Summer Breeze, Hazelwood Brewery style photo of a Hazelwood Brewery beer.
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What are you drinking tonight 2021?
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Just back home. Nice to have a fresh Saison
Probably my last tonight and I’ve chosen a stout. I’ve been on Bitter all day. I’ve been quiet because an old friend came round to see us this afternoon with her two boys. So nice to see her after 7 years, she’s moved back to the area do hopefully we will see a lot more of them.
I’m starting today where I left off last night, with a stout.
That didn’t last long! Next I’m trying something very different, this is my attempt at a vintage ale. A couple of people asked about this recently so I’m having a taste - purely for them you understand 
This is it. Obviously dark and you may be able to see it’s a deep claret colour. The head is quite dense and made up of tiny bubbles - almost like a nitro stout. I should say for the guys that get a beating over using pressure barrels that this beer has been conditioned and aged in a King Keg
There isn’t a lot of aroma at 12C but there is a little sweet smelling alcohol and something that’s kind of fruity and earthy. The alcohol aroma should be no surprise given this ale is 9.2%!
The taste is a little better than when I last tried it a month ago (it is still maturing). The initial impression is not of flavour - it’s of something that cools and coats the tongue, then there’s a fruity hit quickly replaced by subtle chocolate and almost immediately alcohol comes through in the guise of a sweet dark Sherry that dries in your mouth to a dry light Sherry. There’s no obvious bitterness but it’s there if you look for it.
I’ve almost finished my pint and my head is quite swimmy so maybe 1 of those is enough for now. It’s drinkable for sure but a bit alcoholic tasting so I’m hoping it will improve further by Christmas.
Not a bad first try I’d say. Further updates might follow in a few weeks
This is it. Obviously dark and you may be able to see it’s a deep claret colour. The head is quite dense and made up of tiny bubbles - almost like a nitro stout. I should say for the guys that get a beating over using pressure barrels that this beer has been conditioned and aged in a King Keg
There isn’t a lot of aroma at 12C but there is a little sweet smelling alcohol and something that’s kind of fruity and earthy. The alcohol aroma should be no surprise given this ale is 9.2%!
The taste is a little better than when I last tried it a month ago (it is still maturing). The initial impression is not of flavour - it’s of something that cools and coats the tongue, then there’s a fruity hit quickly replaced by subtle chocolate and almost immediately alcohol comes through in the guise of a sweet dark Sherry that dries in your mouth to a dry light Sherry. There’s no obvious bitterness but it’s there if you look for it.
I’ve almost finished my pint and my head is quite swimmy so maybe 1 of those is enough for now. It’s drinkable for sure but a bit alcoholic tasting so I’m hoping it will improve further by Christmas.
Not a bad first try I’d say. Further updates might follow in a few weeks
Stressful time trying to sort out covid arrangements ahead of next weekends trip to Greece (deferred from last year when ironically it would have been easier to go) so time for a restorative German Pilsner.
Just had our tea (yes, I’m a Northerner - actually Midlands) and to wash it down an English Bitter.
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Voss Bitter 4.2% (sample from the fermentor)
I’ve used Voss before (this is the CML dried version) however this is the first time I have taken the effort to push the temperature all the way up to 40°C, and I must admit it felt a bit odd insulating my fermentor and putting a heat pad under it in July.
Yeast was pitched at 7PM on Saturday and by 7AM this morning the krausen had dropped, it’s still a little hazy but I decided sod it I’m going to get it in the mini kegs with some sugar and hopefully have it ready for Friday.
Taste wise well at this stage it tastes like really warm beer, I actually ended up dropping a couple of ice cubes into my glass to bring it down a bit and it’s nice a bit flat but it tastes like a flat beer, no fusesal alcohols the only slightly odd thing is a nice orange marmalade taste which I can only assume comes from the Voss (the hops where Fuggles, Bramling Cross and Styrian Golding). As I said I’ve used Voss before but first time I have had this so have to assume it’s from the high temps. All in all this is rather pleasant and am looking forward to trying it again in Friday when it is hopefully carbed and at an appropriate temperature.
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A day at the beach followed by a bbq.
Enjoying the caravan beers until the rain came, luckily it didn't last long.
No photos as the signal is too poor.
2 x Talus pale and then a ipa from pollys called angel feed. Hopped with loral and mosaic, never had loral before but this was lovely. Not sure it was a ipa though.
May have a tropical thunder by vault city next
Enjoying the caravan beers until the rain came, luckily it didn't last long.
