What's in your glass tonight?

[goldseal]

Well, I have been pointed to this:

http://www.copperkettlehomebrewing.co.uk/full-mash-kits/41/golden-cornbine

- rather than add elderflowers, I'm thinking of adding Luc Volder's elderflower syrup as my priming sugar. Reckon that should work?

[lockwood1956]

Thats a good idea Pete,


but I wonder if that small a dose would impart enough nose?


hmmm


perhaps some as a late ferment addition also?


I think I would be inclined to remove some of the pale malt and replace with peach or apricot jam or preserve...might give it more peach/apricot profile

[goldseal]

I didn't really notice any peach, but there was a bit of apricot, now you mention it.

You might be right about the syrup, but I don't want to add enough to reduce the mouth feel. Maybe just a splash in the fermenter .

Calling all beer experts: I THINK mashing at a higher temperature would result in more unfermentable sugars and therefore a sweeter beer (desired result). Is that a good way of doing that?

Am I doing over to The Dark Side without realising it??

[Rich]

Yup, mashing at higher temps (towards 69c ish, gives more unfermentable sugars, lower temps 62 to 64c gives more fermentable sugars) or so the books I've read say.. I've not noticed much difference in my limited all grain brewing.

[lockwood1956]

You could of course add non fermentable sugars

[goldseal]

Last night: An MFK, followed by a sweet 2008 Ancient Orange Mead.

[mark g]

A nice pineapple fruit juice wine,tonight vintage 2010 13.5% vol
and a of EDME LAGER

[dpile1]

One of those new Stella Artois Cidre thingys. It's quite nice although not a patch on a Magners.

[goldseal]

Over the weekend:

A Grapefest 2009 Merlot - losing its vegetal character, and really starting to come together.

A Grapefest 2010 Montepulciano (imagine me shouting the name and waving my arms in the prescribed manner). Opened it accidentally in an emergency when we ran out of wine. Seemed a waste not to drink it. Actually quite smooth and fruity, loads of oak - promising.

[lockwood1956]

Last night....(having got home from Gardeners World live)

A 2006 Grapefest Grenache..... nice, but not terribly complex, can see why its nearly always a blending grape

[Ted.B]

Doom Bar from the Sharps brewery in Cornwall, slips down the throat in a dangerously easy fashion.

[lockwood1956]

Tonight a Medpretzel raspberry/elderberry

not a blend I would have done myself, but yet again she has surprised me.....

quite a complex nose and tons and tons of body, and a very fruit driven finish

[dpile1]

Had a bottle of California Connoisseur Zinfandel Blush last night - it was lovely!

The night before I had some cheap Chianti from Lidl - it was awful and only managed two glasses before I chucked it!

[SiSandrine]

Drinking the surfeit of Plum Blush 2010.

[robwrx]

Racked a Selection International Chilean Merlot and ready to bulk store it.