1700's Burton Pale Ale

[Tiroux]

So, after reading Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale, by Mitch Steele, I had this idea to recreate a 18th century big export beer.

Malt: To recreate the White Malt, I will use the Extra Pale Pils Malt, which seems to be the closest thing to what the white malt was. It's gonna be 100% EP Pils Malt, because when they were looking for when at this time was the paler, clearer beer, like a champagne. This new type of beer (Pale Ale or Pale Beer) was seen like purity.

Hops: Even back in the 18th century, EKG was already THE hop to use, known then as Kent Hops, so the choice is easy. Also, these beers, especially the export versions, where AMAZIN'FREAKIN'LY hopped. I did a little calculations with the numbers in the book... It looks like it could have reach 200 and over IBUs, easily, and I'm not counting the Dry Hops that were sitting in the barrel for months.

Water: Burton-on-Trent water was especially special, it was the Holy Grail Water for brewing. Very high concentration of Calcium and Sulfate made the beer clearer, less vulnerable to infections,what made the beer easier to export, and enhanced the hop bitterness and flavor. So I'm gonna recreate Burton on Trent water with adding different salts.

Yeast: Back then, they didn't understand that yeast was alive and responsible for alcoholic fermentation, but they understood that It was essential to beer, so they harvested and reuse it. In secondary, there was a Brettanomyces activity from the oak barrel aging. They also found Pediococcus and Lactobacillus, but it looks like in the 10-12% abv versions, these bacterias would'nt survive, unless they soured the mash before fermentation, but then the beer wasn't consumed, or just not appreciated.

So, my fermentation will probably be a Saccharomyces primary with WL007, then a secondary with Brettanomyces Claussenii, wich seems to be the type of fermentation the best beers (the more succesful fermentations) had at the time.

Brewing: They didn't sparge the grains, but they used the same grains for up to 3 or 4 mashes. The first wort were taken for the big beer (the one I'm talking..:cross. For logical/technical/material reasons, I will sparge mine, but not really seeking for a high efficienty.

Boil: They used to do a low-intensity boil to keep the wort as pale as possible (reducing Maillard effect), and that during a few hours. I will do the same thing (reach 100°C but not going for a rolling boil) and go for 120 minutes.

Aging: These beers were aged for 2 or 3 years before bottling or serving, to attenuate the hop bitterness and to clarify the beer. Boat versions were aged about a year before getting on the boat for a 6 months voyage to get to the Indies.

My Recipe

It's a 4.5 gallons batch

19 lb Pilsner Malt (Weyermann Extra Pale)
5.25oz EKG FWH + 120m
2.65oz EKG 60m
2.65oz EKG 30m

WLP007
Brettanomyces Clausenni
A bit of charred oak ships in secondary to recreate the oak barrel aging
Dry hop with more EKG for months (???)

149°F Mash

OG 1100-1110
FG 1020 (will be less with brett)
IBUs 180
SRM 4.6
ABV 11% (will be more with brettanomyces)

1-2 Weeks primary with WLP007, then 2 years secondary with Brett.
Bottle with a beer of champagne yeast, I guess, but hey... it's over 2 years from now

 

[bierhaus15]

There sure are a lot of historic IPA recipes floating around here lately.

Regardless, your recipe and process are similar to what other people are doing. The only thing I question is the use of pilsner malt, not from a color standpoint, but rather from a flavor one. In the end, it probably won't make much of a difference with everything going on, although using a US or Canadian pale malt would probably be closer to the stuff they used.

Also, remember that English brewers went to immense efforts to ensure their beers didn't have oak flavor in them. However, some beers did take on wood flavors, as we have records of brewers complaining about it. As such, I wouldn't go overboard on the oaking.

Other than that, all looks good. I have a historical American "Burton" that is nearing 8 months with brett c and it is quite tasty. There is still a ton of hop flavor in the beer, although the brett has added its own fruity character. I'll be dry-hopping it again this month and then it will be going into the keg for another 3 months of aging.

Good luck.

 

[Revvy]

Have you read any of the articles, and compared the grainbills of the Burton Pales on the "Shut up about Barclay Perkins" Blogsite? I don't think Pils was used....I don't recall in any of my readings.

 

[Tiroux]

There sure are a lot of historic IPA recipes floating around here lately.

Regardless, your recipe and process are similar to what other people are doing. The only thing I question is the use of pilsner malt, not from a color standpoint, but rather from a flavor one. In the end, it probably won't make much of a difference with everything going on, although using a US or Canadian pale malt would probably be closer to the stuff they used.

Also, remember that English brewers went to immense efforts to ensure their beers didn't have oak flavor in them. However, some beers did take on wood flavors, as we have records of brewers complaining about it. As such, I wouldn't go overboard on the oaking.

