Poor Richard's Ale

Hello All,
In commemoration of what many craft brewer's believe is one of finest inspirations to beer and country, January 2006 is Ben Franklin's 300th birthday. In his honor the Brewer's Association has selected a craft brew that is true to the era that Ben Franklin would have loved to quaff.
At the Brewer's Association website they have listed the recipe for this momentous occasion and ask that all able brewer's brew this recipe and then in January, raise your glass and toast ole Ben. The website is: http://www.beertown.org/craftbrewing/index.html

There you will find the award winning recipe. The recipe is all-grain and yields a barrel of beer but there is enough information that allows you to reduce the batch size using one of the brewing programs such as Promash. Please forgive me if this has already been discussed but when I did a search I didn't find the topic had been brought up prior.
So, brew a batch of good Old English Ale and raise your glass this next January and celebrate one of our famous patriots and beer drinker, Ben Franklin!
Jeff

He was a toker too!

Told young guys to have their first experience with older women because they were more experienced.

Started INSURANCE in Philly.

Two out of 3 ain't bad.

An interesting recipe, certainly agree on the molasses. I think I'll stick with Fuggles for my Old Ale. Ben would have liked it.

Oh hells yeah, I'M DOING IT!!!!!!

Can anyone good at this make a partial conversion?

Cheesefood said:

Can anyone good at this make a partial conversion?

Click to expand...

Wha??? You want it converted to extract?

I'll run it through promash for you, if that's what you mean.....just say the word....

ORRELSE said:

Wha??? You want it converted to extract?

I'll run it through promash for you, if that's what you mean.....just say the word....

Click to expand...

The Word.

Sorry, just not ready to go AG yet.

Cheesefood said:

The Word.

Sorry, just not ready to go AG yet.

Click to expand...

Okay kids.....I'm no expert at converting, so anyone with experience please look it over and see what you think. All of the numbers are very close when comparing the AG vs. extract versions. For the extract version I dropped some of the corn and the biscuit, and dropped out the Black Patent malt completely. I think that was mainly in there for color in the AG batch. If it was in the AG version for some additional bite/bitterness, the molasses will definitely attone for that in the extract version, so they should be fairly close. That's my thinking. Chime in.

Poor Richard's Ale (AG version)

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 13.38
Anticipated OG: 1.067 Plato: 16.30
Anticipated SRM: 17.4
Anticipated IBU: 34.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
59.8 8.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
18.7 2.50 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1
11.2 1.50 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain 1.035 35
7.5 1.00 lbs. Special Roast Malt America 1.033 40
1.0 0.13 lbs. Black Patent Malt America 1.028 525
1.9 0.25 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.05 12.9 60 min.
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.05 11.9 45 min.
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.05 9.9 30 min.


Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP002 English Ale



Poor Richard's Ale--Extract version
A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 10.50
Anticipated OG: 1.067 Plato: 16.41
Anticipated SRM: 17.8
Anticipated IBU: 34.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
28.6 3.00 lbs. Generic LME - Dark Generic 1.035 25
28.6 3.00 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
19.0 2.00 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1
11.9 1.25 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain 1.035 35
9.5 1.00 lbs. Special Roast Malt America 1.033 40
2.4 0.25 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.05 12.9 60 min.
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.05 11.8 45 min.
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.05 9.9 30 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP002 English Ale



I can shoot anyone the .rec file if they want it.

ORRELSE,
Your Promash recipe is pretty close to what I calculated. I'll post my Promash report later (when I am not at work). I kicked the amount of 2-row up to around 10 lbs to get a higher OG (1.093), substituted Carafa I for the black patent, and I plan on using a super-dooper good South Carolinian Pure Cane syrup instead of molasses.
Has anyone thought of using Scottish Ale yeast instead of English? Wonder what that would taste like? I may just do that.
Jeff

PS - Go Gamecocks!!!

Im up for it, and have added it to my recipes. Thanks Jeff and ORRELSE!

I think I'm in on this, too! I'll aim for getting it going next weekend or, more likely, Thanksgiving. Thanks for the footwork, ORRELSE.

I found an actual version converted down to 5 gallon size, and the hops are a lot lower than my version. I'm going to keep it the way it is--as I think it will balance okay. If this was going to be a truly authentic Ben brew, the hops would probably be lower for total IBUs. The actual recipe calls for around 27 IBUs, I went for 34. Not a big difference.

