English Ales - What's your favorite recipe?

[Qhrumphf]

See, you guys can go out and drink good beer for cheap. I wish I could just drop by my local and have a cask ale! If we want to drink cheap beer at a bar, it's Miller lite

Even then. Around here even during happy hour even Miller Lite is still more than £2/$3 (off the top of my head conversion, whatever it is at the current exchange)

 

[lowtones84]

I can get $2 PBR or $3 Yuengling at two fine establishments that I know of. But probably the only place more expensive than NYC in America is your area, so I get it. I'm gonna be down in Fairfax visiting the girlfriend's family for a couple of days actually. No going out, because I'm broke

 

[Hanglow]

Here a normal pub will be £3-£3.50 or so for a pint of typical bitter/golden ale/stout etc, nothing much stronger than 5.2% say. That's more than 10x what it would cost me in terms of ingredients to make, but it's still ok as I like drinking in a good pub,

A cheap chain like Wetherspoons is between about £2 to £3 for cask and I don't mind them either but there's a lot of snobbyness about them


It's when you start drinking the crafty stuff that it gets expensive, usually £4 a schooner for the basic stuff and it only goes up from there

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

That is my goal very, very soon

 

[beersk]

It's a good resolution that. I think I could go a year without buying beer to take home, but I'll be buggered if I'm not going to drink in pubs

It's true, I really do enjoy going out for pints. But anymore it's a special occasion. Six months ago I was going out multiple days a week for pints. Man, how that gets pricey when beers are regularly $5+ per pint.

 

[JKaranka]

Here a normal pub will be £3-£3.50 or so for a pint of typical bitter/golden ale/stout etc, nothing much stronger than 5.2% say. That's more than 10x what it would cost me in terms of ingredients to make, but it's still ok as I like drinking in a good pub,

A cheap chain like Wetherspoons is between about £2 to £3 for cask and I don't mind them either but there's a lot of snobbyness about them


It's when you start drinking the crafty stuff that it gets expensive, usually £4 a schooner for the basic stuff and it only goes up from there

In Wales we love Wetherspoons It's actually considered a middle of the road establishment with a decent selection of beers. People who think otherwise haven't seen a proper sh*thole (only nitro bitter, lager and horses on the box!).

 

[JKaranka]

Has anyone tried brewing one of these old British dark lagers? Looks tasty

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/lets-brew-wednesday-1925-barclay.html

 

[Hanglow]

Oh we have some fine ****holes in Glasgow as you can imagine It's certainly a step up from them . There are six 'spoons in the centre for an easy crawl and they were a godsend for real ale drinkers as Glasgow (whole of scotland really, apart from Edinburgh)is badly served by and large for that type of beer. That's changed over the last fifteen years but it's still no where near as good a beer pub city as Edinburgh for example.

It's great if you like getting smashed on Tennents still though

 

[Qhrumphf]

Has anyone tried brewing one of these old British dark lagers? Looks tasty

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/lets-brew-wednesday-1925-barclay.html

Saw you start another thread, figured I'd hold my cheeky two word response of "why bother?"

But since you posted it again here...

 

[JKaranka]

I've been thinking about giving lager a go for next summer. A 1.055with 40+ IBU and patent malt in the grist sounds like something I'd like. But might defeat the purpose of having an easy drinking lager for BBQs.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Here's a non-English, non classy lager for you, American style:

8 lbs Pilsner (Weyermann) (1.7 SRM) Grain 5 66.7 %
4 lbs Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 6 33.3 %
1.50 oz Crystal [4.20 %] - Boil 80.0 min Hop 7 20.9 IBUs
0.50 oz Crystal [4.20 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 2.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206) [124.21 ml] Yeast 9 -

Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color

Measured Original Gravity: 16.7 Plato
Measured Final Gravity: 2.6 Plato
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 7.8 %
Bitterness: 23.3 IBUs
Est Color: 3.5 SRM

Protein Rest 130.0 F 20 min
Beta Rest 145.0 F 45 min
Alpha Rest 157.0 F 30 min
Mash Out 168.0 F 10 min

Lager pitching rate, fermented at 58F, no lagering.

My wife wasn't happy that I made Malt Liquor, but I sure had a laugh doing it, and it actually tasted pretty good given how little I cared.

 

[Hanglow]

hmm, 23 calculated IBUs in a 7.8% lager. Sounds like tramp juice

 

[Qhrumphf]

hmm, 23 calculated IBUs in a 7.8% lager. Sounds like tramp juice

I should have pitched less and fermented warmer. Was missing that fusel-laden rotten barley note that Steel Reserve has.



