Colour of Beers produced against Real Ale Almanac Recipes

[SiHoltye]

The colours suggested in the recipes Norms very kindly posted from the Real Ale Almanac seem very dark and even unachievable by the ingredients I buy.

Eg.
FIDDLERS ELBOW Wyvchwood brewery Witney.

25 litre batch OG 1040 ABV 4% 18-22 units of colour

MARIS OTTER PALE MALT 3355 gms
WHEAT MALT 840 gms

HOPS Boil time 90 minutes

STYRIAN GOLDINGS 54 gms No EBU given I have estimated 28 EBU.

I recommend WYEAST 1275 THAMES VALLEY

Using 5.9EBC Maris Otter and 17.7EBC dark wheat malt I only reach 9.9EBC using 75% efficiency.

Why is this? Have ingredients changed colour particularly?

[steve_flack]

I've noticed this also. I have no answer as to why it happens though.

[SiHoltye]

I brew what I like at home, but when 11.8EBC is where BJCP suggests Best Bitter should start, it seems to rule out bucket brewers doing an all MO grain bill for a BB. Wouldn't this be a silly attitude to take since you'd not be comparing like for like, commercial vs home. Anyway, I'm not looking for answers, just noticed it and thought I'd say.

[SiHoltye]

Beer Judge Certification Program. As much as we like it or not the currently accepted-ish style guidelines to which beer tasting judges are taught. Are we Yank bashing now?

[Stonechat]

You don't feel too strongly about this US based set-up then?

[Stonechat]

While it's nice to get the colour of a beer spot on, I'm much more interested in the taste.

Most commercial US beers rely on being served at tongue numbingly low temperatures because they taste of nothing. I'd rather drink Greene King IPA

[russt1969]

As long as that's where they stay.

Not arf

[spackum]

Bollocks if i'd pay any attention to a self appointed organisation formed in a country who's beer making heritage includes Budweiser and Coors! I'm not yank bashing but what do they know about English ales anyway other than from swilling a few pasteurised and filtered exports and the odd stale bottle conditioned beer that makes it over there and maybe one or two of the judges make it over here occasionally for a beer drinking holiday around Europe with their families. 10 years ago about all you could get there was Boddingtons and Bass in cans and it wasn't anything like the Bass I knew, it was barley even beer imo. You make your beers and tell them what style they are!

Well said.

[iowalad]

Stonechat:

Most commercial US beers rely on being served at tongue numbingly low temperatures because they taste of nothing.

American industrial beers definitely taste of something which is why they serve them so cold. If you think they are bad cold try drinking one warm! I assume Fosters and the like are similar.

The real shame is serving craft brews (or whatever they are called these days) so cold that the flavors they work so hard to make disappear under the big chill. Don't even get me started on frozen beer mugs. Overcarbonation is as big or bigger issue at least for me.

On a British beer forum, Yank bashing would never occur!

[Stonechat]

iowalad:


On a British beer forum, Yank bashing would never occur!I should think not, we love all our old colonies, even the revolting ones

Though it is fashionable amongst the trendy left to villify everything the US does and stands for, just let them wait a few more years to when China takes on the role of World Policeman that will give them something to choke on their tofu-burgers for.

I must admit though I'm very envious of the prices of your craft brewing stainless stuff. If only I had a sure-fire way of getting it past our high tax government and their rapacious Customs & Excise

[steve_flack]

I brew what I like at home, but when 11.8EBC is where BJCP suggests Best Bitter should start, it seems to rule out bucket brewers doing an all MO grain bill for a BB. Wouldn't this be a silly attitude to take since you'd not be comparing like for like, commercial vs home. Anyway, I'm not looking for answers, just noticed it and thought I'd say.

As an aside to the BJCP bashing shall we look at the actual current guidelines before we get our pitchforks out?

8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter

Aroma: The best examples have some malt aroma, often (but not always) with a caramel quality. Mild to moderate fruitiness. Hop aroma can range from moderate to none (UK varieties typically, although US varieties may be used). Generally no diacetyl, although very low levels are allowed.

