English Ales - What's your favorite recipe?

[Miraculix]

Going to be brewing a London Pride clone tomorrow-- although I'll be using 1469 as I have some ready to pitch.

Inspired by picking up this beauty of a sign today... found it on Facebook marketplace and it was just a few blocks from the house amazingly!

If you want it authentic, I would recommend Imperial yeast pub next time, this one really got the Fuller's flavour if you ask me. Others here in the forum have also confirmed this from their brews.

Nice sign btw!

 

[cyberbackpacker]

@Northern_Brewer I have indeed seen that thread; that is how I built my recipe.

@Miraculix thanks for the suggestion on Imperial Pub. This was a super last minute brew, so I am using what I have ready and available! But that will be good to know for future batches!

Nevertheless, just wrapping up the brew... came in at 1.043; was shooting for 1.042 so I am happy with that!

 

[Miraculix]

@Northern_Brewer I have indeed seen that thread; that is how I built my recipe.

@Miraculix thanks for the suggestion on Imperial Pub. This was a super last minute brew, so I am using what I have ready and available! But that will be good to know for future batches!

Nevertheless, just wrapping up the brew... came in at 1.043; was shooting for 1.042 so I am happy with that!

I brewed a 1.026 low gravity ale two days ago, same approach, trying to use what's on hand and had 04 and Windsor so I used a third 04 and two thirds Windsor. Let's see how that goes. Otherwise I would have loved pub in this one for sure. Actually, I think I would love this yeast in almost everything.

 

[kmarkstevens]

To continue the Fuller's trend. I believe many of us in this thread also, at least occasionally, enjoy Ron Pattinson's Shut Up About Barclay Perkins. It was recently my birthday and my eldest took the hint and gifted me a Ron's birthday recipe. I requested a low ABV yet hoppy beer, and Ron went back to 1925 to dig out what looks to be a lovely sessionable Fuller's 1.032 OG 43 IBU "AK" from a parti-gyle (PA > XK > AK) brewed on that day. Very nice write up and photos from the brewing log. I've got a "Pub" yeast starter going strong, and will run by the local HBS in the morning for a Saturday brew.

Here's a link to a Fuller's AK search, and a somewhat similar "XK" (albeit a 1041 OG) recipe from 1923.

@cyberbackpacker @Miraculix I've never been to the UK nor had a real cask ale Fullers, so I can't speak directly to an authentic Fuller's taste. That said, I've done several yeast off split batches between 02 and Pub, and I prefer the "Pub" version every time for what that is worth. forgot how much it flocculates. Looks like a snow globe on steroids on the stir plate

 

[Miraculix]

To continue the Fuller's trend. I believe many of us in this thread also, at least occasionally, enjoy Ron Pattinson's Shut Up About Barclay Perkins. It was recently my birthday and my eldest took the hint and gifted me a Ron's birthday recipe. I requested a low ABV yet hoppy beer, and Ron went back to 1925 to dig out what looks to be a lovely sessionable Fuller's 1.032 OG 43 IBU "AK" from a parti-gyle (PA > XK > AK) brewed on that day. Very nice write up and photos from the brewing log. I've got a "Pub" yeast starter going strong, and will run by the local HBS in the morning for a Saturday brew.

Here's a link to a Fuller's AK search, and a somewhat similar "XK" (albeit a 1041 OG) recipe from 1923.

@cyberbackpacker @Miraculix I've never been to the UK nor had a real cask ale Fullers, so I can't speak directly to an authentic Fuller's taste. That said, I've done several yeast off split batches between 02 and Pub, and I prefer the "Pub" version every time for what that is worth. forgot how much it flocculates. Looks like a snow globe on steroids on the stir plate

Yes, it's the only yeast I ever saw flocking in the glass leaving s clear beer after a few minutes, after being poured from a bottle that got shaken a bit.

 

[jturman35]

Fullers ESB Clone!
My first attempt and really good! My next batch going to cut the choc from 1.4% to 1% to see if I can lighten a tad. Hell probably should just remove completely.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Fullers ESB Clone!
My first attempt and really good! My next batch going to cut the choc from 1.4% to 1% to see if I can lighten a tad. Hell probably should just remove completely.

I've posted a link above to actual Fuller's brewing records which say they use just under 0.2% - why are you trying to guess it?

And as an aside, it's a common mistake to try and use "flavour" ingredients to try and match the colour of British beers. Concentrate on getting the flavour right, and then use "colour" ingredients like caramel to hit the colour if necessary, otherwise you end up with a beer that looks right but tastes wrong.

 

[jturman35]

Northern Brewer Actually had a brain fart! My actual ESB recipe came in 1.4oz of choc malt which put me at 0.7%. I am going to back it down a little to .2%.

Forgive me but couldn’t find the recipe you shared?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Forgive me but couldn’t find the recipe you shared?

In #1950 above

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I came across an article on Ragus and their brewing sugars which may be of interest :
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...ff-alworths-method.628857/page-2#post-8634153

As of 2015 brewing sugar accounted for just 6% of turnover (and just 2% is solid blocks), down from 25% a generation ago, it sounds like it doesn't really make them much money but they feel an obligation to keep making brewing inverts for heritage reasons.

