Beer - Redux

[scotty9]

This is great reading about these beer experiments, have to admit when I read marmalade its not the first thing I imagine in a beer but heck I bet it tastes bloody good!

[TheBadger]

Well the English Breakfast Bitter is rather nice, but not exactly what I was going for. Marmalade gets lost. If I was doing this again I would rack onto citrus peels in the secondary instead of putting marmalade into the primary. The Early Grey bergamot flavour is lost and what is left is more of a generic black tea flavouring. So it's good, but it could be far improved.

Currently in the secondary is an 7.5% Indian Brown that's being dry hopped with Nugget and Simcoe, a pretty standard 5.5% Wheat and a 6% stout that's being given a massive coffee hit in the secondary. I need to see how I can boost the coffee flavour.

Also have a hoppy 6% American Amber in the primary that's just beginning to ferment.

[Paul Arden]

Have you considered adding curry powder, Jack?

[Haggisboy]

Jack,

yes the maramalade got lost inour beer we used it in, and it is hard to figure out what it is actually adding. If you are after a super bitter citrusy finish, why not use some uber intense bittering hops and dry hop with something citrusy like cascade/summit/Chinook? We have made beer with a marmalade type astringency, its not tough to do. The sugar from the marmalade is easily fermented and will end up drying your beer out too.

Not tried nugget yet, but simcoe is a winner.

I just had a Founders Centennial IPA and it was exemplary. I can only imagine how amazing it would be when it was fresh.

I can make you a curry flavoured beer for the next gathering Paul if you want, I am sure you will have the whole batch to yourself.

Campbell

[Paul Arden]

It would complement the cheese flavoured wine I have planned for Latohegy quite nicely. Of course I won't be using real cheese - that would be crazy - I'll be using socks.

I think I might get into beer brewing too. You guys have inspired me! How long does it keep? I'm going to have to start limiting my time in Hungary and I can imagine drinking the beer the following year. Is this practical? I have a cellar.

Cheers Paul

[Haggisboy]

Different beers keep for different periods of time. Higher strength and darker beers tend to age well. A good barleywine and a good stout Will keep a long while. IPA and the like are best drunk fresh. Plenty good books out there to start with.

[TheBadger]

Not so much curry powder, Paul... But there's a whole string of beers with chili. Some of them are excellent too. There's a great local one here by Brew Moon in Amberley called Ole Mole.

Like Campbell said, there's a big variation in how they will keep. The basic rule is the higher ABV the better they will cellar. Probably the most important thing is the fact that hops, and particularly the flavour and aroma, will deteriorate relatively quickly. A few lower ABV's will keep fine too - I find Wheat's typically improve with a little time to mellow out. A beer that tastes great fresh isn't going to taste 'bad' a year later... often it just won't taste as good as it did.

Nugget is super resin-y... smells the most like another green plant of any hops. I think I'd quite like to play around to get a really strong flavour in as I think a marmalade IPA would be lovely. But I would probably use raw ingredients as opposed to a processed product. You're right, though, good hop selection would really accentuate it!

Haven't tried anything from Founders yet, but I would love to get a decent go at their range. I am in the midst of dry July and the thought of any beer is immensely appetising right now!

[Haggisboy]

Dry July WTF? Is that because it rhymes and seemed a good idea at the time?

[TheBadger]

More the result of an excessive June! The highlight of which was 40 new beers in one week, plus countless double ups. Lets just say I needed a break for the good of my liver.

[andrewparkeruk]

Plenty good books out there to start with.

Any book recommendations please Campbell (or others)? Would like to try my hand at this.

Andrew