Hello from the States

[BlackIsland]

Greetings!

I found you through a google search for Yorkshire bitters, and thought a UK brewing forum would be a good place to start. Good to see homebrewing is alive and well in the UK.

I've been brewing since '96, with no real mission than to have fun, get better, and make beer I like to drink. I currently brew on one of two systems: a three vessel system of converted half-barrel direct fire sanke kegs, with a pump, boil kettle whirlpool, and three 200K btu propane burners; and a 16 US gallon BIAB system that I make 5 or 10 gallon batches in depending on the OG. It's all set up in the garage, which is my defacto brewery. I keep a good supply of bulk grains, and make up recipes as I go with what I have.

I have an ulterior motive for joining here as well: my wife and I are planning a trip to the UK next year, and I want to learn a bit more about the places we might want to go, and who knows, maybe meet some fellow brewers too.

Looking forward to posting a pic of my first Yorkshire bitter, and then hope to try some for the comparison!

Cheers!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

have an ulterior motive for joining here as well: my wife and I are planning a trip to the UK next year, and I want to learn a bit more about the places we might want to go, and who knows, maybe meet some fellow brewers too.

Welcome to the forum :

I live in South Cumbria (the lake District!) a very popular tourist destination.

Have a look at the member map in my signature.

 

[grmski]

Hi welcome to the forum. You might want to look into Sam Smith's and Timothy Taylor as popular examples of Yorkshire breweries. There's also a popular book over here by a guy called Graham Wheeler that has clone recipes of classic British beers and if i remember correctly includes a few Yorkshire ales. The book may still be available on Amazon or eBay. The yeast you choose will be essential i think the wyeast west Yorkshire 1469 is the Timothy Taylor strain so could be a good one to choose.

 

[marlon]

Greetings!

I found you through a google search for Yorkshire bitters, and thought a UK brewing forum would be a good place to start. Good to see homebrewing is alive and well in the UK.

I've been brewing since '96, with no real mission than to have fun, get better, and make beer I like to drink. I currently brew on one of two systems: a three vessel system of converted half-barrel direct fire sanke kegs, with a pump, boil kettle whirlpool, and three 200K btu propane burners; and a 16 US gallon BIAB system that I make 5 or 10 gallon batches in depending on the OG. It's all set up in the garage, which is my defacto brewery. I keep a good supply of bulk grains, and make up recipes as I go with what I have.

I have an ulterior motive for joining here as well: my wife and I are planning a trip to the UK next year, and I want to learn a bit more about the places we might want to go, and who knows, maybe meet some fellow brewers too.


Looking forward to posting a pic of my first Yorkshire bitter, and then hope to try some for the comparison!

Cheers!

Welcome to the forum BlackIsland. The whole of Britain is a great tourist destination, but, because I live here and I'm biased, the South East is best. A brewery tour of Shepherd Neame's place in Faversham, Kent is always worth it. The beers they produce are not to everyone's taste - (including mine ), but the tour's good. Harvey's in Lewes, Sussex is good for a tour too - and their beers are much better (in my opinion).

When you're thoroughly bored of the fine brews in the South East, you could do worse than visit Yorkshire, where some of their beers are actually quite drinkable......:whistle:

 

[Dutto]

Welcome to the Forum. :thumb:

Whatever you do when you visit us, please DON"T think for one second that "London" is "Great Britain"!

I suggest that, once you've checked out the eight or nine places worth visiting in London, you get out into the countryside ... :thumb:

... be it God's country to the North or other bits of the UK. :whistle"

 

[BlackIsland]

Hi welcome to the forum. You might want to look into Sam Smith's and Timothy Taylor as popular examples of Yorkshire breweries. There's also a popular book over here by a guy called Graham Wheeler that has clone recipes of classic British beers and if i remember correctly includes a few Yorkshire ales. The book may still be available on Amazon or eBay. The yeast you choose will be essential i think the wyeast west Yorkshire 1469 is the Timothy Taylor strain so could be a good one to choose.

Thanks for the info. I found it used on Amazon, should have it before brew day. I've got a smack pack of the 1469, and am hoping I can make as good as I remember, but it was a couple decades ago that I had a locally made Yorkshire bitter.

