Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:57 pm

I do like a bottle of Old Tom in winter.

Mind you, it's a bit on the strong side. I have to admit, I've never brewed a beer that strong. Would it put people off? Could it be scaled back to around 5% and still retain it's vinous dark fruity goodness?
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

User avatar
Hanglow
Under the Table
Posts: 1399
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:24 pm

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Hanglow » Sat Aug 26, 2017 11:02 pm

I brewed a burton just the other week, so count me out for this one but this is what I brewed for your consideration

loosely based off a Fullers old recipe. Although, I used German malts as that is what I had, english malts would probably be better for this

OG 1.074
38.7% weyerman Vienna
38.7% Best Heidelberg pils
12.9% Invert no3
9.7% corn

50g Pilgrim leaf fwh
75g challenger pellets 60mins
25g challenger 15mins

IBUs no idea as I used a hopsock for the pellets and I'm not convinced I got as many ibus out of it as I thought I would. Hoping for around 70.

Step Mash for maximum fermentability and cereal mash for the corn although I'd just use flaked corn next time :)

London ESB and West Coast pale ale yeast

brett c to be added at bottling to some/all of it. I have a lot of strong bottles at the moment....

User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:55 am

Hanglow wrote:
Sat Aug 26, 2017 11:02 pm
I brewed a burton just the other week, so count me out for this one but this is what I brewed for your consideration

loosely based off a Fullers old recipe. Although, I used German malts as that is what I had, english malts would probably be better for this

OG 1.074
38.7% weyerman Vienna
38.7% Best Heidelberg pils
12.9% Invert no3
9.7% corn

50g Pilgrim leaf fwh
75g challenger pellets 60mins
25g challenger 15mins
That looks great. I brewed the 1935 Fuller's Burton in Ron Pattinson's Peace book. It's not as strong as the Old Burton Extra. I guess mine is around 2 months old. The abv should have been 5.56% but I ended up with 6% which isn't so bad. Flavourwise, you can really taste the sugar and you can really taste the hops. It's a nice pint but I think it'll be even better around Christmas. With so much invert no 3, what colour is your Burton? Mine is orange.
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

jinjahbiscuit
Steady Drinker
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by jinjahbiscuit » Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:05 am

Malt Miller do an Old Peculiar clone mash kit. What about something along those lines? (Sorry Fuggled Mind, I kinda nicked your first thinking! :D )

User avatar
Hanglow
Under the Table
Posts: 1399
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:24 pm

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Hanglow » Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:10 pm

Fuggled Mind wrote:
Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:55 am

That looks great. I brewed the 1935 Fuller's Burton in Ron Pattinson's Peace book. It's not as strong as the Old Burton Extra. I guess mine is around 2 months old. The abv should have been 5.56% but I ended up with 6% which isn't so bad. Flavourwise, you can really taste the sugar and you can really taste the hops. It's a nice pint but I think it'll be even better around Christmas. With so much invert no 3, what colour is your Burton? Mine is orange.
That sounds like a good one

I'm not too sure what colour it is yet as I'm still fermenting it :lol: - I think it was light brown though going into the fermentor

User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:30 pm

jinjahbiscuit wrote:
Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:05 am
Malt Miller do an Old Peculiar clone mash kit. What about something along those lines? (Sorry Fuggled Mind, I kinda nicked your first thinking! :D )
I have to admit, I've never brewed it but it's a great winter beer. Funny, I think I was 17 when I first tried Old Peculiar and thought it was one of the most disgusting things I'd ever tasted. I guess my taste buds just weren't ready for that much flavour. Back then, I was drinking Webster's, John Smith and Newcastle Brown Ale. Funny how our tastes change when we get older.

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

JonoT
Piss Artist
Posts: 184
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:03 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by JonoT » Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:53 pm

Old peculiar is a great beer, it was one of my 1st ever all grain brewes I did, took the recipe from Graham Wheeler book. There is also a recipe for old tom there too, though I've not brewed that one!

super_simian
Piss Artist
Posts: 281
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:11 am

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by super_simian » Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:49 pm

Winter Warmer, currently bottle conditioning (early tastes are very promising);
OG:1.071 FG:1.018
Mild Ale malt 68%
Flaked maize 14%
Invert #3 10%
Medium Crystal 7%
Carafa III 1%

Challenger 6.8%AA 42IBU 60min

Danstar ESB yeast - 70% attenuation, fermented at 19C. ESB water profile.

