Bass Export - nostalgia brew

[Alastair70]

Having spent the all of my University years, and the most of the rest of what was left of the 1990's consuming Bass Export by the gallon I thought I have a go at recreating something similar. Here's where I've got to.

Fermentables
4kg Marris Otter - extra pale
400g Crisp Light Crystal
400g Crisp Dark Crystal
200g Torrified Barley
Hops
30g Northern Brewer 60min
7g Challenger 15min
Fermentation
White Labs WLP023

Anyone done a good one before? Otherwise, any recipe critique will be gratefully received.

 

[JonBrew]

Have you seen this one from Byo? Looks similar to the one mentioned in the homebrewers recipe database.

https://byo.com/article/5-british-ale-clone-recipes/
7.0 lbs. (3.2 kg) 2-row pale ale malt
2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) flaked maize
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.75 oz. (21 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
8.0 AAU Northern Brewer hops (60 mins) (0.89 oz./25 g of 9% alpha acids)
2.0 AAU Northern Brewer hops (15 mins) (0.22 oz./6.3 g of 9% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 mins)
1/8 tsp. yeast nutrients (15 mins)
White Labs WLP023 (Burton Ale)

 

[foxy]

What I use for my Bass clone.

Voyager Atlas pale malt 72.3% (similar to Maris Otter)
Flaked corn 19.4%
Crystal 4.4% late addition
NZ Gladiator 3.5%
Voyager roast barley 0..4% late addition

25 gram Northern Brewer @ 60 mins
12 gram Northern Brewer @ 10 mins
Mash @ 67 C 90 mins Boil 90 mins
Irish Moss.

Fermentis SO4 yeast

 

[trueblue]

I would say your choice of yeast is important to brew this beer. WLP023 is a good choice I've used it a lot for Burton style beers and apart from being a bugger to clear it does produce the right profile.

 

[MyQul]

I would say your choice of yeast is important to brew this beer. WLP023 is a good choice I've used it a lot for Burton style beers and apart from being a bugger to clear it does produce the right profile.

Pretty stinky too?

 

[trueblue]

Pretty stinky too?

Yep, part of said profile

 

[Alastair70]

Have you seen this one from Byo? Looks similar to the one mentioned in the homebrewers recipe database.

I saw that but assumed it was for Bass Ale. My particular poison was Bass Export, came in a gold tin rather than silver, around 1% ABV stronger, and darker in colour, Amber heading to red. There was more caramel to the flavour and a bit more body.
I simplified that recipe, upped the crystal malts and added the torrified barley for mouthfeel and head retention.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Having spent the all of my University years, and the most of the rest of what was left of the 1990's consuming Bass Export by the gallon I thought I have a go at recreating something similar. Here's where I've got to.

Fermentables
4kg Marris Otter - extra pale
400g Crisp Light Crystal
400g Crisp Dark Crystal
200g Torrified Barley
Hops
30g Northern Brewer 60min
7g Challenger 15min
Fermentation
White Labs WLP023

Anyone done a good one before? Otherwise, any recipe critique will be gratefully received.

16% crystal is way, way too much crystal for a British beer - unless you're an American, who make the fatal mistake of trying to achieve colour using a flavour ingredient like crystal, not understanding that British beers get most of their colour from a low-flavour colouring ingredient like brewer's caramel or black malt.
Beers like Fuller's ESB and London Pride are 7.2% light crystal, and I really wouldn't want to go much higher than that. Boak and Bailey recently discussed recipes for ordinary Bass - which have changed a lot over the years, so you need to work out what period you are looking at.

Your best bet for yeast would be to harvest some from a cask of draught Bass (not really an option with pubs closed!), otherwise ask Brewlab.

If you were to go with ready-to-go sources of yeast, I might mix WLP023 with a bit of Notty or something to bump up the attenuation.

My particular poison was Bass Export, came in a gold tin rather than silver, around 1% ABV stronger

This label on Ebay suggests Belfast Bass Export (of unknown date) was 4.1%, but may well date from before 1977, when "ordinary" Bass was bumped up from 1.039 to 1.044. Beer Advocate suggests Export was 4.4%.

Les Howarth suggests an OG of 1.048 with 5% crystal and Challenger, Northdown and Goldings.

 

[Alastair70]

16% crystal is way, way too much crystal for a British beer - unless you're an American, who make the fatal mistake of trying to achieve colour using a flavour ingredient like crystal, not understanding that British beers get most of their colour from a low-flavour colouring ingredient like brewer's caramel or black malt.
Beers like Fuller's ESB and London Pride are 7.2% light crystal, and I really wouldn't want to go much higher than that. Boak and Bailey recently discussed recipes for ordinary Bass - which have changed a lot over the years, so you need to work out what period you are looking at.

Your best bet for yeast would be to harvest some from a cask of draught Bass (not really an option with pubs closed!), otherwise ask Brewlab.

If you were to go with ready-to-go sources of yeast, I might mix WLP023 with a bit of Notty or something to bump up the attenuation.



This label on Ebay suggests Belfast Bass Export (of unknown date) was 4.1%, but may well date from before 1977, when "ordinary" Bass was bumped up from 1.039 to 1.044. Beer Advocate suggests Export was 4.4%.

Les Howarth suggests an OG of 1.048 with 5% crystal and Challenger, Northdown and Goldings.
View attachment 27225

Wow, thanks for all that! I’ll drop the %crystal and relook how to get the colour up. Strength wise, I had a figure of 4.8% in my head, but the minimum quantity I would have been consuming in the ‘90s was a half gallon, so my memory may not be all that reliable. Thanks for the Boak and Bailey link. Going to read it now.