Adnams Southwold Bitter

[Eric]

50 litres already done Steve. It's currently down to FG and clearing, but at 23C. Just hoping for cooler weather to get it racked before Monday. Those in the foreground are Northdown, some of those were dried to some degree and added halfway through the boil. Those in the background are Bramling Cross, were also supported further to the left in the picture, and those bines were removed on Sunday during the boil and added late.

Unfortunately, I can't see the rest being used with present commitments in addition to no proper drying equipment. The weather has been exceptional this year.

[FUBAR]

Good to read Eric , just something special about a green hop beer . Certainly looked some nice big healthy hop cones you had to use , it has been on my to do list for a couple of years to get some rhizomes and plant them in the garden .
Seeing as I now deliver to https://essentiallyhops.co.uk/product-c ... op-plants/ occasionally when at work I have no excuse not to get some in this winter . Thinking that the pole that supports my end fed wire antenna would ideal to run strings from .

[Eric]

Now that sounds good Steve, just wondering how well a top loaded Fuggle might work on Top Band or eighty metres once it reached the top of your mast. Coincidentally, a second support that is out of view in the picture is the aluminium pole that once held an 8-element quad for 2 metres. Hops are fun to grow, the only problem is dealing with them when they have grown.

The green hop beer's set for 12C tonight, currently 14 and should get casked this weekend.

Meanwhile the Adnam's Bitter is tasting well and now crystal clear. Had a pint of draught Ghost Ship today and it tasted comparatively thin, but the hops were nice.

[FUBAR]

Alas it would need a very high mast a Yagi and a lot of patience to get much response on 2 metres around here . Think the AMU might struggle a bit on top band Eric , wonder how long a TX at 50W on SSB it would take to dry out the cones . Don't recall seeing an equation to work that one out in the exam course work .
Apologies for taking this thread s off topic .

[clarets7]

First pint out of the barrel of the Southwold Bitter recipe, and it has definitely improved. Probably needs another day to be at it's best but a perfectly drinkable session beer, and has lost that brown ale twang. Could do with upping the bitterness slightly and still a bit on the sweet side compared to the original, but I was expecting that with the MJ Empire yeast.

[clarets7]

Alas it would need a very high mast a Yagi and a lot of patience to get much response on 2 metres around here . Think the AMU might struggle a bit on top band Eric , wonder how long a TX at 50W on SSB it would take to dry out the cones . Don't recall seeing an equation to work that one out in the exam course work .
Apologies for taking this thread s off topic .

No problem Fubar, in the early 70's I used to scavenge tips for old electrical equipment to build transmitters, amazing what you can make from old valve televisions!

[Eric]

Alas it would need a very high mast a Yagi and a lot of patience to get much response on 2 metres around here . Think the AMU might struggle a bit on top band Eric , wonder how long a TX at 50W on SSB it would take to dry out the cones . Don't recall seeing an equation to work that one out in the exam course work .
Apologies for taking this thread s off topic .

No problem Fubar, in the early 70's I used to scavenge tips for old electrical equipment to build transmitters, amazing what you can make from old valve televisions!

I've still got most of my valved equipment. Need a clear out in truth but can't bear to part with such nostalgia.

The Southwold Bitter is now reasonable drink as the Amber malt mellowed to give a more broadscale character, but the absence of a dominant Fuggle aroma or flavour is highly disappointing. I don't know if that was due to the hops themselves, they looked anemic, or bagging for no filter in the Klarstein. My Amber Malt addition was a mistake, possibly a different maltster's version might have produced a better result but will be omitted next attempt to replicate this amazing beer. I recently had a pint of Adnam's Ghost Ship on draught, only to be disappointed.

[clarets7]

I would agree with that description applied to my Southwold Bitter, reasonable. I can still taste the amber and I'm not a fan in a bitter to be fair, and like you say hops are pretty muted. It really needed a yeast that attenuated a bit more, probably would have been better with some invert sugar or plain white instead of the amber malt. Still very drinkable though. My Fuggles were from the Malt Miller, 2021 harvest 5 EBU.

