Messages

1

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Over aging?

« on: March 07, 2011, 03:18:04 PM »

IPA's are one style that are best drank fresh.  Some beers, such as a barleywine, definitely benefit from aging but others may or may not.

I think that you will find that English IPAs are better after 18 months. At that point the hops will have softened and melded with the malt.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

2

The Pub / Re: European Homebrewers Association

« on: January 20, 2011, 02:38:30 PM »

The first European BJCP exam is being held on 29 January in London, sponsored by the London Amateur Brewers, a CBA affiliate and a member of the London Brewers Alliance.

http://londonamateurbrewers.wordpress.com/

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

3

Ingredients / Re: Hop recommendations for a light ale

« on: January 07, 2011, 10:57:51 AM »

I need some Hop recommendations for a light ale.

For an English Light Ale or Boys Bitter, I would go with East Kent Goldings or perhaps Challenger.

Ferment with Windsor yeast to leave lots of flavour and a high FG.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

4

Beer Recipes / Re: ESB recipe?

« on: December 26, 2010, 04:15:34 AM »

Check out: http://wiki.americanhomebrewers.org/BigBrew2008ChiswickBitterExtract

Chiswick Bitter is partigyled with ESB (and London Pride and Golden Pride).

Simply increase the pale malt extract and the hops to get ESB.


Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

5

Ingredients / Re: Maris Otter -- which one do you prefer and why?

« on: December 03, 2010, 10:41:14 AM »

Do you chaps get Warminster in the US?

I haven't seen it yet. Do you have an opinion on it, particularly versus the other maltsters?

I haven't done a side by side - but I like it a lot, and many brewers over here swear by it.

The low colour version is great for IPAs, and their standard pale ale has so much flavour that I have greatly reduced the amount of crystal that I use in my bitters.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

6

Ingredients / Re: Maris Otter -- which one do you prefer and why?

« on: December 02, 2010, 09:39:05 AM »

Do you chaps get Warminster in the US?

http://www.warminster-malt.co.uk/marisotter.php

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

7

The Pub / Re: kids need to learn the important stuff early....

« on: November 21, 2010, 11:02:45 AM »

What kind of medical-supervised emergency would require giving a 4 year old an alcoholic beverage?

The whole thing is pretty weird - why five anyway? Before moving here I let my kids have sips of homebrew - pretty much from eight months or so- wet lips rather than mouthfuls. I stopped once I found out the law.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

8

The Pub / Re: kids need to learn the important stuff early....

« on: November 19, 2010, 10:06:47 AM »

Oh great,are you guys letting them drink the beer too? You should all be behind bars.

In the UK it is illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under five except under medical supervision in an emergency.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

9

The Pub / Re: kids need to learn the important stuff early....

« on: November 18, 2010, 07:38:16 AM »

My kids don't get to taste much beer - but they smell plenty, starting from the mash tun through to when I am drinking. I figured that we teach them the names of colours and musical notes - why not aromas. Their noses are pretty sharp - they just need to learn the names of things.

My wife is into cooking and does the same with herbs - getting them to indentify what she has used.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

10

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: tips for turning beer around quickly

« on: November 03, 2010, 05:34:19 AM »

I quite often brew on a Saturday and serve the following Friday.

English running beer is what you are after - ordinary bitter, London brown ale, milds, sweet stouts, etc..

Both Windsor and Nottingham yeasts can finish by Wednesday - Windsor finishes before Nottingham but doesn't ferment as dry.
Two sachets of dry yeast for 20 litres does the trick. I ferment at around 18°C.

Rack into a keg Wednesday night and chill. Carbonate (and dry hop) Thursday night and serve on Friday night.

The beer may be a little hazy - ceramic mugs help - but fresh beer tastes great.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

11

All Grain Brewing / Re: Why mash for 60 minutes?

« on: October 30, 2010, 10:21:55 AM »

Here is a useful article on shorter mashing times, "To Mash or not to Mash Kurz / Hoch"

http://www.draymans.com/articles/arts/14.html

12

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Good Old Ales / Barley Wines?

« on: October 30, 2010, 02:45:26 AM »

I suppose that if you want to sample some, get a bottle of fullers vintage, thomas Hardy's, and ...
That would cover Old Ale, English BW.

Thomas Hardy is no more  - sadly.
Fullers Vintage is not really considered an Old Ale in England - although it does age well.

Instead look for Gales Prize Old Ale - http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=31&pressid=123

Fullers Golden Pride is thought by some to be an English Barley Wine: http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=60

To get a better understanding, read: http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/so-what-is-the-difference-between-barley-wine-and-old-ale/

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

13

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Chimay

« on: October 30, 2010, 02:34:04 AM »

I've had similar experiences.  I won't buy it anymore unless it's on tap, and usually the places that have it on tap have morew interesting beers for me to drink anyway.   

You need to move to Europe. I have never had a bad Chimay and drink plenty of them.

Life without Chimay would be diminished.

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

14

Beer Recipes / Re: English IPA tips

« on: September 28, 2010, 04:36:41 AM »

Aging is advised for both EIPAs and WIPAs. Modern British practice is to age in stainless - corny or sankey kegs mainly. Anything airtight, light shielding and infection resistant will do.

You could call it "secondary" although not much fermentation takes place. Conditioning is the term that I would use.

The big question is warm or cold conditioning. I condition at -1°C as this improves colloidal stability and reduces risk of off flavours growing, however there are arguments for room temperature conditioning in terms of greater flavour development (remembering that it does not get that hot in Britain - perhaps up to 25°C indoors in summer).

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent

15

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Stout with Lactose

« on: September 26, 2010, 03:28:45 AM »

When is lactose normally added?  If it can be added a bottling, it could be an interesting experiment in just how much to add.  That is, bottle a few, add some lactose, bottle a few more, add more lactose, etc. etc.

I prefer to add to the boil, from an infection point of view. I once had a lactic infection which I think came from adding lactose to the bottle (but I could be wrong).

Ant Hayes
Tonbridge, Kent