Rusty Brewer: Authentic Real Ale From Scratch?!

[Wortgames]

My oh my it's been a long time. Again. How is everyone? Still managing OK without me?

Since I was last here I've bought a place, where I plan to live out my days. Great feeling. All my brewing gear is currently hidden among piles of junk, and I haven't even decided where to set it up yet. But I have a deadline - I need some real ale for a planned get-together with some fellow poms on the 19th of Feb, so it is the ideal arse-kick I need to get my act together and put my beer where my mouth is.

So I need to get cracking. I've had some fuggles plugs in the freezer since before Churchill was born, but otherwise I've got nothing. I don't even know what my water supply is like for brewing - but I've got a rainwater tank, so I reckon I'll use that and add back anything I need to make the water up. I haven't got access to Promash or any of my old recipes, and in a way I want to start from scratch anyway.

I need a good reliable recipe for a single step mash that will satisfy some homesick Englishmen. Something malty like a mild ale would be especially good. I need to pick up all the ingredients from Grain and Grape while I'm in Melbourne this week so I can brew it on the weekend. They have some fresh Maris Otter just in, apparently, and I have those Fuggles plugs, but I need to sort out some specialty malts and water additions to do this right, so I'd really appreciate some help from those less rusty than I!

Cheers,
WG

 

[razz]

Welcome back Wortgames! Doctor Smurto's Landlord from the recipeDB would have to satisfy some of the mates, although I doubt you will get a smack pack ready in time or would you? If not perhaps use a good dry yeast with it.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...&recipe=680
Good luck

 

[Wortgames]

G'day Razz, how's things?!

That recipe looks like a winner to me, thanks for the link. I'm undecided on the yeast, if I smack a pack tonight I could skip the starter and pitch on the weekend. Less than ideal but it will probably be fine. Alternatively I could just bung in a couple of packs of Safale, which might be the smarter option under the circumstances. I won't get to see it again until the following weekend so I need to be pretty sure it got under way.

Will I be right with straight rainwater or do I need to add something? I've always had pretty good tapwater in the past so I've never had to look into it, but I'm pretty sure that plain rainwater is no good? Maybe a touch of calcium chloride?

 

[AndrewQLD]

It has been a while Wortgames, great to see you back.
This recipe Whitbread 1943 Oat Mild is a cracker on a beer engine and while it has a pretty low O.G (1.026) its full of flavour and very easy to drink. The recipe is second entry down.
Hope you'll be brewing like a demon again.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[jbowers]

+1 for Smurtos Landlord. Mine was a cracker, and I barely know anything about brewing. Grain and Grape should have all the ingredients you need for it. Maybe call up before and see if they can put the 1469 yeast aside for you?

 

[razz]

G'day Razz, how's things?!

That recipe looks like a winner to me, thanks for the link. I'm undecided on the yeast, if I smack a pack tonight I could skip the starter and pitch on the weekend. Less than ideal but it will probably be fine. Alternatively I could just bung in a couple of packs of Safale, which might be the smarter option under the circumstances. I won't get to see it again until the following weekend so I need to be pretty sure it got under way.

Will I be right with straight rainwater or do I need to add something? I've always had pretty good tapwater in the past so I've never had to look into it, but I'm pretty sure that plain rainwater is no good? Maybe a touch of calcium chloride?

I use rainwater and it has bugger all in it. EZ water is a good calculator for adding salts. While safale won't do for your brew what the Yorky yeast will, it will have your brew ready in time.

 

[Wortgames]

Thanks Andrew, yeah I reckon I'm already bitten again, it's been too long and I miss it! Now that I have a 'permanent' home, I'm keen to start getting things set up properly again. Plus I'm spending a fortune on grog.

That Oat Mild looks delicious, I might do it next batch - the simpler the better with this first one I reckon, as I'm likely to spend half the day trying to find all my crap anyway. Another vote for the Landlord and the simple grain bill appeals to me, although I might put a bit of dark brown sugar in it for that authentic pommy flavour.

I reckon Safale will be the smart option for this one, maybe 3 packs of S04 for a double batch to make sure it gets off to a good start in the (possibly) nutrient-lacking rainwater. I'll see how I go but I may not even be able to find my hydro etc, so this will be a dump'n'mash, blind faith job! Keep yer fingers crossed for me!

 

[jbowers]

Best of luck man. The TTL is all about that yorky yeast, but im sure s04 with some added brown sugar will be a good beer. Do try the original though with the 1469, its unreal.

 

[JDW81]

+1 for Smurtos Landlord. Mine was a cracker, and I barely know anything about brewing. Grain and Grape should have all the ingredients you need for it. Maybe call up before and see if they can put the 1469 yeast aside for you?

+2 for the land lord. I've just drunk the last of mine and need to brew some more quick smart. It's a cracking beer.

 

[brettprevans]

wortgames! glad to your back. I have nothing to contribute to the thread (other than saying that mild oat looks the goods), just wanted to say welcome back.

edit: something to ad to the thread

I'm undecided on the yeast, if I smack a pack tonight I could skip the starter and pitch on the weekend. Less than ideal but it will probably be fine.

i recon 1 smakpak is fine. 1 smakpack for 19L of ~1040 wort, so a double batch of mild at ~1026 is theoreticlly similar. althought mr malty disagrees with me

 

[Wortgames]

Thanks CM2, glad to be back! I've missed all the characters and shenanigans around here. And the beer

Looking forward to the kitchen being filled with the smell of Maris Otter and Fuggles, too, how good is that going to be?!


Cheers,
WG