Treacle Ale

[happytheman]

Just bottled my first 8 bottles of treacle ale, bloody lovely taste and strong too. Can't wait till it clears in the bottle, got to wait 10 days, patience lad, patience.

Got the recipe out of a 1982 Boots copy of "Book of home wine and beermaking" by Ben Turner, golden syrup and black treacle, sampled a last bit that didn't make the bottle, lovely. The book says it doesn't suit the modern sophisticated palate, it suits mine.

Next time I'll take a reading at the start and work out the abv.

[johnmac]

My palate's not sophisticated. What's the recipe?

[Curious Brew]

Sounds... curious*.





* ie. Right up my street.

[happytheman]

Taken from Ben Turner's "Boots Book of Home Wine and Beermaking" published in 1982 and I picked it up from a charity shop at Hoylake this summer.

Golden Syrup 500g 18oz
black treacle 250g 9oz
lemons 2
ground ginger 5ml 1tsp
water 4 litres 7 pints
beer yeast


1. Dissolve the syrup and treacle in warm water, add the thinly pared rind and strained juice of the lemons and the ground ginger. Stir well, cover and leave to cool.

2. Add the yeast, stir the beer daily and when fermentation is finished in 4 or 5 days, move the beer to a cold place for 24 hours.

3. Syphon into beer bottles, prime with half a teaspoonful of castor sugar per pint, seal securely and leave for ten days.

[Maddie]

I used this recipe for mine.
http://www.harvington.org.uk/hic/treacleale.html
It took a lot longer (8 weeks) but the finished product is/was delicious.

[happytheman]

Opened a bottle last night, lovely and sweet, just a touch of fizz and a little bit strong but not too strong. Savng the rest for christmas holidays

[Hoppkins]

I've got that book!!!

Tree sap wine and stuff!

[hong]

Sounds great! Do you think PET bottles will be ok to use?

[Petrovitch]

I've got a gallon of this been on the go for 10 days, blimey it's brown!

It took a lot longer (8 weeks) but the finished product is/was delicious.

Is that 8 weeks from the start til you bottled it?

[Wauny]

I kicked off a gallon of this last night, used the aforementioned Boots 1982 recipe. Added some broken cinnamon sticks too for an additional festive flavour. What an amazing smell Going to use this as the base for my mulled beer

[Wauny]

Happytheman, what was the OG of your treacle ale? And what the gravity finish at? Mine has been slowly bubbling away for 5 days, haven't taken a reading yet. Also, did it clear when you bottled it? Mine is so murky

Cheers for any help

[PhantomPencil]

Wauny, I made up a gallon batch of this yesterday - but, like the newbie I am, forgot to take an OG reading..!

I'll take one tonight when I go about the Daily Stir. I'm thinking it might not be an accurate reading, but it might give us a rough idea of how dangerous this brew is..!

Incidentally, is anyone bonkers enough to make up a 40 pint batch of this stuff..? Would you just multiply the ingredients by 5, or is there more to it than that? Assuming that everything is multiplied by 5 the cost of ingredients works out at just under £13 in southern money; that's cheaper than some kits..!

[Wauny]

Thanks PP The OG of my 4 litres was 1047. I was expecting something higher than than to be honest. Maybe its not as lethal as 1st thought

Its been on the go since last Wednesday, will take a reading this evening

[PhantomPencil]

Okay, the results are in...

After 1 day's brewing of 4-and-a-bit litres of this stuff I have a reading of... 1042. Hmmm... Is that good? To be expected..?

It's also very brown, but bubbling away nicely. More updates as and when.

[Wauny]

Measured the gravity last night after 5 days fermenting - 1020. Was hoping it would be lower, maybe its just taking its time. It has lost that powerful dark treacle smell, suggesting the sugar is slowly being converted........

PP, what yeast did you use?