Young Henry's Real Ale Clone

[Matplat]

Morning Lads (and Ladies),

I recently drank a 6 pack of the above that my bro brought up from down south and wanted to have a crack at it, it was booodiful

They give a reasonable amount of detail about it on their website here:

http://www.younghenrys.com/real-ale

From that, I have come up with the following recipe:

Young Henry's Real Ale (Special/Best/Premium Bitter)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.042 (°P): 10.5
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 2.8
Alcohol (ABV): 4.13 %
Colour (SRM): 8.6 (EBC): 16.9
Bitterness (IBU): 42.1 (Average)

68.18% Pale Ale Malt
22.73% Maris Otter Malt
4.55% Caramunich I
4.55% Crystal 60

0.9 g/L Ella (15% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L Topaz (16.2% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with MJ M36 Liberty Bell


Recipe Generated with BrewMate


I have left out the galaxy because I've used it a bit too much recently, but I'm just wondering which of the other two to use for bittering, and which for flavour?

I've never used either of them before so I'm currently flying a bit blind and have just taken a punt. I've sent the brewery an e-mail, but no response as yet.....

Cheers, Matt

 

[tugger]

Looks really close to me.

 

[DU99]

mentions galaxy

 

[Matplat]

No-one with direct experience with Ella and Topaz???

 

[wereprawn]

No-one with direct experience with Ella and Topaz???

We did an all Aussie, club brew a while back using Ella, Topaz and Summer . Tasted like apricots that had been **** on with a harsh lingering bitterness . "When" the Topaz and Ella is are added is key I think. I've used smallish topaz additions late/at fo since then, and it has added a pleasant stone fruit undertones to complement other hops. When I've used Ella late, it was in combination with other hops too and I really couldn't taste it.

 

[Blind Dog]

From what I've heard, they use a small dose of Topaz as a FWH addition, Ella and Galaxy in equal quantities really close to the end of the boil (10min?), and Topaz at flame-out. The majority of the bitterness (70%+ of calculated IBUs) comes from the late additions of Ella and Galaxy, and the FWH addition is really small (less than 10% of IBUs).

Given my experiences with these hops and comments from others, that kind of makes sense as they all high AA%ages and seem to have a reputation for harsh bitterness. Treating them as described above, should avoid those issues. Mind you, it could all be rubbish as its pretty much 4th hand and involved beer drinking at each telling.

I reckon your grain bill is a little off as well - given the IBUs and OG/FG, I's personally up both crystal malts to more like 7%-8% - you need a really solid malt backbone to carry 40IBU in a 4% beer, and replicate an English bitter type balance whislt serving at the recommended 6C-8C.

Good luck with it

 

[Matplat]

Thanks guys thats really useful info.

Given my experiences with these hops and comments from others, that kind of makes sense as they all high AA%ages and seem to have a reputation for harsh bitterness.

And beersmith blog says, with regard to FWH:

"Aromatic, noble and other low alpha hops are recommended, as high alpha hops may provide too sharp of an increase in bitterness."

I also recently did a galaxy single hop blonde with a 30min and cube addition which ended up with that harsh bitterness and I'm keen not to repeat the same mistake.

I've already bought all the ingredients (grain pre mixed and crushed) but I might just get some Challenger and EKG to go with it instead and keep things a bit more traditional....

 

[Hopsta]

how did the clone turn out? i had one of these yesterday, loved it such a well balanced ale. Im going to give it a go myself.

 

[tugger]

Was that in a can hopsta.

 

[Matplat]

I ended up just doing a more traditional esb with challenger and ekg... but i did use the hops in a subsequent amber ale and it was bloody amazing! First addition was at 30mins though...

 

[Matplat]

The grain bill was nowhere near, the esb didn't have the same colour or malt complexity I remembered in the real thing. I wonder if they haven't given the full story on their website, cos im not sure any combination of those grains would get the colour right?

 

[Hopsta]

Tugger - it was at a restaurant came in a glass so I believe it was on tap.

Matplat - thanks for the feedback, I'll have a play around with a recipe and post it up for critique.

It's one of the better beers I've tried in a long time, may need to pick up another 6 pack on the way home today I think. Assuming it's at Dan Murphys.

Cheers.

 

[Goldenchild]

Article from byo magazine may/june 14. Havent brewed it so cant comment on personal experience with recipe, but assume it is correct to what the beer was 2 years ago. I had 1 on tap Friday and tasted possibly better then i remembered from over the years. Good luck with it

 

[Matplat]

Nicely done mate, added to the list for sure.... just keeps growing!

 

[Hopsta]

perfect thanks goldenchild!

 

[Matplat]

Well, I brewed similar to the above, I subbed Caraaroma for the dark crystal, and only used topaz and galaxy, and used a combo of 1272/1968. YH is on the left, mine is on the right. Mine is a bit toastier and slightly fresher with a bit more hop presence, but pretty damn close. I like mine better, but I may be bias!