American Style Beers

[rodwha]

Do you guys brew many American style beers?

Are there many commercial craft choices? If so what is popular?

I have a British friend I made on a beer forum who lives in Germany. He has mostly been brewing American styles. He is the one who suggested I register here.

I intend on brewing a few British styles such as an ESB, pale, IPA, northern brown, and a barley wine.

I've also had a nice Scottish ale that I may one day try brewing, but I'd likely need to find dry yeast unless there's a liquid British yeast that will do all of the above well. And I'm sure the Mrs would like for me to try some sort of Irish beer as she's Irish.

 

[NickW]

I brewed an 2 APAs and currently brewing another. Majority Marris Otter, pilsner and a touch of wheat and crystal. Works a treat. And obviously American hops... simcoe... summit and the like

 

[rodwha]

I'm curious why the pilsner?

I used to use it a lot in my earlier ales.

Oh, I love Simcoe! I've not used Summit though. It's not available at the online store I usually buy from.

 

[rodwha]

Were someone to go into a large pub there would there be many American craft beers available? German or Belgian beers I suppose would be more common?

 

[NickW]

The smaller boozers not so much, a big chain like wetherspoons likely yes. Sometimes I see shipyard on sale which I enjoy. A lot of pubs and bars in cities tend to have hefeweizens and wits.

But if you pop into any of the local pubs you'll tend to just see the commercial lagers and guest ale's on tap.

 

[NickW]

Oh and the pilsner... not sure! Probably for a crisper taste

 

[rodwha]

The smaller places here generally don't have much foreign beer either, but, like there, the bigger ones will have several. And what they do have is usually in the bottle - no draft.

 

[NickW]

Yes pretty much the same here. You do find some APAs and wheats on draught in some good pubs though.

Anyway, it may get quiet on here now... bed time :

 

[paulpj26]

It depends where you go. I know a few pubs in the Town I live in that have quite a large range of beers (IPIA, Bitters, Pale Ales etc) and one in particular that has 18 casks lines, 14 keg lines from all over the world plus countless bottled beers from all over the world (it's also an independent pub!). However, unfortunately that's not a "normal" pub in the UK :lol:.

I've yet to brew an American style beer although it's definitely on my list of beers to do!

Welcome to the Forum :thumb:

 

[marksa222]

I've only ever seen an apa on tap once! Maybe i'm going to the wrong places... its one of my favourite styles. Also the one I did see (can't remember its name but had the word craft in it somewhere) I also bought a bottle of it. It was brewed in Burton on trent I think, which disappointed me a little lol.

I made one myself using lager malt, caramalt and a touch of wheat. Cascade and amarillo hops (natch), and it turned out pretty well. Only draw back is the FG went down to 1.003 so it lacked body. If I did it again, i'd change the bittering hop and add the ibu's.

What about in your neck of the woods? All craft stuff on tap?

 

[paulpj26]

It's the one thing that's missing from UK homebrew shops is USA Malt. Always seem to end up using Lager Malt instead.

 

[Good Ed]

Were someone to go into a large pub there would there be many American craft beers available? German or Belgian beers I suppose would be more common?

As Nick says, Wetherspoon's are good for a lot of different cask ales, our local has 12 on at any time. They are a chain, but they will invite an American brewer over to brew one of their beers at a UK brewery, they then exclusively sell this through their pubs.

Most of the people on here would brew APA's, Imperial IPA's, and my favourite Classic American Plisner. You will get plenty of advice on all things on here :)

Also a lot of us follow Jamil Zainasheff on the Brewing Network and listen to his podcasts for tips.

 

[rodwha]

So you guys don't really see any American grains or extracts?

I can get the grains, but no extracts, though we do have Munton's DME. Isn't that British?

 

[marksa222]

No.

I have a jamil and palmer recipe book which calls for 2 row alot. I just assume it'd be the same as maris otter.

Also, it's primarily extract with a paragraph at the end giving an all grain alternative. Made me wonder if extract is bigger than all grain across the pond. If so, it'd think ag brewers massively outnumber extract brewers over here.

 

[Good Ed]

have a look at The Malt Miller's webpage, link at the top of this page, this is what we have available, UK maltsters, and Dingemans from Belguim and Weyermann from Germany, all might fine stuff as well, also have a butchers at the hops. Yes we have Munton's extract.

 

[Adamjagger]

and one in particular that has 18 casks lines, 14 keg lines from all over the world plus countless bottled beers from all over the world :

Is that the grove by any chance? :hmm:

 

[paulpj26]

Haha yes it's the Grove, love that place, don't visit as much as I would like though

 

[rodwha]

I understand that Maris Otter is indeed similar to 2-row here, but that having grown in different soil and being malted in a different fashion gives them different flavors.

Extracts are fairly big here as home brewing has been picking up, and most need for it to be simple. And some, such as myself, don't have the capacity and/or the knowledge of water chemistry to brew all-grain.

I have very hard water and so I'll buy a gallon or 2 of water and use that to help soften my water a little, and rely on the extract to help keep me from getting strange flavors. The water chemistry stuff is a bit much, and I'm brewing good beer so I'm not too concerned at the moment. Maybe some day…

The brewery I was talking about is Beck's. InBev butchered it. They also changed the recipes for Budweiser beers so that they didn't use as much ingredients. Bud and Bud Light have dropped 0.1% alcohol. I guess they hoped nobody would notice…

I greatly dislike those guys and refuse to buy any of their products. The other big beer companies play a little more fair, and I'll but theirs if I don't have a choice.

 

[Bucky]

I'll have to give it a go, where in Huddersfield is it

 

[paulpj26]

It's where the old Springfield car park used to be (near the Sikh Temple on the ring road and is where the new sports centre is being built) just Google "the grove huddersfield" for website.