Emersons Bookbinder clone

[Ralph]

There is a very good thread over here that has a full discussion on creating a Bookbinder like beer.

http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/group/nzcaseswap/forum/topics/cs9-s...

[Crusader-Rob]

Good start, great beer.

Brewed this once or twice, and comes out great.
Wouldn't call it a clone, but a solid recipe.
the conversation a couple of people had in chch recently with richard was that it is 100% gladfield malts. its also just one medium crystal, and the base is a mix of light lager and pale. with choc as colour adjustment.

[Ralph]

Yes. As Paul says in the thread linked above

Reply by Paul Finney on December 12, 2013 at 10:26am

Straight from the horses mouth when I spoke to Richard at the South Island Beer festival.

 

The malts are all Gladfield:

Ale malt, Medium Crystal, Chocolate and.... lager malt (I know, surprised me too)

The hops are NZ fuggles and Riwaka.

 

But like he said, it is all about the proportions! I have done one test batch that is sitting in the carboy at the moment. I used:

 

66.8% Ale Malt

16.7% Medium Crystal

14.6% Lager malt

1.9% Chocolate

 

Bittering was equal parts Riwaka and NZ fuggles. Then at 10mins 2 parts NZ Fuggles to Riwaka, and at 5mins just NZ fuggles.

 

I feel that there is not a dry hop as I never get too much on the nose, the hop flavour comes after drinking it. So I am not going to dry hop. I also think that there is more NZ fuggles than Riwaka, but that is only my opinion.

 

From what I can see it looks a bit too dark so possibly a bit heavy on the medium. And I used the Burton ale yeast which is incorrect but I had half a packet to use up ( I am only doing a 4.5L batch) I hope to bottle this week at some point so we will find out around Christmas if I got it right! Then it will be onto batch 2.

[Peter Smith]

As I am not a big Fuggles fan I replace Fuggles with Styrian Goldings and its an awesome brew!  I use us05 and mash pretty high about 68

[Ralph]

Yeh, I have used Fuggles, Styrian Golding (NZ) and Goldings (NZ) in variations of the recipe. All are good! I mash at about 67 and have used Mangrove Jacks Burton Union which seems to work well.

[Peter Smith]

Drinking a real bookie, the NZ Fuggles is really shining, its very spicey peppery, its quite light , I think 5-7% med crystal max ...   50:50 Gladdies pa and larger malt...

Might need to try brewing this again, have developed taste buds and appreciate fuggles a lot more now

[Crusader-Rob]

I had one recently as well, its definitely changed since the non lion days.

not to say its a badthing, just different to what i remember - probably something to do with the different system its being brewed on.

[Peter Smith]

Maybe they have changed over to Gladfield's American Ale from a Pils/Ale mix, that was one of the reasons Gladdies released it I believe.   I got a sack of AA a while back and find that a 7% med crystal grist with it produces a great slightly darker base IPA then bookie currently is, hence I think even less med crystal.   Also maybe this seasons NZ Fuggles just throws more pepper/spice.

And if the hop utilisation of their new kettles is different that could easily change things.  Its a difficult beast to clone the bookie.   I have done 3 different brews over the years, but as fast as I seem to change my recipe the actual bookie seems to drift around itself.   I am not getting any Riwaka in it at all at the moment.  I had heard that was a hard to get hop at the moment.

I am going to try it again

Gladdies American ale - 95%

Gladdies Med Crystal - 5%

and just NZ Fuggles , 60 min and a 5 min, it think the aroma from a 5min will mean no need to Dry Hop this beer

 

[Willem Truter]

While having a Bookbinder I came across this thread. Yup got to brew this beer! Still got to try the new Supernova Malt from Gladdies this weekend, just got a fresh batch in two days ago.