Welcome to the Forum. :thumb:

Whatever you do when you visit us, please DON"T think for one second that "London" is "Great Britain"!

I suggest that, once you've checked out the eight or nine places worth visiting in London, you get out into the countryside ... :thumb:

... be it God's country to the North or other bits of the UK. :whistle"

I keep forgetting about London. My wife's dad was born there, so we'll need to at least spend a day or two there, but we're more interested in the more pastoral areas. Her mom was born in Newport, Wales, so we want to spend time there. The Lakes region is on our list as well. We're still in the planning stage, so all suggestions will be appreciated. We might even get to meet up with a homebrewer at some point!

 

[MrRook]

Welcome from a fellow Washingtonian.
If I ever manage to get anywhere in Europe it would be the U. K. as I am part English, Scottish, and Welsh (also German and French).

 

[chesters-mild]

Welcome to the forum!
I've viewed lots of stuff on you tube from American home brewers, and all very good too!
Always wondered why the kettles were called 'Turkey Fryers' in the USA till I discovered that folks do fry Turkeys in them! - Wow!
And Lancashire bitter is better :drinkunless its Boddingtons!)
Cheers

 

[Robin54]

Welcome to the forum BlackIsland. The whole of Britain is a great tourist destination, but, because I live here and I'm biased, the South East is best. A brewery tour of Shepherd Neame's place in Faversham, Kent is always worth it. The beers they produce are not to everyone's taste - (including mine ), but the tour's good. Harvey's in Lewes, Sussex is good for a tour too - and their beers are much better (in my opinion).

When you're thoroughly bored of the fine brews in the South East, you could do worse than visit Yorkshire, where some of their beers are actually quite drinkable......:whistle:

I think there is a huge waiting list for the Harveys tour. The brewery shop and town are worth visiting. just along the coast (west) is a Cider farm with about 300 ciders you can sample, if you like that sort of thing! Loads of micro breweries all over the place.:thumb:

 

[dad_of_jon]

Thanks for the info. I found it used on Amazon, should have it before brew day. I've got a smack pack of the 1469, and am hoping I can make as good as I remember, but it was a couple decades ago that I had a locally made Yorkshire bitter.

I keep forgetting about London. My wife's dad was born there, so we'll need to at least spend a day or two there, but we're more interested in the more pastoral areas. Her mom was born in Newport, Wales, so we want to spend time there. The Lakes region is on our list as well. We're still in the planning stage, so all suggestions will be appreciated. We might even get to meet up with a homebrewer at some point!

May I suggest meeting up in Cardiff rather than Newport if visiting Wales. It's a short train journey and has 4 great bars a short distance from each other and the train station. Your other half will enjoy the shopping too! The queens Vaults probably providing more of the beers you're after, but zero degrees (a brewpub) Brewdog and Tiny Rebel are all close by.

 

[BlackIsland]

Welcome to the forum!
I've viewed lots of stuff on you tube from American home brewers, and all very good too!
Always wondered why the kettles were called 'Turkey Fryers' in the USA till I discovered that folks do fry Turkeys in them! - Wow!
And Lancashire bitter is better :drinkunless its Boddingtons!)
Cheers

When I switched from partial boils to full-volume boils, it was on a turkey fryer! It was Dec '96, and the only people frying turkeys were from the Deep South, they hadn't made their way to my part of the country yet. But we were on vacation there, had fried turkey for the first time, and I got the pot and burner and started doing full-volume boils after that. Only problem: once I fried the first turkey in it, I was pretty sure I couldn't make a beer in it without it coming out smelling like crab boil seasoning... By then I had switched to all-grain and my BK was a converted sanke keg.

 

[MagnusTS]

If you do get up to Yorkshire, Masham is well worth a visit. Two top breweries (Theakstons and Black Sheep) with tours and tasting. The scenery there is beautiful too.

 

[Dutto]

When I switched from partial boils to full-volume boils, it was on a turkey fryer! It was Dec '96, and the only people frying turkeys were from the Deep South, they hadn't made their way to my part of the country yet. But we were on vacation there, had fried turkey for the first time, and I got the pot and burner and started doing full-volume boils after that. Only problem: once I fried the first turkey in it, I was pretty sure I couldn't make a beer in it without it coming out smelling like crab boil seasoning... By then I had switched to all-grain and my BK was a converted sanke keg.

