Beer thread

nzzp

Things that improve extract brews:
 
1. Using all malt (no sugar near it) - use two kits or a kit and a jar/tin of malt and mix. r
2. Pitching plenty of healthy yeast at the right temperature (ideally cool). This means more than the little bag they give you on the top. I have had a good experiences with re-using yeast cakes - it is pretty straightforward really. Pitching at 25C is a good way to have some interesting flavours in your beer.
3. Temp control during fermentation. Kind of. You can make good beer sitting the fermenter in a water bath, but you really want to keep most beers between 17-20 degrees during the whole ferment. For repeatability buy an old fridge and get a temperature controller - the STC1000 is very popular. 
4. Gelatine fining gives clear beer. Really easy and effective.
 
The other big breakthrough for me was using StarSan for sanitation. So much easier (and more effective) than a lot of the crappy sanitisers out there.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="595718" data-time="1468131713">
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Parrotdog IPA, decent drop, not quite as flavoursome as Good Geroges one.
 
Also tried the Good George Hop Drop Cider and the Doris Plum cider, both very nice, the former probably the best.
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I reckon ParrotDog are way down in quality that what you get from Garage Project or Panhead. Not entirely sure why, I mean Bitter Bitch is a fantastic name for a beer but colour me disappointed in them as a brewery on the whole for whatever reason.
 
Best APA available at the moment in my opinion is still Rocky Knob, haven't found one as good as that.

mariner4life

I had the Monteiths Pale Ale on the weekend (it was a cheap 6-pack because i bought so much wine). It's very light isn't it? Flavours are okay, just light, and you could tell from the tasting, confirmed by looking at the bottle, that the alcohol content was down.
 
Bland. Not something i usually say for Monteiths beer.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="595994" data-time="1468301496">
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I had the Monteiths Pale Ale on the weekend (it was a cheap 6-pack because i bought so much wine). It's very light isn't it? Flavours are okay, just light, and you could tell from the tasting, confirmed by looking at the bottle, that the alcohol content was down.
 
Bland. Not something i usually say for Monteiths beer. 
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Monteiths used to be my favourite kiwi beer by far, they experimented a bit when others didn't but Macs followed suit and overall surpassed them in my opinion. I'll always have a soft spot for Summer and Radler, they certainly have their charms on a hot day but that "mid strength" shit you get at the Rugby is fucken awful. Macs Hop Rocker is far better than Monteiths Pilsner.
 
I like their "fancy" beers, Double IPA is a goody but recent history would suggest Macs will surpass them with their effort at the same.

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="595990" data-time="1468300748">
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I reckon ParrotDog are way down in quality that what you get from Garage Project or Panhead. Not entirely sure why, I mean Bitter Bitch is a fantastic name for a beer but colour me disappointed in them as a brewery on the whole for whatever reason.
 
Best APA available at the moment in my opinion is still Rocky Knob, haven't found one as good as that.
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Bitter Bitch is a hell of a good beer if you can find it fresh.
 
Best APA - not sure if it counts - but Liberty Citra. Sensational beer, just about everything from Liberty is a great, well made beer.

dogmeat

I find both Monteiths and Macs a sort of half way house between the mass produced big brewery muck and the more flavoursome (and expensive) small batch breweries.
 
What's the highest price anyone's seen out there? I saw a 500 ml of something at Supa Liquor at the weekend for $33/bottle [pass]

Hooroo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="596083" data-time="1468355638">
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I find both Monteiths and Macs a sort of half way house between the mass produced big brewery muck and the more flavoursome (and expensive) small batch breweries.
 
What's the highest price anyone's seen out there? I saw a 500 ml of something at Supa Liquor at the weekend for $33/bottle [pass]
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Really? That is extraordinary. I think I would want to buy it to see what a $33 bottle of beer taste like

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="596085" data-time="1468355813">
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Really? That is extraordinary. I think I would want to buy it to see what a $33 bottle of beer taste like
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Funny, I was talking to someone about how craft beer is far more accessible than wine. $33 for 500ml is equivalent to a $50 bottle of 750ml wine. That is expensive, but wine goes up to thousands per bottle.
 
The most expensive craft beers are generally only slightly more than the entry level ones. Not saying they are cheap, but a craft beer enthusiasm is a hell of a lot cheaper to resource than developing a taste for wine or champagne!

taniwharugby

The Good George IPA I had last week is $14.00 for a 945ml bottle (think it was $9 for a pint where I had it)...so price pointed against a decent wine it is pretty good, and as it is bigger than most 500/700ml beer bottles, people think oh well you get more so you pay more.

mariner4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="596002" data-time="1468303868">
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Monteiths used to be my favourite kiwi beer by far, they experimented a bit when others didn't but Macs followed suit and overall surpassed them in my opinion. I'll always have a soft spot for Summer and Radler, they certainly have their charms on a hot day but that "mid strength" shit you get at the Rugby is fucken awful. Macs Hop Rocker is far better than Monteiths Pilsner.
 
