English Ales - What's your favorite recipe?

[McMullan]

Send me some pics etc, might be interested, I am gonna build a kegerator and being able to serve one keg through handpull would be fun. Ofc the other kegs will be primed and conditioned and kept at about 11c in the kegerator for a little faux cask feel.

I'll PM some pics tomorrow

 

[marc1]

Is 'torrefied' 'roasted'? Torrefied wheat has never struck me as 'roasted'.

Roasted isn't the right word. I was trying to convey that food cooked in a microwave often comes out different than food cooked on a hot surface.

 

[Miraculix]

A food processor works OK in a pinch for a small amount of grain if you have one of those.

Don't have that either

 

[cire]

Don't have that either

A rolling pin with the torrified grains in a plastic bag is good enough, but they can be mashed without being milled.

I mill Flaked Maize too.

 

[ba-brewer]

A rolling pin with the torrified grains in a plastic bag is good enough, but they can be mashed without being milled.

I mill Flaked Maize too.

And if you don't have a rolling pin a beer or wine bottle will work.

A hammer works on flaked maize.

 

[DuncB]

Not another piece of kit to buy, saw a popcorn maker in second hand shop yesterday. Didn't know it was essential kit.

 

[InspectorJon]

My brother uses a popcorn maker to roast coffee, should work for grain also I guess. He uses an air popper something like this:

or are we talking about a machine like this:

 

[schmurf]

Send me some pics etc, might be interested, I am gonna build a kegerator and being able to serve one keg through handpull would be fun. Ofc the other kegs will be primed and conditioned and kept at about 11c in the kegerator for a little faux cask feel.

You probably won't regret getting one. It's one of the best equipment I've ever purchased and wouldn't want to be without!

 

[cire]

Not another piece of kit to buy, saw a popcorn maker in second hand shop yesterday. Didn't know it was essential kit.

Please don't blame me for this. Some time ago I gave a brewing friend some barley and suggest he tried treating it in a microwave as described above. He quickly replied that he had found it easier using his popcorn machine and I had no reason to dispute his findings.

@InspectorJon, I think he used a small domestic type he had bought for his children, but perhaps before any go too far, it would be nice if someone with such a machine might be able to test and confirm or otherwise what results might be obtained. I would think uncracked pale malted barley would likely pop similar to untreated barley.

 

[DuncB]

@cire
Just a leg pull. But I expect that simple kitchen popcorn maker was only a few dollars. I expect some ingenious work with a hot air paint stripper gun would do the job as well.

 

[cire]

@cire
Just a leg pull. But I expect that simple kitchen popcorn maker was only a few dollars. I expect some ingenious work with a hot air paint stripper gun would do the job as well.

Thanks for the clarification @DuncB that your comment was done "tongue in cheek". Being ever conscious that nearly all my brewing techniques are adopted from others, I needed to verify that process was one I couldn't personally verify. Being an engineer by training, hobbies have always included a challenge to not buy what isn't necessary. I do have a hot air paint stripper, but have yet to conceive a method I'd be confident with, more especially of late to my chagrin, learning how little hot air is necessary to ruin plastic sheeting.

My first efforts were were with wheat in a domestic oven, but the product was mostly roasted. Barley in the same setup gave better results, but not what I was after. One try in a microwave and I was won over. It's time taking, but being a hobby became part of the fun. done half a kg (one pound) at a time it's done when I can have the kitchen to myself with a result of better beer for less cost, though more effort.

It has to be said that while I'm convinced of its virtues, I'm still looking forward for others to confirm my belief.

 

[DuncB]

@cire

Looks like you fell into your own trap " Being an engineer " , I'll await a better hot air gun popcorn making hack than I've seen on youtube.
I've made a fair amount of popcorn in the microwave not in those packets and it can work well. I haven't tried soaking normal popcorn before this though as there's normally some oil in the mix. Might be worth a water soak try next time I " need " some popcorn.

 

[kmarkstevens]

@Schlenkerla following your ground breaking beer engine hack with a marine pump and liquid propane regulator. First time in decades I actually made a wooden housing. It ain't pretty but considering I have only an electric drill and dependent on Home Depot saw cuts, it isn't a failure. Once that's all set, I'll paint the thing and it should be at least alright. Still have to figure out the connector from the regulator to my CO2 container, and will trouble shoot that with the brew crew this weekend.

First pint of dark mild. More work to do but on the path.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

So I was looking around at Systembolaget yesterday, and may have ordered a case each of Black Sheep Ale and TT Boltmaker, and a bottle of El Dorado 15yo dark rum.
I really need to finish up tearing out the old laundry room in the basement so can place my FC there and get brewing again...

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

So I was looking around at Systembolaget yesterday, and may have ordered a case each of Black Sheep Ale and TT Boltmaker, and a bottle of El Dorado 15yo dark rum.
I really need to finish up tearing out the old laundry room in the basement so can place my FC there and get brewing again...

 

[DuncB]

Seems like a good idea @Erik the Anglophile
What's the FC though?

Fermenting Citchen? cwipment? cit?

 

[McMullan]

Fermentation Chamber?

