Modern Homebrew Recipes (29 page)

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

0.5 tsp CaCl
₂
and 0.5 tsp CaSO
₄
in mash

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, dark grains added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

152°F (67°C) 60 minutes

170°F (77°C) 25 minutes

Kettle volume:

8 gallons (30 L)

Boil length:

60 minutes

Final volume:

6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Sensory description:
Dark beer with ruby highlights. Dark caramelized sugar, dark fruit, and other complex flavors. Moderately bitter, but the varied dark fruit and dark sugar flavors are most prominent on the palate.

Formulation notes:
Mild malt for dextrins, corn for a rounded sweetness, crystal malts for flavor contributions, and the invert sugar for color and deep caramelized sugar flavors. The yeast is one of the more balanced strains, and is a good all-around choice Dry hopping this beer provides an extra fresh floral note that comes out well when served on cask at cellar temperature.

Variations:
English brewing sugars produce complex flavors that are difficult to reproduce using just malts (licorice notes are virtually impossible). An approximation of the invert sugar can be made with 329 g of Lyle’s Golden Syrup and 11 g of good-quality blackstrap molasses (select a molasses that tastes like dark licorice, not like bitter, burnt sugar).

THROWBACK MILD

On a trip to England in 1998, I had a chance to try Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, and have been trying to recreate it ever since. Roger Protz’s Real Ale Almanac had enough clues in it to put together a template recipe. This recipe matches the framework parameters but I’m still searching for the perfect crystal malt for the dark fruit flavor profile. This recipe is a lot like the Sarah Hughes beer, but not an exact clone.

Style:
English Strong Ale (New BJCP Style)

Description:
A stronger 1921 mild from the Birmingham area in England. Fruity, malty, and quite a bit stronger than modern milds, it relies solely on dark crystal malt for flavor and color.

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaCl
₂
in mash

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, crystal malt added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

154°F (68°C) 60 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

8.5 gallons (30 L)

Boil length:

90 minutes

Final volume:

6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Sensory description:
Clear, with a deep reddish hue. Has a dark fruity and malty sweet palate but tastes attenuated. Medium-low bitterness in the balance.

Formulation notes:
I know 25% crystal malt seems insane, but this really does work. The crystal malt is the key ingredient for the recipe, and is the basis for experimentation. I don’t think I’ve yet found a perfect match, but I’m also relying on my tasting notes and flavor memory from a visit to the brewery nearly two decades ago. The parameters for color will seem dark, but it will be a very dark reddish color, not black. A fruity yeast enhances the flavor profile, so if you make a change, go with something that produces fruit flavors. I think the Fuller’s yeast is a good choice because other than fruitiness, it’s relatively clean and isn’t highly attenuative.

Variations:
Every time I make this recipe, I use a different crystal malt so I can compare the flavors. It seems the darker I go, the better it is, as long as I don’t start getting the burnt sugar flavors that also bring bitterness. You need at least a British 75–85°L crystal malt; those around the 90–120°L range are likely to give the most intense flavors but they may be too strong. The flavor profile of British dark crystal malts vary widely by the maltster, so some experimentation is needed. If you think you’ve nailed it, be sure to tell me what you used so I can give it a try.

MODERN LONDON PORTER

This is one of the recipes I put together while promoting
Brewing Better Beer.
I served it at the NHC conference in Seattle and it was a big hit. One of the main points I was making at the time was that great dark beer could be made essentially the same great pale ale is made.

Style:
English Porter (Classic BJCP Style)

Description:
A modern English porter with a great chocolate flavor and the unmistakable brown malt taste that epitomizes the style.

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaCl
₂
in mash

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, dark grains added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

153°F (67°C) 60 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

8 gallons (30 L)

Boil length:

75 minutes

Final volume:

6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:

66°F (19°C)

Sensory description:
Delicious balance. The brown malt adds so much complexity, and is that
missing flavor
that you can taste in beers like Fuller’s London Porter. The crystal malt gives it a higher finishing gravity and richer body, while the Munich pumps up the maltiness. Combined, those malty, sweet flavors help balance the bready, toasty, and roasty notes from the base malt, brown malt, and chocolate malt. Lightly fruity, soft floral hop flavor, supportive bitterness in a malt-forward beer.

Formulation notes:
I like to use UK-sourced ingredients since they have the authentic flavors that are important to the style (particularly the brown and chocolate malts). If you can’t get brown malt, make a different recipe; this just won’t be the same without it. The Munich malt is optional. I use it to get extra maltiness without additional sweetness. If you want even more maltiness, try Aromatic malt. If you are trying for a purist recipe, delete it and go all English. The yeast choice is Fuller’s strain, which I think gives a clean malt flavor with a restrained fruity accent.

Variations:
The flavors from the UK malts (especially brown malt) can vary a bit by maltster, so compare various products from maltsters like Crisp, Fawcett, Baird, and Simpsons. I was shooting for a beer like Fuller’s, so I used their yeast; other fruity, malty English strains (such as White Labs WLP037 Yorkshire Square yeast) would work as well and might also make a delicious alternative.

ROBUST ENGLISH PORTER

Quite different from the caramel and chocolate porters you often find today, this recipe brings out the flavors of old school porters using traditional British ingredients.

Style:
English Porter (Classic BJCP Style)

Description:
A style that pays homage to English porters from an earlier era that had bigger dark malt flavor.

Ingredients: