St Austell's Tribute

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chrisr

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by chrisr » Sun May 09, 2010 11:29 am

I've just been racking my last attempt into a barrel. This is the one lacking the Styrians steep. It's still very 'raw' but I'd say it does have reasonable balance (it is 26IBU) but a/ it isn't as hoppy as the real thing, and b/it doesn't have the citrusy finish to it that the real thing does - as expected, due to missing the Styrians. We'll see how it matures... I think it'll be a nice summery drink, though.

This was 1044, and tasting it now, it does seem a bit 'thin', although the calculations are saying it should be 4.5%. It just doesn't seem as flavoursome as the real one. For my next attempt at this I will aim for a slightly higher OG, I think. (Yes, I know a few points shouldn't make any discernable difference!)

And I'm sure it's a lighter colour - not that the colour bothers me, it's the taste I want. I wonder if it's the Cornish Gold that makes it darker?

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SMASH3R
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Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by SMASH3R » Sun May 09, 2010 1:03 pm

Slight differences in the colour of the malts available may account for the colour differences. If you are using 80% MO and 20% Munich then colour should just be a cosmetic issue - corrected with brewers caramel :shock: if too light, but nothing can be done if too dark. I wouldn't worry about the colour too much.

As for the 'thinness' of the beer, what temperature are you mashing at? 67°C is the St. Austell temp I think. This would provide more body if you are currently mashing a bit lower.

chrisr

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by chrisr » Sun May 09, 2010 1:12 pm

I was aiming for the top of the range, yes. I think I maintained 67 for the majority of the mash time.

weiht

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by weiht » Mon May 10, 2010 7:31 am

i too mashed at about 67 degrees, but i think i will hold it at this temp but go for a higher OG, maybe 1048 or so. A few pts dont matter so to speak, but i tried the wort at 1060 n diluted it to 1056, n continue doing so every 4 pts till i over diluted it to 1040 the last round. To me, there was a difference when the beer was 1056 or 1052, but then the difference at 1052 n 1048 was not that much. I thinking less of how the few pts affects the wort, but more of when the wort is at a sg of a certain range as compared to another, the difference is discernible. I remember thinking to myself if i should keep the tribute wort at 1048 as i really liked the way it tasted there, but i went ahead with trying to stick closer to the recipe. I managed to hit 1042, but being smart just empty the remaining bottle of water, and the taste at 1040 was a little light. Think along the line of drinking a glass of coke with some ice melted in it.

No regrets tho, its still a great tasting brew.

chrisr

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by chrisr » Mon May 10, 2010 6:39 pm

I was intending to go for 1048 next time, 4 points higher than my last attempt. But I may amend that depending on how this one just completed drinks. Anyhow, my next brew will be something else entirely: a bit a variety...

It's relatively more expensive, I know, but I'm going for a smaller quantity next time, until I'm sure I'm getting close. I've bought a 2½ gallon plastic pressure barrel for it, today.

chrisr

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by chrisr » Sun May 16, 2010 10:14 am

We might be moving towards another beer here... Roger Ryman also does a 'Tribute Extra', as a special. It's 5.2%. Though besides increased strength there's usually a litle twist added.

The last one I had was described thus: "Aged for two months in a wooden cask previously used for maturing bourbon whiskey, this year the beer has added complexity from the use of a Belgian trappist yeast strain to condition the beer in the barrel".

Mmmmmmm - beer. It was very, very nice.

weiht

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by weiht » Wed May 19, 2010 12:17 am

Hey, one thing about the styrian steeps is that the sharpness of the lemon mellows down with age. So i'd go with lesser steep qty for beer to be consumed earlier, or just wait for it to even out.

chrisr

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by chrisr » Sun May 23, 2010 4:34 pm

weiht

Some of my first attempt at Tribute, I bottled. This was the one with way-over-the-top Styians. It was brewed back in April, I think.