I like their "fancy" beers, Double IPA is a goody but recent history would suggest Macs will surpass them with their effort at the same.
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I love Monteiths Pilsner, and consume it in large quantities when ever i come home.

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="596120" data-time="1468363434">
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The Good George IPA I had last week is $14.00 for a 945ml bottle (think it was $9 for a pint where I had it)...so price pointed against a decent wine it is pretty good, and as it is bigger than most 500/700ml beer bottles, people think oh well you get more so you pay more.
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Good George is well priced.

The point I was making was entry level craft beer is about $10-15/L. Very expensive craft beer is about $30-$40/L. 
 
With wine, entry level = $10/L, and expensive = $10,000/L.
 
Conclusion: wine can be an expensive hobby :)

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="596083" data-time="1468355638">
<div>
I find both Monteiths and Macs a sort of half way house between the mass produced big brewery muck and the more flavoursome (and expensive) small batch breweries.
 
What's the highest price anyone's seen out there? I saw a 500 ml of something at Supa Liquor at the weekend for $33/bottle [pass]
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I think that's a very apt description, definitely better than Export, Tui, Speights and shit like that but not at the level of "Craft" beer as such and at 12.99 a half doz it's terrific value if you're looking at having a session.
 
I spent 40 bucks ( about 25$ more than normal ) on a bottle of nice Pinot for my second date with the better half. It was nice but she's from the Hutt and would drink any old shit so we laugh at the money I wasted. As I said, it was a very nice red and several steps up from a $8.99 bottle on special at New World but I refuse to believe a bottle costing several hundred or even up to a thousand is conversely that much better. Wine piston wristed gibbons will say a bottle costing five hundy is far superior than that 80 dollar swill but I honestly think they'd be talking out of their arses.

taniwharugby

I recall reading an article in the UK when I was living there and you could go to a restaurant in London and pay Â£120+ for a bottle of Cloudy Bay SB, despite being able to purchase it in supermarkets or Offies there for significantly less (and also other much better wines for less also), it was just the drink to be seen drinking at the time...

dogmeat

Coincidentally I have just received an email offer for a bottle of Spanish plonk @ $1200/bottle.
 
Why so expensive - well Robert Parker (McCaw of wine reviewers) rates it one of the most exciting wines he's ever drunk and only 500 cases are produced each year. 
 
There is undoubtedly a lot of wankery around wine but it is definitely creeping into the craft beer scene as well.
 
At peak my cellar had well over 1,000 bottles and yes I did buy $300 bottles of wine. Mainly because it was the only way I was going to get to try incredibly rare wines.
 
I have drunk $1500 / wine (I know that makes me sound a piston wristed gibbon but you all knew that already right - and I didn't pay for it ). It was sensational but no way was it the same value as 15 x $100/bottles. But I could tell the difference. Which I can't between a $40/litre craft beer and a $15.
 
Bottle age really changes wine - for the better if you get the timing right. Not so much beer.
 
I would rather have a really good $200 wine that 2 cases of $8. Same as I'd pay $20 for a Sculpin Ballast Point and rather go without than drink Waikato

MN5

Disagree a wee bit about the beer, mates and I did a few Stouts in amongst our other brews and intend to age them for a good while to see what they're like. For extra beer wank points we even added 500 grams of Columbian coffee to the mix. We're advised they will get better the longer we age them but the proof will be in the tasting.
 
Like any booze much of it is down to the individual, I think Parrot Dog is really average but others rave about it. Each to their own.

taniwharugby

think I heard Parrot dog is having to move to larger premises as they have outgrown current ones

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="596674" data-time="1468547470">
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think I heard Parrot dog is having to move to larger premises as they have outgrown current ones
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You sure you don't mean Panhead ? they've been bought by Lion or DB ( can't remember which )

taniwharugby

def not Panhead....
 
looks like they need to move, so trying to raise some pingers via crowdfunding

Crucial

Panhead have masses of expansion room without moving. They have already doubled size twice I think. 
Easy when you set up in an abandoned tyre factory. 
Parrotdog where in a small space in central Welly.

MN5

I'll be watching Panheads progress with interest, they are popping up all over the place in pubs now.
 
I think Garage Project will look at staying "boutique" though, how they brew from their tiny premises is anyones guess. They use it as part of their marketing brilliantly though.

The Silver Fern

Beer thread