Appearance: Medium gold to medium copper. Good to brilliant clarity. Low to moderate white to off-white head. May have very little head due to low carbonation.

Flavor: Medium to high bitterness. Most have moderately low to moderately high fruity esters. Moderate to low hop flavor (earthy, resiny, and/or floral UK varieties typically, although US varieties may be used). Low to medium maltiness with a dry finish. Caramel flavors are common but not required. Balance is often decidedly bitter, although the bitterness should not completely overpower the malt flavor, esters and hop flavor. Generally no diacetyl, although very low levels are allowed.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body. Carbonation low, although bottled and canned commercial examples can have moderate carbonation.

Overall Impression: A flavorful, yet refreshing, session beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.

Comments: More evident malt flavor than in an ordinary bitter, this is a stronger, session-strength ale. Some modern variants are brewed exclusively with pale malt and are known as golden or summer bitters. Most bottled or kegged versions of UK-produced bitters are higher-alcohol versions of their cask (draught) products produced specifically for export. The IBU levels are often not adjusted, so the versions available in the US often do not directly correspond to their style subcategories in Britain. This style guideline reflects the “real ale” version of the style, not the export formulations of commercial products.

History: Originally a draught ale served very fresh under no pressure (gravity or hand pump only) at cellar temperatures (i.e., “real ale”). Bitter was created as a draught alternative (i.e., running beer) to country-brewed pale ale around the start of the 20th century and became widespread once brewers understood how to “Burtonize” their water to successfully brew pale beers and to use crystal malts to add a fullness and roundness of palate.

Ingredients: Pale ale, amber, and/or crystal malts, may use a touch of black malt for color adjustment. May use sugar adjuncts, corn or wheat. English hops most typical, although American and European varieties are becoming more common (particularly in the paler examples). Characterful English yeast. Often medium sulfate water is used.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.040 – 1.048
IBUs: 25 – 40 FG: 1.008 – 1.012
SRM: 5 – 16 ABV: 3.8 – 4.6%

Commercial Examples: Fuller's London Pride, Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Adnams SSB, Young’s Special, Shepherd Neame Masterbrew Bitter, Greene King Ruddles County Bitter, RCH Pitchfork Rebellious Bitter, Brains SA, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Rogue Younger’s Special Bitter

It does mention pale variants of the beer and although 5 SRM may be slightly darker than you might get for an all MO grist (I've not checked) it's not far off.

[bandit]

I have my pitch fork and flaming torch at the ready. I agree with Si, and DaaB make your best beer and challenge the judges to a taste off. Old beer verses the "NEW" British Ales made for todays palate, not made for the history boys. I dont want my kids thinking beer tastes like crap dishwater with a spoonful of accountants bollocks thrown in.

[iowalad]

Stonechat:

I should think not, we love all our old colonies, even the revolting ones

BJCP has its place. I do think it helps running competitions.
To suggest that the BJCP guidelines as a whole have much if any historical grounding seems far fetched. Beers have changed so much over time and commercial brewers have not been constrained by style definitions in how they brew or what they call their beers.

[Aleman]

Deuchars and IPA - Oxymoron? or is it a Bitter - not even a Best Bitter, what is the difference between a Bitter and a Pale ale, Colour? Strength? Malts? While I think the BJCP goes a little far at least it defines a set of standards by which things can be measured. . . . A classic example was the Inter Regional CBA competition - English Pale ale . . . . . Well isn't that a broad brush? Historical or Current? Ok so the OG was limited to 1.050-1.055, but still. The next Northern CBA tasting is for an Summer ale - 1.038-1.040, I'm assuming and English style but I bet we see bags of those colonial hops, just as we did for the English Pale Ale.

Having said all that I brew my beers to what I think the descriptions mean not necessarily to any guidelines

[steve_flack]

Think of the polar bears and your carbon footprint! Can't you use low energy burning torches?