Your favourite AK recipe?

[kevin58]

AK is an English beer. English brewery's often used letter designations to distinguish the beers they brewed. Sometimes determining what these letter designations meant can be difficult. AK is one of those. Some call it a pale mild while others say bitter or pale ale. Even knowledgable and respected beer historians like Ron Pattinson have difficulty nailing it down.

 

[Hanglow]

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[Miraculix]

I wonder if the corn sweetness would play well with the vanilla-ish flavour that the new lallemand verdant IPA yeast provides.

I got a pack in my fridge and actually wanted to try it with a true and tested bitter recipe first, but now I'm so curious about this ak type of beer. But I guess I brew a normal bitter first, otherwise I wouldn't know which part of the flavour comes from the yeast and which from the corn.

 

[Miraculix]

Gentleman,

I won't receive my British malts until this weekend due to parcel Brexit madness, so I have to improvise to be able to brew something this weekend.

I came up with the verdant ak:

I have to work with what I got on hand. Which is pilsener and probably some pale ale malt.

Do you guys think that it might be worth to throw in something like 10- 20% Vienna or Munich, instead of the 6-row?

Otherwise, the recipe will look something like:

80% basemalt
10% medium invert homemade
10% corn

I will restrain from adding my obligatory 10% of wheat for head retention and will aim to hit 40ibus and an og of 1.045.

Mash 1h at 65c, then mashout for 20 minutes @77c.

Yeast is lallemand verdant IPA.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

@Miraculix looks good considering what you have on hand.

That said I wouldn’t hesitate to replace 10% of your base malt with Munich. Additionally if you want to add 5 to 10% wheat malt, I think that would be fine too.

 

[Miraculix]

@Miraculix looks good considering what you have on hand.

That said I wouldn’t hesitate to replace 10% of your base malt with Munich. Additionally if you want to add 5 to 10% wheat malt, I think that would be fine too.

I have clarity issues when I use wheat... Doesn't really bother me to be honest, but since a long time, I wanted to try if I can produce a decent head without any wheat anyway, so that's just a good chance for it.

 

[kmarkstevens]

I think you're targeting the spirit of AK and not trying a historic re-creation, so the recipe looks pretty good. To my mind, the "spirit" of AK means 5-10% corn off set by a high hopping rate.

Older AK recipes had continental malt instead of the 6 row, so a mix of pale and pilsner is more or less in "style". I prefer dropping the corn to 5%, and maybe up the IBU to 45-50 range. No experience with the Verdant IPA yeast so as long as you like it then it should translate to a likeable brew.

 

[Miraculix]

I think you're targeting the spirit of AK and not trying a historic re-creation, so the recipe looks pretty good. To my mind, the "spirit" of AK means 5-10% corn off set by a high hopping rate.

Older AK recipes had continental malt instead of the 6 row, so a mix of pale and pilsner is more or less in "style". I prefer dropping the corn to 5%, and maybe up the IBU to 45-50 range. No experience with the Verdant IPA yeast so as long as you like it then it should translate to a likeable brew.

Thanks.

Yes, I have actually no choice at the moment as I have to work with what I got on hand. I think I will drop the og to 1.04.

The ten percent corn are there because I really want to see what corn brings to the table. I am prepared to having it a bit overdosed.

I don't know verdant IPA myself, it is supposed to be almost identical to London ale lll. Many people like this one, so I thought, as I got it on hand, why not.

 

[Miraculix]

I brewed it!

Now it is doing it's no chill on the stove top, verdant ipa will be pitched tomorrow.

I used 10,8% corn (instant polenta, no cereal mash needed and cheap! ), 10,8% raw cane sugar in form of homemade invert (i guess it was invert 2, tasted like cotton candy!), 9% Munich malt and the rest pale ale malt. Bittered with Ariana hops up until about 43 IBUs. The OG was at about 1.04, so pretty much spot on. I will do a dry hop with brewers gold for two days before botteling. I guess I will use about 1.5g per litre. Or maybe 2? Let's see. I do not want to overpower it. Maybe even 1g/l is enough? I mean, this is a historical beer style, and not a modern hop bomb.

