morethanworts
Landlord.
Seeing that I always kept a good written record of my brewing, 29th November 2001 is recorded as the day I boiled up the best beer I have made (to date), by some margin! Sadly, two attempts to repeat it the following year were both disappointing, and I recorded the final tastes as having a sort of 'burnt', dry flavour.
Now fully in the age of the internet and Homebrew forums, I'm hoping to improve my methods to make a successful repeat of the original brew, which was a fantastic hoppy bitter that I would have been delighted to be served with, in every respect, in any pub.
I can't remember how I arrived at the recipe, though it's nothing original. What I'd be really grateful for are any comments on the recipe and balance of ingredients and even how I might improve the next one, as well as any improvements in the process.
The original recipe:
2 x 1.5Kg tins of Telfords Pale Malt Extract
12oz (possibly was 1lb) crushed crystal malt
2oz Fuggles
1 oz Goldings
1/2 oz Goldings (late in the boil)
1 x sachet Gervin English Ale Yeast
OG 1.042
FG 1.013
Back in 2001, I steeped the crystal malt for 45 mins at 65-70C in water. I sparged it with water at 85C and boiled that liquor with the contents of the cans and 2oz Fuggles and 1oz Goldings for a further 45 mins, before adding the 1/2oz Goldings and turning the heat off. Left for 15 mins. Sparged hops from a kettle and cooled ASAP.
Pitched with the Gervin English Ale Yeast, started as per instructions, 4 hrs earlier. After 5 days primary was down to 1.013 (at which point I recorded that it already tasted hoppy and 'completely professional'), so I racked into demijohns for a week before kegging and fining with gelatine. I only got a few pints of it, before it ended up at a mate's house for New Year's Eve. :drunk:
Now fully in the age of the internet and Homebrew forums, I'm hoping to improve my methods to make a successful repeat of the original brew, which was a fantastic hoppy bitter that I would have been delighted to be served with, in every respect, in any pub.
I can't remember how I arrived at the recipe, though it's nothing original. What I'd be really grateful for are any comments on the recipe and balance of ingredients and even how I might improve the next one, as well as any improvements in the process.
The original recipe:
2 x 1.5Kg tins of Telfords Pale Malt Extract
12oz (possibly was 1lb) crushed crystal malt
2oz Fuggles
1 oz Goldings
1/2 oz Goldings (late in the boil)
1 x sachet Gervin English Ale Yeast
OG 1.042
FG 1.013
Back in 2001, I steeped the crystal malt for 45 mins at 65-70C in water. I sparged it with water at 85C and boiled that liquor with the contents of the cans and 2oz Fuggles and 1oz Goldings for a further 45 mins, before adding the 1/2oz Goldings and turning the heat off. Left for 15 mins. Sparged hops from a kettle and cooled ASAP.
Pitched with the Gervin English Ale Yeast, started as per instructions, 4 hrs earlier. After 5 days primary was down to 1.013 (at which point I recorded that it already tasted hoppy and 'completely professional'), so I racked into demijohns for a week before kegging and fining with gelatine. I only got a few pints of it, before it ended up at a mate's house for New Year's Eve. :drunk:
