Smoked Helles + Oktoberfest Review

Reviewed by Club Members:

Oktoberfest

Feedback: Flawed. Fruity nose. Too sweet and thick body. Needs more bitterness.  FG too high. Score range 25-30. But some positive comments on the malt flavor, in the right direction.

For next time: Use C60 instead, proper yeast health / pitch rate, use less Vienna and more Munich malt.  Get full attenuation, and allow to lager longer. 

Smokey Helles

Feedback: Most people felt that the smoke had the appropriate intensity in the aroma and was well balanced with the rest of the beer, though a few people recommended I back off the smoke. Several people found the beer too thick in body and a little too sweet for the Helles style. Some tasters detected inappropriate esters, astringency at the end, or acidity. Recommended to let more pilsner malt character shine through.

Recipe and Process Improvements for next time:

1. Replace Munich mal with pils malt
2. Use less phosphoric acid in mash and sparge water
3. Use a short decoction to get fuller malt character
4. Proper yeast handling and allow the beer to sit on the yeast longer to attenuate fully and clean up esters etc.
5. I do not plan to back off the smoke for the next time since the intensity of the smoke worked for me and I think was fairly similar to the Aecht Schlenkerla smokey helles, which I was trying to clone. But I may back off on the smoke if necessary for competitive purposes.

Straight Lambic Review

Appearance: Quite clear golden color. A few little bubbles rising through the beer. Billowing white head on initial pour, but dissipates quite rapidly.

Aroma: Light sour funk aroma. Lemony and pithy nose, like lemon rhinds, with some grainy Cheerio-like aroma. No hop aroma.

Taste: Moderate sourness, slight acetic. No bitterness. Grainy quality shows up in the taste too. Very dry. I get no hop flavors. Tannic oak in the aftertaste.


Mouthfeel: Thin body, but oak tannins prevent it from being watery. Not highly carbed, but with the thin body the carbonation has a slight bite.

Overall: Fairly light and refreshing sour beer. The Cheerio quality is sub-optimal. Maybe it will age out. Would like a little more sourness and more lemony / fruity aroma.

Would really like to calibrate this against a few commercial examples to see how it's different and / or how the commercial beers are better.

Oaky Smokey Porter Review

Aroma: A combination of oak chips and smoke, but dominated by oak. A bit one dimensional. Some toasty Munich malt in the background. Hop aroma is none. Sweetness is low.

Appearance: Very dark with some ruby highlights. Thick, persistent head with small bubbles.

Taste: Starts with some toasty and bready malt notes, crystal sweetness, and surprisingly only a hint  of smoke. Dark coffee or chocolate note as well. At the end, an oaky quality. Not super tannic or tart. The oaky quality is one dimensional, I find. Bitterness is moderate with some earthy hop character.

Mouthfeel: Pretty thick and chewy. Carbonation is low to moderate. Oak leaves a dry impression on the aftertaste.

Overall: OK. I wish the smoke came through more and that the oak character was more complex and subtle.Next time will use cubes of varying toast instead of chips.

Brett Saison Review

This review is for the 3 gallon part of the Sour 6 gallon brewed on March 19, 2017.

Aroma: Light bretty funk notes. Grainy pils in the background. Surprisingly doesn't have much in the way of fruity Belgian esters. Hop aroma absent.

Appearance: Billowing white head with very thick texture, clear straw body.

Taste: Dry, bretty funk notes. Pils malt mostly hidden by brett character.  Some tannic quality from the wood. Slight tartness. Bitterness seems moderate but could be confusing it with the tannic  dryness.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly full bodied but also effervescent. Weird.

Overall: Ok, not great. Lacks brightness and the refreshing lemony character of some brett beers.

Autum Seasonal Tasting

Appearance: Billowing, slightly tan head with good retention. Dark amber body, moderate haze.

Aroma: Cinnamon and nutmeg dominate, with ginger in the background. Not really sure what cardamom and allspice smell like, so hard to judge their impact. Spice is intense and unlike anything one would normally find in beer. A bit of crystal malt aroma too. Not sure is smells exactly like pumpkin pie, but pretty close.