 

[kmarkstevens]

I would do a light touch on the dry hop in line with standard English practice.

Regardless, should be tasty.

 

[Miraculix]

I would do a light touch on the dry hop in line with standard English practice.

Regardless, should be tasty.

I agree.

What's that in numbers? 1g/l? Or even below?

Btw. the OG came out at 1.042.

The homemade invert is so nice, I can't believe it. Just throw your sugar, a bit of water and a dash of lemon juice into a pot and let it simmer. Let it get really thick for some time, this is when the magic starts to happen. The lemon smell will completely diesappear and the smell and colour will start to change. From light and sweet to golden and caramelly/cotton candy like to darker tones. This takes about 45 minutes to one hour and can be easily done on the side when boiling the wort.

Add some water from time to time and be careful not to scorch it. But also not too little heat, it needs some heat for the mailard reaction. And use raw cane sugar! Not the white one, but also not the completely dark one. The one which just has been centrifuged works best. It has a light brown-ish, golden colour.

Be careful when adding water and before you throw it into the wort, add some more water to get it really liquid, otherwise it won't mix well with the wort and screw your readings.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

As kmark says, typical dry hopping rates should more in line towards .25 g/l to 1g/l at the high end-- again, this is as you say not a "modern hop bomb". Restraint is good.

 

[Miraculix]

As kmark says, typical dry hopping rates should more in line towards .25 g/l to 1g/l at the high end-- again, this is as you say not a "modern hop bomb". Restraint is good.

I guess I'll use about 10g, which translates to about 0.7g per litre.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I guess I'll use about 10g, which translates to about 0.7g per litre.

I think that is a good place to start-- you can always adjust in subsequent batches. I find the lower dry hopping rates are really critical in keeping the balance and moreish quality of a great bitter (or AK)

 

[Miraculix]

I think that is a good place to start-- you can always adjust in subsequent batches. I find the lower dry hopping rates are really critical in keeping the balance and moreish quality of a great bitter (or AK)

I agree. My best bitter so far wasn't dry hopped at all.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I agree. My best bitter so far wasn't dry hopped at all.

There's very few British-style beers that aren't improved with some Goldings as a dry hop IMO - even better if they're green hops, but I know how privileged I am to be able to say that...

 

[Miraculix]

There's very few British-style beers that aren't improved with some Goldings as a dry hop IMO - even better if they're green hops, but I know how privileged I am to be able to say that...

That is probably true, but first, you need to have some Golding's for that

 

[Miraculix]

Btw. I am waiting since beginning of February for my parcel from maltmiller.... Brexit really destroyed DHL. The parcel is already in Germany, but doesn't move. Together with other parcels, going as far back as January.

This parcel includes two packs of Golding's.

 

[kevin58]

Checked Ron Pattinson's blog as I do every Wednesday for his weekly recipe post and found this AK from his 1878 records...
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/03/lets-brew-wednesday-1878-adnams-ak.html

 

[Miraculix]

Checked Ron Pattinson's blog as I do every Wednesday for his weekly recipe post and found this AK from his 1878 records...
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/03/lets-brew-wednesday-1878-adnams-ak.html

Wow! 30% invert! This must bring the amount of actual fermentables close to 50% simple sugars.

And also, no corn! .... 79 ibus?!

A truly interesting one, and really simple as well.


And as a side note, I just have received the import tax bill for the malt I ordered in February and have not yet received.

About 40 euros taxes for 65 euros worth of malt and hops and yeast.

Lovely. Not that DHL only keeps my parcel now for over a month (poor Imperial pub yeast), no, they also managed to calculate the taxes wrong.

