Progress - But Just the Hop

[Slid]

I have canned the idea of an Old Ale until the next brewing window.
Since today is a poor day, weather-wise, I was up early and had first use of the kitchen.

I wanted a beer that would be good for re-using yeast (US 05) and am curious about the Fuggle replacement hop "Progress". Aiming for a lightly coloured beer, but with some malt presence to go with the hopping. Fuggles are generally associated more with milds than bitters, but I was keen on a light beer. So here it is, for the 26L brew:

Maris Otter 4.65kg
Munich 1kg
Crystal 200g
Demerara Sugar 300g

Usual 65C Mash and so on mash -out at 75C plus sparge.

Hops went something like:

Herkules (big bittering hop) to about 30 IBU's
Progress at 15/5/0mins something like 25/13/12g
First Gold at 5/0mins 8/9g

The First Gold were the last of the bag of hops and I can't have too many of these in the freezer, as SWMBO + daughters would whinge.

Measured the Brew-house efficiency at around 70%, now using the temp adjuster for estimation. This sample tasted pretty much as I was looking for.

 

[Clint]

Still learning. ..why the sugar? Also what do the first golding hops give in terms of aroma/ taste?

Cheers

Clint

 

[Slid]

Still learning. ..why the sugar? Also what do the first golding hops give in terms of aroma/ taste?

Cheers

Clint

First Gold is a dual purpose hop that stands up as a sort of "improved" Golding strain. I like it and used it at the end of this brew, mainly because it was there and needing finishing and also because I thought it would go well with the main hop - Progress.

Why the sugar?
Well, this is essentially a light beer in terms of both colour and "mouth-feel". I add sugar to many beers and if you have access to Graham Wheeler's book - Brew Your own British Real Ale, you may be surprised to see how many of his recipes incorporate white sugar.

In Randy Mosher's book "Radical Brewing" he suggests using unrefined sugars, particularly in Belgian beers.

I would not necessarily recommend my own preferences to anyone else, though. It is just how I do my beer at the moment.

 

[Clint]

Thanks! Reading up it seems the Americans like to add sugar to their brews as it adds abv without much taste or colour..or is that color? !!

 

[MyQul]

Thanks! Reading up it seems the Americans like to add sugar to their brews as it adds abv without much taste or colour..or is that color? !!

They also like adding corn/maize products as it's a 'local' adjunct to their continent. Stuff like corn sugar and flaked maize as it's cheap, adds abv and lightens the body. But it can add some flavour.

I'm doing a cream ale with flaked maize (additive free corn flakes from H&B really) in a couple of days

 

[Clint]

I put a load of flaked maize in my recent lager ish brew..

 

[MyQul]

I think a cream ale is as close to a pale lager as your going to get with with an ale. I think the FM makes is 'crisp and dry' like a lager (although not like the cooking fat of the same name :lol:)

 

[BeerisGOD]

They also like adding corn/maize products as it's a 'local' adjunct to their continent. Stuff like corn sugar and flaked maize as it's cheap, adds abv and lightens the body. But it can add some flavour.

I'm doing a cream ale with flaked maize (additive free corn flakes from H&B really) in a couple of days

I put 200g of table sugar in my last batch. But I've paid the price for too much. It's handy for when ur low on base malt but wànt a bit more abv.
The price I paid for to much was an extremely dry aftertaste. A batch I was glad to see the back of