I've tried some of this recently and, yes, it has aged; the mouth-puckering citrus has mellowed. I wouldn't say it's dissipated, but it's certainly changed. It's now of sort of woody/grassy tasting and all the sharp notes have gone.

weiht

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by weiht » Mon May 24, 2010 3:17 am

Chrisr, if my memory doesnt fail me, that bottle u have shld be the 70g of styrians!!! Glad it turned out drinkable.

I'm beginning to think that maybe 40g steep is still ok, just have to wait for it to mellow out longer. In fact, im kinda thinking i need just a little bit more it in the beer im drinking now. So, it just means we need more time for it to age.

Now it makes me wonder just how much does the brewery actually add, given that they may not have the luxury of time to let it age 6 weeks before hitting the pubs.

The previous 2 batches i did really opened my eyes to how much difference aging really makes to the beer. I used to bottle them and taste them at week 1-4, however i switched to kegging about 3 months ago, and i thought that i had to dump the last 2 brews as they tasted lousy n had that unbearable sharp styrians and tasted yeasty even after 3-4 weeks in the keg after secondary fermentation. But i was a little lazy cleaning the kegs and thought to myself that it would not harm leaving it a little longer in there. Things really started to change after 6 weeks of aging, n both the tribute n TTL clone are tasting really good.

chrisr

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by chrisr » Wed May 26, 2010 7:36 pm

Yes, that's the 70g Styrians. It's drinkable - just. I suppose it might be someone's ideal drink, but it ain't mine. And it isn't Tribute :cry: But you are right, it's amazing how much it changes as it ages.

I'm still of the opinion 40g would be too much; the citrusy notes in Tribute are very subtle.

I don't think the brewery will wait 6+ weeks, no, so I think the real Tribute would be quite a young brew.

I'm doing a Batemans XXXB clone this weekend, and hope to try another Tribute as soon as that one is out of the way.

I do a mix of bottles and plastic kegs now, as I've been reducing the quantity while I've been experimenting (just to save money!) and the part full kegs do not age or keep very well, so some goes into bottles. Roll on the day when I can knock out a full 25 litres of acceptable Tribute :)

And coincidentally, I've just come here from booking the accomodation for the 2010 St Austell beer fest.

PPPales

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by PPPales » Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:32 pm

Limited discussion on yeast cultivation. I just tried capturing an Admirals. After 2 days ..nothing. And with nothing to lose I added yeast from a Hogs Back BSA - 12 hours later it was going fab. So Hogs Back 1, St Austell 0.

coatesg

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by coatesg » Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:30 pm

PPPales wrote:Limited discussion on yeast cultivation. I just tried capturing an Admirals. After 2 days ..nothing. And with nothing to lose I added yeast from a Hogs Back BSA - 12 hours later it was going fab. So Hogs Back 1, St Austell 0.
I had trouble with it too - it took off eventually, but by the time I'd got it up to 1.5L it smelt pretty ropey so I ditched it and went with some other yeast I had.

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Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by Deebee » Fri Jun 11, 2010 7:54 am

I guess either Nottingham or 05 would be a half decent alternative should one need to use dry yeast. Or maybe WL-007 ?
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weiht

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by weiht » Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:18 am

Im considering brewing a tribute tomorrow AGAIN. I am just a little lazy, but im only left with 1 keg on tap and 2 just conditioning!!!! I am only limited to drink no more than 2 pints a day or else i'd be left with nothing for the world cup.

Would i like a tribute in time for the Wimbledon finals? I have both the london ale III yeast and whitbread ale yeast on hand, which shld i use?

EccentricDyslexic

Re: St Austell's Tribute

Post by EccentricDyslexic » Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:28 am

weiht wrote:Im considering brewing a tribute tomorrow AGAIN. I am just a little lazy, but im only left with 1 keg on tap and 2 just conditioning!!!! I am only limited to drink no more than 2 pints a day or else i'd be left with nothing for the world cup.

Would i like a tribute in time for the Wimbledon finals? I have both the london ale III yeast and whitbread ale yeast on hand, which shld i use?
Time to double the brewlegnth?! #-o :lol:

Steve

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