What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[Peter Smith]

I brewed a Shepherd Neame Spitfire Clone

its not fully carbonated but is a real close clone    If anything it needs more 90 min Target this was the recipe

4Kg Maris Otter

400g Crystal 100L

400g Torrified wheat

250g Amber Malt

25g Target hops 90 mins

30g Kent Goldings 60 mins

10g Kent Goldings 15 mins

Mashed at 66 and used Notty...

Will do another once this carbs up ,   can probably assume the target is not as fresh as in the uk as well, I would perhaps do a 90 and a 60 addition next time.  I will mash a touch higher as well and add more torrified wheat.

[Kevin Sharp]

It's usually the Goldings that are hard to match. Goldings are not a single cultivar. If anything it was developed as a marketing term meaning fine hops. Traditionally commercial brewers in the UK specified a particular grower in their recipes rather than a named  variety of hop. The larger breweries would own their own hop yards, and consequently their beers were practically impossible to duplicate.

Shepherds Neame are in Faversham, the heart of Goldings country, so I expect they have a very close relationship with the grower. They also make a big deal out of the mineral profile of their water - high in Calcium(102ppm), low in chloride(27ppm) and sulphate(15ppm). Having brewed a Bishops Finger clone a couple of times I'm inclined to think that the water profile is important.

[Peter Smith]

Can you post your Bishops Finger clone recipe?

[Kevin Sharp]

The recipe is adapted from Clone Brews. I go with a big starter (not sure why it says "no starter" when I export it) because the esters should be evident, but subtle. Pitch at 18degC and ramp temperature to 21degC after 60% potential attenuation. Don't use NZ Styrian - Savinja Goldings are best if you can source them.

Bishops Finger Clone

By Clone Brews p158

Method:	All Grain	Style:	Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Boil Time:	90 min	Batch Size:	21 liters (ending kettle volume)
Boil Size:	28.5 liters	Efficiency:	80% (ending kettle)
Boil Gravity:	1.039 (recipe based estimate)

Original Gravity: 1.054

Final Gravity: 1.011

ABV (standard): 5.57%

IBU (tinseth): 38.02

SRM (morey): 9.11

Fermentables

Amount	Fermentable	PPG	°L	Bill %
3.3 kg	Gladfield Ale	37	2.75	72.2%
340 g	Torrified Wheat	36	2	7.4%
450 g	Flaked Corn	40	0.5	9.8%
369 g	United Kingdom - Crystal 60L	34	60	8.1%
113 g	United Kingdom - Amber	32	27	2.5%

Hops

Amount	Variety	Type	AA	Use	Time	IBU
20 g	Target	Pellet	9.2	Boil	90 min	26.14
16 g	East Kent Goldings	Pellet	5	Boil	15 min	5.27
16 g	Styrian Goldings	Pellet	5.5	Boil	15 min	5.8
28 g	East Kent Goldings	Pellet	5	Aroma	1 min	0.8

Mash Guidelines

Amount	Description	Type	Temp	Time
--		Infusion	65.5 C	90 min

Other Ingredients

Amount	Name	Type	Use	Time
0.25 tsp	Koppafloc	Fining	Boil	15 min

Yeast

Wyeast - Thames Valley Ale 1275

Attenuation (avg): 77% Flocculation: Med-Low Optimum Temp: 16.7 - 22.2 °C Starter: No Fermentation Temp: 21 °C Pitch Rate: 1.0 (M cells / ml / ° P)

Target Water Profile: Faversham

Ca+2	Mg+2	Na+	Cl-	SO4-2	HCO3-
102	2	30	27	15	285

[Kevin Sharp]

Target has very poor storability - alpha acids decline at about twice the rate as something like Warrior. Added to this, it's very difficult to buy current season Target in home brewing quantities. These people sell them but only as cones. I get pellets from the US in 1kg packs. I find that I can dial in the bittering over a couple of batches, adjusting with iso alpha drops if necessary. Then they'll keep for a year or two vac packed at -20degC.

Regarding the wheat, Roger Protz (via The Homebrewer's Recipe Database) suggests 4% Wheat Malt and 8% Torrified wheat in both Spitfire and Bishops Finger. In a later revision Roger suggest a total of 10% cereal adjuncts , but doesn't break down the individual components. Also Halcyon is suggested rather than Marris which gives a biscuit rather than a nutty touch. Both are too subtle for me, so I stick with whatever Pale Ale malt is on hand. He also suggests that both are dry hopped (presumably with Goldings), but that would be the cask version.

[Peter Smith]

Yeah the target freshness is missing in my recipe but otherwise its bloody close....

If only I could get some fresh uk hops...  Brambling Cross is another I would like to try fresh

[Kevin Sharp]

Even the commercial suppliers in the UK don't have fresher than 2016, but Hops Direct in Yakima have 2016 UK Target, Bramling and Savinjski at US$5 per pound.

[Kevin Sharp]

Are you sure it the Target that's missing? I just found the Michael Jackson Pocket Guide to Beer (6th Ed). That states that bottle conditioned Spitfire is dry hopped with EKG.  That would contribute to the spicy, dry finish that is characteristic of Kent Ales.

[Julian Melville]

Finally got back on the brewing wagon after more than a year off, this time with temp control! This is another version of a hoppy XPA style recipe that has worked well in the past. Named in honour of Rocket Lab, and because I missed the launch while I was brewing it.

"Still Testing" (Golden Pash III)

25L into the fermenter
OG 1.052
FG 1.010
ABV 5.6%

60 min mash at 67C, 73C mashout, 60 min boil, 80C whirlpool 15 min

2t gypsum in the mash, 1t CaCl in the boil

US-05 rehydrated, ferment at 17C

3.6 kg Golden Promise
2.0 kg Vienna
0.5 kg Wheat malt

20g Centennial at 60 min
25g each Mosaic & Citra just before flameout
25g each Mosaic, Citra, Nelson Sauvin at 80C whirlpool
50g each Mosaic & Citra, 25g each Sauvin & Kohatu dry hop

[Peter Smith]

Julian,  I made this beer and its now in keg.

I dry hopped with 50g US Cascade, its a good base beer, going to rebrew and use Mosaic / Citra / Rakau late as you have above,   keen to try a pint of your brew.    I am also going to use 1272 in the rebrew, you have to try my spitfire clone.

[Julian Melville]

That looks great - yep I'll sing out when this is done.

[Peter Smith]

Whakatu Golden Ale....    as thats what I had, so hot hard to get wort cooll.....