New old member

[Doode67]

Hi chaps. Thanks for allowing me to join your crew. I am retired and in my 70s and have been brewing since the mid 60s. I now live on a farm in Portugal and have planted a few vines, but the one thing that I miss is real best Bitter. Cold larger is fine on a hot day ( and we have plenty of those). There are a couple of English pubs with cask beers ( when they can get it)..but I haven't had a good real ale for over a year.

Does anybody remember Sarah's Bitter made by Geordie. I think it was a 70s kit. Loved that beer. Easy, cheap and quaffable. Wish they still made it. It was a bag with all the grains and hops that you simmered it for an hour. Tasted just like pub beer in those days.
Well I have rambled on enough. I will have to find out how to buy beer kits without having the problem of import duty and declaration forms. Looking forward to fuggles, east kent goldings and challenger hops. Call me oldfashoned but the new beers have too much fruit and veg in them for an old traditionalist like me. Ha ha. I look forward to reading your ditties. Thanks

 

[An Ankoù]

Welcome Doode67,
I know what you mean about decent bitter (I live in France). I know what you mean about American hops.I think Sarah's disappeared with Noah. I started a thread The Quest for the Perfect Bitter , which might save a lot of repetition. It goes off topic a bit towards the end and, somewhere, one peebee infests it, but there are some great contributions and a few good recipes. Let us know how you get on.
You can buy beer kits from Geterbrewed or Thehomebrewcompany in Ireland without having to worry about customs etc. The latter (maybe both) accept payment in euros. When you talk about kits, do you mean extract kits or all-grain kits?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Doode, i am a massive fan of those hops also love a good bitter and English ipa welcome and happy brewing

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi and welcome to the forum...

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Hello and it’s great to have you here. I sincerely hope that you’ll be able to brew the kind of beer that you enjoy. You talked about kits, but have you ever tried doing a small batch all-grain brew? You really do need hardly any equipment and you‘ll get far closer to that authentic flavour. Have a read of this thread and see what you think: Have a go at simple AG

 

[Doode67]

Welcome Doode67,
I know what you mean about decent bitter (I live in France). I know what you mean about American hops.I think Sarah's disappeared with Noah. I started a thread The Quest for the Perfect Bitter , which might save a lot of repetition. It goes off topic a bit towards the end and, somewhere, one peebee infests it, but there are some great contributions and a few good recipes. Let us know how you get on.
You can buy beer kits from Geterbrewed or Thehomebrewcompany in Ireland without having to worry about customs etc. The latter (maybe both) accept payment in euros. When you talk about kits, do you mean extract kits or all-grain kits?

Hi An Ankou, I will look at your thread. Good to know that there are still some people who love and miss the best Bitter of a few decades ago. There are very few small breweries here and what there is are trying to put their own stamp on a new beer. ( ie. Fruit & veg ). Talking of which, there is a great beer I discovered while on our travels a couple of years ago in Belgium, Piraat Bier. Worth a try if you see it.
Right I will have a look at your quest. I used to make all grain beer but perhaps now I might go for a concentrate as I am reticent to buy all the kit again. Thanks for your input.

 

[micklupulo]

I think Hambledon Bard do dry kits for export as obviously they don't weigh much. I did one in the 80s and it was surprisingly good as it did not suffer from the dreaded twang.

 

[Doode67]

Hi Doode, i am a massive fan of those hops also love a good bitter and English ipa welcome and happy brewing

Been a biker all my life. Sold my last Bonnie two years ago. Miss it as much as the best Bitter!

 

[Doode67]

Hello and it’s great to have you here. I sincerely hope that you’ll be able to brew the kind of beer that you enjoy. You talked about kits, but have you ever tried doing a small batch all-grain brew? You really do need hardly any equipment and you‘ll get far closer to that authentic flavour. Have a read of this thread and see what you think: Have a go at simple AG

Hi. Yes I have made all grain beers and had all the equipment but now that we have moved we have downsized I am looking for a simpler alternative. A simple kit that I might spike a bit with some more hops or extra malt. Thanks for your suggestion though.

 

[Doode67]

I think Hambledon Bard do dry kits for export as obviously they don't weigh much. I did one in the 80s and it was surprisingly good as it did not suffer from the dreaded twang.

Thanks Mick. I will have a look out for them.

 

[An Ankoù]

I haven't made a kit for yonks and I understand they've come on a bit. Nevertheless, if I had to downsize, rather than pimping existing kits with extra hops, I think I'd go back to building up from extract. Here's an excellent book that starts all its recipes with extract and offers all-grain as an alternative.
Avoid the first edition (150 recipes). The authors, too, have come on in leaps and bounds.

