New Member from Warrington UK

[Cheshire Cat]

I have just joined this forum. I am an experienced homebrewer and a member of UK & US Homebrew forums.

 

[philrob]

Welcome to AHB.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

Welcome CC.

I worked in Varrington when they used to make vodka there, also Tetley and Greenall Whitly had breweries there, there was nothing like cycling along Owen street when they doing a brew first thing on a Monday morning

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Welcome CC.

I worked in Varrington when they used to make vodka there, also Tetley and Greenall Whitly had breweries there, there was nothing like cycling along Owen street when they doing a brew first thing on a Monday morning

Thanks, both breweries now gone as well as Burtonwood. G&W no loss as the beer was awful.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

Yes on the G&W, I always thought the foam blowing over the Chester road at the roundabout with Wilderspool Causeway was something to do with their brewing process.

I used to enjoy a pint or two of the Burtonwood bitter but never a Tetley bitter man

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I think the foam was from Crosfields who made washing powder. They are now closed and manufacturing moved to the Netherlands. There’s Brexit for you.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

I think it was the secret ingredient in Greenhalls bitter

 

[Eddy Monsoon]

I think it was the secret ingredient in Greenhalls bitter

and the Grunhalle Lager ?

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

and the Grunhalle Lager ?

Probably a bit more in that for head retention but the Mersey water was cut with equine urine for enhanced yellow colour

 

[Feldon]

Yesteryear's pub talk.

 

[Feldon]

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I’d rather be on a chain gang than drink Greenall Whitley beer.

 

[Maves]

And where would you expats place Carlton Draught? Courage tried a few UK style beers here a while back (1770 Colonial Ale). I liked it but the majority swillers mustn't have.
https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/courage-beer-launched/

 

[Feldon]

^
The 1973 TV ad for Courage's "slow brewed" Tankard Bitter brewed in Melbourne and mentioned in the above story. Makes me thirsty.



And while Courage tried to make inroads into Australia, Australian beers like Fosters were gaining a big foothold in the UK market as more drinkers moved from ales to lagers. This Kestrel Lager ad (from the 1980s?) seems to be aimed at winning back Fosters drinkers (the voice-over was by Leslie Phillips of Carry On movie fame).

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

Ah yes I remember kestrel lager, there was some Biggles related adds too I think. Probably came out of the same breweries making fosters, harp and heineken lagers.

As mentioned above beer is regional, same in the UK, in the northwest we would never see courage as it is a London brew.

I think we regard the CUB beers the same as Aussies, those of us who brew hold them in the same contempt as you do.

Most of the major UK breweries were bad but one or two were exceptional. Boddingtons bitter was superb, credited with medicinal and aphrodisiac properties, Stan the man drunk it and his hair grew back and he started pulling crack. I mostly used to drink Samuel Smiths bitter and still regularly brew a "Yorkshire bitter." When I lived near Stockport I discovered Robbinsons beers, drinking equal amounts of their bitter and pale mild but their best beer is Old Tom which I cannot make anything close to.

Since I have been here I have tried more UK beers than I did when I lived there, Sheperard Neame being one of my favorite breweries.

I'd love to hear what other Pomes think of as their favorite brews from the old country

 

[Maves]

"their best beer is Old Tom which I cannot make anything close to."
OK, that's throwing down a challenge. What is the uniqueness that you wish to replicate? What is something similar that we in Oz can experience. Old Peculiar is one I find unique and is hard to replicate.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I’ve brewed Old Tom from Graham Wheeler’s recipe and it turned out very good. Can’t compare with the original as I’ve never had one.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

"their best beer is Old Tom which I cannot make anything close to."
OK, that's throwing down a challenge. What is the uniqueness that you wish to replicate? What is something similar that we in Oz can experience. Old Peculiar is one I find unique and is hard to replicate.

I'm not good at describing flavours, it's dark and malty and just plain good.

I’ve brewed Old Tom from Graham Wheeler’s recipe and it turned out very good. Can’t compare with the original as I’ve never had one.

It's quite easy to find in your neck of the woods, I bought it in Tesco in Northwich last year when I was over there and the co-op in Tarporley, though couldn't get it in the Robinsons pub next to my parents place.

I've brewed the Graham Wheeler version twice and my own version before that, used a kevik yeast which I think spoiled it. I have no idea what yeast is used, I did it with Nottingham twice. I will brew the Wheeler version again with a different yeast, or maybe with Nottingham again. Just read this again Brewing Robinson’s ‘Old Tom’ Barley Wine , maybe the trick is with the crystal malts.


I have seen on UK brewing forums that it is blended so that's something difficult to do in homebrewing unless you brew big batches have lots of cellar space and the patience of Job

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I’m a Northwich lad and we go shopping there regularly, I brew lagers with Ashbeck water bought in Tesco Northwich. I brewed Old Tom with a Nottingham like yeast from Crossmyloof Brewing in Glasgow.

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

OK I'm off to Blighty next week, top of the list is a Robinsons brewery tour, they are finishing on 31st May so may not be able to do it. Couple of pints in the Crown Nantwich is at number 2. Great grand parents pub in Weston Point is number 3.

Any other suggestions in the Cheshire area?

Weeks 4 and 5 will be spent in Dorset, is there any good beer in the south of England, open to suggestions.

Somebody asked what Old Tom tastes like, this guy describes it very well