Otherwise, the 2 recipes are very similar. I'm sticking with the AG version that I posted last night. I'm still looking for someone who converts to chime in on the extract version to see if I did the specialty grains right.

This is the recipe I came up with using Promash and sticking to the specifics to a small degree:
Poor Richard's Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

11-A English & Scottish Strong Ale, Old Ale

Min OG: 1.060 Max OG: 1.090
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 60
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 25 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 18.00
Anticipated OG: 1.093 Plato: 22.21
Anticipated SRM: 22.8
Anticipated IBU: 32.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.47 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.079 SG 19.11 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
58.3 10.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.038 3
19.4 3.50 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1
11.1 2.00 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain 1.035 35
6.9 1.25 lbs. Special Roast Malt America 1.033 40
1.4 0.25 lbs. Carafa Germany 1.030 400
2.8 0.50 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 16.6 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 9.9 45 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 5.6 30 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP002 English Ale


Water Profile
-------------

Profile: London
Profile known for: Sweet Stout

Calcium(Ca): 90.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg): 4.0 ppm
Sodium(Na): 24.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4): 58.0 ppm
Chloride(Cl): 18.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3): 123.0 ppm

pH: 8.33


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 17.50
Water Qts: 17.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 4.38 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 15 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 16 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 17 Time: 1


Total Mash Volume Gal: 5.78 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
Also remember that I plan on substituting Cane syrup for the molasses.
OK - So that was a bit more info than probably needed but there it is anyway.
Any additions or comments welcome as usual.
Thanks,
Jeff

JeffPhD2005 said:

.
Any additions or comments welcome as usual.
Thanks,
Jeff

Click to expand...

I am by no means a "recipe" expert, in fact far from it. I also realize this is a "special" recipe, where it is trying to replicate an older style of beer that hasn't been refined to "modern" standards. That said, I noticed a few things that I will point out.

3.5 lbs. of corn sticks out. That is a lot of corn. I'd be worried it would gum up the mash too much. I've never mashed with that much corn so I don't know, just suggesting.

If your purpose of upping some of the ingredients to add alcohol--I think it would be safe to just add the 2-row and be done with it. From past experience, a little bit of biscuit goes a LONG way. I had a hard time accepting the 1.5 lbs of biscuit that the recipe called for using the percentages given in the recipe. That is going to be one bready beer.

I've alluded to it above, but I took the suggested percentages from the online source that the recipe came from, and put those numbers into promash to get as close as I could to the recipe.

Can you not get black patent, or do you just not like it?

Thanks for the feedback,
Yeah I hadn't looked at the total grain weight, so some backing off of the 2-row and the other ingredients.
So lets try this one..
Poor Richard's Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

11-A English & Scottish Strong Ale, Old Ale

Min OG: 1.060 Max OG: 1.090
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 60
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 25 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 13.69
Anticipated OG: 1.070 Plato: 17.17
Anticipated SRM: 16.5
Anticipated IBU: 35.4
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.47 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.060 SG 14.72 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
65.7 9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.038 3
14.6 2.00 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1
10.5 1.44 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain 1.035 35
6.4 0.88 lbs. Special Roast Malt America 1.033 40
0.9 0.13 lbs. Carafa Germany 1.030 400
1.8 0.25 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 18.3 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 10.9 45 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 6.2 30 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP002 English Ale


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 13.44
Water Qts: 17.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 4.38 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.30 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 15 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 16 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 17 Time: 1


Total Mash Volume Gal: 5.45 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.



The most corn I have used previously was 2.5 pounds and didn't get stuck, whew!
I use Carafa instead of black Patent just because I love the taste of Carafa and it usually makes a malty and smooth tasting brew.
I may still increase the 2-row just for more kick.
Jeff

Thanks for posting all of the variations. I'm certain each will be tried by someone. I like biscuit, even though I tend to use Victory for those notes.

I'm pretty sure my MBS doesn't have Special Roast Malt America. Does anyone have a suggestion for a substitute grain?

Just picked up my ingredients. I dumped all of the grains in one bag and then after paying for them remembered to ask if the corn had been partially pre-glutinized! Joel ask all flacked corn was pre-processed. Maybe I'll run this tomorrow or Monday.

8.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America
2.50 lbs. Flaked Maize America
1.50 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain
1.00 lbs. Special Roast Malt America
2 oz. Black Patent Malt America
1/2 cup Molasses

I'm resisting the urge to use Fuggles. The grain bag smells a lot like slightly burned toast.

Cheesefood - I'd use Brown malt as a substitute.