Tramp juice is about right.

 

[lowtones84]

I dunno man...using Weyermann pils? That's that fancy European stuff, right?

 

[Qhrumphf]

I dunno man...using Weyermann pils? That's that fancy European stuff, right?

The sole purpose for this beer was that I had 8 lbs of Weyermann Pils left in a sack that was almost 2 years old, a couple ounces of whole leaf Crystal in the freezer for almost as long that I won in a comp and didn't know what else to do with, and I needed to burn them on something that I wouldn't be disappointed if it wasn't a high quality beer. I didn't want to throw them out, so I made a joke beer. It turned out surprisingly well.

 

[iijakii]

I dunno man...using Weyermann pils? That's that fancy European stuff, right?

Fancy? They're too cheap to use tanks, they just leave the stuff all over the floor!

 

[lowtones84]

All US 6 row and corn or go home! 'Merica!

D)

 

[Hanglow]

I imagine it tasted very similar to Tennents Super or Carlsberg Special Brew.

 

[Hanglow]

So what makes it a "malt liquor" ? Are they all just low hopped, high alcohol beers with lots of adjuncts or is it some sort of legal definition? Bit of a thread diversion I know

 

[Qhrumphf]

So what makes it a "malt liquor" over just a beer?

"Malt Liquor" is a rather stupid term in my opinion, that means a million different things, most of em related to US beverage regulations. Technically "malt liquor" most places (including a lot in the US) any malted cereal based alcoholic beverage is "malt liquor", but in the US some states define any beer >5% ABW (I think is the line) as "malt liquor", including craft beers in no way resembling what is commonly thought of as "malt liquor".

I mean it as the common cultural parlance of a high gravity, cheap, and low quality variant of the standard American style light lager.

 

[Qhrumphf]

And yes, Tennent's Super and the like are the Euro equivalent.

 

[JKaranka]

Sounds like Special Brew. You have to drink it at room temperature for the full effect.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Sounds like Special Brew. You have to drink it at room temperature for the full effect.

I wanted to bottle it in 40s and drink it out of a paper bag. As I said, my wife wasn't happy I made it in the first place (her ex was an alcoholic so she has a problem with that class of beverage, beer wine or spirit included), but she put her foot down with that one.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Aaaaaand I've drawn this off topic long enough...

Back to the properly made, historical English lagers

 

[Hanglow]

cheers for the explanation


Yeah we call it tramp juice, jakey juice etc . It's terrible, all the more so when you consider the great beers that can be made at those strengths and beyond.

What is really funny though is Tennents Super was retained by InBev when they sold Tennents to C&C, as Super is considered a premium brand in Italy and they wanted to retain it and presumably build it. Really rather strange

 

[JKaranka]

Yeah, back to proper lagers. I can't believe no one seems to have brewed a 1925 English Munich Dunkles clone on this thread.

 

[Hanglow]

Incredible isn't it?

That is a lot of crystal though, will probably scare a few people off.

Incidentally Tennents used a lot of munich malt back in the day and I understand they still use it now, although only in a token amount

 

[jwalk4]

Just drinking a bottle of St Peters Christmas ale. Smelled exactly like my wort (sugars + goldings) up to the point that I checked the glass and my hands. The wort was a fair deal more bitter, though!

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/st-peters-christmas-ale/193801/

Is it different than the Winter Ale? That's the only seasonal St. Peter's we get over here.

I feel bad for being spoiled. I can get their gluten free, and their Organic Ale (re-branded to just say English Ale) anytime I want at the corner liquor store. But I can't get my other favorites. No Ruby Red, no Mild, and no Summer Ale...

 

[JKaranka]

Pitched Brett C into the old ale after 6 days. There was a fairly vigorous fermentation for the first 48 hours with S33, then I guess M07 picked up a bit and things started slowing down quite soon after. Opening the fermentor was lovely: fruity and hoppy aromas. Nice floral proper beer stuff. Then I opened the rank Brett C vial. Awful smell, reminded me the most of a dry scrumpy. I guess I should have expected that Brett would smell similar to a wild fermented farmhouse cider. Still, in the name of science and beer I pitched the Brett and closed up again. Three months of bulk aging and another three or four of aging in bottle should mellow that out. I'd hope for Brett to be about the fourth highest flavour contributor after malt, alcohol and hops in this beer.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Any of you folks ever use the powdered isinglass? I've normally only been able to get the unstable sh*** liquid stuff (with mixed results because....unstable) for use in my polypins. Turns out that's hard to get in the US at the moment (so I was told, due to a contaminated batch causing a shortage), but my guy at my LHBS has apparently found a way to order me the powdered stuff, which he hasn't been able to get before, but it's a LOT more stable. I hear very mixed data on how easy it is to use. He said as long as you get the acid right it's very easy, it just smells absolutely awful. On the other hand I've read you more or less need to beat it with a drill for a sustained period to get it to the right consistency.

