What is the best beer you have brewed

[Hazelwood Brewery]

So, using the stock I had my recipe was:
Pale 4600g
Crystal 420g
Chocolate 70g
Summit 20g @ 60min
Summit, Citra, Brewers Gold 10g each @ 10min
Summit 17g, Citra 20g, Brewers Gold 20g dry hop
Brewed 4th Feb. On 31st march I was disappointed but now all the hops are coming through and it is really nice. This is much more bitter than my usual brews and I really like it.
Thanks for the inspiration

Summit is a really high Alpha acid hop so your bitterness with 20g for 60 minutes is in IPA territory - depending on your volume, in the region of 50 IBU before your later additions.

If you like the bitterness that’s great but if you make it again you could try 10g (or some hops with lower Alpha acid) for your 60 min addition?

 

[Keruso]

I am about 20 brews and 20 months into my fledgling home brewing career and was flicking through my brew journal reminding myself of the hits and misses.

Bored at work so my question is, if you had to choose say three beers what are the best ones (apply your own criteria) you have brewed? For me I would choose the following:

First Place: St Austell 1851 IPA from a Brew UK AG kit
Second Place: Youngs Special Clone - from Graham Wheelers book replacing base malt with DME
Third Place: An attempt at Darkstar Hophead that I cobbled together myself from various online sources

1st Place - Lemon Drop DIPA, Hops : - Bittering - Summit, Flavour - Lemon Drop, El Dorado, Aroma - Lemon Drop, El Dorado, Centennial, Dry Hops - El Dorado, Lemon Drop. Yeast CML PIA. Bottled, left for 4 weeks at room temperature then cooled for couple of days before serving. Remarkable beer, noticable lemon and citrus flavour, almost champagne like carbonisation, some characteristics of a Belgian tripel, unusual and just superb.
2nd Place - MACC IPA from Brulosophy
3rd Place - Lawsons Finest Liquids, Double Sunshine IPA - Used Azaca leaf for drop hopping

 

[hop-a-long]

My top 3 are all of my own design.
3. Rye stout
2. Pumpkin ale with maplesyrup and honey
1. Rye ale
I had my no.1 tasted by several professional brewers and they all gave the same advice: Don't change the recipy. Which is a challenge because both times I brewed it I made the same mistake of not using rice husks in my mash, that got consequenly stuck! It also results in tripping the safetycutout on my GF during the boil.

I really want to make it without mistakes, so I'll have to tweak the recipy to match the pre-boil gravity. The original recipy aimed at about 8% and I ended up with 5.4%.

 

[trueblue]

Dennis King's Galaxy delight, as good as it gets.

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/dennis-kings-galaxy-delight/

 

[Lawrence22]

Best is a stout based on a watered down version of Post Doc Brewing's Imperial stout. Mines not Imperial strength about 6%, but I've done it 3 times and love it.
Second would be my Bohemian Pilsner
Third a Centennial IPA

 

[dwhite60]

I did a "Cream of Three Crops" a month or so ago. Did one hop addition of 28 grams of Amarillo at 20 minutes.

Really didn't like this at three weeks in the bottle. Over six weeks now and it's really rounded out. I like it enough to possibly do it again. Probably one of my better beers.

I don't do competitions. Just not my thing. I did make an American Pale Ale back in 1997 that won the Pale Ale catergory at a local competition. Took some to a homebrew club meeting and was told I MUST enter it. Didn't expect much. I had used some Basmati rice in it which gave it an interesting flavor.

 

[chuffer]

Best one I did was an AG APA (5kg Maris Otter, 1kg Crystal) hopped with Columbus, Centennial and Cascade. The stars aligned and it came together beautifully. Everyone I gave a bottle of it too loved it and asked for more.

