Does this look ok?

[Neil2585]

Hello all,

This is my first post after many months of lurking and benefiting from all the fantastic advice. I managed to go from first time homebrew kit brewer to building my own AG kit in four months, cos of all the info on this forum.
I am about to do my second AG brew, and am looking to make a dark, malty bitter that has a bit of sweetnes to it. I have made a few tweaks to a recipe I have seen, and wondered if it looks about right?

5kg Maris Otter
0.3kg Crystal malt
0.12kg Chocolate malt
0.5kg Munich
0.25kg Torrified wheat

20g Fuggles 3.87% 90min
18g Bramling Cross 7.27% 30min
13g Goldings 5% 30min
15g Goldings 5% 10 min
Irish Moss 15min

I have got a packet of Wyeast 1968 Londen ESB, but have access to all the usual dried yeasts.

Not sure if SG might be bit high? Is hop schedual about right? I am aiming for something along the lines of an Old Peculier type beer but don't want too much "toasty" flavour, any advice or suggestions would be much aprecieted.

Neil.

[seymour]

Looks like a delicious beer recipe to me, and I think the Wyeast 1968 (Fullers strain) will be perfect.
Just out of curiosity, why a 90 minute boil?
Also, I never see Bramling Cross hops in shops here in the US. What does that variety give you?

[Neil2585]

[quote="seymour"]Looks like a delicious beer recipe to me, and I think the Wyeast 1968 (Fullers strain) will be perfect.
Just out of curiosity, why a 90 minute boil?
Also, I never see Bramling Cross hops in shops here in the US. What does that variety give you?[/quote]


Hi, thanks for the response.

I've read somewhere a 90min boil gives a guaranteed hot break, plus it's what it says in the recipe I've based it on.
I've never used bramling cross before, but it's supposed to be fruity with hints blackcurrant or lemon notes.

I think I might up the Fuggles to 40g though, from looking at other recipes I don't think there is enough there for bittering.

[Barley Water]

I always boil for 90 minutes. If you are using alot of pils malt you really need to, it helps reduce DMS in the beer. For other beers I like to boil longer because it frequently helps develop flavor as I heat with propane so I get hot spots which can generate some melonodin type flavors. Sometimes I go even longer than that. If my preboil gravity looks a bit low I like to boil longer to get a bit more evaporation to concentrate the wort and hit my numbers. I generally add bittering hops for 60 minutes so if it looks like I'll be short I just add a few minutes to the front of the boil to true things up.

[seymour]

Great info, Neil2585 and Barley Water. I, too, sometimes use a 90 minute boil for increased hops bitterness and some kettle caramelization as you described, I was just wondering if those were intentions with this recipe. Sounds like you've got it all figured out and this should make a great pint!

"fruity with hints blackcurrant or lemon notes"?! Man, I'm gonna have to find a source for Bramling Cross hops, that sounds really interesting.

[Befuddler]

"fruity with hints blackcurrant or lemon notes"?! Man, I'm gonna have to find a source for Bramling Cross hops, that sounds really interesting.

The blackcurrant flavour is fantastic in dark beers. Stouts, porters, milds, even black IPAs if you want to step away from the norm.

[seymour]

...if you want to step away from the norm.

only always