English Ales - What's your favorite recipe?

[JosephN]

There are too many posts to go back and read but I'm tired or making hoppy beers that are super strong or even just strong beers. I need a few around the house that are more malt forward and less hops.

Right now I have a porter, Irish red, and an American wheat and rye beer that are lower content. Everything else, saison, ipa, "pale ale", barleywine, and a few random beers, that are 7.5-11% abv.

I have brewed a mild before but it got infected and didn't turn out as good, meaning malty, as I had hoped. That recipes was from Jamil's classic styles book. What other beers fit a high malt flavor beer, 4-5.9% abv, low hop character, and low to no fruity esters?

 

[Hanglow]

Try a scottish 60/-, 70/- or 80/- , I think he'll have recipes for those in the book

 

[Snubnoze707]

Picked up one of those plastic cube poly pins to do a lil 1 gallon cask in addition to bottling my next bitter. Am I OK to go ahead and dry hop into the vessel at the same time as priming? How long do you guys usually let it go before chilling and drinking? Usually I go 2-weeks in bottles.

 

[lowtones84]

You can definitely dry hop in the polypin if you'd like, and I did it at the same time as priming, yes. Putting them in a muslin bag can help keep hop particles out of you glass. You can tap them as early as five days, but I've found my results are better at 7-10 days. For chilling I just usually start laying an icepack (and switch it out here and there) on it 24 hours or so before I'm going to tap it. For me that gets it to the "cool, not cold" temp that I look for. Enjoy!

 

[Qhrumphf]

You can definitely dry hop in the polypin if you'd like, and I did it at the same time as priming, yes. Putting them in a muslin bag can help keep hop particles out of you glass. You can tap them as early as five days, but I've found my results are better at 7-10 days. For chilling I just usually start laying an icepack (and switch it out here and there) on it 24 hours or so before I'm going to tap it. For me that gets it to the "cool, not cold" temp that I look for. Enjoy!

Pretty much the same here. I'm usually starting to vent slightly after 24-36 hours, and then I'm usually tapping at about 5 days.

I haven't tried hopping in them personally, but no reason why it wouldn't work, just some extra sediment to watch out for.

 

[MrAverageGuy]

It didnt turn out well. I think I made more candy instead. I'll probably get a proper candy thermometer and try again one of these days.

I'm told this stuff is the syrup form of invert sugar....? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001590BY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Qhrumphf]

I'm told this stuff is the syrup form of invert sugar....? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001590BY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Lyle's I believe is a blend of invert and sucrose. It's partially inverted, but not fully inverted. It's not too far off of a #1 invert, but it won't have the same flavor as #2-4.

 

[iijakii]

There are too many posts to go back and read but I'm tired or making hoppy beers that are super strong or even just strong beers. I need a few around the house that are more malt forward and less hops.

Right now I have a porter, Irish red, and an American wheat and rye beer that are lower content. Everything else, saison, ipa, "pale ale", barleywine, and a few random beers, that are 7.5-11% abv.

I have brewed a mild before but it got infected and didn't turn out as good, meaning malty, as I had hoped. That recipes was from Jamil's classic styles book. What other beers fit a high malt flavor beer, 4-5.9% abv, low hop character, and low to no fruity esters?

I'm really enjoying DEMs and the Brown Porter I made (which frankly is my DEM stepped up to 5%). They're just so flavorful while still being dry and crushable, there's nothing else like 'em that Ive been able to find.

 

[JKaranka]

There are too many posts to go back and read but I'm tired or making hoppy beers that are super strong or even just strong beers. I need a few around the house that are more malt forward and less hops.

Right now I have a porter, Irish red, and an American wheat and rye beer that are lower content. Everything else, saison, ipa, "pale ale", barleywine, and a few random beers, that are 7.5-11% abv.

I have brewed a mild before but it got infected and didn't turn out as good, meaning malty, as I had hoped. That recipes was from Jamil's classic styles book. What other beers fit a high malt flavor beer, 4-5.9% abv, low hop character, and low to no fruity esters?

Look also at British strong ales. Have you tried things like GK Abbott Ale or Theakston Old Peculier (borderline old ale)? They are around the 5.5% mark. Basic runner or London porters also fit your bill. Those are all quite balanced although some can obviously have hops or esters to taste depending on the brewery.

 

[Snubnoze707]

You can definitely dry hop in the polypin if you'd like, and I did it at the same time as priming, yes. Putting them in a muslin bag can help keep hop particles out of you glass. You can tap them as early as five days, but I've found my results are better at 7-10 days. For chilling I just usually start laying an icepack (and switch it out here and there) on it 24 hours or so before I'm going to tap it. For me that gets it to the "cool, not cold" temp that I look for. Enjoy!

Great. Thanks for the tips. I look forward to using it.

 

[JKaranka]

Interesting view on the US preliminaries or whatever the current elections are called. Quarter finals? No idea.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...dnesday-tedious-bull****-thing-20160302106736

 

[The_Bishop]

What does this have to do with the topic at hand?

