Hi All,
Am visiting my father-in-law in a few week to do an AG brew with him (his first in nearly 40 years!). He lives down the road from the Bank Top brewery and Flat Cap is his favorite ever beer. Was wondering if anyone had a recipe so I could get the bits in before I travel up there? I tried to find an email address to ask the brewery themselves but their website is just a holding page at the mo.
Would be very grateful if anyone could help.
Thanks.
Dave
Bank Top - Flat Cap recipe help!
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seymour
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Re: Bank Top - Flat Cap recipe help!
Bank Top is apparently a very tight-lipped brewery, and despite the popularity of their Flat Cap Bitter, there are no clone recipes floating about.
As you probably already know, Bank Top Flat Cap was originally named Bank Top Fred's Cap after local legend Fred Dibnah, since deceased. The pump clips featured his picture and everything, but they didn't get his permission nor pay him anything, so after some petty drama with his agent (and depending on which version of the story you believe, his wife, now widow) they chose to rename their best-selling bitter.
Anyway, if you search for Bank Top Fred's Cap, you get this Bolton News article from 1996, which tells us they use Fawcett's Halcyon Pale malt, Fawcett's crystal malt, and torrefied wheat. It also states they use two Worcester hops. Historically speaking, I gather "Worcester hops" were probably an old English landrace related to all other Goldings, but considered milder than East Kent and Mid Kent Goldings, right? Nowadays, I think "Worcester hops" could generally refer to any variety grown in the Worcester region (Goldings, Fuggles, Challenger, Bramling Cross, Northern Brewer, Northdown, etc.) For instance, Bank Top Old Slapper is/was brewed with Hilary hops, which I gather are a dwarf variety, most likely grown in Worcester...
So, your guess is as good as mine, but I think you should craft a basic English bitter with an OG around 1040, ABV around 4.0%, with a grainbill something like 90% Halcyon (or any UK 2-row pale such as Maris Otter or Optic), 5% Crystal Malt, and 5% Torrified Wheat, with English hops which have a mild bitterness and lots of citrus (sounds like Challenger to me.) Ferment with an estery English ale yeast strain such as Windsor or Fullers, but Nottingham or S-04 would be fine too.
Good luck!
As you probably already know, Bank Top Flat Cap was originally named Bank Top Fred's Cap after local legend Fred Dibnah, since deceased. The pump clips featured his picture and everything, but they didn't get his permission nor pay him anything, so after some petty drama with his agent (and depending on which version of the story you believe, his wife, now widow) they chose to rename their best-selling bitter.
Anyway, if you search for Bank Top Fred's Cap, you get this Bolton News article from 1996, which tells us they use Fawcett's Halcyon Pale malt, Fawcett's crystal malt, and torrefied wheat. It also states they use two Worcester hops. Historically speaking, I gather "Worcester hops" were probably an old English landrace related to all other Goldings, but considered milder than East Kent and Mid Kent Goldings, right? Nowadays, I think "Worcester hops" could generally refer to any variety grown in the Worcester region (Goldings, Fuggles, Challenger, Bramling Cross, Northern Brewer, Northdown, etc.) For instance, Bank Top Old Slapper is/was brewed with Hilary hops, which I gather are a dwarf variety, most likely grown in Worcester...
So, your guess is as good as mine, but I think you should craft a basic English bitter with an OG around 1040, ABV around 4.0%, with a grainbill something like 90% Halcyon (or any UK 2-row pale such as Maris Otter or Optic), 5% Crystal Malt, and 5% Torrified Wheat, with English hops which have a mild bitterness and lots of citrus (sounds like Challenger to me.) Ferment with an estery English ale yeast strain such as Windsor or Fullers, but Nottingham or S-04 would be fine too.
Good luck!