English Ales - What's your favorite recipe?

[Puddlethumper]

If anybody finds a good recipe for Robinson's Old Tom, let me know.

Overall, drinking here some of the best typically British beers apart from bitters and pale ales are milds. They tend to be 3.8%-4.5% abv around here, and they have some crystal or dark malts (chocolate or black malt), and almost every single time some darker invert sugar. They don't care much for hops.

I don't think I've seen Old Tom available at any of the beverage houses here. I assume they do some export business?

It's good to hear that milds are back. I've read that they fell out of favor for quite a while. I have yet to make one but if I can find a recipe that sounds promising I will definitely try it. Any suggestions?

 

[DavidJP]

Great suggestion on Hops Direct, etc. I buy my bulk hops from them frequently. But Bramling Cross has a pretty unique flavor profile and I can't see using a pound of it in the time it would take for it to go stale.

Cheers!

I know what you mean, the other link i posted also does 2, 8oz as well as Lbs
http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/product_p/hopsbramblingcross3.htm

 

[Puddlethumper]

I know what you mean, the other link i posted also does 2, 8oz as well as Lbs
http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/product_p/hopsbramblingcross3.htm

I didn't catch that. Thanks!

 

[JKaranka]

I don't think I've seen Old Tom available at any of the beverage houses here. I assume they do some export business?

It's good to hear that milds are back. I've read that they fell out of favor for quite a while. I have yet to make one but if I can find a recipe that sounds promising I will definitely try it. Any suggestions?

I like Brains Dark, it's local and fresh. Milds don't keep very well, so once the pub starts serving it the beer is noticeably worse after two days. Mighty Oak's Oscar Wilde is really good as well, but I only get it at beer festivals.

I think you'd get close to Brains Dark with something bittered to 16IBU, 6lb Mild malt, 10oz Crystal, 6oz Brown malt, 4oz Chocolate malt, 4oz Invert Sugar #3. I'll give it a go at the end of the summer and let you know. The cask version is around 3.5% abv and the bottled version 4.0% abv (and a tad hoppier).

 

[rodwha]

I'm curious as to why a mild deteriorates so quickly.

 

[Hanglow]

low hopping and low abv beers need drunk quick imo, same as bitters really - most cask beers should be drunk within six weeks of being brewed and those beers also lose out a lot when bottled - most are pasteurised at bottling which really doesn't help too. When I make small beers I only do half batches so I can drink them quickly

The best mild I've had recently is Highland Dark Munro

here's an Old Tom recipe, I imagine it's a graham wheeler one

Robinsons Old Tom
Frederic Robinson & Co/Unicorn Brewery/Hartleys, Stockport, Cheshire, UK
OG: 1080
ABV: 8.5%
Grainbill: 83.6% Pale, 7% Crystal Malt, 2.4% Chocolate Malt, 7% caramel Syrup

Early hops: Northdown
Late hops: Goldings
Dry hops: Goldings
IBU: ≈25
Colour: dark brown
Yeast: high attenuating English ale yeast

 

[mrdauber64]

I've always had problems with English yeast stalling out, then re fermenting in the bottle resulting in an over carbonated beer. I've had this happen with 1968 and 002. I'm now scared to brew an English beer. Any suggestion as to why? Do English yeast need the temp to be ramped up towards the end of fermentation to fully attenuate?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Hanglow]

I've had that with 002 as well

I think because they flocculate so well, you should gently rouse the yeast after a couple of days and hold off on cooling it down.

The proper Ringwood yeast is notorious for it too, as it's a dual strain, one high attenuating one and a fast flocculating one - so the one that floccs out also makes the other flocculate as well, which is why beers made with that yeast need constant rousing for them to finish.

 

[JKaranka]

You should rouse the beer every now and then. I just give the FV a gentle shake when activity seems to stop and off it goes again for a few hours. Thanks for the Old Tom recipe!

 

[JKaranka]

Milds tend to last less than bitters, but hopping and abv are lower. They keep ok if you keep them bottled, but they are most often served from cask.

 

[beersk]

Several English recipes I have call for 75-90 minute boils. That's going to make any malt darker.

Oh, it will not. Stop spreading lies.

I like Bitters, Brown Porters, ESB's, Oatmeal stouts...all kinds of British styles. I'm bored of American styles. I brew mostly German and British styles anymore.

