Spitfire Ale.

[Robdog]

I like the sound of thei recipe and im sure they sell it at my local Asda so may pop down for a sample tomorrow.


SPITFIRE ALE Shepherd Neam Faversham Kent.

25 litre batch OG 1045 ABV 4.7 35 units of colour 43 EBU

HALCYON PALE MALT 3754 gms
AMBER MALT 250 gms
CRYSTAL MALT 400 gms
WHEAT MALT 200 gms
TORRIFIED WHEAT 400 gms

HOPS Boil time 90 minutes

TARGET 30 gms
GOLDINGS 28 gms
Add 10 gms Goldings last 15 minutes.

Yeast of your choice.


Only problem is H&G were out of Target when i asked them so what can i replace the Target hops with. Im a little confused as it doesn give a % after the hops so im unsure how to work it out so i guess aplain swap would be easier for me so for example would 30g Fuggles work similar to 30g of Target?

[coatesg]

You'll be wanting a hop calculator : http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/hop_calculations.htm

There's one in there for performing a conversion for hop substitutes in there - plug in the amounts and the replacement percentage AA Fuggles is quite a lot lower in alpha acids (Target ~ 10%; Fuggles 4% or so - and so you need about two and a half times as much for the same bitterness).

Spitfire is a nice drop - even nicer on pump if you find it, though I reckon Bishop's Finger is even nicer. I did something very like this recipe before - very tasty, but I used Windsor yeast and it could have done with a bit more hop and less malt flavour. Thames Valley is a yeast I have seen recommended for it if you're into liquid yeasts.

[Robdog]

Thanks ive not used a liquid yeast yet as this is only my 4th AG so im just using the dried for now but i will go onto liquid yeast eventually.

[Robdog]

According to that calculator i would need 70g of fuggles to get the same bitterness as 30g target.

What other hops would be suitable as im not sure what goes with goldings. Ive got challanger, northdown and styrian goldings.

[kevthebootboy]

brilliant, i like spitfire and ive been meaning to find a recipe, ive just read in a book that northdown or yeoman are a subsitute for Target,
i wanted to order some target from H&G a month a go and they didnt have any,
hope this helps anyways,kev

[subsub]

I did this a few years ago and my records say that I used Wyeast Irish yeast and it was a cracker. As for hops I would personally veer more towards Willamette. They have a lower alpha than the other suggestions but in my opinion are far more targety than fuggles

[Stonechat]

I like the sound of thei recipe and im sure they sell it at my local Asda so may pop down for a sample tomorrow.


SPITFIRE ALE Shepherd Neam Faversham Kent.

25 litre batch OG 1045 ABV 4.7 35 units of colour 43 EBU

HALCYON PALE MALT 3754 gms
AMBER MALT 250 gms
CRYSTAL MALT 400 gms
WHEAT MALT 200 gms
TORRIFIED WHEAT 400 gms

HOPS Boil time 90 minutes

TARGET 30 gms
GOLDINGS 28 gms
Add 10 gms Goldings last 15 minutes.

Yeast of your choice.


Only problem is H&G were out of Target when i asked them so what can i replace the Target hops with. Im a little confused as it doesn give a % after the hops so im unsure how to work it out so i guess aplain swap would be easier for me so for example would 30g Fuggles work similar to 30g of Target?

By all means give this recipe a go, but I am a bit concerned by the high proportion of other grains versus the pale malt. It comes to 33% and the large amount of torrefied will give a nutty flavour that I don't think Spitfire has.

If others think it produces a good clone of Spitfire I'll be surprised.

[Jymbo]

Target are difficult to get a hold of at the minute. I was looking for some recently to do a Guinness FES clone and couldn't find them anywhere. Northdown should be a decent replacement.

[Robdog]

By all means give this recipe a go, but I am a bit concerned by the high proportion of other grains versus the pale malt. It comes to 33% and the large amount of torrefied will give a nutty flavour that I don't think Spitfire has.

If others think it produces a good clone of Spitfire I'll be surprised.

Good point mate i actually got drawn to the recipe as ive over ordered on a fair few types of grains so thought this recipe would use some up.

There does seem alot of other grains though as you say.

[Robdog]

I did this a few years ago and my records say that I used Wyeast Irish yeast and it was a cracker. As for hops I would personally veer more towards Willamette. They have a lower alpha than the other suggestions but in my opinion are far more targety than fuggles

Did you use the exact same recipe as above mate?

[subsub]

Yeah did the same recipe. It won't be the same with Northdown as that's way too Challenger reminiscent and won't provide the flavour you're looking for. Hang out for Target, use Willamette or shite loads of Fuggles. That way you'll get Spitfire as it should be

[PaulStat]

I'd be interested in giving this a go, but what is halcyon pale malt? Never heard of that one before, will good old Marris Otter do the trick?

Also if possible I'd like to get everything from Barleybottom, but Paul doesn't seem to have the target hops. Is there something else I could sub? Susan, Pioneer and W.G.V seem to have quite high AAU's

[Garth]

H&G have Target pellets in at the moment, at very respectable 11% AA

[Robdog]

H&G have Target pellets in at the moment, at very respectable 11% AA

Sounds tempting but i think ive read somewhere about problems with the pellets and the H&G hop strainer which is what ive got.

I think ill just use fuggles and give it a crack.

[Garth]

mine worked fine, a bit slow run off but no problems

it's also better if you have leaf hops in with them as well