Fuller's Vintage Ale

[dcq1974]

Hi All
Looking at doing a Vintage Ale style for Xmas. Anyone any ideas on IBU? I reckon around 60 for this 8.5% ABV monster?

Cheers
Darren

[JammyBStard]

I can't believe we're talking about Christmas already!

They were actually selling mince pies and festive ham in Tesco today.

[dcq1974]

Cheers!
Any other info anyone can offer on IBU of Vintage Ale?

[smp465]

I had a chat with the head brewer (nice chap) at the GBBF this year, he was there to oversee the 2009 vintage they had on cask as a festival special - which was superb! He told me it worked out at 5% crystal, but pointed me to this for info on their beers:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/search?q=fuller

Fullers use an old fashioned Gyle brew system, basically they make a high gravity wort and a low gravity wort which get blended in different proportions after boiling to make up the different beers. Most hops are added to the low gravity brew to aid utilisation. I don't know what you can find in that link as i haven't picked through it myself as yet, but the conversation i had left me under the impression that "vintage" wasn't all that bitter. Unfortunately, there appeared to be stiff resistance to talk actual numbers.

If "vintage" is mainly, or indeed solely, the high gravity portion of a gyle (as you would imagine) it will be low in hop. I don't think it is anything like 60IBU. If it helps your numbers after looking at that link, the brewer told me that LP is a 1:1 mix, ESB is a 2:1 mix. For other Fullers fans who read this, ESB is dry hopped, LP is not.

[dcq1974]

SMP
Thanks for the link and info - much appreciated

[Philipek]

That blog is crazy. I've been reading through it for about 2 hours. One day, when I'm clever enough, I might be able to brew something from that site.

[smp465]

Nothing given for "free" in all that info by any means. Given that the blend ratios for LP and ESB are known, i have been thinking about attempting these two beers in a single brewday with a high and low gravity portion being blended. It's not my next brewday, but i'll be sure to post it up when i do it.