoked malt adds a little something extra to the brown malt flavour without being obviously smokey, and brett is always welcome to me. This is still a relatively young beer and so the brett isn't in your face, and it blends really beautifully in a fruity, lightly funky way. It'd be really interesting to see how this ages over a year or so. I've been convinced that this is a recipe that works really well, and I thoroughly savoured every drop so many thanks for sending this mate. My bretted Belgian stout is getting bottled next week so I'll be really interested to hear your opinion on it :hat:

I can't wait to try your belgian stout it has been a long time since I have had one and is a style I have not brewed before.

I'm glad you enjoyed this one, and appreciate the review. I opened up another one today to sip on while I read it and was a bit shocked how much different this is now than a few weeks ago. the roasty malts are much more prominent now however your description matches my experience almost verbatim. I will also take your advice and toss the rest of these on the bottom of the kegerator to lager for a few more months and let the brett bloom. I was really happy with this recipe overall and am actually curious how it would turn without Brett. I may give it a try when it cools off some.

Thanks again!

 

[strange-steve]

I can't wait to try your belgian stout it has been a long time since I have had one and is a style I have not brewed before.

I'm glad you enjoyed this one, and appreciate the review. I opened up another one today to sip on while I read it and was a bit shocked how much different this is now than a few weeks ago. the roasty malts are much more prominent now however your description matches my experience almost verbatim. I will also take your advice and toss the rest of these on the bottom of the kegerator to lager for a few more months and let the brett bloom. I was really happy with this recipe overall and am actually curious how it would turn without Brett. I may give it a try when it cools off some.

Thanks again!

Any time, there's always something different or interesting about your beers which I appreciate :hat:

 

[strange-steve]

This evening's beer is a Belgian dubbel courtesy of @Hopsteep, one that I've been sitting on for a while to make sure it was properly conditioned, so looking forward to it...

Aroma
Lightly toasty malts with toffee and nuts coming through with a hint of banana, and a slight woody note that may be from the hops. Plenty of alcohol coming through as it warmed. Interesting and subtle.

Appearance
Just about perfect for the style although on the lighter end of the scale (quite a bit lighter than it appears below). A very pretty deep copper colour with good clarity and a thin white head.

Flavour
Spicy phenols up front with some soft, bready, pale malt flavours, a little brown sugar and a slight tartness. Fruity esters, particularly banana. Definitely some alcohol warmth to it which I like, and which adds to the boozy Christmas pudding flavours I enjoy in a dark Belgian beer. Finishes dry with a fairly pronounced bitterness and just a touch of black pepper. Perfect carbonation.

Overall Impression
Overall I would say this is a fairly solid effort at a dubbel, however there are a couple of tweaks that might really elevate this beer. Firstly the malt flavours are a tad too crisp, whereas I'd maybe prefer a touch more complexity in there. It's a tough thing to get right (and is why the Belgians are masters at this) because a typical commercial dubbel usually has a fairly simple grain bill but with big flavours. Many homebrewers stick a load of specialty malts in there to try to replicate that but end up with muddy flavours, often with too much caramel. Getting the balance right is an art, one which I haven't gotten close to. Secondly is maybe to take a look at yeast selection or management. This is very much yeast driven, whereas more of a balance with the malts might add to the complexity. I'm not sure what yeast you used for this but there's a slight metallic bite to it which detracts slightly (for my taste at least) and I'm not sure if that's the particular strain or due to temperature. It seems like I'm being a little harsh though, but it's only because I have a particular fondness for Belgian beers and I can see the potential in this, I actually really enjoyed drinking it and with a couple of small tweaks this could be fantastic. I appreciate you sending this, it was interesting as always :hat: