# Wells Bombardier Recipe



## pbrosnan (21/7/08)

Hi all,

Been drinking a bit of this lately after purchasing a carton on the cheap. Was thinking of having a go at a clone. The Wells' site says Challenger and Goldings with pale and crystal malts so no surprises there. The question is what yeast? I use Wyeast and have never really been happy with the results of my English Ales. Anybody have any input, particularly on the yeast question? Naturally advice on all ingredients is also welcome. Incidentally I've come to detect a faint citrus/pine aftertaste, like a hint of Cascade or other "c" hop. Would this be the Challenger or the Golding do you think? Someone once said to me that Matilda Bay Alpha contained Goldings and I didn't believe it, now I'm not so sure ...


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## Screwtop (21/7/08)

pbrosnan said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Been drinking a bit of this lately after purchasing a carton on the cheap. Was thinking of having a go at a clone. The Wells' site says Challenger and Goldings with pale and crystal malts so no surprises there. The question is what yeast? I use Wyeast and have never really been happy with the results of my English Ales. Anybody have any input, particularly on the yeast question? Naturally advice on all ingredients is also welcome. Incidentally I've come to detect a faint citrus/pine aftertaste, like a hint of Cascade or other "c" hop. Would this be the Challenger or the Golding do you think? Someone once said to me that Matilda Bay Alpha contained Goldings and I didn't believe it, now I'm not so sure ...




Nottingham is my call, others?? Hop maybe a little Styrian Goldings late or dry hopped.


Screwy


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## pbrosnan (21/7/08)

Screwtop said:


> Nottingham is my call, others?? Hop maybe a little Styrian Goldings late or dry hopped.
> 
> 
> Screwy



Interesting. About the only reference I could find to WB was in a thread about Nottingham. My problem with the Wyeast English strains is I think they impart to much of their character to the beer. Is Nottingham a relatively neutral yeast? I was toying with the idea of using 1056 as this seems a very neutral yeast.


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## goatherder (21/7/08)

+1 for the styrians - I get a citrus hint from them.


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## Stuster (21/7/08)

pbrosnan said:


> My problem with the Wyeast English strains is I think they impart to much of their character to the beer.



Which yeasts have you used? I find 002 (which is supposed to be the same as 1968) to be a softer charactered English strain FWIW.


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## pbrosnan (22/7/08)

Stuster said:


> Which yeasts have you used? I find 002 (which is supposed to be the same as 1968) to be a softer charactered English strain FWIW.


I've used 1098, 1099, 1187, 1275, 1318, 1968. I'm thinking I might try 1335, according to the profile it has a crisp clean finish. Anyone used this?


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## pbrosnan (22/7/08)

Seeing as this has been moved I better add that I was looking for an AG recipe.


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## rosswill (18/9/09)

Bump
My son has asked me to make one of these for when he comes home from the UK for xmas.

Anyone have a recipe?


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## DennisKing (18/9/09)

Whitelabs WLP0006 Bedford British strain is supposed to be from Wells. Only available in November and December.


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## Dazza88 (11/11/11)

Just had a bottle of this for the first time, nice.


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## Lecterfan (18/12/12)

Listening to this recipe (their export version) on a CYBI interview...fascinating to hear a 40 min rest at 52c then straight up to 74c...the rest of the fermentables come from sugars.

Incidentally I just read 'Altbier' by Dornbusch and it interestingly really pushes a longish (30 min) protein rest between 45-55c also. Although it also pushes a 140-170 min mash schedule and two hour boil.

But yea, Wells Bombadier interview here... I haven't got to the end so I don't know how the clone attempt went...


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## Josh (20/12/12)

Cloned.

Sorry don't have the recipe on me. But download the Can You Brew It show and have a listen.


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## Lecterfan (20/12/12)

Josh said:


> Cloned.
> 
> Sorry don't have the recipe on me. But download the Can You Brew It show and have a listen.




Haha yep, I guess I should have updated when I got to the end! Interesting also that it is Lyles Golden Syrup they ended up correcting and using (rather than the treacle). Just thought I'd post it in this thread as it seemed like an interesting way to go about making a pommy beer given how 'single infusion' some people are about making this style.


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## Bribie G (20/12/12)

Good beer for my next brew. :icon_cheers: 

I just listened to the interview, and took copious notes. Man that was an eye opener. They take the mash from 52 to 74 over 22 minutes then rest it there for an hour. 

