British Brewer

Recreating the perfect British Pint

26 April
0Comments

On Tap (April 26th)

This weekend has been one of the busiest in a long time. We hosted what started off as a quiet dinner party with a friend but turned into a big affair with lots of adults and kids over enjoying a warm spring evening around the fire pit drinking homebrew, wine and some Fullers Pride brought over by a good friend.  Saturday was another warm spring New England day taken up catching up on garden chores so no brewing time. Saturday evening was spent at the local boat club for a surprise 40th.  Lots of fun again (and Happy Birthday P).

Sunday I finally got to the brewing. I moved the IPA and my own Left Over Ale into bottles (with the help of my younger son who has taken a fascination to the capper) and then moved the Brakespears into the secondary (it is so good, took me back to the river and Henley).  This was followed by a massive amount of sanitizing and cleaning the used carboys, airlocks, brewing bucket and tubes. It took the whole afternoon so no time left to actually brew a new batch.  Well I can save the new stuff for next week. I have the Nut Brown ready to go and a Guinness Export clone from NB.

Its going to be another busy week so I will try and get the Malt part II post out and some tips I have queued up.  But first whats On Tap?

Primary

  • Nothing in the primary, some stout and a Nut Brown on deck though

Secondary

  • Brakespears Bitter clone (1 wk (p) 1 day (s) ) – Using the Brakespears yeast currently available from Wyeast.  FG came in on the money as did the colour. Brew already crystal clear and very drinkable. It is a very very good clone of the Henley classic.  Refreshing session brew.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths 3 wks (s)) – Now 3 weeks into the final 1/3rd of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 1 day (b) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. Came out of the secondary still with the rich full mouthfeel, strong caramel with a hint of marmalade.  It has a long rest ahead of it but I will sample a bottle in 4 weeks.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth 2 wks (s), 1 day (b) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV. This is going to need some time to settle down, really hoppy with a small bitter aftertaste.
  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 2 wk (s), 1 wk (b) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. As reported last week I had to delay bottling due to very active yeast.  It was worth the wait as the SG came down quite a bit. The ale is also really clear and tasted great, nice and spicy from the Saison yeast. Week 2 of its 2 week rest.

Drinking

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 1 mth (b) ) – Came out great, see the review here.  This is a REALLY popular drink in the house right now and I predict it will be gone within the week.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 mth, 1 wk (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. Continues to age well. Will definitely lay some down for a while.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth 2 wks (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths 2 wks (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 6 month bottle open
Share
19 April
2Comments

On Tap Update (April 19th)

Whaheyyyy, finally managed to get a couple of posts out this week even with a busy work schedule. Despite my lack of blogging the ales are working and the Speckled Hen clone is most definitely a winner, probably the best one to date.  It has been a busy week though, on the road again meaning more ales left in the cellar at the end of the week (unless the wife is sampling a few). There has to be some silver linings.

I caved and went on eBay and purchased a beat up floor model wine cellar for the summer. It will take well over a case of beers and keep the brews at 55ºF. I have decided to lay down some of the Old Ales and Imperial IPA’s over the summer and will need a constant temperature to avoid spoiling.  I am really excited to sample these beers this time next year to see how the Old’s really mature when given a chance (not something that happens much in this house, most ales are shown no mercy).

I managed to get some brewing done over the weekend, my first weekend brewing in April.  I got the Brakespears Bitter clone off and running using the Special Edition Wyeast Thames Valley II strain, allegedly taken from the now defunct Brakespear Henley Brewery.  Very excited to see how the brew comes out. Be good to have a session brew or 2 along side all the heavy Old’s and Browns I currently have in the cellar.  Next weekend I am planning to brew a small experiment batch of my Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale clone, the last in the Olds and Browns series.  I am also considering putting together another stout, especially given that Wyeast has a Limited Edition yeast hailing from the Guinness St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, a opportunity that cannot go to waste.

So lots of excitement to come but whats On Tap today!

Primary

  • Brakespears Bitter clone (1 day (p)) – Using the Brakespears yeast currently available from Wyeast.  The observed OG was well within range.  Yeast cake is beginning to form.

