Sundew Clone Recipe anyone?

[orlando]

As subject looking for actual or clone recipe for Woodfordes Sundew.

[Chicken Dipper]

Orlando, I can't help with your question but I'm curious as to what yeast you'd go for?

Growing up in Norwich I developed a bit of a taste for Woodfordes beers and still consider them my favourite, although continue my crusade to test everything else in the world for scientific comparison!

I think I've got Wherry cloned quite well and I've used a variety of different yeast, but wondered what you would go for?

I guess I should order a polypin and salvage some of their yeast to see if it's the primary strain.

One of my brothers bought me a kit of Sundew at Christmas but it obviously wasn't anything like sundew!

[orlando]

Orlando, I can't help with your question but I'm curious as to what yeast you'd go for?

Growing up in Norwich I developed a bit of a taste for Woodfordes beers and still consider them my favourite, although continue my crusade to test everything else in the world for scientific comparison!

I think I've got Wherry cloned quite well and I've used a variety of different yeast, but wondered what you would go for?

I guess I should order a polypin and salvage some of their yeast to see if it's the primary strain.

One of my brothers bought me a kit of Sundew at Christmas but it obviously wasn't anything like sundew!

Well I have had the opportunity to talk to Ray Ashworth, one of the founders of Woodfordes, so know that the original strain of yeast used by them came from Charles Wells in Bedford. Obviously that yeast will have evolved in the brewery to be a yeast that is different enough to be one that you should try capturing from a conditioned product containing it. I tend to use a yeast from a micro in Norwich that has a strain very similar to Woodfordes which helps to get close so when I do my clone version I will use that.

[seymour]

...Well I have had the opportunity to talk to Ray Ashworth, one of the founders of Woodfordes, so know that the original strain of yeast used by them came from Charles Wells in Bedford. Obviously that yeast will have evolved in the brewery to be a yeast that is different...

Good to know, thanks for sharing. Another bit of trivia: Adnam's famous dual-strain yeast was given to them by Morgan's Old Brewery in Norwich in 1942, shortly before that brewery was bombed to oblivion. That yeast produces a spicy twang which Woodforde's does not have, but it's another fun Norwich-derived possibility to consider...

[Chicken Dipper]

Orlando, that's really interesting thank you.

Seymour, I didn't know that either, so thank you also.

[orlando]

...Well I have had the opportunity to talk to Ray Ashworth, one of the founders of Woodfordes, so know that the original strain of yeast used by them came from Charles Wells in Bedford. Obviously that yeast will have evolved in the brewery to be a yeast that is different...

Good to know, thanks for sharing. Another bit of trivia: Adnam's famous dual-strain yeast was given to them by Morgan's Old Brewery in Norwich in 1942, shortly before that brewery was bombed to oblivion. That yeast produces a spicy twang which Woodforde's does not have, but it's another fun Norwich-derived possibility to consider...

Thanks for the input Seymour, as usual above and beyond. But the real challenge now is the recipe.

[seymour]

This should get you awfully close:

Woodforde's Sundew (Summer Golden Ale)
Woodforde's Norfolk Ales - Norwich, Norfolk, UK
Style: Golden/Blond Ale
OG: 1041
ABV: 4.1%
Grainbill: 95% blend of Maris Otter & Lager Malt, 5% Pale CaraMalt?
Hops: 90 min hard boil for kettle caramelization: Cascade (90 and 30 min), Styrian/Savinjski Goldings (lots, 10 min)
IBU: ≈20 (relatively low bitterness, focus on hoppy aroma)
Colour: light orange amber
Yeast: proprietary Woodforde's English ale strain, supposedly derived of historic Charles Wells strain which is available as White Labs WLP006

[orlando]

This should get you awfully close:

Woodforde's Sundew (Summer Golden Ale)
Woodforde's Norfolk Ales - Norwich, Norfolk, UK
Style: Golden/Blond Ale
OG: 1041
ABV: 4.1%
Grainbill: 95% blend of Maris Otter & Lager Malt, 5% Pale CaraMalt?
Hops: 90 min hard boil for kettle caramelization: Cascade (90 and 30 min), Styrian/Savinjski Goldings (lots, 10 min)
IBU: ≈20 (relatively low bitterness, focus on hoppy aroma)
Colour: light orange amber
Yeast: proprietary Woodforde's English ale strain, supposedly derived of historic Charles Wells strain which is available as White Labs WLP006

You're a Gent.

[bluezephyr]

Ingredients purchased.

See what it's like in a couple of months

[orlando]

Ingredients purchased.

See what it's like in a couple of months

Yeah, all set for the May meeting. Will be brewing mine week after next so should mean a good month in bottle before the big reveal. Will you brew it straight or do you fancy a tweak or two? It will be a good idea to have a few of the real ones available on the night to compare.

[Dave S]

Ingredients purchased.

See what it's like in a couple of months

Yeah, all set for the May meeting. Will be brewing mine week after next so should mean a good month in bottle before the big reveal. Will you brew it straight or do you fancy a tweak or two? It will be a good idea to have a few of the real ones available on the night to compare.

Would you be blending the MO and lager 50:50 or biasing towards one or the other?

[orlando]

Ingredients purchased.

See what it's like in a couple of months

Yeah, all set for the May meeting. Will be brewing mine week after next so should mean a good month in bottle before the big reveal. Will you brew it straight or do you fancy a tweak or two? It will be a good idea to have a few of the real ones available on the night to compare.

Would you be blending the MO and lager 50:50 or biasing towards one or the other?

Good question, one for Seymour really. I guess the clue is the colour. My MO is darker than my Lager malt so playing with proportions in BS might give me some clues. The other factor is the amount of Lager malt I have left. I might start with all that and see how short I am from 50:50 and what colour it produces. Having said that the flavour difference is a complete unknown to me.

[Dave S]

Yeah, some EBC units rather than, 'light orange amber' might be a better indicator. C'mon Seymour, more science if you please.

[orlando]

Yeah, some EBC units rather than, 'light orange amber' might be a better indicator. C'mon Seymour, more science if you please.

You just can't get the staff these days. I have had a crack with what I've got and come in at an EBC of circa 9. If BS is anything to go by I reckon I'm pretty close at that. Anyway it's all I have so there.

[Dave S]

Yeah, some EBC units rather than, 'light orange amber' might be a better indicator. C'mon Seymour, more science if you please.

You just can't get the staff these days. I have had a crack with what I've got and come in at an EBC of circa 9. If BS is anything to go by I reckon I'm pretty close at that. Anyway it's all I have so there.

9's probably about right if it's meant to be a Golden Blonde.