by HBS Guy » 14 Oct 2018, 08:34
Yeah, I liked to get ferment down to 18°C, which is why I brewed mostly in the winter.
I brewed a nice Russian Imperial Stout, just a little beer, only 12%abv, put it in the Bathurst competition. It didn’t win a title, poured without a trace of a head. However, a brewer from the Malt Shovel Brewery, makers of James Squire beers, finished at his table (all tables finished before Stout, a huge and popular category) came over to the stout table, poured out some of my RIS and tasted it, said “This is a clever beer!”
I know all this as I was staying with a brewstress friend (a real alewife, brewed the ale for the household) just outside Bathurst and was the steward for the stout table (brought each beer in a jug, blind tasting as it should be) made sure they had forms, crackers and water to cleanse palates etc.
When that Malt Shovel brewer said that about my beer that made me pretty proud I can tell you!
After the stout judging was over I spoke to that brewer. He said he detected a minute amount of autolysis (vegemite taste) which is usually due to heat. He said it wasn’t really a fault, just broadened the range of flavors. That beer fermented sitting on the floor of my garage—must have fermented pretty strongly and likely had a lot of yeast some of which autolysed causing a slight Vegemite flavor. Vegemite is just spoiled brewers yeast after all.
Abbott & Co are going to cause the mother and father of all recessions—be prepared!