Estery, but not overly so with hints of old leather. Deeply malty, slightly bittersweet with touches of liquorice. Deep red. Shaping up to be a solid drop.

User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:12 pm

super_simian wrote:
Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:49 pm
Winter Warmer, currently bottle conditioning (early tastes are very promising);
OG:1.071 FG:1.018
Mild Ale malt 68%
Flaked maize 14%
Invert #3 10%
Medium Crystal 7%
Carafa III 1%

Challenger 6.8%AA 42IBU 60min

Danstar ESB yeast - 70% attenuation, fermented at 19C. ESB water profile.

Estery, but not overly so with hints of old leather. Deeply malty, slightly bittersweet with touches of liquorice. Deep red. Shaping up to be a solid drop.
Looks good Super Simian. I can't get hold of mild malt. I always use Vienna. I still haven't found out if the two are really similar but I've made 2 different styles of mild using both Vienna from Weyermann and Best Malz with good results.

I like the idea of flakes maize and invert no 3 - like a true historic strong ale. Did you make the invert no 3 yourself?

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

jinjahbiscuit
Steady Drinker
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by jinjahbiscuit » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:17 pm

Looks good, could you use Golden Syrup for the invert?

User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:55 pm

Hi jinjahbiscuit

Golden syrup probably won't work as well here. Invert no 3 is more about dark fruits and burnt sugar whereas golden syrup is more toffee and light caramel. Golden syrup won't add anything to the colour either but invert no 3 will.

If you look at this website
http://www.unholymess.com/blog/beer-bre ... ers-invert
2 methods are given.
You can make it yourself by inverting the boiling sugar and then continuing to boil it at 115°C for about 3 hours till it darkens.

You can also try the dilution method which is simply blending golden syrup and black strap molasses to get the required colour. The website provides a calculator to get the quantities right. I've not done this but someone on here brewed a porter making invert no 3 using the dilution method.

Graham Wheeler also says it's possible to use dark muscovado in place of invert no 3 as it's the same colour but I've never tried this.

Here is my homemade no 3. I have no real idea if it's the right colour but I followed the instructions. It's got that tan foam because I poured it straight into the jar when it was still very hot. Probably not a good idea.
20170829_200850.jpg
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

JonoT
Piss Artist
Posts: 184
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:03 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by JonoT » Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:26 pm

Many years ago I brewed a russian imperial stout, I used the dilution method of golden syrup and black strap, because I couldn't fit the gran needed into my mash tun, it made a lovely beer. Hit 12% if I remember rightly. I'd happily use the dilution method again on a strong beer.

JonoT

jinjahbiscuit
Steady Drinker
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by jinjahbiscuit » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:19 am

Thanks for the information Fuggled Mind. I'll have a go at making my own.

User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:27 am

JonoT wrote:
Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:26 pm
Many years ago I brewed a russian imperial stout, I used the dilution method of golden syrup and black strap, because I couldn't fit the gran needed into my mash tun, it made a lovely beer. Hit 12% if I remember rightly. I'd happily use the dilution method again on a strong beer.
Thanks for that JonoT

If I'm in a hurry, I'll definitely give it a go. It's pretty time consuming to make invert no 3 and I can't see myself doing too often - though I am planning on making some invert no 1 using some golden white jaggery sugar I bought in an Indian supermarket.

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

User avatar
Fuggled Mind
Hollow Legs
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:13 pm
Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Re: Anyone interested in a winter warmer

Post by Fuggled Mind » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:35 am

jinjahbiscuit wrote:
Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:19 am
Thanks for the information Fuggled Mind. I'll have a go at making my own.
It's a bit of a faff in the beginning but actually very straight forward. Still, I watched a few youtube videos on making invert. Mostly chefs but also an Australian demonstrating how to make golden syrup. Once the foaming has died down, you can leave it on a very low heat (and I mean very low) and leave it for the required time - just coming back to check very few minutes to make sure the temperature is constant.

So do you think invert no 3 or some dark sugar should go in a winter warmer?

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

Post Reply