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Uncle_Lumpy · 05-23-2011, 12:12 PM

Hello all,

I'm new(ish) to home brewing. Have done several kits with average results - drinkable but not really what I was after.

I've done one extract brew, a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone, way nicer than the kits and I'm now full of enthusiasm again.
The SNPA was one of the first US beers I tasted when visiting some years ago and to my joy, UK supermarkets are starting to sell it here, yay.

I'm looking now to try and brew something close to my local beer, Fullers London Pride. I don't need an exact clone - something close is going to be challenging enough for my skills!

So, anybody have any ideas ?

One other small point, I live in Epsom in the UK and the water here is so hard, you can bounce bricks off it. Hence, we have a water softener installed. Is it Ok to use this or will I be better off buying spring water ?

CrookedTail · 05-23-2011, 12:54 PM

Brew Your Own Magazine had a clone recipe of Fuller's a few months ago. I haven't tried it, but here it is.

Quote:

Fuller’s London Pride clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.012
IBU = 33 SRM = 14
ABV = 4.7%

Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg) Muntons Light liquid malt extract
14 oz. (0.40 kg) crystal malt (75 °L)
5.83 AAU Target hops (60 min)
(0.53 oz./15 g of 11% alpha acids)
2.63 AAU Challenger hops (15 min)
(0.35 oz./9.9 g of 7.5% alpha acids)
2.98 AAU Northdown hops (15 min)
(0.35 oz./9.9 g of 8.5% alpha acids)
1 tsp Irish moss
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast

Step by Step
Steep crystal malt at 153 °F (67 °C) in 3 quarts (2.8 L) for 45 minutes. Add liquid malt extract and water to make 3.0 gallons (11 L). Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Pitch yeast and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).

http://www.byo.com/component/resource/article/Indices/16-Breweries/2398-fuller-s-the-pride-of-london

Uncle_Lumpy · 05-23-2011, 09:48 PM

That's pretty much what I was after exactly - thank-you.
Reading round the forums, it seems that softened water is probably Ok as well, so all sorted.
Thanks again.

Bob · 05-25-2011, 02:02 PM

Welcome to HBT and to the brewing obsessio...er...hobby!

Water chemistry is important. London water is famed for being soft, where Burton's is famed for being hard. Presumably Fuller's treat their brewing liquor, so traditional water chemistry "common knowledge" might not be so common after all. If your water is brick-hard - isn't that where Epsom Salts come from? - I'd soften it.

Cheers!

Bob

SpanishCastleAle · 05-25-2011, 03:11 PM

Here's the Can You Brew It attempt. It was deemed 'not cloned' but it should be in the neighborhood and give you a good start.

Bob · 05-25-2011, 03:24 PM

That's right! I forgot London Pride was partigyled from ESB.

Bob

Uncle_Lumpy · 05-26-2011, 10:18 AM

Thanks for the comments guys - don't think i'm quite at the partigying stage just yet!
My worry about the water was that being in Epsom, the water is quite high in Epsom salts and I was concerned that the softener works by replacing the mineral salts (Mg I assume) with sodium/potassium ions and that would lead to a salty end taste.

I think my best bet is to brew two (or three) identical recipes, one with softened, one with water from the softener bypass and one with spring water from the supermarket.

Well, that's the summer weekends sorted then. :-)

Lumpy