 

[BeerisGOD]

I think my first one I ever brewed had something magical about it that cannot be forgotten. It wasn't anything special and was just a Simply Bitter kit - but it worked. I didn't know any better or anything really, so it proved to me that I could homebrew and have something worthwhile at the end of it.
I also was just amazed at how it improved over time.
Since then I've been over-critical on everything I brew in my strive to do better, so have lost that awe and become a critic. But this just makes me want to try and improve things as I go along, which is a good thing I think.

I was toing and throwing to respond to this thread but yours helped as myn too was a wilko bitter kit but i believe i pimped it with some crystal. Added a ton of ekg and challenger dry hops and although a bit murky and over primed (pouribg into a jug to allow it to settle) it came out unbelievably moreish.
Maybe the hazy summer and cigar contributed but ill always remember this beer more than any other.
The sad thing is i mean to recreate it but as im AG brewing now it feels a step back but now ive seen this post im considering a trip to wilkos as ive got these required hops in the freezer.
My second is another pimped st peters ruby red i cold steeped some roasted and crystal with some east kent.
My third an AG i made a few months ago.
Used 6 different malts but subtle amounts, pale, amber, brown, crystal, choc and roasted. Just northern brewer for bittering. Came out like a mild but was well balanced. In a hard water area i believe this amount of dark grains really found a happy fermentation.
Never really done recipes just enjoy making my own concoctions.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

All AG
1. Summer Lightning
2. Helicopter APA ( Chinook & another C hop)
3. Skull Spitter (Orkney brewery)

 

[BeerisGOD]

My top 3 are all of my own design.
3. Rye stout
2. Pumpkin ale with maplesyrup and honey
1. Rye ale
I had my no.1 tasted by several professional brewers and they all gave the same advice: Don't change the recipy. Which is a challenge because both times I brewed it I made the same mistake of not using rice husks in my mash, that got consequenly stuck! It also results in tripping the safetycutout on my GF during the boil.

I really want to make it without mistakes, so I'll have to tweak the recipy to match the pre-boil gravity. The original recipy aimed at about 8% and I ended up with 5.4%.
View attachment 25080View attachment 25082View attachment 25083

Hello mate
What percentage was the rye in the grain bill?

 

[hop-a-long]

Hello mate
What percentage was the rye in the grain bill?

The rye ale has: 4,04kg pale malt, 0,83kg crystal rye and 3,98kg rye malt.
The rye stout has: 4,0kg pale malt, 4,0kg rye malt and 1,0kg roasted rye.

 

[Bevvied]

I'd imagine I'm 50 or 60 recipes deep with the grainfather.
Probably the same with BIAB (I just half the recipe grain bill)
And about 10 or so simple SMaSH BIAB.

My favourite was a BIAB knock up, bit of this, bit of that, userupperer. All I can say for sure is that it was cascade and chinook heavy. I would happily brew it forever as my stock beer if I could remember what went in it. Myself, mate and son scuppered the lot in one afternoon/evening LOL

 

[MickDundee]

My APA recipe has been my favourite so far, so much so I’ve made it at least 5, possibly 6 times without changing anything in my recipe.

 

[MyQul]

My favourite was a BIAB knock up, bit of this, bit of that, userupperer. All I can say for sure is that it was cascade and chinook heavy. I would happily brew it forever as my stock beer if I could remember what went in it. Myself, mate and son scuppered the lot in one afternoon/evening LOL

Isnt this just the way of things. The Gods of homebrew laugh at us when this happens. The best homebrew you've ever made and you dont know the recipe

 

[samale]

My top 3 are all of my own design.
3. Rye stout
2. Pumpkin ale with maplesyrup and honey
1. Rye ale
I had my no.1 tasted by several professional brewers and they all gave the same advice: Don't change the recipy. Which is a challenge because both times I brewed it I made the same mistake of not using rice husks in my mash, that got consequenly stuck! It also results in tripping the safetycutout on my GF during the boil.

