Category Archives: Brewing

New Brewing Bling – 60 Litre conical fermentor

Posted on 19/01/2012 by Zane

I had a flash new bit of brewing bling turn up on my doorstep today thanks to the chaps at Farra Engineering . It was not that I had splashed out on some fine new stainless steel, but rather that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer, Equipment | Tagged 60 litre, beer, brewing, conical fermenter, conical fermentor, craft beer, equipment, farra engineering, home brew, homebrew, New Zealand, NZ, pale ale, sanitising, sanitizer, stainless steel, stainless steel conical fermenter | 12 Comments

Recipe of my first brew – Zapa – Zane’s American Pale Ale Extract Recipe

Posted on 02/01/2012 by Zane

This is the brew that got me into home brewing. It was pretty simple as it used malt extract from a can, but it was one step on from just using extract as I steeped some specialty grain and boiled … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer | Tagged american pale ale, APA, beer, brewing, craft beer, extract, home brew, homebrew, New Zealand | 1 Comment

My first cask conditioned real ale

Posted on 12/12/2011 by Zane

My friends Charlie and Veronica are off overseas and had a party to farewell friends. Knowing Charlie is a big fan of cask conditioned real ale I offered to do a brew for the party that would be suitable to … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer | Tagged ale, beer, beer engine, brewing, cask, cask conditioned real ale, conditioned, craft beer, hand pump, handpump, home brew, homebrew, hops, malt, New Zealand, new zealand hops, NZ, NZ hops, pale ale, party, real, recipe, tasting, water, yeast | 1 Comment

2011 NZ National Home Brew Competition – Judging Day

Posted on 31/10/2011 by Zane

This weekend past was the judging of the New Zealand National Homebrew Competition as organised by SOBA . http://nhc.soba.org.nz/ There were over 400 beers entered in the multitude of categories, which the organisers managed to collate and organise. I went along … Continue reading →

Posted in beer evaluation, Brewing, Craft beer, opinion | Tagged 2011 National Homebrew Competition, beer, BJCP, brewing, craft beer, evaluate beer, evaluation, home brew, homebrew, judging, judging beer, New Zealand, new zealand hops, open source brewing, recipe | 6 Comments

Yeastie Stu likes my beer PKB 2011 Remix – Weetbix

Posted on 30/10/2011 by Zane

Over here I talked about brewing the Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black 2011 Remix (Weemix). I sent Stu of Yeastie Boys a rigger of the brew I did of his recipe and this is what he thought http://lockerz.com/s/151463825 “Drinking “Weetbix” a … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer, opinion | Tagged beer, brewing, craft beer, dark, evaluation, home brew, homebrew, low alcohol, mild, New Zealand, new zealand hops, NZ, open source brewing, PKB Remix, Pot Kettle Black, recipe, session beer, tasting, Weemix, Weetbix, Yeastie Boys | Leave a comment

Hop monsters for hop heads – late hop additions to give big hop flavour and aroma

Posted on 26/10/2011 by Zane

The key to getting big hop aroma and flavour in your beer is putting in large additions of late hops. Done right you will get a huge smooth hop character to your beer. There is quite a difference between the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer, opinion | Tagged aroma, balance, beer, bitter, bittering, brewing, craft beer, flavour, floral, home brew, homebrew, hop head, hop monster, hops, how to brew, IPA, malt, New Zealand, new zealand hops, NZ hops, recipe, resinous, spicy, tasting | Leave a comment

Taste notes – Caspa

Posted on 18/10/2011 by Zane

Thought I should chuck some tasting notes up for some of my beers. More as a record that I can go back to in the future when trying to remember specific characteristics. Tasted 18.10.2011 – Bottled 18.09.2011 New Zealand Pale … Continue reading →

Posted in beer evaluation, Brewing, Craft beer | Tagged APA, beer, craft beer, evaluation, home brew, homebrew, hops, judging, judging beer, New Zealand, new zealand hops, NZ hops, NZPA, recipe, taste, tasting | 1 Comment

Key factors to making great beer at home

Posted on 12/10/2011 by Zane

I feel like there is quite a funny reaction when you mention that you home brew beer. The words “Home Brew” seem to be automatically associated with some nasty tasting alcoholic substance that people tried years ago. Most likely brewed … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer, opinion | Tagged advice, beer, brewing, craft beer, home brew, homebrew, how to brew, how to brew great beer, key factors great brew, most important brewing advice, New Zealand, recipe, sanitising, sanitizer, setup, starting, temperature control, tips, yeast culture | Leave a comment

Caspa2 – NZ Pale Ale tweak

Posted on 10/10/2011 by Zane

A rebrew of the NZPA that I have done previously with NZ Cascade, Nelson Sauvin and Pacifica hops (CAscade, Sauvin, Pacifica). Added a bit more darker crystal malt for a little more body and malt flavour. Have upped the ratio of Sauvin … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer | Tagged all grain, brewing, cascade, hops, malt, nelson sauvin, New Zealand, pacifica, pale ale, rebrew, water, yeast | 1 Comment

NZ vs Imported hops

Posted on 02/10/2011 by Zane

I love hops! They smell great, and they make beer taste fantastic. However getting hold of the hops you are after can sometimes be a bit hard. At the moment there is a big shortage on hops grown in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brewing, Craft beer, opinion | Tagged American hops, APA, brewing, craft beer, home brew, hop shortage, hops, IPA, new zealand hops, NZ hops | 1 Comment