Tag: beer

Side by side Flemish red comparison with a yeast capture at the last homebrew meet @brewdogbrighton. Tried: Vanderghinste, Vichtenaar, Ichtegem and @struisebreweries Dark Horse (dark sour aged in Bordeaux barrels for 4 years). The Vicht had malt aroma only and quite sweet tasting, low acidity. Vand more balsamic aroma, similar sweet/sour balance. Icht more balsamic, more sweetness, more vinegar.

Blackberries and wine made by myself from Sussex dornfelder grapes. About to blend these with 2 different portions of my 2018 solera sour. Nearly wrote the dornfelder off as it had quite a musty aroma 4 months ago but that has rounded out and turned into spicy/leathery aromas. Will bottle some of the straight wine and blend the rest 1:3 with the solera.

Cheeky haul on the way back from work. Crab apples (for use in a Brett saison) and a nice big parasol mushroom.

Cats not really helping much with my faux-gruit. 1.050, 15 IBUs Magnum hops (just in case of LAB infection), Muri kveik due to be pitched when down to 32C. 80% pale, 8% aromatic, 8% wheat, 4% carabelge. List of herbs: mugwort, mint, tansy, wild carrot seeds, salad burnet, lovage, wild marjoram, feverfew. All taken from the garden or foraged locally all pretty easy to find in the UK.

Today's haul from the community orchard up at race hill, Brighton. 2hrs picking, 2kg blackberries (for adding to a lambic style beer), 300g elderberries, mugwort, tansy and mint (for a gruit style beer I'll be brewing tomorrow).

First attempt at malting. Had some wheat berries. Wanted to try something that wasn't commercially available so I've gone for a light smoked Munich wheat. Smoke comes from a fruit wood blend. Photo is from day 3 or so during the germination period.