Gales Horndean Special Bitter (HSB)

[Bigster]

Yet another from the Dave Line stable and one I hope to brew this weekend ( will add 10% extra grain )
OG 1051 25 Litres

Crushed Pale Malt 4000g
Crystal Malt 125g
Wheat Malt 60g
Molasses 100g
Soft dark brown sugar 450g
Goldings 60g full boil
Bramling cross 30g full boil (not used these before)
Goldings 25g power off
5 saccharin tablets in fermenter

Not decided on windsor or nottingham yeast yet

[BitterTed]

Looks good Bigster! I haven't used Windsor yeast in many years and have totally forgotten what it's like, what results do you guys get from it?

[Bigster]

Windsor it is then

[Scooby]

I've had HSB the fermenter for about 2 weeks now Bigster so will be kegging it at the weekend, I used WLP002 hoping for some residue sweetness unfortunately it's 1009 and I was looking for 1014 still samples taste good.

This is a memorable beer for me. In the late 70's my girlfriend and I were embarking on a cycling tour of the IOW. It was lunch time and it started to pour down so we stopped at a Gales pub, the first pint went down well
and so did the second, the rain kept on and we left the pub having had 4 pints

I ended up running my front wheel into a storm drain on the road round Andover and making our way to A&E for some stitches and a jab, then of to the cycle shop for a new wheel.

I had progress to mashing by then so had DL's books and brewed HSB a couple of times but made sure I kept well away from the bike when supping it

[SteveD]

HSB has a slight sourness to it and it's a blended ale, in the old style. They take their normal bitter, BBB, and blend some Prize Old Ale with it, bringing some strong old ale character to the brew. This makes it a quite complex pint. I love the stuff

[onlooker]

They take their normal bitter, BBB, and blend some Prize Old Ale with it, bringing some strong old ale character to the brew. This makes it a quite complex pint. I love the stuff

Surely you mean they 'used' to take their normal bitter and blend it with BBB and Prize Old, what with Gales being nothing more than a Fullers pub brand now.

I love Prize Old Ale, I have a cellar full of them with 3 different vintages. It will be interesting to see what the first to be brewed at Chiswick tastes like.

[Scooby]

They take their normal bitter, BBB, and blend some Prize Old Ale with it, bringing some strong old ale character to the brew. This makes it a quite complex pint. I love the stuff

Surely you mean they 'used' to take their normal bitter and blend it with BBB and Prize Old, what with Gales being nothing more than a Fullers pub brand now.

I love Prize Old Ale, I have a cellar full of them with 3 different vintages. It will be interesting to see what the first to be brewed at Chiswick tastes like.

Yep another Indie taken over and then the brewery closed

"Free from streakiness of taste but finally, rather heady" An Eldridge Pope man methinks.

[bitter_dave]

HSB has a slight sourness to it and it's a blended ale, in the old style. They take their normal bitter, BBB, and blend some Prize Old Ale with it, bringing some strong old ale character to the brew. This makes it a quite complex pint. I love the stuff

Winterbrew used to be a blend of Prize old ale and Butser, but I've never heard this about HSB.

Oh how I miss my saturday afternoon pints of Gales Best in town

[onlooker]

"Free from streakiness of taste but finally, rather heady" An Eldridge Pope man methinks. Very Happy

Well ofcourse im a Kiwi descended from Englishmen, and I have never set foot in the Motherland let alone Dorset but I certainly am a fan of Thomas Hardys Ale although I have only ever tried the Ohanlons breed. The Ohanlons brewed Royal Oak aint half bad either.

[Scooby]

"Free from streakiness of taste but finally, rather heady" An Eldridge Pope man methinks. Very Happy

Well ofcourse im a Kiwi descended from Englishmen, and I have never set foot in the Motherland let alone Dorset but I certainly am a fan of Thomas Hardys Ale although I have only ever tried the Ohanlons breed. The Ohanlons brewed Royal Oak aint half bad either.

I have one bottle left from 3 I brought in 1982 (Bottle K 22268 1 July 1981) the other 2 have long gone, one when I payed my mortgage off and one on my 50th. It's just about ready now but I can't bring myself to open it

[onlooker]

An ex pat Englishman and local beer writer Geoff Griggs recently did a vertical tasting with one bottle as old as I am (1979) and an 81' and a younger bottle that I fail to recall. Apparently the 81 bottle was the favorate.

A friend of mine bought a bottle for his son when he was born to be opened on his 21st birthday.

[itmustbemagic]

Hearing about Gales brought back a good memory for me as one of my old girlfriends has organised a summer afternoon bash for us to go to. It was one of her friends who had invited us over.

At the time I had an unusual taste in cars and owned a 1966 original Mini Moke (The Prisoner!) and the two of us were driving across Hampshire to attend the party. On arrival we pulled into the drive and I couldn't even see the house. We went into the car parking area and it was full of Rollers and Bentleys etc so my little Moke fitted in just a treat! The house was like a stately home so I thought I should ask my girlfriend who's house this was. " Oh her name is Gales, something to do with beer I think!"

I was at the Gales family mansion!!!

It goes without saying it was a great bash they only served Gales by the huge jug or Pims! I can remember standing beside the croquet lawn with the Sun shining on us, a glass full of Gales in my hands thinking.... I could get used to this!!

[Bigster]

what have I started - glad to kick off memory lane.

[SteveD]

They take their normal bitter, BBB, and blend some Prize Old Ale with it, bringing some strong old ale character to the brew. This makes it a quite complex pint. I love the stuff

Surely you mean they 'used' to take their normal bitter and blend it with BBB and Prize Old, what with Gales being nothing more than a Fullers pub brand now.

I love Prize Old Ale, I have a cellar full of them with 3 different vintages. It will be interesting to see what the first to be brewed at Chiswick tastes like.

Awwww bollocks. Forgot that. I expect it will taste like Fullers.

[SteveD]

HSB has a slight sourness to it and it's a blended ale, in the old style. They take their normal bitter, BBB, and blend some Prize Old Ale with it, bringing some strong old ale character to the brew. This makes it a quite complex pint. I love the stuff

Winterbrew used to be a blend of Prize old ale and Butser, but I've never heard this about HSB.

Oh how I miss my saturday afternoon pints of Gales Best in town

Yeah, it was. According to Wheeler, or Dave Line. One of the two. Of course, they might have been mistaken, but HSB to me always had a slightly sour taste, so it made sense. Very moreish.

SPeaking of Eldridge Pope, Dave Line's Royal Oak recipe was the first AG brew I made, in 1990. The barrel lasted 3 days