Beerswap 2007: chillHayze

[uwmgdman]

Since I couldn't find a thread with his beers, I'll start one.





Beer
Apricot Wheat

Appearance
Pours a fairly clear light golden color with a thin white head. The head doesn’t last very long and leaves no lacing.

Aroma
The aroma is low malt sweetness, a little cereal like, with a low amount of fruit in the background. I enjoy the aroma, I can smell the wheat and the fruit is subtle, a definite plus.

Palate/Flavor
The initial taste is slightly sweet with a hint of the apricot. Hop bitterness is appropriately low, but enough where it provides sufficient balance. The finish is somewhat tart and quite dry. The dryness lasts a little after the swallow, but not overly long. The carbonation is medium/low, gives a very slight prick, and then finishes quite smoothly.

Overall/Notes
Thank you for a good, refreshing beer. The balance and flavor were both good, but I especially enjoyed the finish, smooth and an ideal amount of dryness for the style, perhaps the Pacman yeast combined with the wheat?

I also appreciate how the fruit is not overdone, which sometimes can be a problem with fruit beers.

Very drinkable, I could have many, especially on a warm night with some friends.

I think the head retention/slightly lower carbonation than expected might have something to do with the fill from the kegerator, but it certainly did not detract from the beer.

 

[uwmgdman]

Beer
Old Ale

Appearance
The beer pours fairly clear reddish-brown with a nice ½ inch thick off-white head. The head lasted with a little bit of lacing also. A nice looking ale.

Aroma
Aroma is high on the malt, caramel sweetness, dark fruits, prune/raisin like, a bit spicy and a hint of alcohol. There is also a low hop aroma, slightly floral/spicy.

Palate/Flavor
Initially the beer is all malt, high malty flavor, a little caramel, but more bittersweetness, oak, and raisin-like. At the swallow a solid balance is achieved with moderate hop bitterness, a low hop flavor, and a bit of alcohol shining through. The carbonation is moderate, medium-full body, but still has good drinkability for the beast.

Overall/Notes
This brew is a winner! All around it impressed me. A very inviting aroma, great malt flavor, solid hop bitterness kept it from being overly sweet. I can’t find anything to pick at. Well one thing, I don’t have the recipe. If you wouldn’t mind sharing I’d like to take a peak at it and would like to brew it at some point.

Thanks for a great brew!

 

[chillHayze]

Thanks uw for the reviews! I somehow missed this thread and I was just getting around to starting one of my own.

The Wheat had decent carbonation from the keg but filling from the tap killed it for sure. Now I have a beergun so the next one will better I promise.

The Old Ale - now that one is indeed a beast. It was the "Fire in the Hole" Mini Mash kit from Northern brewer, with some malt and hop additions, and subtracting the oak chips. It was my 2nd mini mash I believe.


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Fire in the Hole
Brewer: Matt
Asst Brewer:
Style: Old Ale
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (35.0) Should be... Interesting...


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 2.71 gal
Estimated OG: 1.089 SG
Estimated Color: 18.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 39.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
2 lbs Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 14.4 %
7 lbs Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 50.3 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 14.4 %
1 lbs Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 7.2 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 5.4 %
8.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3.6 %
8.0 oz Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 3.6 %
2.9 oz Carafa I (337.0 SRM) Grain 1.3 %
2.00 oz Centennial [10.40%] (60 min) Hops 22.7 IBU
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.80%] (30 min) Hops 12.4 IBU
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.80%] (5 min) Hops 3.2 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.00%] (10 min) Hops 1.5 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 7.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale (rehydrated)


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 4.93 lb
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 6.16 qt of water at 172.5 F 158.0 F 45 min


Notes:
------
gravity was 25 into secondary. A nice rich deep copper color. Initially a very fresh malt flavor, backed up by strong hoppy bitterness and flavor.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Primary 2 weeks, Secondary 5 weeks, Aged until you drank it.

It went from 80 gravity to 23 which is only 7.5%ABV but they will creep up on you for sure!

I still have about a case of this and I am loving every one.