Edit: Weird, it's not in the list, though:

https://www.acronymfinder.com/FC.html
Some entertaining choices there

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Fermentation Chambers, yes.
AKA old fridge.

 

[monkeymath]

So I was looking around at Systembolaget yesterday, and may have ordered a case each of Black Sheep Ale and TT Boltmaker,

Not fair! Why is TT available in Sweden but not in Germany?! With my planned trip to England falling victim to first a pandemic, then a baby, I'm working up some frustration over all the English beers I'm missing out on.

And by the time I ever get a hold of TT Boltmaker (or Landlord), my expectations will be so far beyond what beer can be that there can be only disappointment.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Not fair! Why is TT available in Sweden but not in Germany?! With my planned trip to England falling victim to first a pandemic, then a baby, I'm working up some frustration over all the English beers I'm missing out on.

And by the time I ever get a hold of TT Boltmaker (or Landlord), my expectations will be so far beyond what beer can be that there can be only disappointment.

2 of the few positives with a state monopoly on alcohol, is that it keeps the prices of craft beer from getting too ridicolous,except in bars, they charge ridicilous prices for everything.
And availability, in their online shop or if you talk to someone in your local store you have a fairly large selection of beer and spirits that's not in their store shelves, but can be ordered and picked up later.
And if you want something that is not in their regular available for order stock, they are obliged by law to try to import it for you, but then you might have to buy a case of a 100€/bottle rum but still.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

@McMullan
I found that vitaminsuk appereantly has a Swedish branch, and that you can buy billingtons demerara sugar,500g packs in boxes of 10 for 250 sek.
Coupled with shipping it came out at about 500 sek, maybe a hundred or 2 more to Norway, still a good deal.
And delitea.se has their light and dark muscovado, they should ship to Norway.
I bought demerara, and a few packs each of light and dark musco, the demerara for invert, and the light musco for my brown ales.
The dark musco I plan on trying in a darker strong-ish Ale
MO as base
7% invert #3
About 5% Simpsons DRC
3% dark muscovado
2% black malt.

1. OG of 1.060-65 and a bu:gu of around 0.4-0.5, it's still just on the mental planning stage, thinking about a few percent each of Brown malt and T. Wheat also, hopefully will result in something in the same vein as St.Peters Winter Ale.

 

[eshea3]

@McMullan
I found that vitaminsuk appereantly has a Swedish branch, and that you can buy billingtons demerara sugar,500g packs in boxes of 10 for 250 sek.
Coupled with shipping it came out at about 500 sek, maybe a hundred or 2 more to Norway, still a good deal.
And delitea.se has their light and dark muscovado, they should ship to Norway.
I bought demerara, and a few packs each of light and dark musco, the demerara for invert, and the light musco for my brown ales.
The dark musco I plan on trying in a darker strong-ish Ale
MO as base
7% invert #3
About 5% Simpsons DRC
3% dark muscovado
2% black malt.

1. OG of 1.060-65 and a bu:gu of around 0.4-0.5, it's still just on the mental planning stage, thinking about a few percent each of Brown malt and T. Wheat also, hopefully will result in something in the same vein as St.Peters Winter Ale.

A bit of Amber malt?

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Good idea, somewhere about 3-4% Amber and the same with wheat should do the trick.

 

[eshea3]

Good idea, somewhere about 3-4% Amber and the same with wheat should do the trick.

I like what a touch of amber provides

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Cooki'n up some invert#3 and sipping on a pint of black sheep ale.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

And btw, anyone else of the Euros here notice a hop shortage or at least a delay for certain English hop varieties of the 2021 crop to become aviable?
I have been checking my main hop supplier Humlegården and called them once maybe some week ago, and they said they should come soon but still nothing.
Some are aviable but I am waiting for Fuggle, Bramling Cross, First Gold and Challenger. Should I be worried?

 

[schmurf]

2021 Fuggle and East Kent Goldings is available at maltmagnus.se

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Ok, I would prefer to order from humle.se, both because of their better selection and the ease of getting all from one place. I usually buy a large amount at once to last me a while.
But if Maltmagnus have both Fugggle band EKG, the varieties I want are probably coming, they may still be catalogeing the inventory and updating the onlineshop etc, I guess I'll see them sometime during next week hopefully.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

So the hops I look for seem to be delayed 2-3 months at Humlegården. I am now contemplating going directly to the source.
Any Brits here know about british homebrew shops with a good selection of English hops who will ship to Sweden?
Looking for Fuggle, Bramling X, First Gold and Challenger.

 

[McMullan]

So the hops I look for seem to be delayed 2-3 months at Humlegården. I am now contemplating going directly to the source.
Any Brits here know about british homebrew shops with a good selection of English hops who will ship to Sweden?
Looking for Fuggle, Bramling X, First Gold and Challenger.

That sounds like a very long delay for hops already on the home brew market. Wholesalers like 'craftco' are possibly manipulating Nordic supplies to latch on, like parasites, to LHBSs. I used to use maltmiller.co.uk. Excellent quality and service for a reasonable price. If you order enough hops shipping isn't too bad and I think they might even take care of Sweden/EU VAT charges at the point of sale. I only stopped using them because of import shenanigans with Norway's new rules, propping up Norwegian wholesalers, it seems.