Cambridge Beer Brew Experiment - POLL

[Tequilla6]

Hi,

I thought where I should place this post and have decided as it will eventually be a recipe for everyone to share that the best place to start would be here.

After the latest Cambridge Beer Meet at the Kingston Arms, it was discussed around a copy of the Durden Park Beer Circle book that it would be really interesting for us as a group to decide on a beer style between us and come up with a recipe based on that style and for all of us interested to brew the said beer based on the following criteria. Defined Grain Bill, Hop Bill and agreed yeast (although a yeast change may prove interesting) so that we may at a point in the future hold a tasting session to identify differences in what should be similar brews and to try and understand when there are differences why they occurred and how we could all improve our own beers to move towards the styles of beers we enjoy drinking.

This would of course require good note taking during the brew and fermentation process and hopefully allow us to sample a beer in a way that would only be possible over a multiple batch of small brews for any single brewer.

To this end it was suggested that a poll be set up to decide on the beer style and that this would be open to JBK forum members to have their say as I know some of the Cambridge boys Inc me have predefined styles we would always go for and we want this to be more of a consensus. I have tried to keep it to the most popular basic styles and left some of the more esoteric styles such as Lambic and fruit beers off the table. Although I have added Lager I do understand that some of us will not be able to brew a proper Lager as we do not have the required fermenting conditions. But decided to put the option in, as for most people the bastardised lagers served in the majority of pubs is a popular choice and could not really be left out.

So a poll on beer styles it is. Hopefully this should get the ball rolling and after an reasonable time we will announce the agreed beer style we will be brewing and come up with a recipe post.

[jubby]

Nice idea Steve.

I went for IPA, but not in the traditional sense, more a weaker lots of late hop thing with lots of traditional English hops.

EDIT: I wonder who voted porter

[smp465]

I also went for IPA, but loosely termed, as i think we should make a beer that doesn't need too long to mature. Sort of agreeing with Jubby i guess.

My original thought on Friday was that an Extra Special Bitter would be appropriate, as it falls somewhere in the middle of what we all seem to brew by choice.

[Maltloaf]

Competition!? Who said it was a competition?! I bet mine tales the longest to come good.

...an Extra Special Bitter would be appropriate, as it falls somewhere in the middle of what we all seem to brew by choice.

Good plan! (He says before seeing if that means a trip for supplies, der. ) How are you at herding cats tequilla?
ML.

[DrewBrews]

Hmm this is a tricky one.

I went for porter because I've never brewed a decent dark beer and I like darker styles as much as light hoppy ales...


But...

I think the differences might shine through more in a IPA or traditional bitter.

Also, could I make a suggestion that we order a set of brewlabs yeast slopes (suitable for the style we decided on) that way we could ensure we are all using the same yeast. last lot I ordered they were £3.50 per slope.



I've got a list of brewlab strains but the forum won't let me attach it as either doc or pdf

[jubby]

Sounds good to me.

[Tequilla6]

In regards the yeast hat's also fine by me as I've not used a slope before and I would be interested in the experiment. Jubby I presume we could take the slip and culture a number of starter solutions from it? or would it be better to buy individual slips. I don't know how for away some of us are to each other. Maybe individual would be more convenient. I've also not done an IPA before which seems to be the current leader on the votes followed closely by the porter. But lets give it a few more days before we decide.

Sorry about the Freudian slip, It seems I put competition instead of Experiment in the title.....

[jubby]

We could make a number of starters from a single slope, but I think it would be best for each of us to have a fresh slope. If we went with one and it was infected, that would be a lot of drain cleaner Another option would be to use Whitelabs vials. These can be pitched directly into the wort (although you can make a starter if you want) without making starters which would make things simpler. They are a little more expensive, but not much when you consider that you won't need spraymalt for starters.

[stephenfranks]

Here is the updated Brewlab price list & information sheets(as emailed to me 15/09/2009)

[Maltloaf]

Slopes? Vials? This is getting serious! Can't I just use some MPG I've had in the fridge since Christmas?
Are we going to specify O.G., hops, EBU etc next?
ML.

[Maltloaf]

Here is the updated Brewlab price list & information sheets(as emailed to me 15/09/2009)

Hold on a minute...there's no porter yeast on there! Are you trying to skew the "experiment"?!
ML

[Totem]

This whole thing sounds like a good idea. When is the brew planning to take place? I might be moving soon so wouldn't want to brew and have to shift it (although not a big problem) but it could become a regular-ish thing.

[stephenfranks]

Sorry I'm not involved in the experiment at all - I had the list as a pdf and thought I would post it..

[jubby]

Slopes? Vials? This is getting serious! Can't I just use some MPG I've had in the fridge since Christmas?

Dunno what MPG is, but no you can't

Are we going to specify O.G., hops, EBU etc next?

Probably

[jubby]

Sorry I'm not involved in the experiment at all - I had the list as a pdf and thought I would post it..

How about becoming involved. You're more than welcome to brew something with the rest of us to offer up at a future meeting. The more the merrier.