Tom Caxton Real Ale

[woody1959]

Just started off a Tom Caxton Real Ale kit.
Pressure fermenting in the Fermzilla at 5PSI.
temp 18.5c
I used all the original ingredients
1kg Vinclass brewing sugar
20L Sainsbury Scottish mineral water
SG 1.040 expected FG 1.009 ish

Tom Caxton is a name from way back when I first tried home brew 30 odd years ago, came across this kit on Amazon whilst searching for Coopers Real ale ( my "go to" beer), nostalgia got the better of me so I thought I would give it a go.

 

[Frogbrew]

I've done this kit in the past, from memory was very nice.

 

[woody1959]

I've done this kit in the past, from memory was very nice.

Lets hope mine turns out the same.

I do like a nice ale as they can be served at room temp

 

[Cwrw666]

I used to do this one - one of the worst offenders for homebrew twang in my experience, but there again you may be a better kit brewer than I was. Found it much improved with half the sugar and brewed to 4 gallons rather than five.

 

[woody1959]

I used to do this one - one of the worst offenders for homebrew twang in my experience, but there again you may be a better kit brewer than I was. Found it much improved with half the sugar and brewed to 4 gallons rather than five.

I don't think I have ever brewed this one before.

I also don't think there is such a thing as a good or bad kit brewer only patient and impatient ones.

As the is the first time I have pretty much followed the instructions only thing I changed was the sugar, I used dextrose instead of table sugar.

 

[terrym]

I also don't think there is such a thing as a good or bad kit brewer only patient and impatient ones.

Maybe so.
However the defining factor of the end product is more likely governed by the quality of the kit being brewed and what is used to enhance it.

 

[Cwrw666]

Also such things as temperature control during fermentation. Didn't much bother about this in the old days.

 

[woody1959]

Also such things as temperature control during fermentation. Didn't much bother about this in the old days.

I have an Inkbird and heater belt keep the wort at 20c.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I was going to brew some Tom Paxton but it was the last thing on my mind.

I'll get my coat.

 

[Bevvied]

I did this 2nd November and just tried a pint.
That's a lot longer than normal for me to wait, but I'd made it, bottled it, carbed it then bunged it in the shed, literally forgot all about it.

Ok, so notes I made.
In FV for 18 days at 19/20C.
Notty yeast, pitched at 20C.
The full packet of supplied hop oil/maltodextrin.
1KG Medium spray malt
500G demerara.
Brewed full length to 23L.
Primed half a teaspoon of brewing sugar per 500ml bottle.

I never made a note of gravity readings, sorry.

It's a lovely pint, thick head, lacing all the way down the glass.
Malty (due no doubt to the 1kg of spray malt)
There's a bitterness there from the supplied hop oil packet, but no great hop aroma, as expected.
I really wish I'd dry hopped this, but it's a nice pint, honest.
I suspect, like most kits, it just needs a bit of time and to stay clear of the recommended kilo of sugar addition.
A mate had one with me and asked for some to take home.

I've put half a dozen bottles in the fridge for supping during the week.

I'll do it again sometime exactly the same, but just a little 25G or 50G dry hop will turn it from from a nice 7/10 pint to a great 8/10 one.

Just give it time I suggest.

 

[nige]

I don't think a traditional bitter is supposed to be hoppy or is that just me but Tom caxton is an old one, mabe all our Twang came with straight tap water as I never treated it then and now there's a mile of difference to me. Also like Terry said the added extras as apposed to loads of sugar eagerly chucked into the mix.