English Ales - What's your favorite recipe?
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DuncB
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Lovely day that one, we do get the odd ones!
One picture of beer in focus and the other was view in focus. That was a grain to glass in 10 days as I hadn't brewed this year due to lack of controller.
We have had (mostly) daytime temps over freezing here the past week. But still almost a meter of snow, and likely one last cold snap to come, but we're getting there!
Keg that.com have a great selection and will deliver to Sweden, just put a note on the order saying Homebrew member.
Brewed up a stout yesterday.
Pitched the yeast around 16.00 yesterday, a while ago I checked on it (7 in the morning here)
There was some pressure starting to build up in the bucket but no kräuzen or bubbling yet, I ferment a little cooler for this one (18c) so a little sluggish start is expected.
Pitched the yeast around 16.00 yesterday, a while ago I checked on it (7 in the morning here)
There was some pressure starting to build up in the bucket but no kräuzen or bubbling yet, I ferment a little cooler for this one (18c) so a little sluggish start is expected.
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Shenanigans
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So to get back to the OP.
I brewed up a Youngs Special London Ale based on the BYO recipe and a few other websites.
I decided to add the Torrified wheat myself for a bit of head retention.
The crystal malt was actually from Warminister but I don't have it in Beer Smith.
Sulfate: Chloride was 110:50
OG was 1.067 and FG 1.017
Tasting really good after only 3 days in the keg, very impressed.
Will post a picture next week when it has cleared up a bit.
I brewed up a Youngs Special London Ale based on the BYO recipe and a few other websites.
I decided to add the Torrified wheat myself for a bit of head retention.
The crystal malt was actually from Warminister but I don't have it in Beer Smith.
Sulfate: Chloride was 110:50
OG was 1.067 and FG 1.017
Tasting really good after only 3 days in the keg, very impressed.
Will post a picture next week when it has cleared up a bit.
monkeymath
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I'm planning to brew a sequence of English-ish beers soon: a bitter, a mild, a porter/stout. Based on the tireless educational effort on this forum, I want to try and incorporate some dark invert sugar (or rather: the bastardization of dark invert sugar that I am able to produce in my home kitchen) in my bitter and mild, but I have trouble finding recipes. I usually wing most of my beers, but I am willing to learn 
and using sugar in a low ABV beer seems sort of counter-intuitive to me, so I really need some guidance here.
I know there are a number of recipes on the "Don't mention another word about farclay merkins" blog, but I find it very hard to choose among the recipes and often don't even know what the beers are supposed to taste like, how they compare to one another, etc. Also, I think these historical recipes often (more or less silenty) reflect at least in economic and regulatory conditions that I am not affected by (I wouldn't add an ingredient just because it's cheaper than malt or because the government dictated its usage at the time etc).
and using sugar in a low ABV beer seems sort of counter-intuitive to me, so I really need some guidance here.I know there are a number of recipes on the "Don't mention another word about farclay merkins" blog, but I find it very hard to choose among the recipes and often don't even know what the beers are supposed to taste like, how they compare to one another, etc. Also, I think these historical recipes often (more or less silenty) reflect at least in economic and regulatory conditions that I am not affected by (I wouldn't add an ingredient just because it's cheaper than malt or because the government dictated its usage at the time etc).
In this case, keep it really simple. 5% medium english Crystal, 10% medium invert sugar, rest Maris Otter. 30-35 ibis from goldings, one bittering addition, one ten minute addition and if you want a small dry hop, something like 1-2g/ litre.I'm planning to brew a sequence of English-ish beers soon: a bitter, a mild, a porter/stout. Based on the tireless educational effort on this forum, I want to try and incorporate some dark invert sugar (or rather: the bastardization of dark invert sugar that I am able to produce in my home kitchen) in my bitter and mild, but I have trouble finding recipes. I usually wing most of my beers, but I am willing to learn
I know there are a number of recipes on the "Don't mention another word about farclay merkins" blog, but I find it very hard to choose among the recipes and often don't even know what the beers are supposed to taste like, how they compare to one another, etc. Also, I think these historical recipes often (more or less silenty) reflect at least in economic and regulatory conditions that I am not affected by (I wouldn't add an ingredient just because it's cheaper than malt or because the government dictated its usage at the time etc).
Choose one of the English yeasts you like, my suggestion would be imperial pub but I'm a fan boy, so don't listen to me regarding the yeast. If you want dry yeast, verdant IPA is the only good one but it is massively fruity. I would probably try co-pitching with Nottingham now, to see if I could control the fruityness a bit this way. Ferment around 19c. Room temp after day two.
@monkeymath there is some information in this thread about milds
Feedback on English Dark Mild Recipe?
edit
I recently brewed this one without the late addition hops and thought it tasted good
Machine House Mild Clong
Feedback on English Dark Mild Recipe?
edit
I recently brewed this one without the late addition hops and thought it tasted good
Machine House Mild Clong
Last edited:
McMullan
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When I hit a brewing series it's mainly binge brewing and about repitching yeast as fresh as they come, batch to batch. I'll brew once or twice a week for a few weeks or so, to fill the empty kegs. I'll start with a (modern/low OG) Mild, often as a half batch starter for drinking and bumping up the yeast count. Then maybe a full batch of Mild. Then a Bitter or two perhaps followed by a Strong Bitter. Then my favourite, dark ales, a decent Porter or two. If the yeast have impressed, I'll bung a good crop in an Imperial Stout. Don't worry about adding brewing sugars to low gravity English ales. I'd say 10% of fermentables is a good place to start. It can range anywhere between about 5% to more than 30%. Play around with it and go with what suits you. The 'secret' is to use quality unrefined cane sugar, IME. That's how to nail the subtle 'luscious' thing it brings. Quality Demerara sugar doesn't need to be inverted, imo, although it does get even better inverted. It works very well in a Bitter and an English IPA.
My demerara sugar has arrived. Have already tried it once before, and there certainly is a difference in quality and flavour of the invert compared to the dansukker stuff...
Checked my stout yesterday, 6 days post pitch/brew and it seemed to have no activity. From 1.050 to 1.015 for about 70% AA, even with 8% invert #3 and mashed at 66c, altough also a total of 12% black + chocolate malt and 10% of wheat and oats.
Note to self to always mash for at least 75 min with grists containing large amounts of poorly attenuating malts if using the Brewly yeast, as it seems to really not be friends with complex malt sugars.
Checked my stout yesterday, 6 days post pitch/brew and it seemed to have no activity. From 1.050 to 1.015 for about 70% AA, even with 8% invert #3 and mashed at 66c, altough also a total of 12% black + chocolate malt and 10% of wheat and oats.
Note to self to always mash for at least 75 min with grists containing large amounts of poorly attenuating malts if using the Brewly yeast, as it seems to really not be friends with complex malt sugars.
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On the other hand, the sample, altough rather yeasty and a bit green still, did not taste overly sweet or "thick".
Maybe about 70% AA is just about what I want for this recipe if it is to become a recurring "house stout".
Maybe about 70% AA is just about what I want for this recipe if it is to become a recurring "house stout".
That's what I just wanted to write, if it tastes fine, everything is as it should be!
A few years ago Northern Brewer was selling extract kits at rock bottom sale prices. I bought their ‘Inkeeper” kit which purportedly is the Timothy Taylor Landlord clone recipe.
Since then I’ve brewed it a few times using the all grain recipe on their website. Not sure if Michael Dawson put this one together, but I’m sayin’ ya can’t tell this one apart. I’ve sat down and drank them side by side. Same color, flavor, everything! No open fermenting tank either, this recipe is spot on..!
Since then I’ve brewed it a few times using the all grain recipe on their website. Not sure if Michael Dawson put this one together, but I’m sayin’ ya can’t tell this one apart. I’ve sat down and drank them side by side. Same color, flavor, everything! No open fermenting tank either, this recipe is spot on..!
monkeymath
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Cool, thanks for the advice! I suppose this is for the bitter? And for the mild, reduce the hops, up the crystal a wee bit, add some chocolate malt?
The last English yeast I've used was 1469 and I really liked it, but I don't want to settle on one yeast strain prematurely. I think I'll give Pub a go, have heard great things (mostly, but not only, from you
). It should work well for all English style ales, right? Maybe even a more hop-forward pale ale of sorts?I've come across this recipe before; seems to be a very popular beer
the amount of late hops struck me as odd - not that I'd ever had an actual mild, just based on how I imagine it to taste (and on Orfy's Mild Mannered Ale, which I made a while ago), but I thought maybe it just wasn't what I was looking for. Good to hear you liked it without the late hops!It doesn't use any invert, though, which I've wanted to explore. And I wouldn't know how to incorporate it into an existing recipe.
Most English ales are complimented well by a modest (0.5-1g/L) near the end of boiling.
Kristen England. Pretty sure I've seen him claim it as his in comments on the Shut Up blog. He used to write the Let's Brew recipes there.
Cool, thanks for the advice! I suppose this is for the bitter? And for the mild, reduce the hops, up the crystal a wee bit, add some chocolate malt?
The last English yeast I've used was 1469 and I really liked it, but I don't want to settle on one yeast strain prematurely. I think I'll give Pub a go, have heard great things (mostly, but not only, from you
I've come across this recipe before; seems to be a very popular beer
It doesn't use any invert, though, which I've wanted to explore. And I wouldn't know how to incorporate it into an existing recipe.
Yes, that is the bitter. I am having a hard time trying to imagine an English beer where pub would not shine. I have used it in very low abv. beers, I have used it in a barley wine with about 11% and it always just worked very well. I have yet to use it in a stout though... I think I even used it for a dark mild once, but I cannot remember if it was verdant ipa or pub... I think it was actually verdant. Anyway, can't go wrong with pub
Only one thing I just learned the hard way, always make a starter, unless the pack is just two weeks old, then you can gamble and pitch it directly. I have to throw away a recent batch because the severe underpitch of few month old package killed the beer.
Fuller's Porter is plenty tasty.
A bit too sweet for my palate, but there are ways to compensate for that if one wants to brew something similar! Their bitter, London Pride, was my basic inspiration for Miraculix Best, I love the flavour of that one, it is just a bit to sweet for me too. The cask version of it though... WONDERFULL!