Other than that, all looks good. I have a historical American "Burton" that is nearing 8 months with brett c and it is quite tasty. There is still a ton of hop flavor in the beer, although the brett has added its own fruity character. I'll be dry-hopping it again this month and then it will be going into the keg for another 3 months of aging.

Good luck.

So the hops are really dry hoping for Months? Should I let them for whole 2 years secondary?

 

[Tiroux]

Have you read any of the articles, and compared the grainbills of the Burton Pales on the "Shut up about Barclay Perkins" Blogsite? I don't think Pils was used....I don't recall in any of my readings.

Well it said in the book that white malt was close to pils. I wasnt sure about the malt neither, but for sure maris otter would be too sweet for the said dryness of these old beers (or maybe is it the brett...)

Maybe regular 2 row? Maris otter?

 

[Tiroux]

I'm still thinking about that, and it brings more questions.

What does the difference between let say, the Pils and the MO? Malting technique or barley provenance?

If it's mainly the malting technique, well Pils is well suited to recreate the white malt, who was the most pale and clean malt possible to make, wich modern Pils is, I think.

But. If barley provenance plays a significant role in the flavor, so I guess I should go with a uk malt like MO, but these are "darker" and maltier/sweeter on the finish, wich is the opposite of what Im looking to recreate the dry delicate clean finish of the Burton Pale Ale if the time.

Maybe a 50/50 grist would do the trick.

 

[frailn]

Have you read any of the articles, and compared the grainbills of the Burton Pales on the "Shut up about Barclay Perkins" Blogsite? I don't think Pils was used....I don't recall in any of my readings.

Sorry for taking this off topic for one post, but THANKS REVVY for posting that link. There goes the rest of my night...reading the Shut up about Barclay Perkins website....fascinating.

 

[Revvy]

Sorry for taking this off topic for one post, but THANKS REVVY for posting that link. There goes the rest of my night...reading the Shut up about Barclay Perkins website....fascinating.

Oh heck yeah it's an amazing resource for English beers. I've burned days away on there. When I was recovering from my surgery, I started at the beginning and worked forward.

 

[bierhaus15]

Regarding the malt choice, pils is going to be flat out the wrong flavor. The kilning process and barley varieties are just too different from what they were doing/using 200+ years ago.

Even when you compare heirloom pils malts and the run of the mill weyermann stuff, the old style Hana pils malts (ie. floor malted bohemian types) have much more of a bready-sweet character than our modern burke and scarlett varieties... which are known for their clean, grainy flavor.

Looking through my old durden park book, they mention that a 50/50 mix of lager malt and english pale is a close approximation of white malt. If you haven't used lager malt before, it is basically a light colored UK pale malt without the overly bready character. Still different than pils.

Lastly, regarding the dry hopping, it seems some sources indicate that they'd leave the hops in the barrels for months on end. Fearful of getting grassy flavors from doing that, I've been adding the dry hops and letting them sit for a week before removing. So far, so good.

 

[Tiroux]

Regarding the malt choice, pils is going to be flat out the wrong flavor. The kilning process and barley varieties are just too different from what they were doing/using 200+ years ago.

Even when you compare heirloom pils malts and the run of the mill weyermann stuff, the old style Hana pils malts (ie. floor malted bohemian types) have much more of a bready-sweet character than our modern burke and scarlett varieties... which are known for their clean, grainy flavor.

Looking through my old durden park book, they mention that a 50/50 mix of lager malt and english pale is a close approximation of white malt. If you haven't used lager malt before, it is basically a light colored UK pale malt without the overly bready character. Still different than pils.

Lastly, regarding the dry hopping, it seems some sources indicate that they'd leave the hops in the barrels for months on end. Fearful of getting grassy flavors from doing that, I've been adding the dry hops and letting them sit for a week before removing. So far, so good.

That is great informations. I will look out for lager malt and english pale. The problem will be to find them here...

As for the hops, I think I'll put them in the primary after the biggest fermentation is done, then rack to secondary after a week or two.

Regarding aging in secondary for 2 years... should I be concern about oxidation or not? Reduce the headspace at minimum, I guess? Will the brettanomyces create a krausen in secondary, or I can fill it almost to the top of the carboy?

 

[Tiroux]

Have you read any of the articles, and compared the grainbills of the Burton Pales on the "Shut up about Barclay Perkins" Blogsite? I don't think Pils was used....I don't recall in any of my readings.

I just looked around, that's really really interesting (I will have a lot of reading to do), but this more oriented to end-1800s to mid-1900s... I'm talking maybe 150 years before that..

 

[Bithead]

Here's another BarclayPerkins blog post discussing White Malt down through the comments. http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2012/11/x-ale-grists-in-1860s.html