Adnams Southwold Bitter

[clarets7]

Norwich Amateur Brewers have a very good relationship with Adnams and in the last few years (Covid permitting) we have had what we call the Adnams Challenge, this years was Broadside. Fergus and Dan have been very generous by telling us the recipe for the Beers we have brewed and allowed us their fresh yeast to brew them. Once brewed the brewers then all toddle along to the brewery where Dan & Fergus give their verdict. As for Southwold, it is just Pale malt, light crystal (150) and black malt. Hops are Fuggles and Pilgrim. So, with all this help advice and insider knowledge and even the holy of holy's the real yeast, how have we done? Not even close. There has been some very good Beers though. Just not Southwold. It amuses me that any commercial brewer would be unwilling to divulge their "secrets" as the chances of matching it at our scale is pretty remote. Moreover, why on earth would a commercial rival want to clone some other breweries Beer?

Excellent news Orlando! It was a pure guess on my part to use just Fuggles and Pilgrim in my last attempt at Southwold Bitter, it's turned out a decent session bitter - but nothing like the original unsurprisingly. Is that bitter recipe for the draft or bottled version?

[orlando]

Draught. Not sure if they use the same version in a bottle.

[clarets7]

Brewed this at the end of January: -

AG138 - Southwold Bitter vIX
Standard/Ordinary Bitter

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 26.0
Total Grain (kg): 4.410
Total Hops (g): 60.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.039
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 3.7 %
Colour (EBC): 21.9
Bitterness (IBU): 31.0
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 78
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
4.100 kg Crisp Maris Otter (92.97%)
0.260 kg Simpsons T50 Crystal (5.9%)
0.050 kg Black Malt (1.13%)

Hop Bill
----------------
25.0 g Pilgrim Pellet (10.1% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes
10.0 g First Gold Leaf (4% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes
10.0 g Fuggles Leaf (6.9% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes
5.0 g First Gold Leaf (4% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes
10.0 g Fuggles Leaf (6.9% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes

Water Profile
----------------
Calcium 200ppm
Magnesium 10ppm
Sodium 45ppm

Sulphate 411ppm
Chloride 136ppm

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 90 Minutes.
Boil 60 Minutes
Fermented at 22°C with Brewlab Lancashire

Tried a pint from the barrel last night and again tonight, not too bad, Fuggles definitely comes through. Ended up with higher efficiency than normal so higher OG than expected, but I think I under-pitched the yeast and didn't maybe treat it correctly, so ended up with an FG a couple of points higher than the expected 1009.

[Eric]

Have you any observations about the yeast's influence on the beer quality?

[orlando]

I admire your dedication to cracking this, if I'm right this is your version 9. I'm only up to 5. You may have inspired me to have another crack. Just need an excuse to get to Southwold.

[clarets7]

Have you any observations about the yeast's influence on the beer quality?

A bit early to say, but from this brew and the previous stovetop 5L brew it does give a very good balance between malt and hops. The Fuggles come through well compared to some of the previous brews with the Notts/Windsor combination, and this one wasn't dry hopped either. Don't think I treated the yeast correctly this brew though - closed ferment at a constant 22C. I did open it up and top crop it though, and I've just brewed a pale ale with Pilgrim and Ernest hops but following your suggestions of an open (well almost open) fermentor and letting it free rise up to 23C, beating back the krausen into the wort for the first few days. A much more satisfying way of brewing! After 5 days it's gone from 1045 to 1011 and the Ernest hops coming through far more than I expected, and it's not heavily or dry hopped either.

Edit: Ignore that about the Ernest hop flavour, just checked the notes and it was heavily (well for me anyway) late hopped with Ernest.

[clarets7]

I admire your dedication to cracking this, if I'm right this is your version 9. I'm only up to 5. You may have inspired me to have another crack. Just need an excuse to get to Southwold.

Yes, a bit obsessive! I didn't actually count them but must be that, it does include some 5L stove top trials. I'm back in Southwold in April so will have to take some more notes, from memory this tastes and looks more like the bottled version, so next time maybe use less crystal and black, and probably lightly dry hop with Fuggles.

[orlando]

Get yourself on the brewery tour if you haven't done it. Doubt you will get a brewer taking you round but if you do and if they take you to see the yeast brink.........

[clarets7]

Get yourself on the brewery tour if you haven't done it. Doubt you will get a brewer taking you round but if you do and if they take you to see the yeast brink.........

I was thinking about that, been a few years since I last did the tour

[orlando]

Just say you are part of Norwich Amateur Brewers, might grease the wheels.

[Eric]

Thanks for the report on your yeast. Pleased to hear you are enjoying using it. It will take time to settle into its new home. Hope you enjoy the results.

[orlando]

It makes a good beer, albeit not Southwold. Keeping it going is beyond my skills so I end up getting fresh supplies as and when.

[IPA]

It makes a good beer, albeit not Southwold. Keeping it going is beyond my skills so I end up getting fresh supplies as and when.

That amazes me. It really is not difficult and can be stored for up to two years.
By the way I am still using the foam bungs you supplied all those years ago.

[clarets7]

Thanks for the report on your yeast. Pleased to hear you are enjoying using it. It will take time to settle into its new home. Hope you enjoy the results.

Will sample some more tonight so may be able to add some more comments! I'll need to try the Tyneside yeast as well, any recipe suggestions for a regional beer? It looks to have similar characteristics to the Lancashire with the main difference being it prefers low mineral worts, and is also less flocculant.

[clarets7]

It makes a good beer, albeit not Southwold. Keeping it going is beyond my skills so I end up getting fresh supplies as and when.

That amazes me. It really is not difficult and can be stored for up to two years.
By the way I am still using the foam bungs you supplied all those years ago.

Orlando, are you talking about the Southwold yeast here? I never managed to keep that going beyond two brews either, but then I never tried the open fermentation method and top cropping. The Lancashire yeast produces loads and is really easy to top crop.