★ Homebrewing: Tasting from some carboys (December Edition)

I brewed a lot of beer this Fall and most aren’t ready but I thought it would be fun to see how they’re doing. I’m going left to right from the pictures.

Black IPA using Conan Yeast (Heady Topper) – I expected to drain pour this one. It wasn’t a well thought out grain bill and really I wanted to see how much the conan yeast lends to the IPA taste. Dark brown to black, slight toilet water murky. Smells like charcoal. The Carafoam II & III + Rye + Peated malt combo (again, this was just a hokey recipe) tastes pretty terrible. Lots of soy sauce and overly smoked. May let it sit for a while but I doubt it’ll improve 1.5

Lambic spontaneously fermented with open NH air – Looks quite nice Pale yellow, did a turbid mash and it took a very long time to brew this one. Nose is very faint tartness and mild cherry pie. Currently, it’s more akin to grape juice watered down with sawdust. Very young, tartness and body are there but yeah, at least 12 months before ready I won’t try this one again for a very long time. 2/5

Sour Stout (Tart of Darkness Clone) – Pitch black, nose is a faint roasted chocolate and oak with a tiny bit of sour tinge. I actually drank the full ounce of this one. It’s getting more tart but lacks the body or mouthfeel that I get from Bruery’s version of this. I’ll wait another 4 months before trying it again and then add bourbon oak cubes. 2/5

Rye Berliner Weisse – Pale orange. Nose is minor acetic with peach bits. Rye spice comes through on the taste. Lactobacillus has yet to take hold after 2 months so obviously I’ll keep this one going. It has a big wheat backbone which is great and rye is not overpowering. I’m looking forward to seeing how this develops. The carboy just recently formed a pellicle. 3/5

Sour Blonde Ale – Light hazy yellow appearance. Nose is loaded with tannins and grape skin with kiwi. Taste is quite sour already. I get a lot of sweetness which is common for this young wild ale. Zero off flavors…probably another 4 months before I add cherries to it. It has the bigger ABV and backbone and will be nice as a refreshing summer beer I think. 3/5

Consecration Clone – Dark amber appearance. Nose is bread, spicy and malt forward. A pellicle just formed and the recipe brewed in September said it needs 12 months so obviously it’s on track. The base beer that was fermented entirely with Abbey II Wyeast and just 3 weeks ago received Roselare is tasting just fine now and I expect the Roselare to do very cool things over the next 9 months. 3.5/5

Hair of the Dog Adam Clone – This is very young fermented with Scottish ale yeast. Dark almost black red in appearance. Peeted malt comes through aggressively with cedar chips and tobacco. There’s still a ton of residual sugar in this beer. ABV may end up around 13.5% so obviously, it needs to sit for a while. I guess this won’t be a winter warmer. Peet malt does not overpower, mild charcoal and mossy qualities. Malts are still too sweet to really know how it’s going to turn out. Plan is Bourbon oak and, if this beer rocks, it’ll receive cherries. Very sticky and dare I say ‘dank’. I can feel my cheeks getting flush just tasting it. 2.5/5 (likely to improve)

I have a coffee porter fermenting as well but didn’t get a chance to taste it. I’ll likely be able to keg it in January.