Greg Hughes recipes

[RockTKaz]

As I’m new to AG I have only done from this book to try and get the basics.

spring ale: I burnt the trub to the heater, beer tasted of fire, might try again
Summer Ale: not great thought it was a bit thin for me
Light Lager: this was good, wife loved it (fermented at ale temp with MJ m54) second batch bottles last week
Californian Common: loves this one by far my fav so far!
Hibiscus IPA: don’t bother, really didn’t like it
Single Hop: I used the malt bill as a base but subbed out the hops for sabro to see how they go. Ready for the end of June
Christmas Ale: in the FV now, will leave in the bottle til Dec!

I’m thinking black lager or IPA next

 

[Deadhead]

From that book, I've done Witbier (not very good, but that I am sure was my own fault), Pale ale, English IPA,60 minute IPA (all OK), summer ale, Scottish 80 shilling, (both decent), Black IPA (yum!)Winter Warmer (excellent!), Smoked Porter (Very nice!), Pumpkin Ale (first all grain I ever did and I loved it), and I'm currently fermenting the Weissbier

 

[An Ankoù]

From that book, I've done Witbier (not very good, but that I am sure was my own fault), Pale ale, English IPA,60 minute IPA (all OK), summer ale, Scottish 80 shilling, (both decent), Black IPA (yum!)Winter Warmer (excellent!), Smoked Porter (Very nice!), Pumpkin Ale (first all grain I ever did and I loved it), and I'm currently fermenting the Weissbier

Just bottling up the weiss and the wit as we speak. Cut down the coriander and orange peel consideraby in the latter and I think that was a good idea. Tastes like Hoegaarden now. Not a great fan of Hoegaarden, but there are plenty who are.

 

[Zephyr259]

Spring beer was one of my first on my GF, the Galaxay for bittering made it pretty harsh in bitterness but it was tasty. Yorkshire bitter is a nice beer, I use flaked barley instead of wheat. Brown Porter was great as others have said, and I liked the American Wheat although I did it as a no-boil with Voss. English barleywine should be good if the fermentation temp is watched more than I did. Southern brown and London Bitter were fine, but again, they were very early brews. Finally, the milk stout was decent but nothing to write home about.

 

[ChilledGecko]

Hmmm, happy and sad.

My book arrived and I’ve spent a few happy hours planning but the book is the American version and has US and UK measures , not a problem especially as it looks like the US values are derived from the original UK recipe measures.

However, one thing I have noticed is that there seems to be Some use of US Domestic 2-row Malt as the basis of the grain bill.
Having a quick look around on line UK shops it doesn’t seem to be a standard item so I’m guessing it will need to be substituted.

Does anyone have any substitution suggestions?
Or can look up the original in a UK version of the book?

It seems to be prevalent in the fruit beer section towards the back of the book, e.g. Raspberry Wheat beer (P210) Strawberry beer (P212) Kiwi Wheat beer (P213)
Could someone perhaps look in a UK version and let me know what the original UK malt version is please?

I will love you long time!

Cheers m’dears

 

[MickDundee]

Hmmm, happy and sad.

My book arrived and I’ve spent a few happy hours planning but the book is the American version and has US and UK measures , not a problem especially as it looks like the US values are derived from the original UK recipe measures.

However, one thing I have noticed is that there seems to be Some use of US Domestic 2-row Malt as the basis of the grain bill.
Having a quick look around on line UK shops it doesn’t seem to be a standard item so I’m guessing it will need to be substituted.

Does anyone have any substitution suggestions?
Or can look up the original in a UK version of the book?

It seems to be prevalent in the fruit beer section towards the back of the book, e.g. Raspberry Wheat beer (P210) Strawberry beer (P212) Kiwi Wheat beer (P213)
Could someone perhaps look in a UK version and let me know what the original UK malt version is please?

I will love you long time!

Cheers m’dears

US Domestic 2-row malt is just pale malt.

 

[ChilledGecko]

US Domestic 2-row malt is just pale malt.

Excellent, many thanks Mick.
It’s strange that some of the recipes do list pale malt as an ingredient, I wonder why some recipes have been changed

 

[chuffer]

The christmas ale was a belter, if a little sweet....would maybe recommend a touch more bitterness to balance it out a bit more, just a smidge

 

[alsch890]

I think all bar half a dozen of my brews have started out as an idea from either Palmer or Hughes, but almost always with some slight tweak, I rarely follow a recipe to the letter, even my first I had to swap some hops since I couldn't get them over here in Prague. I only use dry yeast so far too.

