Update on last weekend's brews

Both brews started showing active fermentation quickly. The Tripel yeast used in the Munich-El Dorado SMaSH kicked off by late evening on brew day, and the US-05 in the Goldings pale* was bubbling cheerfully when I checked it the following morning. I was pleased to see this as I've found US-05 a bit of a slow starter in the past.

Last night I dry-hopped both beers. 50g of El Dorado in the SMaSH and 20g of East Kent Goldings and 10g of Motueka in the Goldings pale.

I checked the gravity this morning and took the opportunity to sample both beers. The SMaSH brew has dropped from an OG of 1.068 to 1.014, suggesting it's pretty well done and has hit 6.99% abv. The Goldings pale has gone from 1.051 to 1.013, so probably also about done, and coming in at a more modest 4.75%.

Flavour wise, at this stage I'm more excited about the Munich-El Dorado SMaSH, but that I suspect is at least in part due to the fact that its stronger malt and hop flavours are more successfully masking the yeast. The SMaSH looks like it should finish up very full-flavoured with big hop notes, especially once the dry-hop takes effect. The Goldings pale, meanwhile, promises to be an easy-drinking, pleasant, fairly-sessionable drop, but without the punch of its (fraternal) twin.

Munich-El Dorado SMaSH

Goldings pale

*Goldings golden no longer seems like a strictly accurate appellation.