Real Ale Recipe Advice Please

[John]

Hi Brewers

 

I am looking at making an all-malt Real Ale - partly in the style of a Speights Distinction ale - partly to use up some ingredients I have lying around (specially the open can of Liquid Amber Malt sitting covered in the fridge.

 

I am hoping for a medium/full bodied ale, with a good amount of flavour and a nice hoppy finish/aroma.

 

I was thinking about using the following:

-1.7Kg Coopers Real Ale

-1/2 tin (.75Kg) Liquid Amber Malt

-.75Kg LDME

-2x15g Fuggles/Goldings - steeped and added after 2-3 days (after vigourous fermentation is finished - newbie thought( yes I realise this is a bit of an oxymoron) - results in a stronger hop aroma?)

-23L

 

From Brewcraft calculator OG would be around 1.049. Past experience ( i.e. stuff-ups) suggests that I need some extra yeast.

 

I would appreciate any advice / suggestions - even from PB3 (Muddy) if he is not too busy digging.

 

[Muddy Waters]

Hey John - I'm just a newbie too but I guess I just post a lot. (Note to self - get a life).

 

I'll let Paul come back with an intelligent reply but I'll give my 2 cents worth before I crawl back in my hole. The recipe sounds ok to me (but see my previous comment on waiting for an intelligent reply).

 

I stand to be corrected but I would have thought that for you late hopping you could just throw them in dry after a few days rather than steeping them. But did I mention waiting for an intelligent reply?

[PB2]

Disclaimer - I haven't tasted this beer.

 

Correction, a work colleague reminded me that we tasted it about 3 weeks ago at Fox's Ale House, Auckland ...oops...

 

The description of Speights Distinction Ale ,on their website, doesn't talk about hop character at all?? The emphasis is on malt - in fact, the words malt/malts/malty appear 4 times in their description.

 

Anyway, I think your recipe should make a nice beer.

The supplied yeast will cope with the fermntaion but you can add more yeast if you have it handy.

If you are making it to 23 litres, the OG may be closer to 1045, or slightly less.

Why not add the hops as you plan to and get back to us with the results??

 

[John]

Thanks Peter (and I suppose Muddy too)

 

Not a bad drop if you are looking for some more homework. My newbie tastebuds got the malty, roast biscuit flavour, with some bitterness at the end and a floral (hops?) finish, but I wanted to try Fuggles (cause I haven't used it before)Will give it a go - still nervous about the yeast though. Aside from the Coopers kit yeast I can have a go at reclaiming (will read your other posts on this)some from my brew currently brewing (which is the Coopers Best Extra Stout clone, which used both yeast sachets)

 

Not sure if you are into/know about it but Epic (In Auckland) has an interesting style of IPA that goes completely ape with the hops. http://armageddon.epicbeer.com/