From Hughes I have done:
Spring beer - twice, once with Cascade/Citra rather than Galaxy/Wai-iti and with a slightly higher proportion of Munich, and the second time more or less as per recipe.
Bohemian pilsner - with S-23
Imperial pilsner - similar grain bill ratio but reduced down to around 5% abv and with Sladek/Saaz hops 4 additions, W34/70
Black IPA - but with Nugget and Cascade, US-05
Patersbier - BE-256
Weiss - with Hillertau Mittelfruh rather than HH, WB-06
Oktoberfest -Sladek instead of Perl and used MJ54 (this yeast was awful)
ESB - with S-04
Smoked Porter - higher smoked malt ratio with Fuggle and Challenger, S-04
Oatmeal Stout - with S-04
Scottish 70 - with S-04 (got infected)
Yorkshire bitter - S-04
Vienna Lager - S-189, decent but a few gushers, used Sladek/Saaz
Black lager - used only Saaz, S-23. decent
American Wheat - with US-05 and slightly higher ratio of wheat to pilsner/carapils

The top ones for me:
Oatmeal stout - a beer I'd gladly pay a fiver a pint for....
Smoked porter - i love smoked beers though
ESB - nice balanced beer
Imperial Pilsner watered down - I live in Prague, we have dozens of excellent pilsners, whilst not fantastic it stands up against them. I've down three batches of this. Also I love Melanoidin so it goes in a few of my brews!

Worst:
The Oktoberfest was ruined by the yeast and the Scottish got an infection. otherwise none to complain about. did what they said they would.

Planning to do the Irish Red next (been meaning to do it for over a year, it keeps getting pushed back). And the Amarillo Single hop has been on my list since I got the book. I plan to add about 5% Melanoidin though. This year for sure! :-)

From Palmer for the record - American Amber, American Brown, Dry Stout and Robust Porter.

 

[alsch890]

Excellent, many thanks Mick.
It’s strange that some of the recipes do list pale malt as an ingredient, I wonder why some recipes have been changed

I find that even in the UK version of the book that often from recipe to recipe you will see malts used interchangeably. Actually in the UK version the malt used in the Raspberry wheat and the kiwi weisse is listed as "Lager malt". I don't see this anywhere else in other recipes. If I were to read that recipe and brew that beer I'd see lager malt and probably substitute it for pilsner malt (although there are many recipes with pilsner malt too) however reading online it seems it is slightly different. Every day is a school day!

 

[Covrich]

I have tended to use them as a template but generally had good results

English IPA good,
Saison was okay but have actually done better with other reciepies
witbier was good
oatmeal stout decent
ESB I think I did this one and it was pretty good
I did a Weiss or krystal wiess cant remember which I stuck too and it was really good.. I think that style is generally a good easy style to nail and get brilliant results provided you get a good yeast I would say

 

[alsch890]

@Lukethebrewer - perhaps a good thread for you to give you some ideas....

 

[Brewnaldo]

Tried a 60 shilling. Its thin, watery and lacking any depth of flavour at all. I should say it's only two weeks old and maybe someone who knows better than me will say those deeper caramely flavours can/will develop, but for now, it's a first no from me. Do not like.

 

[Bedale Brewman]

Currently on with Yorkshire Bitter but have made Single Hop Pale Ale with East Kent Golding - very good and looking to make the American IPA for my lad. Some of you said it was too bitter any ideas how to mellow it down?

 

[Galena]

I haven't done any from his book yet but Im only on my third ever brew tomorrow which is not GH either
However I do have on my list from GH
English IPA
ESB
Yorkshire Bitter
I want to try a few single hop pale ales to try different hops
I would like to try the Czech Pilsner but not sure I want to tie up one of my brew fridges for that long

 

[Clint]

Bedale Brewman...to adjust the bitterness you can reduce the first hops you add or move any later ones... later. I wouldn't reduce the amount of later ones.
Using brew software will show you where to adjust..

 

[jMac]

Further reviews to follow for Scottish 60 Shilling, Roggenbier and Heather Ale all from his book.

I would be interested in your take on the Roggenbier. Am intrigued by this recipe - I’m a big fan of wheat beer style yeast esters, so would love to try this with rye.

jx

 

[Brewnaldo]

I would be interested in your take on the Roggenbier. Am intrigued by this recipe - I’m a big fan of wheat beer style yeast esters, so would love to try this with rye.

jx

I have tried one, as I like to sample reasonably regularly to try and understand the conditioning process and how flavours develop. I would say it has really promise but wasnt ready. I will certainly keep this thread updated as I go but it might be another 2 or 3 weeks away yet.

 

[Bedale Brewman]

Bedale Brewman...to adjust the bitterness you can reduce the first hops you add or move any later ones... later. I wouldn't reduce the amount of later ones.
Using brew software will show you where to adjust..

Thanks I'll check it out.

 

[alsch890]

I've now had a chance to taste my second attempt at the Spring Beer, this one more or less exactly per recipe, but with US-05. its brilliant, really nice bitterness and quite fruity. It can be added to my list of best Hughes Brews....