chiller
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 27/4/04
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Hi Guys,
After reading the latest BYO magazine with American seasonal beers I felt compelled to do some research into a "seasonal beer" from the source.
Brewing has its roots in the Sumerian and Egyptian cultures many years past, and as such we don't have a huge amount of data to go on for this project.
The owner of the Harrad's department store commissioned a beer brewed along very traditional lines and because it was very unique sold for quite an amount per bottle.
I'd like help on formaulating my Egyptian seasonal beer.
A seasonal beer needs a gravity around the 1.080 mark and this should be easy to acheive.
I've guesstimated the extract rate from a couple of the ingredients but feel from experience they will yeild about the expected amount.
6.5 kilos JW Traditional Ale malt.
That is the basis for the beer.
Because the region I want to highlight with this beeer has a tradition of sticky date pudding I will use 3 previously made puddings in the mash.
I estimate that the date syrup [not the packet mix stuff] from the sticky date pudding can because of the caramel flavour profile substitute for our modern day crystal.
I intend to add more dates to the boil but my dilema is whether to FWD [First Wort Date] or FOD [Flame out Date.
Now FWDing offers a smoother character but throws up the possiblity of Date haze when chilled below 12 degrees C. FOD doesn't pose the same dilema but you miss the smooth Date character.
I've already started [excuse the pun] my starter from an extract of Camel saliva and an Oassis plant called Cannia Lux Or. I sourced this along the old Ghan train line. It apparently grows only after many years in contactact with dry camel dung. The plant has the correct wild yeast concentrations to hold in check the rapid lactification of the sticky date pudding extract/starter mix. This ensure the correct Camel blanket under tone in the fermentation.
I'm told that the leaves of the common Humulus lupulus Origanum sipyleum can be substituted for the minor amount of bittering used in this beer.
From the research I've conducted this yeast strain must be fermented at at least 30 degrees C so the advice of HBS owners appears to be correct when making an Eygtian seasonal beer.
The beer needs a further lactic acid rest of 12 hours in a constant 38 degree temperature so this is the ideal full summer beer. I suppose the tradition of Diacetyl resting beers has its roots in this practise.
I feel that I may depart from tradition myself and bottle this beer instead of kegging and if I do I'd probably drift a bit further to the adverturous side of brewing and step into the unknown outside of the square and use a square of dark chocolate to prime each bottle -- lack of head won't be a problem as the camel saliva yeast concentrate can be stirred back in just prior to priming and bottling. The chocolate, I bellieve, will add further complexity to the caramel acheived by the sticky date pudding syrup.
I suppose where I need help is the mash regime as not many brewers I know have made this beer.
Please make some suggestions as to the correct temp to mash at as I feel this will impact on the success or failure of this project.
Of course I value the expertise of this furum and some fellow brewers offered me advice today on what to do with this beer so I wait for your comment.
I feel this beer may make us famous -- we have the chance to stamp our collective talents on a beer style in need of revival. Perhaps this was the ancestoral Old Ale or Barley wine.
Steve.
After reading the latest BYO magazine with American seasonal beers I felt compelled to do some research into a "seasonal beer" from the source.
Brewing has its roots in the Sumerian and Egyptian cultures many years past, and as such we don't have a huge amount of data to go on for this project.
The owner of the Harrad's department store commissioned a beer brewed along very traditional lines and because it was very unique sold for quite an amount per bottle.
I'd like help on formaulating my Egyptian seasonal beer.
A seasonal beer needs a gravity around the 1.080 mark and this should be easy to acheive.
I've guesstimated the extract rate from a couple of the ingredients but feel from experience they will yeild about the expected amount.
6.5 kilos JW Traditional Ale malt.
That is the basis for the beer.
Because the region I want to highlight with this beeer has a tradition of sticky date pudding I will use 3 previously made puddings in the mash.
I estimate that the date syrup [not the packet mix stuff] from the sticky date pudding can because of the caramel flavour profile substitute for our modern day crystal.
I intend to add more dates to the boil but my dilema is whether to FWD [First Wort Date] or FOD [Flame out Date.
Now FWDing offers a smoother character but throws up the possiblity of Date haze when chilled below 12 degrees C. FOD doesn't pose the same dilema but you miss the smooth Date character.
I've already started [excuse the pun] my starter from an extract of Camel saliva and an Oassis plant called Cannia Lux Or. I sourced this along the old Ghan train line. It apparently grows only after many years in contactact with dry camel dung. The plant has the correct wild yeast concentrations to hold in check the rapid lactification of the sticky date pudding extract/starter mix. This ensure the correct Camel blanket under tone in the fermentation.
I'm told that the leaves of the common Humulus lupulus Origanum sipyleum can be substituted for the minor amount of bittering used in this beer.
From the research I've conducted this yeast strain must be fermented at at least 30 degrees C so the advice of HBS owners appears to be correct when making an Eygtian seasonal beer.
The beer needs a further lactic acid rest of 12 hours in a constant 38 degree temperature so this is the ideal full summer beer. I suppose the tradition of Diacetyl resting beers has its roots in this practise.
I feel that I may depart from tradition myself and bottle this beer instead of kegging and if I do I'd probably drift a bit further to the adverturous side of brewing and step into the unknown outside of the square and use a square of dark chocolate to prime each bottle -- lack of head won't be a problem as the camel saliva yeast concentrate can be stirred back in just prior to priming and bottling. The chocolate, I bellieve, will add further complexity to the caramel acheived by the sticky date pudding syrup.
I suppose where I need help is the mash regime as not many brewers I know have made this beer.
Please make some suggestions as to the correct temp to mash at as I feel this will impact on the success or failure of this project.
Of course I value the expertise of this furum and some fellow brewers offered me advice today on what to do with this beer so I wait for your comment.
I feel this beer may make us famous -- we have the chance to stamp our collective talents on a beer style in need of revival. Perhaps this was the ancestoral Old Ale or Barley wine.
Steve.