 

[jwalk4]

It's alright JK, nothing really matters.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Rhapsody

 

[JKaranka]

Inspiration? Helps out to picture British beer by giving a different slant on things? I'll stick to the Six Nations next time as that seems to have more of a direct impact on brewing, like this:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/caledonian-six-nations/1044/

 

[Zekk]

I have a question about US 04. I made an ESB and it has a ton of diacetyl. I bottled it after only 9 days, was it too young or does 04 produce a lot of diacetyl?

 

[Hanglow]

No it shouldn't do, maybe a small amount if you ferment cold and don't warm it up maybe? It finishes quick normally

I'd leave the bottles another couple of weeks though before trying it again if you've only bottled it recently

 

[JKaranka]

I have a question about US 04. I made an ESB and it has a ton of diacetyl. I bottled it after only 9 days, was it too young or does 04 produce a lot of diacetyl?

I've not had noticeable diacetyl with S04 and I use it a lot. It can have a gentle tartness at times but that's about it.

 

[kadozen]

Big fan of porters and stouts, but my house beer is an ESB. I like bitter, but Hop bombs are too much. I appreciate them for what they are, but I love being able to get that malt backbone in there as well. Subtle complexity FTW

 

[jlinz]

I'm thinking of brewing a Mild. Not sure how authentic it will turn out since I've never actually had a true British version. I'm intrigued, nevertheless. Does anybody know how a mild turns out when bottle conditioned? Does it work well, or is it something that needs to be kegged or put in a cask?

 

[iijakii]

These Brits will tell you that you need to cask 'em, but they're delicious any and every way!

 

[jlinz]

Interesting view on the US preliminaries or whatever the current elections are called. Quarter finals? No idea.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...dnesday-tedious-bull****-thing-20160302106736

This is funny and pretty much dead on...

 

[Qhrumphf]

I'm thinking of brewing a Mild. Not sure how authentic it will turn out since I've never actually had a true British version. I'm intrigued, nevertheless. Does anybody know how a mild turns out when bottle conditioned? Does it work well, or is it something that needs to be kegged or put in a cask?

True British ones are incredibly difficult to come by in the US, and there aren't many US brewed ones at all.

Cask > bottle conditioned > kegged.

I will typically split my batches between cask and bottle. So yes, they turn out fine when bottle conditioned, you just want to keep the carbonation low. I prime my bottles to 1.8-2 volumes, and prime my pins 1.2-1.4.

 

[JKaranka]

I'm thinking of brewing a Mild. Not sure how authentic it will turn out since I've never actually had a true British version. I'm intrigued, nevertheless. Does anybody know how a mild turns out when bottle conditioned? Does it work well, or is it something that needs to be kegged or put in a cask?

They turn out fine. I've seen some bottle conditioned milds that are a couple of gravity points stronger than the cask versions, though. Makes sense as the casks are not filled for keeping (they should be dispatched and then gone in a day or two at the pub). My local mild is 3.5% in cask and 4.1% in bottle. They are very balanced beers, though, so keep the yeast and malt characters fairly subdued.

 

[tgif]

True British ones are incredibly difficult to come by in the US, and there aren't many US brewed ones at all.

Cask > bottle conditioned > kegged.

I will typically split my batches between cask and bottle. So yes, they turn out fine when bottle conditioned, you just want to keep the carbonation low. I prime my bottles to 1.8-2 volumes, and prime my pins 1.2-1.4.

Where does beer gas/nitro fit in all of this?

 

[jwalk4]

Where does beer gas/nitro fit in all of this?

Please come and install one in my house and I'll tell you!

 

[Qhrumphf]

Where does beer gas/nitro fit in all of this?

I'm honestly not a fan. It's popular amongst the macro "smooth ale" types, and perhaps over there it may be common in better examples, or it may just be in the exports, but given a choice between a nitrogenated and non-nitrogenated example (Old Speckled Hen and Belhaven are two that come to mind where I can get both forms), I'll take the non-nitro any day. I've always found beer gas to give a metallic tinge that I find unpleasant.

I don't mind Guinness on nitro, but even most stouts I'd prever with just CO2.

Now, that's my personal preference. Putting your English beers on nitro certainly isn't unheard of.

 

[lowtones84]

Agreed that bottle conditioning is a-okay, I do it all the time. As Qhrumphf mentions it's preferable to kegging as far as being closer to a cask ale. I actually condition both my pins and the bottles at 1.3-1.5 volumes and don't personally find the carbonation lacking in the bottles. To each their own, though!

 

[JKaranka]

Nitrokeg is much despised by enthusiasts in the UK. Nothing worse than walking into a pub and finding out they have run out of everything bar the creamflow version of a weak bitter.

Here is what CAMRA said about it in 1996:
http://www.cambridge-camra.org.uk/ale/284/nitrokeg.html

The point I hadn't thought of is that you might get less than a pint due to the unnecessarily large head on it. I assume pubs nowadays tip the head off and top up to comply with law.

 

[tgif]

The big issue they seem to have is with commercial versions. Would it be any better if I kegged the beer with priming sugar/dry hops/fining agents, allowed the beer to carbonate naturally, then dispensed using beer gas? I figure that would alleviate the concern about the beer being "alive".

