I’ve blogged about other people’s homebrew before, but hope to start contributing to the Homebrew Wednesday ‘thing’. I say ‘thing’ because I’m not sure of its origin, but know that people interested in homebrewing have allocated Wednesday as the Holy Day. Be it; brewing, blogging, vlogging, tasting, or sharing their latest brewkit project, Wednesday is the day to do it.
I have made some friends while brewing and blogging, and one such friend recently sent me a couple of his beers. I haven’t asked him if he’d like to be Wednesday’d, but I don’t think he’ll mind.
Blog: Hopsinjoor’s Brewing Spot
Twitter: @hopsinjoor
Among other things, Al likes to brew beer at home. I’m writing this as I look at two of his beers, both labelled and packed with vital stats and ingredients. Off to a good start then! I’m guilty of sending homebrew out to friends, and when they ask me what’s in it, I tell them what I can remember, which is usually good enough to be honest. I drank the beers before reading the contents.
Smashton’s Bruxellensis IPA (Mk 1)
Pours murky amber colour, decent white head, good carbonation, smells fantastic (think Axe Edge meets Orval), sweetness, hops are jumping out of the glass, peach, sweet orange, lemon, bready.
Flavour/taste: resiny, grassy, peppery, fruit salad sweets, alcohol
Medium body, good carbonation
Really balanced bitterness and the punchy Mosaic hops play nicely with the Belgian yeast. Pretty boozy.
Slightly dry on the finish, and then a long, subtle bitterness (considering the 70 IBUs).
Really complex beer, full of flavour and backed up with generous aromas. It’s difficult to get across how good this beer is. This is Al’s 31st All Grain brew and is not yet on his blog.
Smashton’s Bruxellensis IPA Mk 1
Original Gravity (OG): 1.065
Final Gravity (FG): 1.008
Alcohol (ABV): 7.5%
Bitterness (IBU): 71.3
Brewed: 21/11/2013
Bottled: 16/12/2013
Grain: Marris Otter, Munich, Crystal, Wheat
Hops: Magnum (bittering), Magnum, Mosaic
Yeast: WLP650 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis
I’ll enjoy this beer, then update the post with beer #2 later this evening. Cheers Al.
Smashton’s Winner Staison Bretted Stout (Mk 2)
Next up, stout. It’s stormy outside, the stove is blazing, and I now have a glass of stout. Same as before, drank the beer before reading the details on the label.
Opened with a fizz and gushed a bit, but lost very little beer. Skills.
Pours black, the initial fizz settling into a thin head – fed by a stream of carbonation (just visible at the side of the glass).
The aroma is all about the yeast, and a faint whiff of roasted malts. It has a Belgian yeast esters going on, and really mixes you up….reading stout on the label, pitch black in the glass, and then “Hallo!”
Initial taste is intense tartness – and I get the two mixed up, but – sour, like sherbet crystals. The sourness dissipates leaving a smooth coffee flavour.
It’s a really interesting beer, I’ve had nothing quite like it. I think this beer is too refined for me….it’s tough when you have no reference points. It’s a sour stout, right? Al? I’m thinking, acidic dark malts, and then the blend of yeasts playing tricks on me? I need to know more about this one.
Definitely one to sip and enjoy, which I intend to do. Cheers once again for the beers Al.
Smashton’s Winner Staison Bretted Stout Mk 2
Original Gravity (OG): 1.078
Final Gravity (FG): 1.009
Alcohol (ABV): 9.0%
Bitterness (IBU): 62
Brewed: 27/10/2013
Bottled: 08/12/2013
Grain: Marris Otter, Roasted Barley, Wheat, Flaked Oats, Chocolate Malt, Rye
Hops: Bramling X, Galena
Yeast: Saison / Brett
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