25-03-2008: Simmond's Bitter (1880)

[spearmint-wino]

No work today so an opportunity to get a brew in. Been meaning to do a Durden Park recipe for ages, and have (more or less) the ingredients for the legendary 'Simmonds' recipe so thought I'd give it a trial-brew before going the whole hog and home-roasting some pale malt to pale amber to make the real deal sometime in the future .

Along the lines of Simmonds Bitter...

1880 n' all that
Size: 24.0 L
Original Gravity: 1.063
Alcohol: 6.24%

Ingredients:
6400g Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt
1025g Amber Malt

113g Fuggle [90 min]
20g Goldings [15 min]
1 Whirlfloc Tablet [15 min]
15g Goldings [steep at flameout]

2 x Safale S-04, rehydrated with cooled wort starter

maybe 15g Goldings dry hop

Mashing away nicely at 65°c, pH 5.5

Back to water treatment with this brew - I used a palintest total alkalinity kit and worked out the real alkalinity of my water - 260. Treated the mash liquor with 10ml Lactic Acid (60% conc) and 9g DLS so will be interesting to see how it turns out.

[EDIT: recipe tweak to match what actually happened]

[steve_flack]

There is quite a big difference in colour and flavour between pale amber and commercial amber malt.

[oblivious]

I done something similar two week ago, very tasty all ready

[spearmint-wino]

There is quite a big difference in colour and flavour between pale amber and commercial amber malt.

I'm guessing there will be, pale amber will be lighter and less roasty than commercial amber.

[Matt]

Hope it all goes well SW. How long do you store this before its drinkable?

Matt

[prodigal2]

Good luck SW
Something for the Autumn then sir?

[spearmint-wino]

Its ready from 3-4 months, so mid- to late-June

[subsub]

And it'll be worth the wait

[ECR]

Hope it went well

[spearmint-wino]

Got 24l of 1.062 sitting nicely in the fermentor at 18°c . It will be interesting to see how this one turns out as I did an amber malt beer at the end of last year and didn't care for it much to begin with, then after a few months maturing it became really good so hopefully this will be the same, only more so . Got some running beers kegged that should see me through in the meantime...

[SiHoltye]

Hey up SW,

Where is that amber beer you spoke of, can I have a look at the recipe.

I'm thinking of doing a best bitter but using dia amber instead of crystal. Wanted to have a nose at your findings.

[spearmint-wino]

Si - here's the recipe, from GW's BYOBRAAH

Smiles Brewery Bitter

Original Gravity: 1.045
Terminal Gravity: 1.008
Alcohol: 4.85%
Bitterness: 30.24

Ingredients:
4kg Maris Otter Pale
500g Amber Malt
250g Torrified Wheat
40g Goldings (5.8%) - 60 min
20g Goldings (5.8%) - 15 min
1 Whirlfloc Tablet (Irish moss) - 15 min
20 g Goldings (5.8%) - steeped after boil
Danstar Nottingham

When properly matured it had a nice biscuity malt flavour that worked well with the hops.

[spearmint-wino]

I've never seen S-04 so unruly... the yeast head's been climbing 4-5" and out of the fermenter all day! Finally I think the attack of the single-celled organisms has been repelled and yeast-curfew is resumed

[SiHoltye]

Thanks SW,
Reassured now that I will replace Crystal with Amber in a Best Bitter 20:1 Maris Otter:Crystal grain bill. Not next though.

Oh and stop avoiding the issue, you've hinted back and forth long enough....

ARE YOU COMING TO DERBY OR NOT!?!

[Vossy1]

did an amber malt beer at the end of last year and didn't care for it much to begin with, then after a few months maturing it became really good

Ditto...hope this brew turns out well