peebee
Out of Control
Brewing has got postponed for a few days (me arm hurts ) so I'll do something about that "Boddington's X" recipe meantime. Well it is really a "Mild", not potentially a "perfect bitter". So while that recipe goes on the back burner, I've dug up this alternative from Edd's Web-site. This one really is a "bitter", Peter Walker's 1886 X Bitter (32IBU; one in the eye for those folk, they do exist, that think "X" means "mild").
I'd skipped over this previously because it contains maize and I'm prejudiced against maize; not for any flavour reason, only because it isn't "British". But apparently this went on a lot in Victorian Britain 'cos we weren't self-sufficient in brewing grain, and hops too. After the "Free Mash-Tun Act" (1880) brewers started adding all sorts of "other" grains. So its time I ditched the prejudices (only for the sake of historical accuracy!).
The usual Edd's trademark mix of grains, and hops, which I've adapted to what I've available. The addition of Amber malt probably does come from the original recipe; it was a common addition back then. I've chosen dark Munich Malt over Amber 'cos it's made slightly differently and in what I'd imagine (I have a very distorted imagination) is closer to the stuff about back then.
Back to the Boddington's X: What @scomet said about "caramelisation"; that would fit with what I said about No.4 Invert Sugar. I found it a bit difficult to believe it was "added" (the black, bitter, near burnt caramel that is, not the lush golden pre-burnt stuff). I can see me making my own invert when I get around to the Boddies X.
I'd skipped over this previously because it contains maize and I'm prejudiced against maize; not for any flavour reason, only because it isn't "British". But apparently this went on a lot in Victorian Britain 'cos we weren't self-sufficient in brewing grain, and hops too. After the "Free Mash-Tun Act" (1880) brewers started adding all sorts of "other" grains. So its time I ditched the prejudices (only for the sake of historical accuracy!).
The usual Edd's trademark mix of grains, and hops, which I've adapted to what I've available. The addition of Amber malt probably does come from the original recipe; it was a common addition back then. I've chosen dark Munich Malt over Amber 'cos it's made slightly differently and in what I'd imagine (I have a very distorted imagination) is closer to the stuff about back then.
Back to the Boddington's X: What @scomet said about "caramelisation"; that would fit with what I said about No.4 Invert Sugar. I found it a bit difficult to believe it was "added" (the black, bitter, near burnt caramel that is, not the lush golden pre-burnt stuff). I can see me making my own invert when I get around to the Boddies X.