Secondary

  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 2 wk (s) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. It tasted really delicious out of the primary, hints of marmalade, with a really smooth mouth feel. One of the reasons I brought the cellar was to lay a couple of these down for at least a year. Have decided to extend the rest for an additional week. No hurry and no need for the carboy.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth 1 wk (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now in the final week of its 6 week rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths 2 wk (s)) – Now 2 weeks into the final 1/3rd of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 2 wk (s), 1 day (b) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. As reported last week I had to delay bottling due to very active yeast.  It was worth the wait as the SG came down quite a bit. The ale is also really clear and tasted great, nice and spicy from the Saison yeast. Will give this 2 weeks before trying a sample.

Drinking

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 3 wks (b) ) – Came out great, see the review here.  This is a REALLY popular drink in the house right now and I predict it will be gone within the week.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 mth (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. This ale will age well and I will be laying a couple down  in the cellar when it arrives.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth 1 wk (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths 1 wk (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 6 month bottle open
Share
12 April
0Comments

On Tap Update (April 12th)

Another week and still nothing in the primary. I cannot remember a time since I started home brewing again that I have gone 2 weeks without brewing something new.  But with the Barleywine, IPA and Left Over Ale are all in a long secondary that just leaves the Saison, which was due to get bottled this weekend. But I go downstairs to find a secondary still active with the SG still dropping and a layer of yeast cake on top.  So my Brakespear Bitter clone will have to wait until next week.

In the meantime I will be getting a yeast starter going for some PacMan yeast I have in the fridge. It will go to a good cause, saving a stalled carbonation for a good friend.  This week will be another busy work week, I have some ideas for posts brewing (pardon the pun) and the Malt post series is still sitting incomplete in the Drafts section.  I should also be reviewing the Old Speckled Hen shortly, maybe even by next week.  So with a pending shortage of ale loomin, whats On Tap.

Primary

  • Nothing this week, all the carboys are still in good use.  The Brakespears Ale is still on deck and will definitely get brewed next week. Very excited to get a chance to brew this clone with the now closed breweries original yeast, as is my father. Its his favorite beer.

Secondary

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 1 wk (s) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. So last week I reported the FG came out of the primary a little under what I was hoping and as reported above it would appear the secondary has re-invigorated the yeast and it is currently very active. Should be bottling this next week.
  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 1 wk (s) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. It tasted really delicious out of the primary, hints of marmalade, with a really smooth mouth feel. I am going to lay a couple of these down for at least a year. Now in week 2 of a 2 week rest.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now on week 5 of its 6 week rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths 1 wk (s)) – Now a week into the final 1/3rd of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 2 wks (b) ) – I have had a lot of interest in the outcome of this clone. I can tell you the sample from the secondary was very good indeed. It was bright, crystal clear and the taste seemed close.  We won’t know for sure until the ale is conditioned. Week 3 of its 4 week rest but will probably try some next weekend.

Drinking

  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 3 wk (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. This ale will age well and I will be laying a couple down.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 2 mths 1 wk, 3 days (b)) – Another special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly released PacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Taste tested by my good friend Mike Chase who ranks Rogue Dead guy as his favorite ale. He loved it. Down to my last bottle 🙁
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 5 month bottle open
Share
20 February
2Comments

My Favorite Extract Kits

Northern Brewer For those that are regular readers you know that in between my British ale brewing I brew a bunch of kits from Northern Brewer (NB).  The quality of the brews is high and every few months they introduce something new.  I especially enjoy the beginning of every new quarter when Wyeast and White Labs put out a special limited edition selection of yeasts and NB crafts a special recipe to showcase the yeast.  This quarter NB put out a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone and Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout clone to complement the Wyeast Special Edition release of PacMan yeast, the proprietary strain from Rogue Breweries

I have brewed quite a few of these kits over the last 12 months, some more than once and a couple one too many, so I thought I would provide my own little guide to the kits I have drunk and some little tips I have picked up along the way.