At least the guy on the telephone admitted the mistake promptly. I still have to pay if I want my parcel... But will be able to claim it back. Theoretically

 

[D.B.Moody]

FWIW: McMullen AK has been brewed since 1833. They describe it as using pale, crystal, and chocolate malts and Whitbread Goldings hops. Dark amber & 3.7%.

 

[kevin58]

FWIW: McMullen AK has been brewed since 1833. They describe it as using pale, crystal, and chocolate malts and Whitbread Goldings hops. Dark amber & 3.7%.
View attachment 722574

You can bet the farm and your first born that what they list on the label today is nowhere near what it was in 1833.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

You can bet the farm and your first born that what they list on the label today is nowhere near what it was in 1833.

Not least because WGV was not released for planting until 1953.

It's cute that it still exists, but in reality it's a fairly meh bitter.

Btw. I am waiting since beginning of February for my parcel from maltmiller.... Brexit really destroyed DHL. The parcel is already in Germany, but doesn't move. Together with other parcels, going as far back as January.

That sucks. January was a complete disaster, but things seem to have got a lot less-bad from about mid-Feb (although we still have the taxes to pay, it's obviously been a big topic of discussion on the British forums not least because people have got used to buying from Irish retailers, north and south of the border)

 

[Miraculix]

Bottled it today, after 8 days in the fermenter, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan this one tastes alllready good.

Last time I wanted to finish the hydrometer sample before reading it was with miraculix best. This one tastes so freaking british, I taste it and it tastes like a nice bitter straight from the tap in a British pub. One of these small countryside pubs with these local best bitters there which are always a bit of a gamble because you know none of them but some of them are usually pretty good.

The yeast is really nice, easily my new favourite dry yeast and definitely the best english dry yeast out there.

FG came out at 1.01, which looks good to me. Only thing is, I am a bit scared that it mind climb down another one or two points... welll.... we will see. I targeted a carbonation of around 1.6 volumes anyway, so there is a bit of room for it.

 

[kevin58]

Another AK from Ron Pattinson today. A Boddington recipe from 1901.

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/03/lets-brew-wednesday-1901-boddington-ak.html

 

[Miraculix]

Another AK from Ron Pattinson today. A Boddington recipe from 1901.

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/03/lets-brew-wednesday-1901-boddington-ak.html

Pretty much what I brewed, just with corn. Sounds good!

 

[kmarkstevens]

Hmmm, seems like the pre-1920 AK's are English pale base malt, maybe European malt, invert and hoppy (by the standards of that age).

Somewhere around 1920, it shifted to English pale base malt, 6-row, corn, maybe invert and hoppy.

Me, I like the blend of English base, 6-row graininess, corn sweetness and the hop factor. Anyhoo, interesting to see Ron digging thru his treasure chest. (Again, if you like Shut up, the least you can do is buy a book or get one of his birthday recipes.)

 

[Miraculix]

Right.... I am literally just having the first of my AKs. And I must say, booooy this beer is BITTER.

Jever is almost bland against this one. The beer will need time. It is already drinkable (5 days after fermentation.. already fully carbonated and with a good head!) but the flavour just needs to melt and soften a bit. It is just too rough around the edges, this will be good in a month or two. Otherwise, really good flavour, I am still impressed by the verdant IPA dry yeast. My new favourite dry yeast. True English flavour with a dry yeast, incredible!

The hop bitterness really has to smooth out a bit for my liking, this is a bit too much (hardcore hop heads won't mind). As there is a debate about what AK stands for, I would be on the side of "Keeping Ale", as the IBUs are that high, this beer starts tasting good after a few months of storage, I assume so "Keeping Ale" certainly would make sense. Adding one constantly drunk guy labeling the barrels and ka ka ka ka... kk aa... ak ak ak ak ak...... there you go, ak.

 

[Miraculix]

A few days longer in the bottle and it is just bloody delicious. Easily my second best beer so far, only beaten by mit bitter with pub

Maybe you also just have to drink it at room temperature. It is just thaaaaat good.

 

[mashpaddled]

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