Wychwood Brewery

[Dazza_devil]

I've got a Hobgoblin pint stubbie in the fridge to consume tonight.
It'll be interesting to see how it compares to my Irish Red brewed with 1084 that's nearly 7 weeks in the bottle.

 

[Pumpy]

I've got a Hobgoblin pint stubbie in the fridge to consume tonight.
It'll be interesting to see how it compares to my Irish Red brewed with 1084 that's nearly 7 weeks in the bottle.

Boagsy ,

I prefer my Irish red to the Hobgoblin that 1084 is a great yeast , how do you wait seven weeks before drinking it ?

 

[RobB]

Here's a set of videos on Brakspears site, including one which shows the double drop system:

video link

It's not the most delicate operation. In fact, after years of avoiding any agitation once the yeast has been pitched, this was a bit of an eye-opener.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Boagsy ,

I prefer my Irish red to the Hobgoblin that 1084 is a great yeast , how do you wait seven weeks before drinking it ?

I've been sampling it but have a fair proportion of the batch left and it's improving all the time as the yeast settles out a bit. I only cold crash for 2 days as a clearing agent so it was a bit muddy to begin with. As it is I would say the Hobgoblin has got Buckley's but come beer o'clock we will see.

 

[Pennywise]

I hve a pint of Hobgoblin in front of me now. I would storngly suggest anyone seeking a Hobgoblin recipe to ask DrSmurto for his. It uses Fuggles & Styrian Goldings for the flavour & aroma but from memory it uses Newport for the bittering. Also uses Wyeast 1187 Ringwood, which IMO could be fermented a little lower than suggested due to some extra esters, but is still awesome fermented at the good Dr's recomendations. Damn I love this beer, I'll be doing another one of these in the next couple of weeks so it should be at it's peak come winter :icon_drool2:

 

[Dazza_devil]

The Hobgoblin was delicious, very nice. The Irish Red I brewed is nicer but I can taste the similarities with the yeast.

 

[spog]

first thing (okay maybe last) i would have done is nicked that pushbike,that would look mgood in any h'bers shed B) ......cheers....spog..........

 

[Dazza_devil]

first thing (okay maybe last) i would have done is nicked that pushbike,that would look mgood in any h'bers shed B) ......cheers....spog..........

I luv riding a pushbike when i'm pissed, even more than drink driving.

 

[Pumpy]

Very jealous Pumpy,
Been a big fan of the Wychwood beers for years, and tried a few Hobgoblin clones to little effect. Funny piece of trivia: the guy who taught me the ropes at the Lord Nelson when I brewed there did part of his brewing apprenticeship with Wychwood, he supposedly helped with the Dogs Bollocks recipe.

Awesome,
TIM

Tim ,

Its a small wold Time I dont know if there was more room at the Lord Nelson Brewery or the Wychwood brewery he would have felt at home there

 

[glennheinzel]

I have posted some pics in the gallery of my visit to the Wychwood brewery in Oxfordshire England at Witney .

Hi Pumpy,

Are you still in the UK? If so, you may be able to get the dregs of The Hop (the bitterest beer in the world) if you can get across to Wantage. Google Maps says that it's 35 min from Witney to Wantage.

FYI - I was lucky enough to have some spare time (and an understanding wife) so I spent a night up there recently. (What's in the glass commercial)

Cheers,

Rukh.

 

[Pumpy]

Hi Pumpy,

Are you still in the UK? If so, you may be able to get the dregs of The Hop (the bitterest beer in the world) if you can get across to Wantage. Google Maps says that it's 35 min from Witney to Wantage.

FYI - I was lucky enough to have some spare time (and an understanding wife) so I spent a night up there recently. (What's in the glass commercial)

Cheers,

Rukh.

Rukh Thats interesting the Bitterist beer in the world , I will check it out next year some great pubs around there

Pumpy

 

[glennheinzel]

Rukh Thats interesting the Bitterist beer in the world , I will check it out next year some great pubs around there

Pumpy

The Hop was only done as a one-off, although he does have plans for a bigger beer when someone tops the current IBU record.

The Royal Oak (in Wantage) was one of last years top 4 pubs in England (as voted by CAMRA members) so it is worth a visit if you're in that neck of the woods. Of course you are right though that there are plenty of good pubs to choose from

 

[hazard]

Here is Orfys for Hobgoblin clone recipe

I've made this recipe, using Ringwood 1187 yeast. Awesome beer, with perhaps just a touch too much hops for my palate - possibly becasue FWH delivers a bit more flavour and aroma than a standard 60min addition. I would heartily recommend this to anyone who likes a brown ale.

I noticed somehwere in this thread a reference to Newkie brown - well this stuff has really gone to the dogs. I bought one from Dan's recently and if you read the label, its got maize, sugar and caramel colouring in it. So, base malt is low, and roasted malts are also low. So flavour is pretty damn low as well. I used to drink this stuff but never again. Why would anyone drink this in preference to Hobgoblin except from habit? Of course, being in a clear bottle under the spot lights at Dan's is not really good for your beer either.

 

[Pumpy]

I've made this recipe, using Ringwood 1187 yeast. Awesome beer, with perhaps just a touch too much hops for my palate - possibly becasue FWH delivers a bit more flavour and aroma than a standard 60min addition. I would heartily recommend this to anyone who likes a brown ale.

I noticed somehwere in this thread a reference to Newkie brown - well this stuff has really gone to the dogs. I bought one from Dan's recently and if you read the label, its got maize, sugar and caramel colouring in it. So, base malt is low, and roasted malts are also low. So flavour is pretty damn low as well. I used to drink this stuff but never again. Why would anyone drink this in preference to Hobgoblin except from habit? Of course, being in a clear bottle under the spot lights at Dan's is not really good for your beer either.

Hazard ,

Both beers are diferent styles of English Brown .

Newcastle brown is an Northern English Brown

Hobgoblin is a Southern English Brown

Newcastle Brown from what I remember it had a distictive flavour anyway and like you say unsure if they travel that way in the clear glass bottle .

As a better example of English Northern Brown I always preferred the Samuel Smiths Nut brown Ale over the Newky brown

 

[hazard]

Newcastle brown is an Northern English Brown
Hobgoblin is a Southern English Brown

Really? Hobgoblin is 5.2% in the bottle, way to strong for a southern english brown - the most famous example of a southerner is of course Mann's Brown Ale which weighs in at a measly 2.8%. Can't they hold their drink in the south?

And, AABC style guidelines lists Hobgoblin as an example of Northern brown ale (along with newkie and Samuel Smith's brown).

So - I still prefer hobgoblin! I've tried Samuel Smith's brown, I love many of their beers (their oatmeal stout is one of my all time faves) but the brown ale contains roast barley which I find a bit dry in a brown ale(bur perfect for an Irish stout).

 

[TidalPete]

Really? Hobgoblin is 5.2% in the bottle, way to strong for a southern english brown - the most famous example of a southerner is of course Mann's Brown Ale which weighs in at a measly 2.8%. Can't they hold their drink in the south?

And, AABC style guidelines lists Hobgoblin as an example of Northern brown ale (along with newkie and Samuel Smith's brown).

I must say I have to agree with hazard in some ways. A quick Google finds Witney just to the northwest of Greater London so geographically it IS a Southern Brown Ale even though the BJCP & AABC state otherwise but at 5.25% in the bottle it's more in line with a Northern Brown.
To make things a little more confusing lots of brewers on this forum seem to class Hobgoblin as an Old Ale which it is not of course. Even that well-known Yank recipe "Orfey's Hobgoblin Clone" classes Hobgoblin as an English Old Ale. All rather confusing I think?
Fine-tuning my Hobgoblin 3 ATM & have high hopes for this one even though I am calling it a Northern Brown as I always have to keep it in line with the real Hobgoblin alcoholic content of 5.2%. h34r:

TP

 

[hazard]

Even that well-known Yank recipe "Orfey's Hobgoblin Clone" classes Hobgoblin as an English Old Ale. All rather confusing I think?
Fine-tuning my Hobgoblin 3 ATM & have high hopes for this one

Although Orfy is very active on HomeBrew Talk (11,850 posts!!!! who can match that here?) he hales from Cheshire - so would probably not liked to be called a Yank.

Anyway, do you want to share your recipe pete? I love Hobgoblin, and although I'm very happy with Orfy's clone, always keen to try new things.

 

[cdbrown]

Come on TP - splash out this recipe for us! Or perhaps provide the V2 along with where it wasn't quite right for others to play with.

 

[TidalPete]

Although Orfy is very active on HomeBrew Talk (11,850 posts!!!! who can match that here?) he hales from Cheshire - so would probably not liked to be called a Yank.

Anyway, do you want to share your recipe pete? I love Hobgoblin, and although I'm very happy with Orfy's clone, always keen to try new things.

My error hazard but a little stir hurts nobody? h34r: :lol:
Have just emailed Wychwood Brewery about this so let's hope they respond.
Still fine-tuning my latest effort which includes most of Orfie's grain bill but in different proportions & using a different yeast. Would rather wait untill I'm happy with it.

TP

 

[hazard]

Will be planning my third Hobgoblin attempt on the info obtained from HERE.

I just looked at this - where is Fiddler's Elbow? And no mention of Black Wytch? Are these off the menu?

Although last few posts have been about Hobgoblin, does anyone have a good Fiddler's Elbow recipe? I've found a few recipes on British sites, but they are all around 4% ABV. In the bottle in Aust, its 5.2% - I've shared my thoughts on this with a few of the good folk on Jim's Forum and they swear that Fiddler's Elbow in UK is 4% in cask, 4.5% in bottle - which explains why they brew to low ABV. Another very good beer, and any thoughts appreciated.