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COMPETITION WINNER ! - WCBA Feb 2023.

Notes

Based on Youngs Special London Ale. Interestingly the cask version is 4.5% ABV and the bottle version 6.4%. Youngs website describe this as an Amber Ale. I've started with Steve Osborne's recipe and used a base profile of a Best Bitter (targetting max 4.6% ABV). From various online recipes, tasting notes and miscellania I'm aiming for: 4.6% ABV A deep amber/ light copper colour (my favourite) - about 14 SRM. 90% Maris Otter, 8% nice dark crystal malt that throws off some great dark fruit flavours. Plus 50g (1.3%) of Chocolote Malt to get me to my colour target. PS: Actually TOO DARK @ 19 SRM - wind it back! For the water I'm going to lean to a malt-driving profile, with a Chloride to Sulphate ratio of 1.5 (I still want the hops to shine). On my recent beer tour in England I noted the real ales are more bitter than I'd remembered/expected, so I'm going to push the IBU's to just over 40. This is also noted for being quite a hoppy beer, so I'm going to let more than half the bitterness come late in the boil and retain plenty of hop flavour and aroma - EKG and Fuggles, of course. Bitterness ratio >0.8 (BU/GU = 41/47). I'll mash for 60 minutes at 66 degrees C, and add the Chocolate Malt in the last 15 minutes to keep any harsh roast flavours in check. 66 should aid attenuation and keep the residual sweetness down - not sure how much the yeast will chew through maltotriose. I'm in the habit of boiling for 90 minutes - off gases numerous nasties, enhances flavour. I'll whirlpool and then decant into a 20L cube, seal and leave to come to ambient overnight ("no chill") Which brings me to yeast: if I can get it, I hope to use either WYEASTs 1768, the original YOung's yeast, otherwise West Yorkshire Ale Yeast (WYEAST 1469), which is I believe the yeast in Timothy Taylor's Landlord. If I can't get that I'll go with one of the Lallemand London Ale yeasts - possible even an ESB yeast (which definitely don't breakdown maltotriose. Normally I ferment at the lower end of the yeast's temperature range aiming for clean beers - but in this case I think we want to produce lot of fruity esters, so I'll pitch at around 18-20 and let it free rise to 22 or so - shooting for Youngs Website's own description: "Brewed for rams, not sheep. Full flavoured amber ale with toasted nutty malt, stewed apples and pears, balanced by earthy hops and a dry finish. This is a richly flavoursome beer that definitely packs a punch."