Anyone use it? Suggestions? I'm looking at you folks on the right side of the pond...

 

[JKaranka]

It's a pain to mix. It kind of turns into a sticky mess rather than a gel. You have to seriously whisk it for almost half an hour. A drill would help.

 

[Hanglow]

I've never used it as I've heard it's too much of a pain for homebrewers. Breweries buy in just made up liquid stuff and it works great for casks as it keeps working everytime the cask is moved. Homebrewers don't need to move casks around, so I'd just stick to gelatin if you want clear beer

Graham Wheeler had a good rant about isinglass here and also how to use it if you want to
http://www.practicalbrewing.co.uk/main/fining/page5.html#isinglassfinings

 

[JKaranka]

As a homebrewer I keep moving bottles, casks and kegs around. Yesterday logged some Saison for a mile in a big rucksack and was surprised to find it settled when I arrived. Settled Saison.

 

[JKaranka]

Some info on 1950s commercial dry hop rates here:
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/bottled-beer-in-1950s-bright-bottled_10.html

4-8oz per barrel sounds good for ordinary bitter.

 

[JKaranka]

Another house bitter candidate:

"There is a beautiful simplicity to this recipe. It’s just pale malt, crystal malt and No. 1 invert sugar. So simple I’m struggling for something to say. Er, note how Whitbread didn’t use any adjuncts (sugar is a malt substitute, not an adjunct). Which was good of them. Except during WW II, when they were obliged to use flaked barley, flaked rye and flaked oats."

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/lets-brew-wednesday-1959-whitbread-pa.html

 

[jwalk4]

Not really an "English Ale," but this thread got relegated to the 3rd page... THE 3rd PAGE! Not right.

So I made a 60 shilling using Gordon Strong's "Heavy" from his book Modern Homebrew Recipes as a model. I've never had a 60/- before so I didn't know what to expect. It's interesting. Definitely all malt flavor.

I made it for a Robert Burns Day event where there will be a lot of scotch flowing. I thought some malty, light beer would be good to have around, but 2.8%? Damn!

 

[joyceman]

Anyone ever try Pilgrim? Got a lb on the cheap last year and have been playing with how to use it. It reads like a decent aroma hop and I was thinking about trying a single hop english IPA with it. Make the OG around 1050-55 or so, MO with some oats and wheat sounds nice.

 

[JKaranka]

Anyone ever try Pilgrim? Got a lb on the cheap last year and have been playing with how to use it. It reads like a decent aroma hop and I was thinking about trying a single hop english IPA with it. Make the OG around 1050-55 or so, MO with some oats and wheat sounds nice.

Sounds good. I've not used it but I've had beers with it. I think it would make an enjoyable IPA. 95% MO and 5% wheat with an OG of 1.055 would be spot on.

 

[Rhetorik]

Is it different than the Winter Ale? That's the only seasonal St. Peter's we get over here.

I feel bad for being spoiled. I can get their gluten free, and their Organic Ale (re-branded to just say English Ale) anytime I want at the corner liquor store. But I can't get my other favorites. No Ruby Red, no Mild, and no Summer Ale...

Huge fan of the St Peter's Winter Ale. I buy a case every year. It's by far my favourite readily available winter warmer.

(Muskoka WinterBeard is good... but to hell with $14 per bottle!)

 

[patto1ro]

Not really an "English Ale," but this thread got relegated to the 3rd page... THE 3rd PAGE! Not right.

So I made a 60 shilling using Gordon Strong's "Heavy" from his book Modern Homebrew Recipes as a model. I've never had a 60/- before so I didn't know what to expect. It's interesting. Definitely all malt flavor.

I made it for a Robert Burns Day event where there will be a lot of scotch flowing. I thought some malty, light beer would be good to have around, but 2.8%? Damn!

That's too pale for a 60/-. It should be dark brown. The grist doesn't look like any Scottish 60/-, either. Never seen roast barley in one and very rarely any crystal malt. Mostly they're just pale malt, sugar and flaked barley.