What I love about this hobby (obsession?) is the massive DIY options available. :thumb:

For me:

o Mash Tun was a Coolbox.

o First boiler started out being a Fermenting Vessel and a Kettle.

o Stir-Plate knocked up (sorry - in USA "made"!) from a computer fan, a junction box and fine-tuned with a magnet lifted from an old wallet.

o Cooler made from a length of 15mm copper tubing and a few elbows.

o FV and Boiler insulation from an exercise mat.

o Latest fermenting control uses an aquarium heater and a builders trug filled with water.

Magic! :thumb:

However, I have to ask.

If I do use my boiler to fry a turkey in a load of lard will it really ruin it for beer making?

Or are you one of these fussy types with functioning taste-buds? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Bigcol49]

If I do use my boiler to fry a turkey in a load of lard will it really ruin it for beer making?

Hi!
It'll probably taste fowl :mrgreen:

 

[BlackIsland]

If I do use my boiler to fry a turkey in a load of lard will it really ruin it for beer making?

Or are you one of these fussy types with functioning taste-buds? :lol: :lol: :lol:

If it's SS you'll be fine, mine was aluminum (or as you say, "al-lu-MIN-ee-um")

Hi!
It'll probably taste fowl :mrgreen:

You are cut off. :nono:

 

[Dutto]

If it's SS you'll be fine, mine was aluminum (or as you say, "al-lu-MIN-ee-um")

........

It will have to wait until the summer but definitely now on my culinary "list of things to try"! (Especially as I have a smaller 15 litre SS boiler that may do the trick.) :thumb:

It's actually pronounced "aloo-min-yum" ... :lol: :lol:

... but then again, where I came from they used to pronounce "almond" as "almond". :whistle:


PS

One thing neither I or my wife can understand is why Americans like "grits".

They are without doubt the most disappointing and tasteless lump of stodge ever to be served up as "food".

 

[BlackIsland]

One thing neither I or my wife can understand is why Americans like "grits".

They are without doubt the most disappointing and tasteless lump of stodge ever to be served up as "food".

LMAO! We have them on our menu for tomorrow night - shrimp and grits (aka polenta). Lots of parmesan cheese makes it pretty tasty.

We've heard similar sentiments about pastys (pasties?) from friends who've been there...

 

[Dutto]

LMAO! We have them on our menu for tomorrow night - shrimp and grits (aka polenta). Lots of parmesan cheese makes it pretty tasty.

We've heard similar sentiments about pastys (pasties?) from friends who've been there...

Whoa there!

"Anson Mills founder Glen Roberts is quoted in the piece describing the
difference as he sees it: while both grits and polenta are made from stone-ground
cornmeal, "Southern grits and Italian polenta are traditionally made from
two vastly different types of corn. How many times it's milled and the
fineness of the grind also differ. And then there's the taste and texture."
http://www.thekitchn.com/polenta-versus-grits-whats-the-difference-187807
​

With regard to Cornish Pasties, a lot of people forget that they were originally made to be taken to work and eaten cold. The thick bit of the crust was used as a handhold, got dirty with handling and was generally thrown away rather than eaten.

Today's pasties are either sold hot for immediate consumption or cold and undercooked so that they can be finished off at home. Very few people take perfectly edible pasties home, cook them properly, let them cool and then eat them. With a pickled onion and lump of cheese a cold Cornish Pastie makes a great picnic snack. :thumb:

PS

I always think that Parmesan Cheese is a bit like Cream. If something tastes terrible smother it with either and "voila" it's good enough to eat. :lol: :lol:

 

[wagum]

Not sure i can add much to this but here I go.
Personally Cornish pasties are the best type of pastie you can get.
If your visiting England i would go with the lake District (which is beautiful) or Yorkshire (also beautiful - but i am biased as i live there)

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[zippy40]

Welcome to the forum. If you are in the uk you could hop over the water to us in northern ireland. We have a thriving craft brewing industry at present. All small batches with them experimenting with new flavours etc.