Fat Angel - Tasting Notes

Method: Extract
Specialty grains: US crystal malt, German dark Munich malt.
Hops: Chinook (bittering), Styrian Goldings (flavour, aroma, and dry hop) 
Yeast: Irish Ale (liquid)

ABV: 5.5% (the recipe suggests 4.8%).
Yield: 23 litres


Tasting notes: As you can see, it pours a lovely amber colour with an off-white frothy head. Basically, until I start all-grain brewing, everything is going to be a lovely amber colour.You get a fresh hit of hops on pouring, with hints of melon. On drinking you can taste the sweet malt with slight hints of caramel. The medium body carries the bitterness of the hops which lingers slightly on the palate. I don't mind this - it's quite nice. I may make this one again with an all-grain brew to see the difference that makes.

McNeill's Firehouse Amber Ale - Tasting Notes

Method: Extract

Specialty grains: US crystal malt.

Hops: East Kent Goldings (bittering, flavour and aroma) and Cascade (dry hop)

Yeast: Irish Ale (liquid)

ABV: 5.3% (the recipe suggests 5.1%).

Yield: 19 litres

Tasting notes: Only 4 weeks in the bottle and it's ready for imbibing, pouring a wonderfully rich amber coloured body with an exaggerated stark white frothy head.

You are instantly hit with the lovely Cascade hop aroma and the cloudy body tastes very smooth as it glides down your throat. For a dry-hopped beer, there is very little lingering bitterness, allowing the full malt flavour and hop fruits to caress your palate. It's a well balanced beer and makes for a refreshing drink with a quick finish. I'm very happy with the outcome of this beer - this is one that is going to get repeated brews!

McNeill's Firehouse Amber Ale

This is another beer that uses East Kent Goldings for it's bittering, flavouring and aroma hops. This simple Amber Ale, coloured with US Crystal Malt, gets dry-hopped with Cascade to give it a bit more character.

Gravity: 1.054 (Target 1.055 - 1.056). FG 1.017 (target 1.016-1.017)  ABV 5.3%

Yield: 19 litres (target 18.9 litres)

Brew method: Extract with US batch sparging for the specialty grains

Notes: Straight forward brew. I transferred it to the secondary fermenter for dry hopping after about 5 days to ensure there was still some yeast activity to ensure a layering of CO2 (which will prevent oxidisation). I also boiled up a small amount of DME and finings to kick start extra fermentation and to hopefully clear the beer a bit more before bottling. This was all added during the dry hopping phase.


I also reclaimed the Irish Ale yeast from the brew for my next three beers: HobGoblin Extra Strong Ale, Tom Mik's Imperial Stout and, Shipyard LongFellow Ale.