Last year CAMRA started a campaign to get reduced tax on low gravity beers; the figure of 2.8% ABV was suggested. I don't know the ins and outs of the campaign and, to be frank, I don't really care. What I do know though is that the North Hants Brewers saw this as challenge to brew the best beer possible under 2.8%.
We agreed back in December that this would be a good theme for a meeting and July is the chosen month. No table full of beer strong enough to floor an elephant this month. Just 2.8% beers of any style you can dream up.
So, with the meeting only 12 days away, I figured it was time to get brewing. The easy way out would have been to brew a simple bitter but mashed at a higher than normal temperature. Not me. I wanted more of a challenge, so I'm brewing a stout with an OG of 1.028!
I know, the style police will be there telling me that a stout should be a certain gravity...blah....blah....blah.... but I don't care. It's a bit of fun!
So, what's the recipe tonight?
For 55 (actually ended up with 60) litres
5.75kg Pale malt
0.5kg Crystal Malt
0.5kg Roasted Barley
0.25kg Carafa Special III (for colour mainly)
Mashed at 68°C
100g Fuggles (First wort hops)
WLP002 from a slant, grown to 3.5 litres.
The big question is, "Why make up the colour with carafa special malt when I'm using such a small proportion of roasted barley? Why not just use more roasted barley?". Well this is simple. I have 12 days to brew, ferment, mature and condition a beer. There's no time for the beer to mellow and I don't want it too roasty.
So, what did it taste like going into the FV? A bit bland to be honest but if I can get it fermented cleanly and conditioned in the bottle or cask it should make an "Interesting" beer.
I'll post some kind of review, if anyone's interested, in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I'll be preaching the virtues of low gravity beers. We'll see!
It's going to be an interesting meeting at the end of the month.
ReplyDeleteI've not used carafa special III before - I like the sound of a dark malt without the roastiness.
It's a great malt. It's dark like roast barley or black malt but with almost no roast flavour. I can feel a run of black lagers happening soon.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the meeting. We all going to be so sober :o)
I really don't like the taste of black malt and agree that Carafa III is good stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy PP is coming along. In the fermenter it was a hoppy light bitter but now that it is chilling/clearing its more like a light mild (which was the plan!).
It will be an interesting night. But do you really think we will remain sober?
Not really Michael but you never know who's reading this ;-)
ReplyDeleteAh! I understand. Obviously, like you, I will be on water all night.
ReplyDeleteAny feedback on how it turned out?
ReplyDeleteWilliam, this turned out well. Very drinkable. A little thin but at that gravity you kind of expect it.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I found a couple of bottles of this while I was brewing last week. I fully expected the beer to be dry, fizzy and oxidised after all this time but I was pleasantly surprised. Still a great little beer.