Taste: Again the spice dominates. Hard to taste any actual pumpkin though. Malt sweetness and a bit of crystal character come through as well. Maybe a hint of molasses note. Alcohol is noticeable but not biting - slightly warming. Bitterness is low, but the cinnamon flavor gives it a kind of drying, spicy effect at the end.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to high body, despite the sugar and molasses additions. Carbonation is medium.

Overall: Not my favorite style and I would probably not have more than one at a time, but this one is spicy without being overwhelming with spice. Pumpkin taste doesn't really come through, and for me it's hard to distinguish this from a Festivus-style winter beer.

Rauchbier Review

Appearance: Deep mahogany body with a billowing off-white head that has good retention and lacing. Body is crystal clear or very close. A good looking beer.

Aroma: Subtly smokey, well mixed with moderately toasty malt aroma. Hop aroma is none.

Taste: The smoke comes through more in the taste than the aroma, though the smoke's not overpowering or hammy. Smoke comes through more in the aftertaste, where it has a little more assertive character. Not acrid though. Toasty malt taste blends with the smoke. Slight sweetness with an earthy bitterness. Clean lager fermentation.

Mouthfeel: Creamy body. Good carbonation, sweetness is low.

Overall: Pleasant and not over the top smoky. At some point I should make a beer with 90%+ of smoke malt for a real malt bomb.

NEIPA #1 Review

Appearance: Golden-orange body, with haze that is not much more than normal for my ales, moderate off-white head with decent persistence and lacing.

Aroma: I get a decent hoppy aroma, kind of berry fruity. Maybe passion fruit or strawberry. Aroma improves a bit as the beer warms. Intensity of the aroma is not the kind that you could smell from across the room, but good.

Taste: Hoppy, bitter. Less fruity than the aroma, more of a dank and piney note. Slight maltiness but fortunately no crystal sweetness to distract from the hops.

Mouthfeel: Soft but not juicy. Pretty well balanced between soft mouthfeel and dank hoppiness.

Overall: OK, wish the hop aroma were more intense. Not as fruity in taste or "soft" in mouthfeel as I was hoping.

Wit Beer Review

Appearance: Billowing white head that lasts. Straw body with light haze. A good looking brew.

Aroma: Low intensity, hard to identify. Perhaps a bit of Belgian yeast character. Unfortunately does not have the lemony or coriander quality it should. Or maybe my nose is stuffy.

Taste: Better. I get some slightly sweet pils malt notes, a bit of a spicy Belgian yeast character, and some earthy hops. Maybe a very small bit of tartness. It's pleasant but not as characterful as I was hoping for.

Moutfeel: Creamy and thick, but with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Pleasant, refreshing but lacking in as much character as I was hoping for.

Czech PIls Review

Appearance: Golden straw body, almost crystal clear but with very low haze. Was hoping for clearer appearance in my lagers. Billowing white head, good bubbling.

Aroma: Grainy pils aroma, light earthy notes. Some sweetness, maybe a tiny bit of a sulfury note.

Taste: Typical pils malt taste with slight sweetness in the middle. Fairly crisp finish with decent bitterness. Low hop flavor. Smooth. Don't get any yeast flavors. Clean, refreshing but not super dry.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body, moderately crisp finish, moderate carbonation.

Would brew again. Very good, but probably not quite as good as my first Czech light lager.

IPL Review

Appearance: Billowing white head with good persistence, nearly crystal clear orange body, good lacing and nice rising bubbles. A good looking brew.

Aroma: Fruity Centennial hops,  fruity character Intensity is OK but not great. Hint of malt sweetness. I don't get any yeast character. No sulfur.

Taste: I get some crystal malt sweetness and a bit of fruity hop character. Light dankness but more fruity. Bitterness at the end is moderate. Hop character increases as it warms. Clean lager character without yeast-derived flavors.

Mouthfeel:Thick body, moderate combination.

Overall:  Wish it were hoppier and didn't have the crystal malt. The sweetness of the crystal kind of obscures the hop character. Next time, try not to use crystal malt in any IPL / IPA beer.

Blonde Ale Review

Appearance: White head with good retention and lacing. Straw body with moderate haze.

Aroma: Light malty aroma with some sweetness. Low hoppy character - maybe a little citrus character. No piney aroma. Grainy. Does not have crystal or character malt taste.

