Wells Bombardier

[WHL]

I’ve got an ordinary bitter finishing up on WLP-06 Bedford Ale and want to brew a “Wells ESB” with it. I finally found a bottle of Wells Bombardier last night and am trying to hone in on a recipe.
Wells says just pale and crystal malts, and only mention fuggles for hopping, but other sources show challenger in the mix. Here’s what I got for 19 liters:

Beer: Bedford Bomber Style: English Strong (Extra Special) Bitter
Type: All grain Size: 19 liters
Color: 22 HCU (~12 SRM)

Bitterness: 41 IBU
OG: 1.054 FG: 1.013
Alcohol: 5.3% v/v (4.2% w/w)
Grain:
3500g British pale
100g British crystal 70-80L
200g British crystal 135-165L
Mash: 80% efficiency
Boil: 90 minutes SG 1.039 26 liters
200g Brown sugar(30 min.)
Hops:
10g Fuggles (4.75% AA, 60 min.)
20g Challenger (7.6% AA, 60 min.)
20g Fuggles (4.75% AA, 15 min.)
10g Challenger (7.6% AA, 15 min.)

30g Fuggles (4.75% AA, 0 min.)

Any thoughts on this recipe?

Cheers, Bill

[micmacmoc]

Its a beer I miss, used to get it loadsa places more towards the home counties. I would very musch like to brew a clone and that looks good to me. Its a nicely balanced beer IMHO. Please let us know how it goes should you go ahead.
Looking at that signature I would love to get locked in your cellar! Is your Wherry an all grain?

[Deebee]

gentlemen:-)↲I have a recipe ds this which is great.

here it is

25 litre brew length.

pale 4200
crtstal 375
torrified wheat 375
Chocolate 40 g

Hops

48 g challenger 7% for 60
35 fuggles 4.1% at FO

Its a nice pint and if you manage to treat he water to the charles wells area then evn beter.

The brewery were extremely rude in their answer to my qnquiries regardng this beer so i hunted around a few places and found this.

Hopefully somedays people will realise that we are not trying to steal their recipes only make something that we like and they should really feel quite honoured imo:)

Hope it works out ok.

D

[micmacmoc]

Thanks very much! Its on the shortlist (along with Tim Taylor and Sarah Hughes)
Thanks so much!

[WHL]

Thanks for the recipe Dee Bee. Unsure of the chocolate, but the wheat seems like a good idea. I'll probably cut the sugar from the copper then, as Wells boasted it's high malt content. What is your efficiency?
No flavor addition for the fuggles? I'm curious because I don't have a lot of hop sense yet, myself.
My cellar is a little crowded, MMM, so I'd appreciate some sort of latch key arrangement. Also, the wherry is all-grain, but at this point is cause for worry. The Bedford yeast took a great deal of rousing all the first week and now conversely it's slow to brighten. I must admit the wort wasn't too clear to begin with, which is uncharacteristic of my brews, in general. Could it have something to do with long Styrian soak at flameout or a mash issue? In any case I'm hoping to rack next weekend and brew the Bombardier.

Cheers, Bill

[Deebee]

Thanks for the recipe Dee Bee. Unsure of the chocolate, but the wheat seems like a good idea. I'll probably cut the sugar from the copper then, as Wells boasted it's high malt content. What is your efficiency?
No flavor addition for the fuggles? I'm curious because I don't have a lot of hop sense yet, myself.
My cellar is a little crowded, MMM, so I'd appreciate some sort of latch key arrangement. Also, the wherry is all-grain, but at this point is cause for worry. The Bedford yeast took a great deal of rousing all the first week and now conversely it's slow to brighten. I must admit the wort wasn't too clear to begin with, which is uncharacteristic of my brews, in general. Could it have something to do with long Styrian soak at flameout or a mash issue? In any case I'm hoping to rack next weekend and brew the Bombardier.

Cheers, Bill

Hi,
My efficiency is generally around the 80 mark. This recipe is based on 75-

The fuggles at flame out will get you flavour as well. It is not a steep, but thrown in as the you turn off. give it a good stir then start cooling.

The chocolate is likely just for colour.
remember the protofloc or IR whichver you use. Personally i prefer protofloc.

[micmacmoc]

Minnesota and North West Norway.....I'm blown away with how brewing is such a social integrator!
I'm on a Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild brew tonight/tomorrow. I apologise for my being, shall we say, enlightened by yeast? Anyhow the elderflower ale I brewed refuses to clear despire protofloc, dried elderflower is rubbish, fresh elderlower seems to have made my name here through the hedgerow behind our house. I don't think the finings matter much if you are using dried, best use fresh!
Er....that was'nt what we were talking about. Shit. Sorry. I'm off to treat some water.......that means letting it watch me have a smoke whilst I 'consider' tomorrows brew (theres still three or four pints in the barrel I need to finish).....hic hic hic hic
micmacmoc
xx
cornwall

[hazard]

gentlemen:-)↲I have a recipe ds this which is great.

here it is

25 litre brew length.

pale 4200
crtstal 375
torrified wheat 375
Chocolate 40 g

Hops

48 g challenger 7% for 60
35 fuggles 4.1% at FO

Its a nice pint and if you manage to treat he water to the charles wells area then evn beter.

The brewery were extremely rude in their answer to my qnquiries regardng this beer so i hunted around a few places and found this.

Hopefully somedays people will realise that we are not trying to steal their recipes only make something that we like and they should really feel quite honoured imo:)

Hope it works out ok.

D

OK, so they were rude at the brewery but have you bothered to read the label:
"the ripest English fuggles hops and crushed crystal malt deliver ..."
"Ingredients: water, malted barley, sugar, hops, yeast, colour E150C, stabiliser E405."

So if you actually want to clone this, add the sugar back and drop the wheat. Oh and add the E150 and E405 as well!! BTW - I did enjoy this very much when I drank it, regardless of the additives.

[Deebee]

Living in mid west Norway this is like rockinghorse poo to get a hold of. And on the few occaisions i have seen it at the state run shops its a 6 quid a can and i am not paying that.

I don't mind them not wanting to give the recipe away, but there is a way of saying things.

Besides what makes there beers som special that they wil not divulge when fullers, springhead, adnams ,sheapard and neame etc divulge with no trouble and actually appear greatful.

But this is a divulgence, the recipe i have does indeed use the wheat rather than sugar, but for my tastebuds it a nice pint and not that far away from the original.

[steve_flack]

Besides what makes there beers som special that they wil not divulge when fullers, springhead, adnams ,sheapard and neame etc divulge with no trouble and actually appear greatful.

You can add Wadworths to that list. Not only do they have the ingredients on their webpage (with percentages), when I queried what color the crystal was I got a reply from the head brewer.

[Scroogemonster]

Besides what makes there beers som special that they wil not divulge when fullers, springhead, adnams ,sheapard and neame etc divulge with no trouble and actually appear greatful.

You can add Wadworths to that list. Not only do they have the ingredients on their webpage (with percentages), when I queried what color the crystal was I got a reply from the head brewer.

Whereabouts on the webpage are the ingredients with percentages)?
Kev