Castle Rock 'Elsie Mo' : A question about Maris Otter

[Alex NG]

Hi.
I've decided to have a go at extract brewing. I've only done a couple of kits to date, so might have a lot of this stuff confused.

Here's what I'm thinking.....


I love Castle Rock's Elsie Mo, has anyone else tried it?


Anyway, I've done some quick research, and on the Castle Rock website it tells me

"Elsie Mo’s name is derived from the low colour Maris Otter Malt from which she’s exclusively brewed"

Putting the hops aside for a moment, does this mean if I found Maris Otter LME, that I wouldn't need any other malt to brew it??

This seems too easy!?
I've read a few of the recipes on here, and they all seem to suggest using a variety of malt extracts in combination with steeped 'speciality' grains.

Any advice for a beginner would be much apprecietd!

Thanks in advance...

[prolix]

i would fuss over the maris otter bit and just use light malt extract, someone on here is selling cheap liquid extract that would do if it was light.

[retourrbx]

I've drank lots of this beer - it's all about the hop selection etc - the type of malt will have a larger effect on colour which at the end of the day you can't taste...

[Alex NG]

i would fuss over the maris otter bit and just use light malt extract, someone on here is selling cheap liquid extract that would do if it was light.

Okay, thanks for the info. Assuming I get a good hop combination, would using just light liquid malt extract give a decent brew? Or would it be worth steeping grains too? Just using LME doesn't really seem that much different from making up a kit?? I suppose it might be a good place to start for a first timer.....

I've drank lots of this beer - it's all about the hop selection etc - the type of malt will have a larger effect on colour which at the end of the day you can't taste...

I get you on that. Cheers. There was some info about the hop selection on the web, so I should be able to get something along the same lines.

[retourrbx]

steeping grains would improve the taste

[Fuggled Mind]

steeping grains would improve the taste

What grains can you steep for Elsie Mo? It's an ale in the summer ale style.

I do however, agree that knowing the hops that go into this would go a long way into capturing the taste of this ale.

As for the yeast, Castle Rock sell bottle conditioned 'Harvest Pale' so it's all a question of capturing and culturing. Not sure if you can get it in all supermarkets but Morrisons in Lincoln had bottle conditioned Harvest Pale on sale over Christmas

[retourrbx]

I would just steep some Marris Otter

I would also check whether the yeast used in the bottle is the same as they use in the primary - not usually the case

[MightyMouth]

I would think steeping grains is only useful to change the colour and flavour profile, steeping Maris Otter would have little benefit IMO.

Extract brewing is really no different than brewing a quality kit except you get to decide the recipe.

BTW, why not contact castlerock and see if they will give you more details of the recipe. You might be surprised and at worst the will tell you where to go.

[retourrbx]

I am of the understanding that when making the extract, some 'substances' are lost - one of the reasons why AG normally tastes better than extract. By steeping the MO, these are replaced to some extent.

[phildodd]

Doesn't MO need to be mashed, so steeping will have no effect on it? I was under the impression one could only steep certain speciality grains; ones that don't need enzymes to extract their sugars...

[retourrbx]

I may be wrong

[MightyMouth]

Doesn't MO need to be mashed, so steeping will have no effect on it? I was under the impression one could only steep certain speciality grains; ones that don't need enzymes to extract their sugars...

It would need to be mashed to extract the sugars but I suppose you could mash a small amount to possibly get a more malty flavour though I wouldn't bother.

[Minimasher]

Keep it simple. First time round use extract and spend your time trying to find out what the hops are... This will be like doing a kit but with the added complexity of boiling/ timing the hops and having to strain them out.

If you add further speciality grains then your basically changing the beer your making...

If you use the MO grain they'll need to be mashed and that means you've skipped a step into All Grain...

[unclepumble]

You could allways steep a little MO at 66deg C for about 90 mins, but then you may as well go down the ag route.

UP

[Alex NG]

Keep it simple. First time round use extract and spend your time trying to find out what the hops are... This will be like doing a kit but with the added complexity of boiling/ timing the hops and having to strain them out.

Yeah, this sounds like the best plan. I'll keep it simple for my first attempt.