I really want to make it without mistakes, so I'll have to tweak the recipy to match the pre-boil gravity. The original recipy aimed at about 8% and I ended up with 5.4%.
View attachment 25080View attachment 25082View attachment 25083

I would interested in seeing your rye stout recipe. I have used rye a fair bit with limit success

 

[Zephyr259]

In no particular order and without checking my notes they'd be the first brew of Greg Hughes' Yorkshire Bitter, done 2 variations now and neither were as good as the first. Then Greg's Bourbon Vanilla Stout which I fermented with Voss kveik, just a very smooth and chocolatey strong stout. Finally, it's my brew of Foxbat's Outback Ale (pale with nelson and galaxy), brewed recently and it's vanishing very quickly.

 

[Harbey]

A tricky choice but, in no particular order...

Liquorice stout - a big 7% stout with the addition of a tincture of liquorice root soaked for three weeks in whiskey. The liquorice isn't subtle, but it's not over powering either.

Orange Saison - funky Saison flavours with a bright orange twang. Lovely summer brew and very drinkable despite being around 5%

My own ESB clone - fairly typical Strong English Bitter using Fuggles and EKG but I added some golden syrup to the end of the boil. Only beer I've done for a competition and I won (it was only a small competition of about 8 entries but even so).

And, despite only meant to be 3, my regular brew of 5kg of a mix of Maris Otter, Vienna and Wheat complimented by an ever changing mixture of different hops and a US-05 yeast. Its a predictable pale/IPA but always exciting to taste each new batch due to the endless variety and mixture of hops.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

A tricky choice but, in no particular order...

Liquorice stout - a big 7% stout with the addition of a tincture of liquorice root soaked for three weeks in whiskey. The liquorice isn't subtle, but it's not over powering either.

Orange Saison - funky Saison flavours with a bright orange twang. Lovely summer brew and very drinkable despite being around 5%

My own ESB clone - fairly typical Strong English Bitter using Fuggles and EKG but I added some golden syrup to the end of the boil. Only beer I've done for a competition and I won (it was only a small competition of about 8 entries but even so).

And, despite only meant to be 3, my regular brew of 5kg of a mix of Maris Otter, Vienna and Wheat complimented by an ever changing mixture of different hops and a US-05 yeast. Its a predictable pale/IPA but always exciting to taste each new batch due to the endless variety and mixture of hops.

Hiya mate, wondered if you could share your orange saison recipe? Never been a huge fan but thought earlier today that I might try something different like this.

Also i've recently brewed a big liquorice stout, how long did you leave it to condition before it was at it's best do you reckon? Cheers

 

[hop-a-long]

It was meant to be an Imperial Rye Stout, but because I forgot to use rice or oat husks the attenuation was way to low to achieve my intention.
When I've enough bottles free, I intend to do this one again. This time WITH the use of rice husks!

Below the recipy as intended:
AG 21.6L in GF
ABV: 8.45 %
OG:1082 FG:1019
IBU:68.3 Color: 73.5 EBC
3 step mash
1 hour boil

Malt:
4.00kg Pale Malt
4.00kg Rye Malt
1.00kg Roasted Rye
0.45kg Rice husks
Hop:
28.3g Target @60 min
28.3g Simcoe @60 min
28.3g Challenger @15 min
1tsp Irish Moss @10 min
Yeast:
1pkg Irish Ale Yeast (White Labs #WPL004)

No dry hop
Bottle with 171.3g DME in batch

Measured:
OG:1046 FG:1010
ABV: 4.7%

 

[Harbey]

Hiya mate, wondered if you could share your orange saison recipe? Never been a huge fan but thought earlier today that I might try something different like this.

Also i've recently brewed a big liquorice stout, how long did you leave it to condition before it was at it's best do you reckon? Cheers

I've sent you a pdf with the recipe for the Saison. I'm not sure it sent properly so let me know if it's not attached and I'll find another way.

With the stout, I would say it was at its best after about 3 months. I've still got a couple and the last time I had one it was still really good. Not something I'd drink much of but a very satisfying and quite complex drink. I imagine I'll be making it again in time for Christmas so I'll probably brew it around September time as the weather starts to turn.