 

[kmarkstevens]

Chris White of White Labs emailed "me" to say they have shipped a vault package with an ETA for next week.

Suggestions for what I should brew with the following?

WLP017 whitbread II (mainly because Barclay Perkins has a ton of Whitbread recipes I want to try)
WLP026 premium bitter
WLP013 London Ale (given the description of estery with oak overtones)

 

[ba-brewer]

a simple smash with minimal late hops, then you know what the yeast(s) bring to the party.

 

[kmarkstevens]

ba-brewer, I'll get to a smashy split batch after culturing all three of these yeasties. I'm thinking my first try might be this Kidd - 1934 - AK. Probably use EKG instead of Bramling Cross though only because I am most familiar with EKG and have done just one BC. Kristen warns that BC can be "catty", which is the overwhelmingly distracting taste my palate gets out of Cascade and many of the American hops.

 

[z-bob]

The bitter that I brewed a month or so ago with S-33 yeast was obviously infected. I decided to just let the infection run its course and see what I got. (the only other infection I've ever had was a low-gravity beer several years ago with Windsor yeast, and I just dumped that.) It's been several weeks now, and the pellicle seems to be breaking up. So I opened the stopper and sniffed it; it doesn't smell like vomit, or ass, or anything else sour or nasty. It smells like beer.

I'm going to bottle it now. Wish me luck. I will be sure and bleach these bottles after use.

 

[kmarkstevens]

Best of luck. Bleach together with vinegar (to drop the PH) like crazy to make sure it's not the gift that keeps on giving. I played around with pichia apotheca for a while. It was like trying to get rid of herpes simplex 2. I tossed the Mr Beer 2 gallon vessels I use for split batches. Then had it show up a few weeks after bottling in a batch of what seemed to be a tasty ordinary bitter. I think I finally got it out of my 20L Speidel on round two disinfection after letting it sit submerged in a bleach/vinegar solution for two weeks.

 

[brewbama]

Best of luck. Bleach together with vinegar (to drop the PH) like crazy to make sure it's not the gift that keeps on giving. I played around with pichia apotheca for a while. It was like trying to get rid of herpes simplex 2. I tossed the Mr Beer 2 gallon vessels I use for split batches. Then had it show up a few weeks after bottling in a batch of what seemed to be a tasty ordinary bitter. I think I finally got it out of my 20L Speidel on round two disinfection after letting it sit submerged in a bleach/vinegar solution for two weeks.

Do you think Iodophor vs bleach/vinegar would have killed it?

 

[kmarkstevens]

Heck, I don't know. Basic Brewing Radio podcast on 29 March 2007 featured an interview with Charlie Talley of 5 Star Chemicals (manufacturer of bleach/PBW/Starsan), where Charlie spent the first 20 minutes or so educating the audience on the proper way to use bleach and vinegar as a safe disinfecting/cleaning solution. Then he talked about PBW and Starsan. Based on that podcast and giving a very cost effective solution versus his own products, won me over and I've only used bleach/vinegar or his products ever since.

I first soaked my speidel in PBW, then in Starsan, and had the recurring pichia infected brew. Then I spent two weeks soaking the Speidel in a bleach and vinegar solution in a bath. I believe I ex-communicated pichia (which wasn't horrible or anything but contributed a souring effect that wasn't superior), and can keep this Speidel. At least, the current batch doesn't taste like it has pichia, and for what it's worth not even my palate wouldn't miss a pichia flavor.

 

[z-bob]

Heck, I don't know. Basic Brewing Radio podcast on 29 March 2007 featured an interview with Charlie Talley of 5 Star Chemicals (manufacturer of bleach/PBW/Starsan), where Charlie spent the first 20 minutes or so educating the audience on the proper way to use bleach and vinegar as a safe disinfecting/cleaning solution. Then he talked about PBW and Starsan. Based on that podcast and giving a very cost effective solution versus his own products, won me over and I've only used bleach/vinegar or his products ever since.

I first soaked my speidel in PBW, then in Starsan, and had the recurring pichia infected brew. Then I spent two weeks soaking the Speidel in a bleach and vinegar solution in a bath. I believe I ex-communicated pichia (which wasn't horrible or anything but contributed a souring effect that wasn't superior), and can keep this Speidel. At least, the current batch doesn't taste like it has pichia, and for what it's worth not even my palate wouldn't miss a pichia flavor.

I've not heard the podcast, but I was just coming here to mention that the bleach has to be highly diluted before you add any acid, otherwise you get a nose full of chlorine gas. That stuff really burns your lungs.

 

[Miraculix]

The bitter that I brewed a month or so ago with S-33 yeast was obviously infected. I decided to just let the infection run its course and see what I got. (the only other infection I've ever had was a low-gravity beer several years ago with Windsor yeast, and I just dumped that.) It's been several weeks now, and the pellicle seems to be breaking up. So I opened the stopper and sniffed it; it doesn't smell like vomit, or ass, or anything else sour or nasty. It smells like beer.

I'm going to bottle it now. Wish me luck. I will be sure and bleach these bottles after use.