Taste: Malty and grainy with a hint of sweetness. Maybe has a bready note. Hop taste is low. Bitterness is low but noticeable. Soft finish with a minerally note.

Mouthfeel: Light body, moderate carbonation.

Overall: Easy drinking, pleasant, and lowish in alcohol. A good summer lawnmower beer.

For next time: Would only try to reduce the haze. Not sure if it's chill haze or something else. 

Solera Pull 1 Review

This is the first pull from a 5-gallon carboy of sour beer, so it's not technically a solera yet. After pulling about 2.5 gallons, I added another 2.5 gallons of freshly fermented clean beer. In any case, the beer today is a bit over a year old, from a single brew, but with a ton of different sour dregs and brett strains, and a pack of Roselare blend.

Appearance: Hazy golden body with thin, white head. Lots of carbonation bubbles on the side of the glass.

Aroma: Fairly clean sour smell. Lemon-rind like. No hop aroma. A hint of acetic acid, maybe a little diacetyl.

Taste: Starts off a with a sharp tartness, maybe some vinegary character. Bretty funk is in there too. Quite dry, with a tannic quality at the end. Malt taste pretty low. Bitterness low to none.

Mouthfeel: Dry, low to moderate combination, sharply sour finish. Light-ish body.

Overall: Not sure. Pretty good, nice lemony and refreshing beer, but should have less vinegar, probably needs a bit more carbonation. Will see how it tastes in a few months.

Weizenbock Review

Appearance: Thick billowing, slightly tan head with excellent retention. Dark reddish body. Good lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruit aroma, with a hint of alcohol. Light bready notes.

Taste: Starts off with dark fruit, then some bready character and finishes with clovey and phenolic notes. Doesn't taste sweet to me, and doesn't have noticeable bitterness. Slight alcohol bite. The clove / phenolics are dominant. Tastes almost like a Belgian beer. Probably

Mouthfeel: Moderate to high carbonation, creamy sensation in the mouth.

Overall: Not sure what to think in terms of how well it matches the style guidelines. I wish I could do a side-by-side with a good commercial example. It's pleasant but I wouldn't want to have more than 1 or 2 glasses. Entered into a comp, eager to see how it does.

 

Stout Review

Appearance: Very dark ruby. Not black. Off white head with big bubbles and poor persistence. Traditionally this beer is supposed to have low carbonation but mine is disappointing in that it does not have that nice thick foam of a Guinness.

Aroma: It smells to me black coffee with addition of nutty malty character. I don't get hop aroma.

Taste: Like black coffee with a bit of malty character. I taste a bit of sweetness, but that might just be a malty note. Aftertaste is slightly harsh and lingering. Might be a bit of acridness. Low hop bitterness as far as I can tell.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium body.

Overall: OK, not my best, but not sure what if anything is wrong with it. Tastes to me like a mild but with more body. My wife doesn't like it because of the acridness in the aftertaste. I've entered it into a comp.... hope to get some helpful feedback.

Wheat Wine Review

Appearance: Deep amber and red body. Off white head that dissipates fairly quickly. Light haze despite the enormous wheat content. Pretty good-looking beer.

Aroma: Dominated by malty sweetness. Smells a bit like malt candy, but with added fruity notes from hops. Malt and hops are both intense, but the hoppiness less so; they blend pretty well.

Taste: Complex. Malt candy like sweetness, good bitterness melding with significant alcohol bite and warmth. Alcohol may be slightly harsh. Honey malt comes through. Perhaps a little too sweet. Hoppy flavors in the dank-fruity style are there but definitely dominated by malt. I do not get a super fruity or juicy character. To me, doesn't taste quite like any other beer I've had or made, since it has so much malt candy character.

Mouthfeel: Very thick and chewy. Carbonation is light to medium. Aftertaste is alcoholic.

Overall: Really not sure what to think. Is it to style? Is it underattenuated and too sweet? Really I have no idea. I like it but think that it's probably too sweet - maybe that's why it has the candy-like aroma and taste. Or maybe that's because of the honey malt and potential caramelization during the long boil and direct-heated step mash.

I compared it against the Smuttynose Wheatwine, both a 2016 and 2012 vintage. Mine is sweeter and hoppier, and maybe a bit more alcoholic. 

 Would brew again - next time making sure to hit a low mash temp for maximum attenuation, and to pitch enough health yeast to get a drier beer.