I've got all the ingredients (subbing Maris Otter for the Perle) except for the brewing sugars - I'll have to have a look around and maybe revisit invert-making. 

Also have 1768PC which looks like a shoe-in for this style, likes a warmer fermentation and not too estery. The other thing I note is the fermentation schedule with cold conditioning at -1 for a week, which is exactly what I have been doing. 

Now to get my water right and look at some inverts and I'm gonna do it :beerbang:


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## jacknohe (20/12/12)

LOL! I was just listening to it now while I was "Working"... :lol: 

I googled that Whitbred from Wyeast was an equivalent yeast to the Whitelabs Bedford yeast. Anyone got knowledge or experience to back this up?


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## Bribie G (23/12/12)

Well, I'm doing up a batch of RO water and I'll be doing the mighty Bombardier tomorrow, as near as I can follow the guy's interview with the ingredients to hand. Differences:

Maris Otter
I have no maltose syrup for once in my life  so I'm supplying all the sugars as invert sugar which I'll cook up as per AndrewQlds' thread on the subject but using citric as I can't get lactic. 

Yeast will be Wyeast 1768







Can't believe how little base malt :huh: - anyway let's see how it turns out. 
BrewMate can't handle stepped mashes as yet so ignore that bit of the recipe printout.

Edit: I'm doing the domestic version as I don't feel like hammering myself on tap in the hot weather, easy to have too many pints this time of year.


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## Lecterfan (23/12/12)

Keep us updated BribieG!


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## Bribie G (23/12/12)

I should point out for anyone interested in tweaking out a recipe from the guy's interview, the invert sugar I put in the recipe is the weight of dry sugar _before _ I do the inverting - I guessed that the invert syrup they use at the brewery would be fairly similar in consistency to malt extract so I went on 80% solids and 20% water when I did my calcs, and just set it up in Brewmate to behave the same as LME. 

Hopefully will get me close enough.


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## yum beer (23/12/12)

No malto or wheat Bribie, my calc dont get that high FG without some.

Anyway keep us posted on how you go. Very keen to put something like this down late summer after a few brews Im already set to do.


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## Bribie G (23/12/12)

I think the high FG comes from the unusual mash routine - from the interview it's clear that they get a lot of body and the maltiness from the mash but rely on the sugars to give the alcohol - interesting concept. Also the Pommy Wyeasts tend to be poor attenuators.


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## yum beer (23/12/12)

Im having trouble with the colour as in your recipe. You get 28 EBC, about what I get, interview says 50, would the invert sugaer make that amount of difference

or is Brewmate miscalculating colour values or am I missing something.


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## Bribie G (7/1/13)

Missed that post. Yes now that you mention it, spot on - I'd accidentally been looking at the EBC for the crystal malt they use where he said 130/140 - 128 seemed near enough with the ingredients I was using and I reckoned that the invert would probably come out around similar to liquid malt extract. Completely forgot about the EBC of 50 he mentioned at the beginning of the interview, I've just dragged out my notes and there it is: EBC 50 IBU 32.

Doh. 

However I've transferred to CC and it was a very nut brownish colour anyway - had a half pint out of primary (I'd already taken it down to 6 ) and I was instantly back in the Old Dart sitting outside an Ivy covered inn watching the Morris Dancers  - Wow. 

When I get a better hang of the inverting process I'll have another whack and see what colour it comes out. Will post a piccie and tasting notes end of next week. :beerbang:

Edit: my buddy from Sydney brought me some maltose syrup, enough for a couple of batches, so next lot should be nearer to the "interview".


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## yum beer (7/1/13)

looking forward to hearing final result...keep us posted Bribie


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## Bribie G (11/1/13)

First attempt is now in the glass and second is well underway in the fermenter. 

I'm at a bit of a loss about that EBC of 50 ... I don't think mine is too far off the mark as it is compared to the published picture. Only the third pint out of the keg so I'm still picking up a bit of haze as I'm drinking it young so it will look a bit darker in the glass when I get onto the clear stuff. hmmmm. 

Oh the flavour ... this is bloody nice and rich and surprisingly malty with all those adjuncts. The Challenger gives it a nice citrussy note. Can't wait to try #2.


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## mika (11/1/13)

What are you changing on recipe #2


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## Bribie G (11/1/13)

Very similar recipe but because I got hold of some maltose syrup I used a 400g tub of that and made the rest of the sugars up with a darker, this time, invert that I cooked up. The yeast is from the first batch (Wy 1768 PC).


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