Deuchars Caledonian Ipa

[Voosher]

I try not to go down the clone route; generally I prefer to focus on flavours and maybe style rather than brand...
HOWEVER.
In discussion with a fellow beer enthusiast and homebrewer I got myself stuck into attempting to clone a brew which I've never tasted and knew next-to-nothing about until today.

So I'm hoping for a little help. :huh:

There are some solid references to the beer on this site in terms of it's quality, so I'm happy to pursue it further.
The reviews etc on ratebeer don't really give me much to go on.
It is available by the bottle in Australia - and I will track down a bottle or two - but this always concerns me.
Can someone give me an indication of comparison between cask in Britain and bottle in Australia - apart from the general given that there is no comparison

Anybody spied it around Adelaide bottleshops? I will do a trek of the usuals but otherwise it may be an order from beerstore or similar.

Anybody want to start giving me a hint re flavours or recipe suggestions. Malts, hops, bitterness... the usual stuff you need to fill in the gaps where the only solids are the outline :excl:
You can even start me off with any suggestions regarding the specifics of a Caledonian (ie Scottish?) IPA versus an English IPA. wee stu... please try not to be too parochial
Cheers.

 

[barfridge]

The international beer shop here in Perth stocks it: http://www.internationalbeershop.com.au/pr...?product_id=158

Sorry, can't help with Adelaide.

 

[neonmeate]

http://www.caledonian-brewery.co.uk/ipa_tasting.html

note that the cask version is 3.8% and the bottle is 4.4.

Protz gives the 3.8% version as 1038 OG, 35 IBU, with golden promise, wheat malt, crystal and possibly willamette instead of styrian.
from tasting it lately i would believe the brewery - it's very styrianny.
i would also go for a bit of a partial boildown cause they use direct fired coppers that caramelise the wort a bit. yeast would probably be a pretty neutral one. cold conditioning too?

 

[bconnery]

I would certainly keep the crystal % down fairly low, this is much paler than many, but not all, IPAs I have tasted.

The reviews are right, this an excellent beer that in my opinion does translate well to the bottle. Can't say about the travel here but the bottled version is worth trying.

Chances are they use one the yeasts used in other Calendonian brews, but they may have several strains...

 

[jayse]

It can be found in adelaide in a few places, I have brought it from the royal oak recently and also the bottleshop on greenhill road, whatever they are calling themselves these days.

Its pretty much right up the top of my list as a fave beer. The bottles i have got in Adelaide have sung sweet songs to my senses.

I agree with what others have said in that if you are using crystal malt go easy as this beer is mainly all about the traditional ale malt and those absolutely awesome stryian goldings.

Its a cracker of a beer.



Boozed, broozed and broken boned.
Jayse

 

[sinkas]

So let me get this right, you want people to advise you on cloning a brew you dont even know if you like? Riiiiight....

 

[Voosher]

So let me get this right, you want people to advise you on cloning a brew you dont even know if you like? Riiiiight....

You may wish to re-read my initial post. I'm looking for it to try myself as well.
And it has generally good reviews.
And it was recommended by someone whose taste I respect.

But thanks. I appreciate your input.

 

[wee stu]

Methinks this may be a beer that has evolved and changed somewhat over time.

My ancient copy of Protz, dating back to 1997 and supposedly based on brewery information, suggests Pipkin malt, whole fuggles for bittering and goldings for aroma.

Been a while since I had any, but my memory, faulty and suspect as it is, was of conventional rather than styrian goldings. Like I say though it has been a while, and don't know why the current brewers would tell any fibs. Definitely low on crystal though.

The grog shop on Greenhill Road, at Glenside, is now called hamood's plonk, and they are as good a bet as any for this beer in Adelaide, I would have thought.

 

[Voosher]

Cheers folks. Hamood came through so I got a couple of bottles to have for with lunch.

Checking the Caledonian website. What a good idea
Golden Promise and Optic malts.
Fuggles and Super Styrian Goldings for hopping.

Nice clean beer; almost more a Summer Ale.
Lovely citrusy/marmalade flavours and aromas. A smooth lingering bitterness.
Just a little malt sweetness lingering on the lips.

I know next to nothing about Optic other than that it's another Spring barley.

I'm going to give it a run first off with about 2/3 GP and 1/3 Maris Otter. I don't expect the Maris Otter to be close to Optic but I just want to get a variation in malts.

I'll bitter with Fuggles for 60m, more Fuggles for 20m, Styrians for 10m and again at flame out.

If the cask at 1038 is 35IBU I'll give it a run at OG 1045 40+ IBU's.

And as it's a Caledonian I'm going to use Wyeast 1728 fermented around 18C 'cos it's clean and clear at that temp.

I'll see how that pans out first.
Thoughts on variations are all GP with some kettle caramelisation and Willamette for Fuggles as the flavour addition.

Thanks again.