1) Quality – Almost all the pre-prepared recipe kits I have brewed have been of the highest quality. The ingredients are fresh and pre-packed to the right quantities.  Grains are crushed and hops are sealed and fresh. If brewed correctly the quality of the finished brew is also of the highest order with some exceptions.  I thoroughly recommend the clones such as the Broken Spear Bitter (Brakespear Best) or the Grateful Dead Guy (Rogue Dead Guy Ale).  I have done side by side comparison with the commercial version and the clone and they are so close, helped of course by the fact that the yeast strains hail from both version are the same.

Here are my top 3 quality favorites:

#1 New Old Ale – winner of my 2009 brew of the year. This ale matures well with age, strong fruit with a rum quality on the back with a balanced hop flavour make this strong old very approachable.  Many friends who are not ale drinkers have been converted after drinking this ale because it is so well balanced with a distinctive flavour.  Leave this brew in the bottle for at least 2 months before drinking,

#2 Sinistral Warrior IPA – this brew is currently in my 2010 favorites list.  A killer American Style IPA with a high IBU count.  But give this brew 2 months in the bottle and watch as the ale begins to mellow slightly whilst retaining the hop driven peppery spice leaving a really smooth IPA. It goes down way too easily for its alcohol content, so be careful.

#3 Peat Smoked Porter – an American style porter that goes down smooth like desert.  It has a full mouthfeel and delivers a balanced hop malt character.  The kicker with this stout is the inclusion of peat smoked malt giving an almost bourbon note to the drink.  This ale will fill you up, its not a session drink and is great as an end of the evening brew.  Needs at least 1 month in the bottle.

2) Degree of Difficulty – NB extract kits are not hard to brew, if you can cook oatmeal you can brew these kits.  The OG’s tend to be conservative but SRM and IBU calculations to my eyes and taste are typically on the money.  There are some exceptions.

#1 Lord Fatbottom Ale – a very viscus Barleywine. The kit ships with a monster 14 lbs of extract and its nearly impossible to avoid the hot break boiling over.  I recommend using a 10G boiler for this brew.  Many people who have brewed this ale have reported the need to kick start the primary fermentation with champagne yeast as the ABV climbs over 10%, most yeasts pack up and go home with ABV’s over 10.  Its a tough one to brew, I have and its is a decadent, thick hop bursting delight.  I have one in the carboy conditioning away at a happy 13% ABV.  Needs almost a year to finish. I recommend at least 1 month in the primary, 6 months in secondary. But come prepared.

3) Ones to avoid – not everything or everyone is perfect and NB kits are no exception.  We all have times when our brews have gone wrong due to matters well within our control, wrong ingredients, poor sterilization, temperature etc.  But sometimes there is nothing we can do, the ale just isn’t that good.  Here are my least favorites from NB

#1 Cream Ale – just don’t try it, it’s bland, has poor head retention with nothing distinctive whatsoever.  The brew process was accurate, OG, FG, color and IBU perfect. It just doesn’t taste of anything.

#2 Irish Draught Ale – this was a big disappointment but the wife liked it.  None of the nutty character claimed by the kit was present, it was a little too dry and left an after taste not too my liking, the late clover honey addition appeared to have no effect. I had high hopes for this brew based in the reviews but I will not be brewing this one again.  Again the brew process was perfect, the taste just wasn’t there

So that’s my list for now.  I have the two Rogue clones on the go right now and I cracked a sample of the Dead Guy Ale clone and had a bottle of the real thing immediately after.  The results are almost identical.  This brew will definitely be making my favorites list this year. If you have a favorite kit drop me a line or post a comment, would love to get some recommendations.

Share
31 December
4Comments

Top 10 Brews of 2009

2009 Best Brew ListI am not much into lists but it seems to be the rage around this time of year.  I thought I would compile my list of favorite brews/recipes we brewed over the last 12 months as rated by myself, my family and friends.  Despite ranking I would recommend all of the following recipes, so lets get to it.

#10 Pale Ale Kit from OakBarrel.com – This was one of my families favorites, a full bodied, full flavored Pale Ale, uses American yeast and hops and produces a very smooth ale that improves with age. I have made 2 batches over the last 18 months.