 

[jlinz]

They turn out fine. I've seen some bottle conditioned milds that are a couple of gravity points stronger than the cask versions, though. Makes sense as the casks are not filled for keeping (they should be dispatched and then gone in a day or two at the pub). My local mild is 3.5% in cask and 4.1% in bottle. They are very balanced beers, though, so keep the yeast and malt characters fairly subdued.

Are they something to crack open after two weeks and drink fast, like hefes?

 

[iijakii]

Are they something to crack open after two weeks and drink fast, like hefes?

Definitely.

 

[Hanglow]

The big issue they seem to have is with commercial versions. Would it be any better if I kegged the beer with priming sugar/dry hops/fining agents, allowed the beer to carbonate naturally, then dispensed using beer gas? I figure that would alleviate the concern about the beer being "alive".

Don't worry too much about what camra thinks is good or not especially what they thought twenty years ago

Back then they thought that anything from keg equals the devils piss as most beers made in the uk in kegs then were, well, the devils piss. This of course disregards all the great beers that can be put in kegs, such as great German lagers, American ales and of course your homebrew.

If you like beer served on beer gas then go for it.

I would say a stout/porter/mild/bitter etc are still best served from a cask, but that's not really practical for most homebrewers as we tend not to be able to drink it quick enough before it goes out of condition, either through oxidation and/or loss of carb

 

[Qhrumphf]

Don't worry too much about what camra thinks is good or not especially what they thought twenty years ago

Back then they thought that anything from keg equals the devils piss as most beers made in the uk in kegs then were, well, the devils piss. This of course disregards all the great beers that can be put in kegs, such as great German lagers, American ales and of course your homebrew.

If you like beer served on beer gas then go for it.

I would say a stout/porter/mild/bitter etc are still best served from a cask, but that's not really practical for most homebrewers as we tend not to be able to drink it quick enough before it goes out of condition, either through oxidation and/or loss of carb

This. CAMRA puritanism is as bad as Reinheitsgebot puritanism.

 

[JKaranka]

Yep.

Cask is great for soft carbonation and body but you do have to drink the stuff in about two days. Even in pubs the stuff that has been recently tapped is possibly a bit too lively. It hits a great spot half way through the evening and is pretty good the day after. A couple of days in it's not worth it anymore.

It is really a thing to look at when you go to pubs. If there are four / five casks on but no customers it's likely to be bad. A busy pub with a couple of casks on it's pretty likely to be good due to the fast turnover. Obviously, the beers are more likely to be more boring themselves in the latter case.

Still: casks are great for birthdays, parties, openings, etc.

 

[JKaranka]

By the way, one of the reasons why lots of brewers were moving away from cask into keg and tank in the 50s/60s/70s was because it was difficult to keep. Not all pubs knew how to cellar beer properly, clean and change pumps and lines, rolls casks, change spiles, etc. Kegs are very easy by comparison as far as you have a source of CO2. I mean, to do cask properly you do need a cellar to keep the temperature fairly constant through the year and to draw from. If you do not have a cellar cask is pretty difficult and you start to move into gravity dispensation.

 

[lowtones84]

Yep.

Still: casks are great for birthdays, parties, openings, etc.

This is totally true. I typically package one gallon in a polypin and tap it at a gathering, and encourage everybody to drink until it's gone. Tapping a pin of my "copper ale" that I brewed about two weeks ago tonight with some friends!

 

[JKaranka]

Yeah. I don't get much advantage from kegging as each time I get one out we drink it in one sitting.

 

[lightjt]

10gal batch

10# Maris otter
10# best malz pale ale
2# best malz caramunich II
1# carapils
2oz EKG @60
1oz Brewers gold at 60
2oz Styrian Golding at 30
2 whirlfloc at 15
2oz fuggles at 10

mashed at 152-153 for 60

boiled 60 min

chilled and added 1 safale 05 and 1 Danstar Nottingham

initial gravity: 1.051 final: 1.013

3 weeks and kegged, added gelatin and aged for 2 more weeks, very nice beer. I may add 6-8oz of chocolate malt to my next batch, but this is a great nice drinkable beer. I used Best malz because I live in Germany, if not I would have used 2# crystal 60

 

[JKaranka]

Took a small sample of the EIPA while dry hopping. Seemed a bit solventy, which is something I've never had before. I guess I'll let it condition in the warm for a week after cold crashing and kegging.

 

[unionrdr]

By the way, one of the reasons why lots of brewers were moving away from cask into keg and tank in the 50s/60s/70s was because it was difficult to keep. Not all pubs knew how to cellar beer properly, clean and change pumps and lines, rolls casks, change spiles, etc. Kegs are very easy by comparison as far as you have a source of CO2. I mean, to do cask properly you do need a cellar to keep the temperature fairly constant through the year and to draw from. If you do not have a cellar cask is pretty difficult and you start to move into gravity dispensation.

True. I remember reading in my 70th anniversary cookbook from Luchow's German restaurant in NYC. They gave a very involved description of cleaning the taps/beer engines in the bars in the restaurant. August was very picky about that.