Festa Brew IPA

Very good beer. Hoppy and fairly light 

FESTA BREW WEST COAST IPA

I brew this beer twice.  The first time, was my first time brewing ever (pretty simple to brew).  I bottled the beer in 750ml bottle, 2 weeks fermenting (4 days in primary, 10 days in secondary), 4 weeks in bottle, WOW !!! The result was perfect for my tastes, not too hoppy with just a bit of bitterness with 6.3% alchool.

Now, second time I brew this, 3 weeks fermenting (4 days in primary and the rest in secondary).  I've putted it in keg (yes it didn't took me long to get everthing for kegging), then carbonnated it for 2 days and half at 25psi... then this day came WOW !!! Same great taste (6.5% this time)...

So for me, it's a must have in one of my keg !!!

Festa West Coast

I finished up those mini kegs in short order and have a few 22 oz talks aging on the dark shelves in basement. When Festa brewing, I use a grappler on back of kitchen shears to pry the cap. I then just mickle on to the wort bag to dump it in primary bucket. When using the Fast Ferment (smaller hole) or carboy, I made up a gizmo with a Festa cap drilled out to accommodate a brass bulkhead, rubber washers and a length of braided hose - 18 inches I'm thinking with a 1/2 inch ID. I snap this on to the bag and can squeeze dump the flattened bag from my counter in whatever. Unfortunately the aforementioned gizmo doesn't work with the Brewhouse kits, but I'm finding them too pricey anyway - same price here as Festa - need to swap out yeast as it's always Coopers Ale yeast. I usually upgrade to a Safale US O4, 05 depending on the brew.  As rated before, I pitched a Brewhouse Munich Dark over a West Coast slurry of US 05 and it was one of my best brews ever. Still hoping to find a bottle or two in my collection somewhere!

Compliments, and I'm not even an IPA fan

Brewed last summer with only entry level expectations, but quite surprised.  I didn't think I'd like it to such a degree (hot weather required).  Did a side by side with a local "west coast ale" and preferred the festabrew.  It's held up well over time, and by demand of others I will be brewing again.  Big hop flavour and aroma, solid bitterness for my tastes (I can see it a bit mild for some).  I'll take it everytime over any "light lager."
My only criticism is it could be sweeter by a grav point or 2, for about spot on balance.  With certain foods or the mouth's mood, I get a hint of bitter in the vegetable spectrum.
Easier than even extract kits.  Pour into fermenter.  Yeast.  Done.  Costs a little more but worth it!  If you ferment in carboys whip the hose around as you siphon (or get a big funnel) to aerate wort.  Mine finished fine that way.  Mid 60's ferment, 4 weeks primary, no secondary, bottled.  Tip: Get a plan for that FestaBrew cap.  Tape it upright in a cut hole in the box to not spill and use a butter knife or blunt wedge to pry the cap.

4/5:  Great!  (there's no 4.5)

West Coast

While the left coast may not be the best coast, the namesake makes a pretty good drop. My first attempt was really good, bottled it off in 500 mL PETs and gave it some time. Good alcohol levels  c. 6-6.5% ABV and rich and hoppy. My second bombed as I bottled the batch in 1000 mL PETs. The caps turned out to be defective as the beer never carbonated and oxidized. My third attempt was much better. I racked the batch after several days in the primary to a 23L carboy for a couple months, cold crashed and kegged in two 2.5 gallon mini kegs - approx. 19 litres. The remaining five were capped in US "fifths" (26 oz) tall glass browns. I sampled the golden amber liquid and it tasted very good indeed - so good it could almost be drank flat. Stay tuned for the final results.

UPDATE: 24 hours in a mini keg 2.5 gallon with a carbonation lid and the draught was perfect. Smooth and clear with a hoppy nose and decent lacing. A number of these knocked me out as I sat around the pellet stove trying to stave off an oncoming flu. Good medicine perhaps, but perhaps not a good sessions beer.