Be careful. Wild yeast can be very slow And could be still eating residual sugars, I would take gravity readings 3 weeks apart to confirm it's ready before I bottle.

 

[z-bob]

Be careful. Wild yeast can be very slow And could be still eating residual sugars, I would take gravity readings 3 weeks apart to confirm it's ready before I bottle.

I didn't even take a gravity reading. I did wait a full month (maybe a little longer) after I thought it was done before I bottled it. And I put it all in plastic bottles. These bottles will be used next for a saison (diastaticus), and after that they will be cider-only bottles for awhile.

I tasted it, and a lot of the bitterness is gone. There's still a little, and maybe the carbonation will bring it forward. I didn't notice any off-flavors. I'm happy that it wasn't a dumper.

 

[Miraculix]

I didn't even take a gravity reading. I did wait a full month (maybe a little longer) after I thought it was done before I bottled it. And I put it all in plastic bottles. These bottles will be used next for a saison (diastaticus), and after that they will be cider-only bottles for awhile.

I tasted it, and a lot of the bitterness is gone. There's still a little, and maybe the carbonation will bring it forward. I didn't notice any off-flavors. I'm happy that it wasn't a dumper.

It is good that you used plastic as it is not uncommon for wild fermented stuff to need 6 to 12 months to be done. Just monitor the pressure by pressing the bottles from time to time.

All my infected stuff went the opposite way, increased bitterness, interesting to see that his can go either way.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

ba-brewer, I'll get to a smashy split batch after culturing all three of these yeasties. I'm thinking my first try might be this Kidd - 1934 - AK. Probably use EKG instead of Bramling Cross though only because I am most familiar with EKG and have done just one BC. Kristen warns that BC can be "catty", which is the overwhelmingly distracting taste my palate gets out of Cascade and many of the American hops.

It's more blackcurrant - but I wouldn't worry about the 2018 BX as the heatwave made it very Goldings-y, the question is more whether you can find it Stateside as it was a small harvest.

 

[kmarkstevens]

@Northern_Brewer good to know on the BX. I have about 200 grams of BX pellets, so maybe will try them to be more true to style in the recipe. I dislike the catty haps (looking at you Cascade and relatives), I love these historic beers as they were made by real breweries that know what they were doing and generally pulled off something interesting. There are a wide range of 1030 beers to choose from that don't adhere to BCJP guidelines, and now I'm venturing up into 1040 territory, which is a BIG beer for me.

Looking forward to my crop of N Brewer, East Seattle Goldings and Tettnanger in another month or so and some fresh hop brews

 

[ba-brewer]

Anyone with experience with the BrewLabs Sheffield wards yeast. I brewed a bitters a while back and just tapped the keg and think I might be getting very light phenolic flavor. The beer is very malty in aroma so it might be masking the smell but I don't think I can smell anything phenolic.

 

[bierhaus15]

I have used that yeast a half dozen times or so over the past year and have not had any phenolic character. I find it occasionally produces some sulfur when underpitched or fermented cool, which quickly dissipates, but otherwise it has been a nice malty-dry strain.

 

[ba-brewer]

Thanks @bierhaus15, sounds like I may have polluted that beer somehow. The beer did not attenuate too dry only about 69% attenuation, nice clear beer. I do like the way it highlights the malty aroma.

Too many vault yeasts to work thru so I did not repitch the yeast, will have to give it another soon. Hopefully I did not pollute the slants I made too.

 

[ong]

I brewed an ordinary bitter (around 3%) with the White Labs Vault 026 Southwold yeast last month (I believe this is the Adnams house strain). It’s quite nice — some stone fruit esters, a bit of residual sweetness, and decent clarity. I overbuilt my starter as well as banking some in the freezer, so I’ll do more beers with this strain.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Adnams use a double strain so at best 026 is an offspring of half of it.

Ordinary bitter is typically 3.8% +/- 0.2, personally I think 4.2% best strength is the sweet spot.

 

[deere322]

I'm going to brew SUABP 1914 Courage Imperial Stout this coming weekend.

I decided to go with Imperial Yeast A10 Darkness and was wondering what experiences folks had with this yeast.

 

[ba-brewer]

I brewed an ordinary bitter (around 3%) with the White Labs Vault 026 Southwold yeast last month (I believe this is the Adnams house strain). It’s quite nice — some stone fruit esters, a bit of residual sweetness, and decent clarity. I overbuilt my starter as well as banking some in the freezer, so I’ll do more beers with this strain.

What sort of attenuation did you get? I got close to 80% attenuation, 78 and 79 on the two beers I brewed and a 152 mash temp. The yeast seemed fairly neutral in favoring hops and malt.

Adnams use a double strain so at best 026 is an offspring of half of it.

Ordinary bitter is typically 3.8% +/- 0.2, personally I think 4.2% best strength is the sweet spot.

Been thinking about trying a few multi strain pitches. Assuming it is really half of Adnam's yeast pitch do you have any suggestion for a second yeast to pair with it?

As this this one seems to attenuate pretty well guessing team it up with something with less attenuation and maybe a better flocculator.

Would you pitch at the same time or stagger?