Recreating Boddingtons

[bigtoe]

Old thread i know, adding some info. Brewed my own version of this and have to say its refreshing to sup a good English bitter and got the seal of approval off my dad (he remembers old Boddies) so im not far off. I used GV12 in my brew BUT after a conversation with a local older boy who happened to have a mate who although now long retired was one of the brew team at Boddingtons I got some info on yeast. He confirmed to me the closest you can get now is Nottingham, either liquid or dry they are both super close to the Boddies strain so this is here I will be heading next time. I will also increase bitterness by 3 to 5 IBU as while close my dad remembers it being a little drier and a little more bitter. I might add some golden syrup also and just drop the main malt down slightly to compensate. I am brewing to 3.9/4% abv. (its a clone after all and can be a little stronger )

Fresh brew on this next week I think, just supped the last half out the keg From mash tun to keg happens in 5 days with this one, ready to sup 2 weeks there after.

[Hanglow]

Boak and Bailey recently posted this about boddies

http://boakandbailey.com/2016/04/boddin ... 68-v-1982/

which is interesting, here's the interesting bit

[Clibit]

Yeah I've seen that Hanglow, interesting. The nearest I've got was with Mauribrew 514 ale yeast. I can't see a liquid yeast that suits Boddies, would be happy to be proven wrong.

[Billb]

Thanks for the posts guys - you've inspired me to have yet another try at getting Boddingtons right. Both times I've tried it before I used WYeast (1318 and 1028). But I think I'm going to take your suggestion bigtoe and go for the Nottingham. Never thought to before, but it's got to be worth a try.

[BrannigansLove]

I read somewhere that Wy1318 (London Ale III) was rumoured to be the Boddies yeast (despite the name). I'll have a look and see if I can find the article.

[BrannigansLove]

Turned out, it was an old thread on here. viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6335

[Billb]

Yeah, that's why I tried it. But it didn't really taste like Boddingtons to me.

[bigtoe]

Got busy trying to build the recipe, the one malt i have no clue on is the Enzymatic @2.5% so i dropped in some Carapils hoping i am on the right track. Looking at what the numbers are telling me they must have hit over 80% efficiency in the mash, more like 82 to 83%. I hit 81 today so not overly worried...

So here is where I am at:

23L batch. Grainfather brew.
Water: 12L mash, 19.3 in the sparge (or 14L mash 17.3L sparge with standard pipe work). Mash at 66C for 75mins, Boil 75mins.

Marris Otter 2.45KG, 77.17%
Torriefied Wheat 80g 2.52%
Flaked Corn (Maize) 65g 2.05%
Carapils 80g 2.52%
Lager Malt (Pilsner) 500g 15.75%

Hoping the yeast works its magic to around 82 to 85% attenuation OG is projected to be 1.035 to 1.036, FG 1.007 (Boddies was dry)


Yeast Danstar Nottingham, 250g from previous brew washed and saved (if new work out how much you need)

Fermentation = 1 week ( I bet 4 days) at 18 to 19C

Now the hard part, Hops.

Im thinking it was around 25 to 30IBU, really though i have no clue, the last clone attempt i made was 32IBU and it was nice...near addictive, however 2 mates suggested it was a little more bitter so maybe 35IBU might be where to aim for?

Question 2 hops....we know the hop bill was 3 different hops from 3 different suppliers, we know the suppliers but we do not know the hops.

Im thinking Goldings, Fuggles, Northern brewer maybe, but need some inspiration here?

47.5% boil
47.5% last 15mins
4.8% dry hop

Im thinking a higher Alpha main hop to get that old Boddies bitterness, my thoughts are Goldings and Fuggles in the boil and Northdown in the dry hop. The beer was not a fuity hop bomb but had good aroma and a traditional hop taste so my thoughts were these older more traditional hops were used.

So here is where I am at now....just the hops im unsure of, im a new all grain brewer and would need some help here.

[Clibit]

I think they just used Goldings, but from different suppliers. Could be wrong. Probably not crucial as hops were mostly used for bitterness it seems.

The grain bill was very simple, I think enzymatic was American 6-row, used to increase fermentability. It shows up in records from other years.

I'm not convinced Nottingham will work for a Boddies clone, but interested to see how your beer turns out.

[bigtoe]

Well the suggestion came from a phone call to one of the brewing team, BUT, if he retired say 15yrs ago he may be thinking the late 80's Boddies and newer so it may not be the yeast we are looking for. My previous attempt was using GV12 and that came out addictive...but im only 48 so had to rely on older lads having a taste to get better feedback.

American 6 row, interesting, will see how that effects the recipe.

Goldings, i can't see them quoting on a log 3 different suppliers for a recipe when it was all the same hop, i believe Goldings are in there (recipe builder only has EKG so used this) but in addition to 1 or 2 different hop types. Hard to say though, if any of the suppliers are still around maybe we should contact them and ask what they used to supply in the 60's?

[Billb]

I'm interested that you managed to have a phone call with one of the original brewing team, bigtoe. I don't know what your relation ship is with this esteemed gentleman, but any knowledge he has could be our last chance to get close to the original recipe. Don't suppose you can speak to him again can you? Especially to ask about hops, since we're pretty much guessing!

Someone out there has the original recipe in their head. But presumably they aren't homebrewers and don't read this forum! Wouldn't it be great to find them.

[patto1ro]

I think they just used Goldings, but from different suppliers. Could be wrong. Probably not crucial as hops were mostly used for bitterness it seems.

The grain bill was very simple, I think enzymatic was American 6-row, used to increase fermentability. It shows up in records from other years.

I'm not convinced Nottingham will work for a Boddies clone, but interested to see how your beer turns out.

Looking at a brewing record from 1989. It has Fuggles, Goldings, Whitbread Goldings Varieties, Styrian Goldings, Northern Brewers and something abbreviated to Bx.

[BrannigansLove]

Bramling Cross maybe?

[patto1ro]

Bramling Cross maybe?

Yes, that's probably it.

[bigtoe]

I'm interested that you managed to have a phone call with one of the original brewing team, bigtoe. I don't know what your relation ship is with this esteemed gentleman, but any knowledge he has could be our last chance to get close to the original recipe. Don't suppose you can speak to him again can you? Especially to ask about hops, since we're pretty much guessing!

Someone out there has the original recipe in their head. But presumably they aren't homebrewers and don't read this forum! Wouldn't it be great to find them.

I did not actually have the phone conversation, i was actually talking to the landLord at the Crown Inn in Stockport (old Boddies house) and saying a lot of the older boys miss the less hop forward bitter's, especially the old Boddies from the 60's and 70's, he was laughing saying it probably would not sell well as tastes have changed. Mid conversation a lad approached me explaining he knew a retired old boy who worked on the brew team at Boddies and would call him to get info on the yeast as that was the main conversation I was having with the LL. 15 mins later the lad come back to me and explained his mate without hesitation just told him Nottingham.

Now, i had a full on night after that, BUT i would hope I could recognize the lad again and maybe see if he could get more info for us, however i feel this is for the 80's and 90's brew, not the old Boddies we are after recreating...but you never know.