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Die Schwarzbier Polizei
Gentlemen, this month I'm going to brew three Fuller's clones: 1935 Old Burton Extra, 1845 Strong Ale and ESB. Two of them (1845 and ESB), I've brewed already 4 or 5 times each, so they're not new to me. This season, however, I have to include water treatment too, for the first time, as my water supply changed and the new water is awful. So, I went for search for Fuller's water profile. And found quite a few hints on the subject.
First I found this on the AHA Recipes Section:
Then, Stan Hieronimus in his For The Love of Hops gives the exact recipe for 1845 taken from John Keeling, then Fuller's brewing director (78% Pale Malt, 19% Amber, 2% Crystal, 1% Black, 52 IBU) and some details on water profile:
Also I found a post of 2009 on this board, where the fellow member MattHollingsworth says discussing the 1845 recipe:
And, finally, I found an earlier thread on the same subject, where no conclusive answers were given, but where the highly respected patto1ro chimed in noting that
Well. So, they add gypsum (presumably, to the London water profile available in the Brun Water spreadsheet). As I'm quite new to water treatment, it's hard to me to predict how 200 ppm of Gypsum will affect the flavour. None of my recent beers where I employed different water profiles (including profiles with high Sulphate additions) is ready yet, they are still lagering.
What I've read is that Gypsum dries the flavour and emphasizes the hops. And we know Fuller's beers as quite malty and, though firmly bitter, not particularly hoppy. Which a bit confuses me.
Long question short:
- Will I spoil my Fuller's Clones by following the Hieronimus' advice on 200 Sulphate and (presumably) 0 Chloride?
First I found this on the AHA Recipes Section:
I'm very far from being experienced in water treatment, but I didn't take that for the answer to my search. Learning thoroughly the subject, I noticed that those Burton Water Profiles are often dismissed by experts on the ground that nobody brewed beers on such extremely mineralized water in real life and that the brewers treated it anyway.If you want to emulate Fuller’s water, aim for:
Ca 268 ppm, Mg 62 ppm, Na 30 ppm, SO₄ 638 ppm, Cl 36 ppm, HCO₃ 141 ppm.
Then, Stan Hieronimus in his For The Love of Hops gives the exact recipe for 1845 taken from John Keeling, then Fuller's brewing director (78% Pale Malt, 19% Amber, 2% Crystal, 1% Black, 52 IBU) and some details on water profile:
Water treatment:
Key parameters: reducing naturally high carbonate levels to less than 80 parts per million;
sulphate additions to increase level above 200 ppm; calcium greater than 200 ppm
Also I found a post of 2009 on this board, where the fellow member MattHollingsworth says discussing the 1845 recipe:
I attended a tutored tasting with a rep of Fuller's taking us through this beer at the Great British Beer Festival in London in August.
This is what he had to say:
Grain: Less than 1% chocolate malt, 10% crystal, 10% amber malt, 80% pale malt (what he said).
50 ibus.
Same house yeast as all beers.
Added gypsum to water.
And, finally, I found an earlier thread on the same subject, where no conclusive answers were given, but where the highly respected patto1ro chimed in noting that
Fuller's use the municipal water supply, which they treat. They add gypsum, amongst other things.
Well. So, they add gypsum (presumably, to the London water profile available in the Brun Water spreadsheet). As I'm quite new to water treatment, it's hard to me to predict how 200 ppm of Gypsum will affect the flavour. None of my recent beers where I employed different water profiles (including profiles with high Sulphate additions) is ready yet, they are still lagering.
What I've read is that Gypsum dries the flavour and emphasizes the hops. And we know Fuller's beers as quite malty and, though firmly bitter, not particularly hoppy. Which a bit confuses me.
Long question short:
- Will I spoil my Fuller's Clones by following the Hieronimus' advice on 200 Sulphate and (presumably) 0 Chloride?
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