 

[Puddlethumper]

I think you'd get close to Brains Dark with something bittered to 16IBU, 6lb Mild malt, 10oz Crystal, 6oz Brown malt, 4oz Chocolate malt, 4oz Invert Sugar #3. I'll give it a go at the end of the summer and let you know. The cask version is around 3.5% abv and the bottled version 4.0% abv (and a tad hoppier).

here's an Old Tom recipe, I imagine it's a graham wheeler one

Robinsons Old Tom
Frederic Robinson & Co/Unicorn Brewery/Hartleys, Stockport, Cheshire, UK
OG: 1080
ABV: 8.5%
Grainbill: 83.6% Pale, 7% Crystal Malt, 2.4% Chocolate Malt, 7% caramel Syrup

Thanks a bunch for those recipes, guys! They are both going into my recipe book and will be in the cue for a go very soon. I do have a couple questions for you on these:

Both recipes call for crystal malt. Are you using a light, medium or dark crystal?

The Old Tom recipe looks like it takes (for a 5 gal batch) 7 kg. pale malt, 570 gr. each crystal and syrup, and 170 gr. chocolate. 35 gr. Northdown @ 75 min., 28 gr. EKG at 5 min. and then 28 gr. EKG dryhopped at 4 days. Does that look about right to you? That gets the OG in the 1.080 range but the ABV is at 6.7% which is well below the 8% someone mentioned, so have I missed something here? May I also assume this beer needs to age for quite a while before it is ready to be served? Any suggestions on this?

 

[Puddlethumper]

Oh, it will not. Stop spreading lies.

So you have had no experience with candy making or any other process that involves heating sugars?

 

[NateLTB]

Here's my easy-peasy ESB recipe that is a very drinkable beer.

5 gal

8# Maris Otter

.5 EKG (60)
.5 Fuggles (60)
.5 EKG (15)
.5 Fuggles (15)
.5 EKG (0)
.5 Fuggles (0)

Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley

 

[Hanglow]

Thanks a bunch for those recipes, guys! They are both going into my recipe book and will be in the cue for a go very soon. I do have a couple questions for you on these:

Both recipes call for crystal malt. Are you using a light, medium or dark crystal?

The Old Tom recipe looks like it takes (for a 5 gal batch) 7 kg. pale malt, 570 gr. each crystal and syrup, and 170 gr. chocolate. 35 gr. Northdown @ 75 min., 28 gr. EKG at 5 min. and then 28 gr. EKG dryhopped at 4 days. Does that look about right to you? That gets the OG in the 1.080 range but the ABV is at 6.7% which is well below the 8% someone mentioned, so have I missed something here? May I also assume this beer needs to age for quite a while before it is ready to be served? Any suggestions on this?

I'd use a medium or dark crystal for the old tom. it's been ages since i've had it so i don't know for sure

You need a yeast that will get 80% attenuation so it finishes about 1.015, that will give you 8.5%. Something like wlp007 would be good. I don't know if you can get robinsons yeast

The syrup will be inverted brewers syrup, which you can make at home
unholymess.com/blog/beer-brewing-info/making-brewers-invert

 

[Puddlethumper]

I'd use a medium or dark crystal for the old tom. it's been ages since i've had it so i don't know for sure

You need a yeast that will get 80% attenuation so it finishes about 1.015, that will give you 8.5%. Something like wlp007 would be good. I don't know if you can get robinsons yeast

The syrup will be inverted brewers syrup, which you can make at home
unholymess.com/blog/beer-brewing-info/making-brewers-invert

Thanks for the info. I haven't worked with invert sugar before so I did some quick searching and found his website. Glad to hear you find it helpful too. And you are correct in assuming Robinson's yeast isn't readily available on this side. A google search turned up an equestrian yeast but I'm thinking I'll leave that one out of my beer.

WLP007 it will be and with a 2L starter. I'm thinking this should go to secondary after a couple weeks and let it age out for 3-6 months. What do you think?

 

[beersk]

So you have had no experience with candy making or any other process that involves heating sugars?

That's WAY more concentrated and at a much higher heat.

 

[JKaranka]

I think you won't be disappointed by the Old Tom. I think the late ekg addition is more on the 15/20m mark than 5m. There's some good hop flavour but it's more leaning to the dark fruit flavours from the malt and sugar.

 

[Puddlethumper]

I think you won't be disappointed by the Old Tom. I think the late ekg addition is more on the 15/20m mark than 5m. There's some good hop flavour but it's more leaning to the dark fruit flavours from the malt and sugar.

