Writer: Terry Foster
Welsh Archer’s Bitter Ale
Digital and Plus Members OnlyWe want to use crystal malt to give it some extra flavor and body, and more importantly to make it copper colored rather than pale gold in hue. Perfect in a bitter.
A Tale of Two Historic Porters
Digital and Plus Members OnlyI have recently been a part of brewing two historic porters on a commercial scale. The first was a re-creation of a specific historical brew at Brewport Brewing Co. in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The second was a modern creation at Springdale, the ale department of Jack’s Abby Brewing in Framingham, Massachusetts that was along the lines of
Brewport Brewing Co.’s Dr. Foster’s Bridgeporter clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBrewport Brewing Co.’s Dr. Foster’s Bridgeporter clone (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.054 FG = 1.013IBU = 37 SRM = 49 ABV = 5.3% This recipe is Brewport Brewing Co.’s interpretation of a porter recipe from 1904 found in Hartmann Brewery’s recipe archives (the now defunct Hartmann Brewery was in the same city of Bridgeport,
Springdale Beer Co. & Brewport Brewing Co.’s Brow Brau clone
FREESpringdale Beer Co. & Brewport Brewing Co.’s Brow Brau clone (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.049 FG = 1.017IBU = 25 SRM = 25 ABV = 4.1% This recipe may be
American Bock
Digital and Plus Members OnlyAmerican bock, you say? Surely, bock is a purely German style . . . right? Yes, indeed it is, however there was once a style called American bock, which is going to be the focus of this column. But first, we must revisit the history of bock to understand it. Bock has a long and
X Marks the Bock
Digital and Plus Members OnlyX Marks the Bock (5 gallons/19 L, extract only)OG = 1.060 FG = 1.012IBU = 35 SRM = 9 ABV = 6.3% When formulating an extract version of the all-grain recipe Old Timer’s Bock, we had to make some sacrifices due to the large percent of flaked corn in that recipe. As such, this recipe
Old Timer’s Bock
Digital and Plus Members OnlyOld Timer’s Bock (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.060 FG = 1.010IBU = 35 SRM = 13 ABV = 6.6% This recipe is our attempt of brewing an American bock similar to that of Hartmann Brewing Co.’s 1904 version. Ingredients8.2 lbs. (3.7 kg) Simpsons Best Pale Ale malt1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Simpsons medium crystal malt
A Very English Ale Revolution
Digital and Plus Members OnlyNew laws, increased infrastructure, and changing views in the latter half of the 19th century had an impact on nearly every facet of British culture, including beer. We review how this time in British history helped shape the English beer styles as we know them today.
Historic Bitter Ale
Digital and Plus Members OnlyHistoric Bitter Ale (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.052 FG = 1.013IBU = 64 SRM = 7 ABV = 5.1% Ingredients5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg.) Golden Promise pale ale malt5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Briess Ashburne® Mild malt18 AAU Golding hops (60 min.) (3 oz./85 g at 6% alpha acids)SafAle S-04 or Wyeast 1099 (Whitbread Ale) yeast2⁄3
XX Mild Ale
Digital and Plus Members OnlyXX Mild Ale (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.062 FG = 1.012 IBU = 52 SRM = 11 ABV = 6.6% Ingredients11 lbs. (5 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt2 lbs. (0.91 kg) amber malt14 AAU Challenger hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 7% alpha acids)SafAle S-04 or Wyeast 1099 (Whitbread Ale) yeast2⁄3 cup corn
Big Ben Barleywine
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBig Ben Barleywine (3.3 gallons/12.5 L, all-grain)OG = 1.109 FG = 1.030IBU = 80+ SRM = 10 ABV = 10.5% Ingredients15 lbs. (6.8 kg) Maris Otter pale malt29 AAU Target hops (90 min.) (2.5 oz./71 g at 11.6% alpha acids)White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) or Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast2⁄3 cup
Making Real Ale at Home
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe title of this column may have made you say something like, “Real ale? All my ale is real!” And you are right; Didn’t Descartes say, “I drink it, therefore it’s real?” But there is a specific meaning of the phrase “real ale.” It is a term coined by the British consumer group CAMRA, the