What's your absolute best homebrew?

jmcnamara

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It didn't have to necessarily win a ton of medals, or impress a lot of people. But, it has to be, in your estimation, the absolute pinnacle of your brewing career (whether it was planned or a happy accident).

I think mine is a citrus wheat that i've been playing around with for a bit. Little bit of honey malt and loads of Citra and Amarillo. It's probably closer to a wheat IPA (if those even exist), since the IBUs were a bit higher than the style called for.

I've shown you mine, now show me yours ;)
 
This Saison, finished about a week ago:

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... ew/265441/

Key is fermentation control - 3724 is a notoriously finicky yeast.

The beer comes out straw-gold, slightly hazy. It has fruit flavors, pineapple and pear come to mind, it's tart and has a good spice finish. The sugar reduces the body to make it very drinkable.... All in all, this is likely the best beer I've made.
 
I think i remember seeing Hull Melon hops at my LHBS (along with a few others I never heard of and want to try).

How are they? They're from New Zealand right?
 
jmcnamara said:
I think i remember seeing Hull Melon hops at my LHBS (along with a few others I never heard of and want to try).

How are they? They're from New Zealand right?
Nope, it's a german variety: http://www.barthhaasgroup.com/images/pdfs/hop-varieties/en/Sortenblatt_Engl_GERMANY_HuellMelon.pdf
Sounds like Nosybear had some success with it in his Saison. I could see it also being good for a wheat (?)
A few of us homebrewers around here have tried HM in IPAs and such, with no great success. It is are a fairly mild hop and easily get overwhelmed by other malt and hop aromas/flavors.
 
Thanks for clarifying. That does sound like it'd be good in a wheat, probably a pilsner or something similar too.

What about a smash ipa? Or at least only use these hops
 
I have decided I will always have a Kölsch on hand! I have one in my fermentation chamber now. Since January, I've brewed it three times, more times than any other recipe I've brewed since then. And, it got a thumbs up from a friend who lived in Cologne for a while and drank lots of Kölsch there!
 
Hull Melon has a pronounced melon-like flavor. My latest favorite is Mandarina, which really does remind you of a tangerine. I did a strong brown ale (generically American but nothing like Shiner Bock) with some honey malt, ginger and Mandarina hops - that one is about number 2 on my list of favorites.
 
jeez, i've never even heard of that one.

that brown ale sounds a little bit like a chocolate orange IPA i had a while back. Forget the brewery (Thomas Creek? Otter Creek?). I thought i was buying a stout since i really just saw the chocolate orange part. It turned out quite a bit better than what i originally thought it would be. that's on my list to try to brew, but that list is already long enough as it is
 
Nosybear said:
Hull Melon has a pronounced melon-like flavor. My latest favorite is Mandarina, which really does remind you of a tangerine. I did a strong brown ale (generically American but nothing like Shiner Bock) with some honey malt, ginger and Mandarina hops - that one is about number 2 on my list of favorites.
I just had a bit of a look back through my old recipes/tasting-notes involving HM. It actually wasn't that bad of a hop to use, it looks like I just didn't use enough of it in a light enough beer.
jmcnamara's idea of a SMaSH IPA sounds good and would probably work quite well with a lighter malt (e.g. pilsner or vienna) and enough hops in the boil (>3oz/5gal!?).

fwiw, my most successful brew to date was an IPA with primarily Vienna malt and Mandarina Bavaria hops. I am also loving the MB hops, and have already bought enough to brew almost exclusively with them for the rest of the year. :D
 
The Saison - it was the Hull Melon that put it over the top. The Mandarina Ginger recipe is here - it's an extract brew in this incarnation, use two-row to make up for the malt extract and a little brown malt to make up for the amber in the DME. Mash the Honey Malt but cap with the dark grains.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... rthday-ale
 
Nosybear said:
The Mandarina Ginger recipe is here - it's an extract brew in this incarnation, use two-row to make up for the malt extract and a little brown malt to make up for the amber in the DME. Mash the Honey Malt but cap with the dark grains.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... rthday-ale
Looks awesome!
I will probably have some trouble getting honey malt here though... :(
 
My local homebrew store sources it from Canada. Crystal 10 should be close.
 

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