Classic Rauchbier Review

Appearance: Off-white tan head with OK persistence and lacing. Deep amber, reddish body. When held to the light, very clear. A good-looking beer.

Aroma: Smoke dominates but it's not overpowering and not overly ham or bacon like. I get some malty, bready character too. No hop aroma.

Taste: Somehow less smoky than the aroma. Smoke is evenly balanced with Munich and Pilsner malt character. This couldn't be mistaken for a typical Oktoberfest / Märzen, but it's not as intensely smokey as the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbiers. I get some sweetness in the aftertaste. Bitterness is low.

Mouthfeel: Pretty smooth and slightly creamy. Carbonation is medium-high.

Overall: A pretty good smokey Oktoberfest beer. Not as smokey as some of the classic examples, but pretty close. According to my German wife, a good approximation of the German Rauchbiers. For those who are unaccustomed to smoked beer, my guess is that it would be unmistakably smokey.




 

Czech Dark Lager Review

Appearance: Deep brown body. Very clear when held up to the light. Off-white brown head with good persistence and lacing.

Aroma: Light roast, bready, with some herbal notes. Could be mistaken for a porter.

Taste: Maybe more assertively bitter than I would have expected, with some nice roast notes like coffee. Not harsh or acrid. Has notes of darkened or toasted bread crust. Maybe a spicy hop note. Pretty dry, should probably be sweeter.

Mouthfeel: Light body, medium carbonation. Should be a bit more in the body.

Overall: Pretty good but probably should have some more body and sweetness. I entered this into a contest and it got and HM in the Dark European Lager category. The judges notes were consistent with my notes, which were written before I looked at the scoresheets.

'Murican IPA Review

Appearance: Big white head with OK retention, good lacing. Fairly hazy orange body.

Aroma: Fruity hops - pears or peach maybe. Some resemblance to the classic Cascade-Centennial combination. I do get a bit of a malty, bready note from the Munich malt. Intensity of hop aroma is good.

Taste: Dominated by fruity hop flavors, but with surprising bitterness given that all hops were late additions. I could mistake this for a Cascade-Centennial combo but maybe with a bit more dankess. Juicy but not overly so. I don't get strong malty character - just a hint.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light body, medium carbonation, but doesn't have the super-light body of the classic New England IPAs - probably the bitterness adds a bit of body.

Overall: Pretty good, approaching a New England IPA. Could use slightly less bitterness and less body. Overwise the hop aroma and flavors are great - a good combination of juiciness and dankness. 

Smokey Porter Reivew

Appearance: Thick tan head with good retention and lacing. Dark brown body with amber highlights.

Aroma: I get toasty brown malt, earthy hop notes, some coffee and barely noticeable smoke - probably couldn't tell the smoke is there if I didn't know the recipe included some Rauchmalt. Some crystal malt sweetness as well.

Taste: Bready brown malt, crystal sweetness, and bitter chocolate with some acridness. Dryer than expected.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth. Good carbonation.

Overall: Not really a smoked porter since the smoke is barely noticeable. A bit stout like since there is a dry, roasty quality. Probably my mash was a little too low. I wish it had a little more sweetness to balance the roast. Still pretty pleasant and my wife likes it a lot.

Brett Table Saison Review

Appearance: Billowing, dense white head with excellent retention. Golden hazy body with lots of little bubbles rising up the side of the glass.

Aroma: Immediate impression of mild bretty funk. Not super fruity, just bretty. Maybe aspiriny smell. Earthy hop character and malt character is minimal. Pleasant. I don't get any notes of cherry, despite the name of the yeast.

Taste: Brett is the star here. Light funk, aspirin like notes, maybe a little bit of acidity. Hop flavor is low. Not much in the way of malt, as whatever malt notes one can get from a 1.030OG beer are surely covered by the brett here.

Mouthfeel: A bit thin and watery, unsurprisingly. Quite dry, but not highly carbonated enough to give it a tingly feeling like champagne. Does leave a bretty aftertaste.

Overall: Light in brett funk, refreshing and at 3.3% very easy drinking. I may brew a beer like this again, though since it's the parti-gyle of a 12% wheatwine, I will have to use a different recipe since I don't plan to brew another huge beer for a while.