Black Sheep Ale

[Jim]

Actually, thinking about it, Black Sheep Bitter/Ale seems to have some dark malt in it - the flavour doesn't seem to be just crystal malt to me.

[Horden Hillbilly]

Actually, thinking about it, Black Sheep Bitter/Ale seems to have some dark malt in it - the flavour doesn't seem to be just crystal malt to me.

One of the other Black Sheep bitters at least has a touch of roast malt for colour (that's basically the description in 300 beers anyway).

I am thinking about adding a small amount of roast barley (20g-ish) next time I brew this as an experiment.

[Horden Hillbilly]

I think i'll ask the poster on the other forum how they have managed to confuse Black Sheep Ale with your house recipe ?
(btw do you remember when your website go on line and did you ever post that recipe prior to that ?)

I unleashed my website in mid June this year. Regarding the recipe, I posted it here in Oct 06.

It certainly does not concern me if someone has "borrowed" it, I would not have revealed it otherwise! , I regard it as a compliment if a fellow brewer uses one of my recipes & enjoys it.

[Calum]

I have decided to do this tomorrow morning. I have had to swap the torrified wheat with malted wheat (cause that is what I have). I found a load of goldings in the freezer but I might add in some fuggles aswell.

For the yeast I will use a packet of Safale S-04 that I got from Reaper.

Just got to get one sleep out of the way and then I can get going.

Transferred this to the garage last night as it had finished fermentation. I had a swift mouthful and I'll tell you what - it isn't too far off the real thing

[Orkney_Rob]

I was going to do a brew today - but decided that a day of doing sweet FA was required following 6 months of hard graft! Having stumbled across this though I think I will be exploring this one myself in the next few days - can lay it down over the festive period ready to crack open once we get back in mid January. Result

[Jim]

Alrighty

This is exactly what they say:

Black Sheep Best Bitter OG 1039 3.8%
Marris Otter Pale Malt (85%), Crystal Malt (5%), Torrified Wheat (10%), roast malt extract (0.005%). 19 units of colour. Fuggles, Challenger, Goldings and Progress whole hops. Late hopped with Fuggles. 31 units of bitterness.

Black Sheep Special Bitter OG 1046 4.4%
Marris Otter Pale Malt (83%), Crystal Malt (7%), Torrified Wheat (10%), roast malt extract (0.005%). 26 units of colour*. Fuggles, Challenger, Goldings and Progress whole hops. Late hopped with Goldings. 36 units of bitterness.

*They say "26 units of bitterness" here, but it must be a typo as they mention bitterness again at the end if the ingredients list, and the format of the book consistently lists colour before bitterness.

Reading the label of a bottle of Black Sheep Ale, the ABV is 4.4%, so it looks like the bottled version at least is the Special bitter.

[Orfy]

I quite often give a link to this place if brewers are looking for UK specific recipes or information.

[retourrbx]

looking at this as well - want to make some maltier rather than hoppier beers... how was/is it?

[zigger1_2000]

After reading all this. I put together this based upon the "My House Bitter recipe. I adjusted the hops as mine had a lower Alpha so raised to get the same IBU's. This is my 4th AG brew. Yesterday I did an Old Peculiar but didn't have time to document. Hope it gets close to the ideas on here:-

My House Bitter (my version)
Brew Type: All Grain Date: 03/02/2008
Style: English Special or Best Bitter Brewer:
Batch Size: 5.00 Imp gal Assistant Brewer:
Boil Volume: 6.02 Imp gal Boil Time: 90 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 % Equipment: My Equipment
Actual Efficiency: 74.67 %
Taste Rating (50 possible points): 0.0

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
3930.00 gm Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 90.01 %
262.00 gm Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6.00 %
174.00 gm Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 3.99 %
74.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (90 min) Hops 36.3 IBU
8.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (30 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
20.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (15 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) with Sparge Water
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min)
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Batch Size: 5.00 Imp gal
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Mashed for 90 mins at 66.5C dropping to 65.5C

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.045 SG (1.039-1.045 SG)
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.011 SG (1.009-1.014 SG)
Estimated Color: 10.0 SRM (6.0-14.0 SRM)
Bitterness: 41.3 IBU (20.0-45.0 IBU)
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 4.46 % (3.70-4.80 %)

Feedback or criticisms welcome

I am off back to check the temperature of the boil before putting in the 1st set of hops for the 90 minute boil

[zigger1_2000]

That's the first hops into the boil. What a great smell

And the sound of the Old Peculiar I made yesterday fermenting and going plop plop plop in the air lock is encouraging

[zigger1_2000]

Well the boil is off now. Aroma hops in for 30 mins before I chill the wort. Looks like a good protein break. Must have been that Irish Moss that helped.

[zigger1_2000]

Already on the crafty ones

Off to do the cool..