[Eric]

My Fuggles were also from the MM, but older. The beer has slightly improved, but by observation would appear to be near optimum as it was already well attenuated when casked. Might bottle some with added hop oil.

[clarets7]

I hooked my beer engine up to the barrel last night and the beer is definitely better through that. I suspect Adnams have a trusted supply of Fuggles with more punch. I might try and replicate the Fuggles profile with a mix of some of the newer more pungent hops, but that will have to wait till I find a better yeast, the MJ Empire is not right for this. Back to making some 6L brews on the stove I think.

[clarets7]

Stovetop brew with 95% pale 5% Simpsons T50 and all Pilgrim pellets, 6g at 60 minutes and 6g at 15 minutes. Fermented in pot with 2g each of Crossmyloof Midland and The Firm. Definitely has that classic 1970's ordinary bitter taste that I've been looking for even though it's only been three days in the bottle. Might try a full size brew tomorrow but add some Fuggles as late hop and dry hop, might be closer than the previous attempt. No amber or black malt either.

[Eric]

Stovetop brew with 95% pale 5% Simpsons T50 and all Pilgrim pellets, 6g at 60 minutes and 6g at 15 minutes. Fermented in pot with 2g each of Crossmyloof Midland and The Firm. Definitely has that classic 1970's ordinary bitter taste that I've been looking for even though it's only been three days in the bottle. Might try a full size brew tomorrow but add some Fuggles as late hop and dry hop, might be closer than the previous attempt. No amber or black malt either.

Thanks for this, good to read. I've not used any of Simpson's crystal malt's for yonks, or possibly never. Must get around to getting some stock I have topped up stock with Fuggles, but my present plans are for a bitter with homegrown Bramling Cross and Northdown.

[micmacmoc]

Well this has been a brilliant read, thanks folks!
Lovely to see that in a modern computer age Dave Line is still highly regarded. Also that the smell of dust on valve radios is still being experienced, always reminds me of my grandma's house. Ed Stewarts Junior choice, horse racing and 'Lillibulero' as the World Service news comes on. Yeah, I am old!
Brewing though..is the thing with Southwold's (superb) ales still trying to reproduce ther dual strain? Is there a 'well its not as good, but here you go' version?
Again, lovely read and enthusiasm here is ignited...I have Northdown, Fuggles and free time on my hands....

[clarets7]

Brewing though..is the thing with Southwold's (superb) ales still trying to reproduce their dual strain? Is there a 'well its not as good, but here you go' version?

It's certainly a big part of it. Since their mini casks became mini kegs it's much harder to get hold of the real thing. I made many a Ghost Ship clone with yeast from the mini casks, which turned out mostly very nice beers and close to the original, but never attempted the bitter. It's been suggested in the past that WLP025 and Wyeast 1335 together would be close to the Adnams dual strain, but WLP025 is not often available, hence trying to get somewhere close with a mix of readily available dry yeasts.

[orlando]

Norwich Amateur Brewers have a very good relationship with Adnams and in the last few years (Covid permitting) we have had what we call the Adnams Challenge, this years was Broadside. Fergus and Dan have been very generous by telling us the recipe for the Beers we have brewed and allowed us their fresh yeast to brew them. Once brewed the brewers then all toddle along to the brewery where Dan & Fergus give their verdict. As for Southwold, it is just Pale malt, light crystal (150) and black malt. Hops are Fuggles and Pilgrim. So, with all this help advice and insider knowledge and even the holy of holy's the real yeast, how have we done? Not even close. There has been some very good Beers though. Just not Southwold. It amuses me that any commercial brewer would be unwilling to divulge their "secrets" as the chances of matching it at our scale is pretty remote. Moreover, why on earth would a commercial rival want to clone some other breweries Beer?