Got it. Thanks! Will put something up in this thread once I've poured a glass. Probably won't be 'til fall sometime. A good Old Ale sounds like a great cool weather chill beater.

 

[Puddlethumper]

That's WAY more concentrated and at a much higher heat.

No problem man. Whatever you say.

(Feel better?)

Cheers!

 

[beersk]

No problem man. Whatever you say.

(Feel better?)

Cheers!

Kinda

Cheers to you. I still love me some porter and oatmeal stout! British style, not Amerrrrrrrican.

 

[Twinkeelfool]

Love uk ales. Specially home brewed ones pulled through an engine!. Most of what I brew is English, though the last 18 months it's been Belgians. Just brewed a mild ale. Mmmmm mild!!. I've heard some good things about mangrove jacks Newcastle dark yeast. I'd normally use a liquid but I've got 2 packs so I'll try it out in this one.

Fave mild recipe usually has some biscuit/weyerman abbey in it. About 7-10%. But I've done a mild with 1% each pale choc and black malt,no crystal,which turned out nice. And some basic ones with just 7-10% crystal and a little pale choc, again, nice. They're all seem to work well IMHO

 

[alane1]

When I went to the Midlands, John Smith's Bitter was on draught. I know this is a generic bitter, but does anyone have a recipe for it?

 

[Puddlethumper]

Cheers to you. I still love me some porter and oatmeal stout! British style, not Amerrrrrrrican.

We are on the same page there, Bud!
Enjoying a basic bitter right now. Hope you're doing the same!

Cheers!

 

[Qhrumphf]

I've got a Mild and an Ordinary Bitter in my recipe dropdown that I consider my "house" beers and brew at least once a year, and have been tweaking ever so slightly. I just got the most recent iteration of each in bottles about a week ago, so haven't tried em carbonated yet, but based on what was in the bottling bucket, I'm very satisfied with both.

That said, I love English beers, and everything about them. And 1469 is my "house" yeast for em. I use it in anything English styled, period. I usually pitch on the slightly-lower side (slightly less than what Mr. Malty recommends), and ferment 65-67 or so.

 

[DavidJP]

When I went to the Midlands, John Smith's Bitter was on draught. I know this is a generic bitter, but does anyone have a recipe for it?

There's a recipe for it or something very similar here

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/...68751&hilit=john+smiths+bitter+recipe#p568751

 

[Puddlethumper]

Anyone have a suggestion about how to best use Burton Ale yeast?

I've got a vial of White Labs Burton Ale yeast that I picked up by mistake. Haven't used this strain before and quite frankly, I'm having trouble finding recipes that call for it. Lacking further input I'll probably just try it in my regular ordinary bitters recipe to see how it turns out. But if you have a better idea I'd like to hear it.

Thanks.

 

[JKaranka]

I used a burton ale yeast once. Sulphury, somewhat dry and apply (fruity). It is a nice character but it's not the typical 'brownish ordinary bitter' sort of profile. Much better suited for a fairly pale British ale (100% pale malt, 4.5% abv, good dry hop character). You could have a go at making a historic Burton style strong ale with it. There are some good examples in the stock ale section in Ron Pattinson's Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer. Making this one up as to not spoil the book, but I think you'd get something nice with:

OG 1.071, FG 1.018, ABV 7.0%, 102 IBU

13lb Maris Otter or a mix of 2-rows
7oz invert sugar syrup

Boil:
90m - 4oz Fuggles
30m - 4oz Fuggles
Dry hop - 4oz EKG

Condition for 6 months upwards for the hop character to subside a bit, and if you want to go all funky with it, add some brett claussennii when it's conditioning.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Making this one up as to not spoil the book, but I think you'd get something nice with:

Condition for 6 months upwards for the hop character to subside a bit,

Wow, that looks like a big beer. And lots of hops! I've got everything on hand to make it so I might just give it a go. Any suggestions on best water profile? Try for Burton or close?

And I appreciate the insight about the yeast character. Definitely will keep this one away from my bitters recipes. Thanks for the comments.

 

[JKaranka]

Just regular Burton water. Those recipes are quite flexible and from the 1890s onwards can include a few oz of inverts #2 & #3 or crystal malt for colour. Some invert #2 would probably work well with the yeast. Don't get me wrong, it's good yeast for a British bitter but definitively more for something like St Austell's Tribute - pale, light, hoppy, than a Brains Bitter - light, caramelly, amber.