Truly?! I'm halfway through a four pack of London Pride. Eh. Labeled as an 'Amber', whatever that means. Comes across more as a pale mild than a bitter. Then again, I'm sure the hop/malt balance takes a big hit during the trans-Atlantic cross-country travel.
There are southern and northern bitters, afaik. The more north, the less pronounced sweetness and the more bitterness the beers tend to have. The term "bitter" in regards to beer style does not actually have to reflect the bitterness of the beer. When I first arrived to UK, it really took me some time to understand that. I did not even know what a bitter is, never heard of that beer style in Germany before. I was just seeing all these beers which were apparently very bitter, why else would somebody write that on the front label?
There are southern and northern bitters, afaik. The more north, the less pronounced sweetness and the more bitterness the beers tend to have. The term "bitter" in regards to beer style does not actually have to reflect the bitterness of the beer. When I first arrived to UK, it really took me some time to understand that. I did not even know what a bitter is, never heard of that beer style in Germany before. I was just seeing all these beers which were apparently very bitter, why else would somebody write that on the front label?
Yes, I'm up to speed on bitters not being very bitter. It just surprised me that LP was the inspiration for your Miraculix Best. Very different beers as I experienced them.
I believe near the end of the first thread there is some discussions on using invert in a mild and the results.Cool, thanks for the advice! I suppose this is for the bitter? And for the mild, reduce the hops, up the crystal a wee bit, add some chocolate malt?
The last English yeast I've used was 1469 and I really liked it, but I don't want to settle on one yeast strain prematurely. I think I'll give Pub a go, have heard great things (mostly, but not only, from you
I've come across this recipe before; seems to be a very popular beer
It doesn't use any invert, though, which I've wanted to explore. And I wouldn't know how to incorporate it into an existing recipe.
My last use of Pub was a 200 billion cell packet, quite fresh, in a 3 gallon batch of beer. I didn't get a single shred of orange marmalade or fruit from it. I guess I'm theorizing you can overpitch it as well.
I also used First Gold hops for the first time in it. I mentioned a while back they'd been sitting on a bench for sale as they were supposedly no longer going to be carried. I mixed them 50/50 w/ EKG throughout "just in case". In the end I didn't really like the beer. Well - I did, I drank it, but it wasn't as good as my earlier iterations. This one had a rye flavor of sorts perhaps from the yeast, maybe the hops, and a pine / spice thing almost certainly from the hops. Turned out more like an American Pale with a little too much Crystal in it.
Still looking for that elusive marmalade thing.
schmurf
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yes I'm also having difficulties to find the marmelade flavour, I have got a hint a couple of times but usually not. I think it was @Miraculix that mentioned it might have to do with how much (invert) sugar used in the recipe, but I still haven't got around to test that.
Simple sugars can stimulate ester production a bit. How warm did you ferment at?
@tracer bullet
@tracer bullet
70 F (~ 21 C)
Yes, that is true. And this is the solution I think:
The more invert, the more esters. 70 F is warm enough.
I just made a separate post for this but I figured the people in this thread are the people to ask this question to. I made a British brown ale today and undershot my OG pretty substantially. Supposed to be 1.046 and ended up at 1.041. I was planning on using Wyeast 1469 west Yorkshire to get some nutty/fruity notes but this yeast has a pretty low attenuation and I need this beer to finish dryer (already slapped the slap pack tho so i need to use it). I think I’m going to copitch Nottingham since I on the fence about using that anyway. My question is should I add both at the same time or add the West Yorkshire first, wait for it to finish and then add Nottingham to finish it the rest of the way? If I add both should I add a half pack of each or all of both?
If you have undershot your gravity anyway, then there is probably no need to further dry this out. Just pitch your yorkshire yeast and be done with it! I would probably open ferment this for the first 2 days of active fermentation. This might up attenuation a bit as well. Just did that with a saison, but airlocked too late and now got it oxidised
Ish happens..... Lesson learned, it was almost done after 3 days.
I'd add some sugar to bump the gravity and just pitch 1469
That would also be a good idea. Inverting the sugar before would be even better.
I saw some recipes calling for inverted sugar anyway but I didn’t include any, maybe I should do that. Would you recommend just bumping it up a few points worth?
I do not know your recipe, so hard to say.
But in general, invert sugar is almost a must for an English recipe. It certainly does not hurt!
Good call, this was my recipe:
80% Marris otter
7.5% caramel 60
5% flaked barley
5% victory
2.5% crisp chocolate
0.9 oz EKG @ 60
0.05 oz magnum @ 60
0.1 oz EKG @ 5
I know that looks light on hops but everything I make ends up overly bitter if I just go off IBUs, I usually scale down 20-30% and that ends up about right (at least to my taste)
this was supposed to end up at 18 SRM, OG 1.046, IBU ~20
actual OG was 1.041
Franktalk
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You could also just let it ride. It will be fine.
Yea this is very “don’t worry have a homebrew” territory lol just want to make the best beer I can!
I would also just let it ride... I mean you could throw in some invert, there would be no harm, it could actually improve the beer a bit, but it is not a must.
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