No photos as the signal is too poor.
2 x Talus pale and then a ipa from pollys called angel feed. Hopped with loral and mosaic, never had loral before but this was lovely. Not sure it was a ipa though.
May have a tropical thunder by vault city next
DavidHatton
Junior Member
Glass of Chocmeister, Wilko's kit. had worse, good flavours of dark chocolate and a nice bitterness combine.
So because I’m an impatient cow I wanted to try the flavour of my NEIPA (first go with the Brewzilla). Even though it hasn’t carbonated and there’s no head yet, I’m pretty pleased with it for a first go. Very juicy. There was loads of head when I took the FG though. So I’m putting it down to lack of carbonation time. Time will tell if the flavour sticks around! Thanks to the hubby for being my hand model!
View attachment 51519
Can anyone help with this please? Just looking back on it and although it tastes nice, it looks like dirty dishwater. And I wonder why the top couple of cm is a lighter colour? Bit disappointing. It looks the same in the Fermzilla. I don't expect perfection on my first go but I thought it would look nicer than this.
I don't think it's oxygenated as the fermenter was only opened once to dry hop (during fermentation) and then it was put into here to carbonate by closed loop transfer.
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Hi Lisa, looks normal to me, i don't know long it has been fermenting but they lighter bit at the top is were the trub is starting to drop looks all normal to me
Thank you Rod. Not sure what I'd done wrong. Although it was chocolate brown when it went in the fermenter but got lighter. And I had a nightmare as the pump blocked when I was making it, so I couldn't cool it properly lol. Will do better next time 
This is fully fermented and is carbonating. I've just got the inkbird connected to keep the fridge at 4c while it carbonates.
This is fully fermented and is carbonating. I've just got the inkbird connected to keep the fridge at 4c while it carbonates.
I’m starting tonight with a Summer Breeze. The weather today has been a bit hit-and-miss but it’s nice and sunny just at the moment
Hi Lisa, I’m sorry to say it looks oxidised to me. NEIPAs are less forgiving of a little oxygen than pretty much any other beer. If it is oxidised it won’t get better and might actually get worse. When you did your transfers, did you fully purge the receiving vessel with CO2? When you opened the fermenter to add the dry hops, did you again purge the head-space? Did you use leaf hops or pellet hops?
I didn't purge the head space when adding the hops no because I assumed the fermentation would get rid of the little bit of oxygen I introduced. I did fully purge the receiving vessel on transfer though. I used pellet hops.
It has been an odd colour from the start though which I find odd. It was chocolate brown when it went in the fermenter, and to be honest I thought I'd caramelised it. But the colour has faded. I am going to pour a bit now so you can have another look if you would? It has now carbonated and is looking better. I wanted to send Anna some but if it's oxidised I won't be able to
It has been an odd colour from the start though which I find odd. It was chocolate brown when it went in the fermenter, and to be honest I thought I'd caramelised it. But the colour has faded. I am going to pour a bit now so you can have another look if you would? It has now carbonated and is looking better. I wanted to send Anna some but if it's oxidised I won't be able to
Best picture I could get. It’s a little over-carbonated. Would it really be ruined in the 20 seconds I had the lid off? Really sad if it is.
It doesn't look quite that murky in person but I can see what you mean when you say it's oxidised. It tastes nice though, it's such a shame. In hindsight I should've pulled the PRV on the all-rounder after I'd added the dry hops. Ugh!
It doesn't look quite that murky in person but I can see what you mean when you say it's oxidised. It tastes nice though, it's such a shame. In hindsight I should've pulled the PRV on the all-rounder after I'd added the dry hops. Ugh!
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Fermentation will displace the oxygen but how quickly depends on how active fermentation is. If it tastes good just close your eyes!I didn't purge the head space when adding the hops no because I assumed the fermentation would get rid of the little bit of oxygen I introduced. I did fully purge the receiving vessel on transfer though. I used pellet hops.
It has been an odd colour from the start though which I find odd. It was chocolate brown when it went in the fermenter, and to be honest I thought I'd caramelised it. But the colour has faded. I am going to pour a bit now so you can have another look if you would? It has now carbonated and is looking better. I wanted to send Anna some but if it's oxidised I won't be able to
ha ha i will do! Confessions - I thought I had super-fast yeast but I actually hadn't - so I added the dry hops on day 2. Normaly I would've waited until day 5. So it was still pretty active. Clutching at straws now lol
Not had one of these before - very nice
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