#9 Nut Brown Ale from OakBarrel.com – This was a favorite of the wife, an American style Nut Brown, really smoothed out with age, full bodied with a great nutty malty taste.

#8 London ESB from NorthernBrewer.com – This would have been higher but I some issues with the ESB yeast during the summer, it is a little fussy when the heat spikes.  We had builders coming in and out of the cellar all summer which really messed with the climate.  Once I finally got the brew right it produced one of my favorite keg beers of the year.  Its a strong ale that drinks like a session brew, be careful with this one as it creeps up on you.

#7 Peat Smoked Porter from NorthernBrewer.com – A rich porter I brewed twice this year.  You can really taste the peat in the smoked barley, adding some single malt whisky notes to the finish.  A very smooth, incredibly rich drink with strong coffee and chocolate flavour, makes a great after dinner drink.  Could have been higher but it really is very rich and not something you may want on a regular basis.

#6 Kentish Best Bitter from BritishBrewer.com – This was the Christmas brew in the house and very popular gift with friends and family.  My parents liked the fresh medium-bodied, real ale like mouthfeel that left them wanting a second glass.  It is light, well balanced ale made from a single hop variety.  I personally loved the colour, its the brightness, clearest ale I have ever made.  Its a beautiful, crystal clear light copper/red.  I did not place it higher as the recipe still needs work.

#5 Dry Irish Stout from NorthernBrewer.com – I may never need to create a Guinness recipe clone while we have this Northern Brewer kit available.  It is a very refreshing stout, clean, dry and goes down really smooth with all the coffee flavours of the original. I serve this chilled with a stout tap and BeerGas in the keg.  One of my favorite stout recipes ever and one of the most popular brews I’m commissioned to make for parties and events.

#4 English IPA from NorthernBrewer.com – This is a big ale from Northern Brewer.  A full bodied IPA, not as spicy as its American cousins. Its a refreshing, fruit laden beverage with a hoppy aroma. The malt comes through with age leading to a full-bodied ale that pairs nicely with a spicy curry in the late night hour.

#3 Sinistral Warrior IPA from NorthernBrewer.com – I have my second batch of the year bottle conditioning as we speak and I hope to crack a bottle on my birthday.  This is an ale in the tradition of DogFish Head 60min IPA, a little overly hopped, peppery with a bright rich golden colour.  Its a potent brew that goes down a little too easily.

#2 Spitfire Ale from the Clone Brews book – I brewed this for my dad earlier this year and it quickly became a family favorite.  A clone of the classic from Shepherd Neame Brewery in Kent. Its hard to describe, both an explosion of fruit and roast malt mixed up with a caramel butterscotch aroma that is both refreshing and smooth.  You want more, a lot more. It did not last long but nothing does when the family is over visiting (Happy New Year Dad). I have this recipe waiting on deck early in 2010 and will provide a full write-up for the blog.

…and the number one brew of the year is!!!!

#1 New Old Ale from NorthernBrewer.com – It is very rare when everyone, and I mean everyone, loves the same ale.  This was my most popular seller this Christmas, consumed at many a Christmas party, the overall family favorite, and my own personal fav of the year.  It is a complex dark brown ale that needs to be aged and has an ABV nearing a barleywine. I had this one conditioning in the bottle for over 2 months before consuming.  The addition of Jamaican brown sugar leads to a rum flavour at the finish to complement the full-bodied, rich toffee-like malt, balanced out by the sweet Galena hops.  The colour is a beautiful deep brown red that looks glorious in a glass.  This is an ale equally as comfortable in a brandy snifter as a pint glass.  The history of Old Ale is also something quintessentially British, it seems even more appropriate to be the first winner of the British Brewer Brew of the Year (and will be the topic of a future post).

Happy New Year one and all.  I have many resolutions and dreams for the upcoming year. I want to get a job, mainly to fund dreams two and three namely produce my first all-grain brew and perfect a recipe for Fullers London Pride and serve it from an Oak Cask in my own house.

Thanks for reading this blog, I would welcome your own lists in the comments for favorite brews both homebrew and commercial. Raise a glass to the 2000’s and welcome the new decade.

Share