# Bramling Cross



## QldKev (24/12/13)

I've just received 150g Bramling Cross, I've never used it before. Any awesomage beer recipes to use it with. I'm open for ideas, but something for a QLD summer.


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## HBHB (24/12/13)

I think it best suits traditional ESB's, Ambers and Mild personally Kev. I did a IIPA with it and did some big 5 & 0 plus dry hops to really make it pop. T'was a mistake (for my taste). Like straight Ribena, Try a base of Maris Otter, a hint of dark crystal and some aromatic and use EKG to bitter, then BC late and a smallish dry hop. Then any Burton strain for the ferment. In the right beer and not over the top hopping, it's very pleasant.


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## Screwtop (24/12/13)

See if you can find a clone recipe for a Greene King Brewery Bitter called Ruddles County. Very Nice.

Screwy


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## lael (24/12/13)

Want to experiment with this one. Saison?


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## MartinOC (24/12/13)

> See if you can find a clone recipe for a Greene King Brewery Bitter called Ruddles County. Very Nice.
> 
> Screwy


Screwy, I've got a couple of recipes for Ruddles County Bitter (Ruddles Oakham brewery, not Greene King). No mention of BC (Challenger/Northdown/Goldings in one, Fuggles & W.G.V in the other).


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## Screwtop (24/12/13)

MartinOC said:


> Screwy, I've got a couple of recipes for Ruddles County Bitter (Ruddles Oakham brewery, not Greene King). No mention of BC (Challenger/Northdown/Goldings in one, Fuggles & W.G.V in the other).







From here: http://www.greeneking.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=75



Also found this recipe for Ruddles Best Bitter:

Brew Length 19L
OG 1.037
Colour 27 EBC
Bitterness 35 EBU

Pale Malt 2670g
White Sugar 225g
Black Malt 39g
Crystal Malt 30g

Northdown 20g 90 min
Bramling Cross 7g 90 min
Fuggle 7g 90 min

Goldings 11g 10 min

Goldings 7 g Flame out

66c Mash 90 min

FG 1.007


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## fcmcg (24/12/13)

I was given 1500g of bramling cross and used it in everything English .Its a case of , I had it so I used it. I did like its black currant earthiness ...
In my opinion , use it where you would EKG ...
My RIS also ha a spectacular whack of it ( With magnum for bittering )
As it is low AA , you do have to use another higher AA for bittering , in my opinion but I really like it and can't fault it...
As for recipes...anything English, as I've said
Merry Christmas 
Ferg


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## MartinOC (24/12/13)

I know we're going a bit :icon_offtopic: here..... I just did a bit of digging & it seems Greene King now contract-brews a heap of beers for other breweries in the UK, so they've obviously changed from the original recipe (one which I found was from 1978 & the other in a 1993 CAMRA recipe book). 'Dunno how long Greene King has had the current gig, but the Ruddles County I remember (cask-conditioned) was excellent ('though at an OG of 1050, not the 1037 of the recipe above).

Anyway, as HBHB said, BC tends to be very fruity if overdone, so judicious use is recommended (mostly as a late/dry addition).


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## stakka82 (24/12/13)

Is there any reason it wouldn't gel well in a fruit salad APA/IPA?


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## QldKev (24/12/13)

```
What about this.
Don't worry about the strike/sparge water volumes.

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BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Ruddles Best Bitter
Brewer: Kev
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Special/Best/Premium Bitter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 32.12 l
Post Boil Volume: 29.12 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 28.00 l   
Bottling Volume: 28.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 13.3 EBC
Estimated IBU: 24.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
4.00 kg               Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC)         Grain         1        90.9 %        
0.17 kg               Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (78.8 EBC)    Grain         2        3.9 %         
0.03 kg               Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (750.6 EBC)   Grain         3        0.7 %         
0.20 kg               Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC)         Sugar         4        4.5 %         
28.00 g               Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop           5        14.2 IBUs     
14.00 g               Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 60.0 mi Hop           6        7.6 IBUs      
14.00 g               Bramling Cross [6.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min  Hop           7        3.1 IBUs      
7.00 g                Bramling Cross [6.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min   Hop           8        0.0 IBUs      
7.00 g                Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 0.0  Hop           9        0.0 IBUs      


Mash Schedule: Kev Mash, Step, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 4.40 kg
----------------------------
Name                     Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Protein Rest             Add 10.95 l of water at 59.8 C          55.0 C        5 min         
Saccharification         Heat to 62.0 C over 15 min              62.0 C        35 min        
Saccharification         Heat to 72.0 C over 4 min               72.0 C        40 min        
Mash Out                 Heat to 77.0 C over 10 min              77.0 C        10 min        

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 25.37l) of 75.6 C water
Notes:
------


Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
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```


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## QldKev (24/12/13)

stakka82 said:


> Is there any reason it wouldn't gel well in a fruit salad APA/IPA?


I was even thinking of playing with it in a Golden Ale. I've never tasted it but I though it would work with Amarillo.


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## fcmcg (24/12/13)

I'm all for experiment's but I reckon it's black currant flavours may clash a bit with the pine and fruit salad of us hops...
I think it's a great single use hop too...if you want , sub everything with bramling !!!


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## MartinOC (24/12/13)

Looks good, Kev. I'd be inclined to head more towards an OG of 1050 (FG 1012) & ~ 38 IBU (but Qld. summer quaffing will dictate your own requirements).


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## QldKev (24/12/13)

1.043 is a big beer for this house, although I think 1.050 would be a more realistic gravity for the beer. I've allowed a bit less sugar % and a lower IBU to counteract the lower gravity. Using the +15 minute rule for no chill this comes out about 32IBU. Which my SG:IBU happens to be the close at 1.34:1 Vs your 1.31:1 ratio.


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## DeGarre (26/12/13)

My single hop BramX was scrumptious, for me this hop is at par with EKG in bitters. Works well in porters too. I've never gotten that Ribena flavour though although I have tried.


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## jacknohe (26/12/13)

DeGarre said:


> My single hop BramX was scrumptious, for me this hop is at par with EKG in bitters. Works well in porters too. I've never gotten that Ribena flavour though although I have tried.


What was the recipe? Sounds interesting...


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## bullsneck (26/12/13)

It's on his blog. Click the link in his signature.


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