Pale Ale bottled & Cider made

ManawaBrew Pale Ale test batch 1 has been bottled. Bottled it today. All 22L of mango, dried apricot, pine, passion fuit smelling heaven. Motueka & Cascade seem to be a match made in beer heaven!

Cold crash, albeit ghetto, seems to have worked a treat. I've never bottled a beer that has been so clear. Maybe that crossed with the KoppaFloc? Either way, I'm taking it as a positive. Cold crash every beer maybe?

Since its so clear as in not much yeast in there, I'm thinking a three week stint before I even take a chance of popping a bottle of it. I say that now, but more than likely, I'll be trying it within two.

 

Cider time. Bit the bullet and brought a BrewCraft kit. Comes with a Black Rock Cider tin, CopperTun brew blend #15 and a bottle of apple schnapps. All in the fermenter with 2 litres (I did 5) of boiling water, a nice good stir, top to 23, add the yeast, walk away. Original gravity was 1.040 and according to the instructions I got with it, should finish at 1.008. Well see in a couple of weeks I guess.

Second Christmas beer has been decided. An Orange Cascade Pale Ale courtesy of blacklab over on HBT. Recipe calls for Cascade hops, orange and coriander. You'd think it was a wheat or witbeer with the orange and coriander, but its a simple Pale Ale from all accounts. All the noise about it seems to be a good summer beer, exactly what I'm after for summer and Christmas! Brew day set for the 10th November!