 

[Doode67]

Thanks An. That sounds like a good compromise and extra flexibility. Win win. . . .I am onto that book!

 

[An Ankoù]

Thanks An. That sounds like a good compromise and extra flexibility. Win win. . . .I am onto that book!

If you go onto Amazon, you can preview the contents page. Not all are British real ales, by a long chalk.

Talking of which, there is a great beer I discovered while on our travels a couple of years ago in Belgium, Piraat Bier.

The recipe for Piraat Ale is on p360.
Good luck.

 

[Doode67]

If you go onto Amazon, you can preview the contents page. Not all are British real ales, by a long chalk.

The recipe for Piraat Ale is on p360.
Good luck.

just bought the book on Kindle. Some food for thought in the traditional bitter chapter. I will have to make up an order but will have to put some thought into it as the delivery is on the steep side to Portugal.

Piraat ale as well. My son will be pleased!

Thanks An for all your help. Might have to wait for September before I start a brew as it is very warm here in the Algarve mountains.

 

[Worf]

Welcome, Doode. As you can tell, the folks here are more than just a bunch of hangers-on. I'm always amazed at the tidbits that get offered up.

Thanks, An, I'll hafta look for the book. You've peaked my interest.

 

[Spanners]

Hi chaps. Thanks for allowing me to join your crew. I am retired and in my 70s and have been brewing since the mid 60s. I now live on a farm in Portugal and have planted a few vines, but the one thing that I miss is real best Bitter. Cold larger is fine on a hot day ( and we have plenty of those). There are a couple of English pubs with cask beers ( when they can get it)..but I haven't had a good real ale for over a year.
I have a still and make madronia, the local hooch for the winter. ( it is legal here). Sometimes I see an IPA in one of the larger supermarkets and grab it, only to be disappointed to find that it has American hops in it and it tastes like larger and lime. ( a girls drink years ago. ) So it looks like I will have to start brewing again.
Does anybody remember Sarah's Bitter made by Geordie. I think it was a 70s kit. Loved that beer. Easy, cheap and quaffable. Wish they still made it. It was a bag with all the grains and hops that you simmered it for an hour. Tasted just like pub beer in those days.
Well I have rambled on enough. I will have to find out how to buy beer kits without having the problem of import duty and declaration forms. Looking forward to fuggles, east kent goldings and challenger hops. Call me oldfashoned but the new beers have too much fruit and veg in them for an old traditionalist like me. Ha ha. I look forward to reading your ditties. Thanks

Hi "Doode67" and welcome to the forum, I normally dont say too much in the forum but i'm always reading the posts, when I read that you remember "Sarah's Bitter" I couldnt help but reply, I am originaly from South Shields in the north east england, when I was in my mid to late 20's (such a long time ago) I used to brew the odd beer kit, most of the beers didnt turn out so good and I cant remember there names but the only one I remember is "Sarah's Bitter", I'm sure it was distributed from North Shields so not far from where I lived at the time. it was one of the best beers I made from a kit I remember. Things have come on a bit now, many more kits and a lot more people coming into all grain brewing. "Sarah's Bitter " was a very thin body and a low ABV but was a very plesant taste and easy drinking. Good to see your going to have a go at some english real ales

 

[Doode67]

Hi "Doode67" and welcome to the forum, I normally dont say too much in the forum but i'm always reading the posts, when I read that you remember "Sarah's Bitter" I couldnt help but reply, I am originaly from South Shields in the north east england, when I was in my mid to late 20's (such a long time ago) I used to brew the odd beer kit, most of the beers didnt turn out so good and I cant remember there names but the only one I remember is "Sarah's Bitter", I'm sure it was distributed from North Shields so not far from where I lived at the time. it was one of the best beers I made from a kit I remember. Things have come on a bit now, many more kits and a lot more people coming into all grain brewing. "Sarah's Bitter " was a very thin body and a low ABV but was a very plesant taste and easy drinking. Good to see your going to have a go at some english real ales View attachment 49047

Hi Spanners, your right it was a slightly thin brew and not too alcoholic. A bit like some of the draft beers in the pubs in those days. But sometimes you enjoy quaffing a few pints without things becoming too silly. I liked Sarah's Bitter and it always turned out good. A simple easy brew and very drinkable. I would certainly buy it again if I could. Pleased to know that a fellow forum member had similar experiences as I had.
Good luck.

 

[stoob]

Hello Doode67 - and welcome!

Lager and lime. Blimey, that takes me back...

Enjoy your brewing.

 

[Doode67]

Argh well I goes back a long way. With the girls in the 60s it was larger and lime, Babycham or rum and black currant cordial. While us lads had Batemans Bitter, Home Ale, Tartan or Red Barrel. I think Batemans is the only one still going.