Brupaks Colne Valley

After transferring the docklands porter to the keg for secondary fermentation (tasted great already with real malted flavour) I started another brew straight away. I have 1 bottle homebrew left it’s disgraceful so it’s time to get stocked up again. I really loved the colne valley last time so I thought it a safe bet this time round. Standard procedure with a good soak for the hop bag as I’m sure this is part the reason the brupaks kits turn out so well.

Muntons Docklands Porter

I first thought porter was like stout but after reading the description it sounds a lot lighter as it was used for refreshing the dock workers. The syrup was dark and thick so maybe it will be like stout. strength is 4.6%

Harvey Wine & Beer Making Centre

I went to Harvey’s in Fareham again last week to buy a beer kit for Dave. As usual the service was excellent and we had a good chat about the business. It turns out that more of us are brewing than ever before, perhaps it’s the recession or perhaps the internet has started to make it fashionable again, but keep up the good work you guys.
It turns out Harvey’s have updated their website and now take orders from anywhere in the UK online and delivery is free for orders over £48. See the link on the right in my blogroll (4u2Brew.co.uk). Although I order most of my equipment online it’s nice to have a local homebrew shop for the odd tub of sterilizer or bag of bottle caps so I’m hoping they carry on doing well.

Brupack’s Birkby Bitter

I’ve been a bit lazy and should have blogged about this brew a while back. The brew itself is now about 5 weeks old and tasting amazing. This is one of the first kits I tried and one of my favourites, second time round it doesn’t disappoint. Even though it winter and pretty cold the brew went ok, it got down to 1.012 gravity which is close enough altough it did take 2 weeks to get there (and I had to mix it up half way through). After bottling I placed in my favourite spot next to the radiator in the lounge. After a week I was disappointed to find it completely flat! But with some patience it soon developed it’s fizz and is now a top quality beer.
Out of all the kits I have tried I have been consistently impressed with the Brupack’s. I think it appeals to my beer taste, golden and hoppy, the hop bag you get in each kit helps a lot!

Brupak’s Honely Mild – Tasting

A very very dark beer with a strong taste of malt. It’s still a mild but with an almost burnt coffee flavour to it. There’s a slightly bitter aftertaste but to honest this tastes a lot like a stout. The head didn’t last any time at all but the beer has just enough fizz. Although it’s a mild ale I’d say it’s darkness doesn’t suit it to a good session.

Brupak’s Honely Mild homebrew rating:

Milestone Lion’s Pride – Tasting

This beer is a wonderful golden colour, with plenty of fizz to give a good head. The head doesn’t hang around too long but that’s fairly normal for an ale. Tasting gives an immediate sharp bitter taste, which fizzes on the tongue, there is a hint of fruit which gradually withdraws leaving a linguring taste of hops. It’s a light ale and very refreshing.

Milestone Lion’s Pride homebrew rating:

Munton’s Smugglers Special Real Ale

Finally I have enough bottles to start another brew. This reminds me I need to add a “Tasting” post for my last 2 beers, shame looks like a session on the ales tonight.
This is the last in the batch of mild ales I bought for the summer. Yes I know the summer is pretty much over and I haven’t even started yet! Either I have a distinct lack of bottles or I’m not drinking quick enough……I know one of those isn’t true, as I currently have 7 different beers to choose from. Oh well the weather has actually been pretty good for this time of year and we’ve had some of the nicest days all summer so hopefully this brew will ferment quickly and I might just squeeze some drinking in before the last of the summer has vanished.
I’m actually writing this as I’m going through the process so bare with me if the post isn’t flowing, be sure the beer will be.
The brewing bucket has been filled with sterlising solution for about 30 mins. I’m never quite sure how much sterilising powder to use so I just sprinkle a generous amount in the bottom of the bucket, dissolve in boiling water then fill to the top with cold water. The two tins of wort are in the sink covered in hot water and I’m just about to use another flavapack which I will cover with boiling water and leave for 30 minutes.
After emptying the brewing bucket of the sterilising solution I pour boiling water down the side, whilst rotating it to try and remove any left over solution.

I open the tins of wort which are now relatively runny and pour them into the bucket, in my opinion the most satisfying part of this process. I clean out the remaining wort from the tins using boiling water, which conveniently is the right amount to leave the mix at the right temperature at the end. But remember to use over gloves to pick up the tin full of boiling water it’s HOT!

Next I fill the bucket with the cold water and the flavapack mix, minus the brewing bags. I have given up measuring the volume exactly as I usually lose count when using a measuring jug. I have a good idea of where to fill to from previous experience but I think this time I will measure it correctly and put a mark on the side of the bucket to save this hassle in the future.

Well after rehydrating the yeast with 1/2 tsp sugar and some luke warm water I poured it into the mix and whoops I forgot to check the temperature. As I had added more boiling water than usual due to the flavapack it turned out to be 27 degrees. I just hope that’s not too hot to kill off the yeast!

Brupacks Honley Mild

It’s been a while I know. I actually have so much beer at the moment I haven’t had enough free bottles for another batch. The Honley Mild is a Brupacks beer (all of which I have been impressed with so far). It supposed to be a low alcohol session beer, which is perfect for this time of year. The process was the same as other Brupack beers, which include an additional hop bag for added flavour.

I hydrated the yeast with some 25degree celcius water. The hop bag was left in the boiling water for 15 minutes to create a hop brew which was added to the beer. I also added a flavapack which was brewed for 30mins, you can see the end result below:

The weather is pretty warm at the moment with predicted forcast of 29 degrees on thursday. This brew will be done in no time!

Edme Superbrew Gold Weizen – Tasting

Ok this is a lager so you wouldn’t expect the same sort of flavour as a real ale. Although there still isn’t a great deal of flavour. The beer is too flat for a lager which may be because I didn’t put enough sugar in each bottle or because I used plastic as opposed to glass bottles. It’s perfectly drinkable and better than the standard bunch of piss you get in pubs but I’m used to the good stuff now.

Edme Superbrew homebrew rating:

Sherwood IPA – Tasting

It has actually got to the point where this blog is coming in useful for me. I have 6 different beers either in bottles or the keg and after 3 weeks away I have forgotten what some of them are. So here’s the current list from oldest to newest.

XXXX lager (keg)
Brupacks Colne Valley Bitter (blue top)
John Bull Irish Stout (gold top)
Sherwood IPA (green top)
Edme Superbrew Gold Weizen (plastic bottles)
Milestone Lion’s Pride (gold top)

School boy error using gold tops twice, that could get confusing.
Anyway back to the point at hand which is the tasting of the Sherwood IPA. I’m actually drinking this one as I type. It had a very good head when poured and is about the right gassiness.
Tasting wise it’s pretty nice, a little bland on first taste, perhaps a little bit of sweetness, but after about 3 seconds a pleasant bitterness on the tounge. Not the best IPA I have done, I think the Muntons had a better flavour.

Sherwood IPA homebrew rating: