Topic: King sized head on pale ale

[Bjerreby]

Oh dear  >:(

I was pre-occupied yesterday, and didn't concentrate while bottling my latest batch of pale ale.

Well, maybe I did concentrate.............I put in double the intended amount of priming sugar, and didn't realize what I had done till all was bottled and on the shelf.

I wonder.........this time next week, will I have exploding bottles? Hope not.

Well, I have learned my lesson. KEEP YOUR MIND ON THE JOB!

[SPUDLY]

Hi Bjerreby,

Hope your pale ale is ok. You gave me advice about making bitter about two weeks ago. The update is, that after 7 days fementing, then 7 days in the barrel i have sampled the brew tonight, wow, it's alot better than i was expecting. I chose to use the barrel for my first brew, and drew off three half pints for the family to try. The priming sugar done it's job, and they came out with a nice head. After this, not so much gas but still a great pint. 4.8 ABV. Thanks for the advice, i'm going to enjoy this brew, and many more ;D

[Bjerreby]

Glad to hear it is a success spudly. I see you couldn't resist tasting it after just 2 weeks! I understand that. But you will be pleasantly surprised what happens if you leave it for a month before drinking it.  :)

[SPUDLY]

One whole month! :o :o :o. Will try my best, trouble is a lot of friends have been waiting to try it. Didn't think i had that many friends until i started this ;D

[Bjerreby]

Disaster.............

Madam (my missus): "Hoy, your beer barrel has started leaking".

Me: "I doubt that."

Madam: "Come and see then."

So I come for a look, and right enough there is about a pint of the finest pale ale on the scullery floor.

Further investigation revealed that it wasn't the barrel leaking at all (sorry Madam), but one of my over-primed bottles on the shelf above that had blown its bottom out.  ::)

I had already started drinking that batch to get rid of it, because I knew what was coming. But exploding bottles demands emergency action! I have opened the remaining bottles (it was like opening champagne bottles at New Year) and transferred the contents into 2 one gallon jars.

Now I am considering how to avoid spoiling the ale. It is still fermenting a bit, and will condition well in the gallon jars, so it would equally well condition properly if I put  it into my 5L garden spray (I only spray water and seaweed extract, no poisons). That way, maybe I can control the pressure above the ale and prevent it going flat!

Or is this the engineering profession finally going completely mad?  :o

[cleo]

it was like opening champagne bottles at New Year)

I have to smile-I`ve seen it in the judge`s room a couple of times.

Pale ale should have a reasonable alcohol level,be well hopped and `condition`-but fizzing all over the shop is not going to win prizes ;D

I know I am never going to convert you but I did win the `National` -Pale Ale class in 1984

[Bjerreby]

it was like opening champagne bottles at New Year)

I have to smile-I`ve seen it in the judge`s room a couple of times.

Pale ale should have a reasonable alcohol level,be well hopped and `condition`-but fizzing all over the shop is not going to win prizes ;D

I know I am never going to convert you but I did win the `National` -Pale Ale class in 1984

I don't need converting Cleo, I love pale ale, and mine normally never froths over. It was just this time I wasn't concentrating on the job, and made a fatal error.

Do you have a pale ale recipe to share? I do a decent brew, but I'd like to experiment a bit with ingredient suppliers and perhaps improve.

By the way. I have ditched the ale in the gallon jars. I knew it was spoilt, but tried anyway. I can't stand flat ale. :'(

[cleo]

 I can't stand flat ale.

Tell me-we were staying next to the CAMRA `real ale` shop in
 Norfolk a couple of weeks ago -Norfolk ales???-flat as anything-I`ve seen more life in a dead spider!!

Any way here is the recipe that won

7lb Pale Malt

6oz Crystal Malt

9oz Flaked Maize

500g light muscavado sugar

2oz Goldings

2oz Hallertau

It was mashed in October 1983,came 3rd at Leeds AW in feb 1984 and when a bit more mature won the 1984 National

[Bjerreby]

Well, that really did surprise me  :o I thought that:

1.  Hallertau hops are only used for lager type beers, and that while they give aroma, they don't do much for the taste

2.  Brown sugars can be considered for mild, brown ale and stout, but they have a powerful affect on the taste

3.   Flaked maize has a powerul affect on the taste, and is only really considered appropriate for cost cutting, you know, a bit like adding flaked rice.

I have stuck with a blend of pale and crystal malt, ordinary white sugar, and goldings. Basta!

I shall try adding small amounts of brown sugar and see what affect is has.

[cleo]

3.   Flaked maize has a powerul affect on the taste, and is only really considered appropriate for cost cutting, you know, a bit like adding flaked rice

I used to use some type of flake in my recipes-if nothing else they kept the mash `open` to help when sparging.

This one won a few prizes around the scene as well-it`s basically a `bitter`good bottled or a pressure barrel

7lb pale malt

6oz crystal malt

6oz flaked maize

4 oz flaked barley

4oz torrified barley

2oz Goldings

1 1/2 oz Bramling cross