Butter Beer

My sister and her husband are big Harry Potter fans. They're having a Harry Potter themed Halloween party this year, and they wanted me to make some Butter Beer for the party. They say the books describe it as a creamy, buttery beer, but that's all they can give me. I immediately thought of diacetyl, but I'm not sure how to shoot for it. I normally try to avoid it.

I'm thinking of an English Bitter, and somehow shoot for a higher diacetyl concentration, but I'm looking for ideas. Anyone?

homebeerbrewer said:

..., but I'm looking for ideas. Anyone?

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You mean like this? Harry Potter Butterbeer

Or this? Need input on my butter beer recipe

Or maybe here? Butterbeer

You might be better off trying to find butterscotch flavored syrup and adding to to the pint rather than trying to boost an off flavor. Doing both might add some complexity though.

+1 on using butterscotch syrup. I don't like the idea of trying to create off flavors.

This came from one the many threads on the topic: H/T Koomber

Now on with the real post. This is an actual historical recipe for Butterbeer as the Tudor's in England drank it:
Recipe for butterbeer

Ingredients
500ml ale
Yolks from 2 medium eggs, whisked
60g sugar
Dash of nutmeg
15g unsalted butter

Method: How to make butterbeer
Pour the ale into a warm pan on a medium heat. When the beer begins to come to the boil take off the heat and add the whisked egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg.

Return the pot to a low heat (to stop the eggs from scrambling) and stir for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter. Decant into your finest flagon and chug.

Copied from here:
The Food Blog - Feasting on butterbeer

Basically, the dude made it for a feast themed around eras in British history. I don't rate the chef, but I've been meaning to try this out!

Hope this help any of you 'Potterphiles' out there. Hmmm. That word looks just wrong.

Thanks Revvy. I did see those, but I was asking more for ideas on how to get a higher diacetyl concentration, not necessarily a recipe. I think I'm gonna go with an English Bitter, since Harry Potter is British (I think, not a huge fan, so I could be wrong). But I just don't know how to get diacetyl in a beer. From what I've read, fermenting warm will do it, but from my experience, other off flavors are produced too. Maybe a short fermentation at normal temps would do it? I dunno.

I'm pretty sure they discuss diacetyl in some of those threads, and other options as well......you're not the first brewer who has made the connection between butterscotch/diacetyl and butter beer.

oh dear god...

maxam said:

oh dear god...

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????

It's no odder than making Graf because of Steven King Novels......


Now THIS is weired, Klingon Blood Ale.

Yeah, I just work on a college campus and all of the college-aged kids are the "Harry Potter" generation and I cannot escape it. Everything in their lives relates back to some minute detail from one of the books.

I personally just couldn't give a crap about Harry Potter. I guess shouldn't judge them too much, it was probably the same for those that grew up with Star Wars. Enjoy your Butter Beer.