Historic 1837 IPA

[MEB]

I'm completely struck with this beer. I've never had anything quite like it. The whole DP recommended brewing thing was a bit of a long day but it changed my preconcieved thoughts about brewing and what i'd been told.
I brewed this 3 months ago and have now only got one bottle left. I took 6 bottles to a friends stag do a month ago and they loved it. The next day my beer got talked about more than the tit's and arses we saw that night. :lol: :lol:
Firstly, it's strong. Like really strong-9%. But it doesn't taste any stronger than my other strong beers.
Secondly, it hasn't cleared. It has now got slightly clear but it still has a haze. I reckon thats the 354g of fuggles to 23.5L of beer.
Thirdly, it tasted absolutely **** for the first two months-i still drank loads of it though. Wish i hadn't cos the one i've had tonight is superb. Absolutely without doubt the best beer i've brewed and not far from the best tasting beer i've ever had. Chances of the last of 24 bottles making it to 6 months is NIL! It's quite sweet with toffe undertones and a nice dry finish. So many complex flavours that it puts my head in a spin trying to describe them. But that may well be the strength.

I'm going to brew this again this week and do another from the DP range. The 3hr mash, 77C mash out and 2 hr sparge makes for a long brewday but it is well worth the effort.

Bad points. One major drawback. The maturation period. I will need to remove it from my house for it to fully mature. It sat in my cellar and whenever i visited it called to me, suggesting all sorts of lovely things if only i'd drink it. So i did.

If you haven't done a DP brew then you must. I'd suggest doing one 6 months before a special occasion and then locking it away somewhere and giving the key to someone with strict orders to not give you access till it's matured properly. I'm going to enter a few bottles of this in next years craftbrewer fest over here. I doubt if anyone will produce anything even remotely close. That's not to say i'm a great brewer-it's a bloody great recipe and i'd recommend you all have a look at Durden Park's site. Their book is fab and well worth the few pounds.

Here's a nice link for some of the recipe's from book two.

Enjoy.
http://www.countybeermakers.org.uk/oldb ... 2-list.php

 

[Vossy1]

Eye, tis a great book.
It's the DP books fault I bought so many corny's in the first place.
I wanted to go on a DP brewing binge and that required a lot of corny's for maturation
It hasn't happened ti'll now, but now I'm ready :party:

I have to agree with you MEB. A well matured, strong, well hopped beer is simply in a league of it's own, there's nothing commercially available to comapre it to. The tastes you describe are something else, aren't they.
I often wonder what some of the modern beer tasters would make of DP recipes. Judging by what they write about modern beers they'd simply be overwhelmed :lol:

 

[MEB]

I have to agree with you MEB. A well matured, strong, well hopped beer is simply in a league of it's own, there's nothing commercially available to comapre it to. The tastes you describe are something else, aren't they.
I often wonder what some of the modern beer tasters would make of DP recipes. Judging by what they write about modern beers they'd simply be overwhelmed :lol:

I couldn't agree more V1. The complex taste just blows your mind. I simpy can't imagine how good the ones with a two year maturation will be. I think the beers that we are replicating are possibly as good as they would ever have been back then, due to our more stringent sanitation and controlled fermenting etc, but we don't TRULY know. Perhaps they were as good then. Better even?
What i do know is the DP range of beers should be tried by every brewer. You will be blown away by the beer. It really is that good. Saying that though. It's the only homebrew that gives me a hangover? Just goes to show that nothing's perfect. :lol:

 

[Aleman]

No what you are saying. I had a sample of one of the Durden park recipes that was 4 years old (Whitbred No. 1 IIRC) during the summer, incredibly complex beer. Difficult to imagine all those flavours coming from Just pale malt, no adjuncts/crystal etc and hops.

 

[MEB]

Exactly Aleman, i couldn't believe that all my brew consisted off was Maris Otter and a sack load of fuggles. Incredible. Perhaps if we matured our beers for 6 month's they would have better, more complex flavours? I wish i could try but i can't leave my beers alone.

 

[MEB]

I have EXACTLY one month and two days to go till my birthday and the 6 month maturation period will be over. I only have one bottle left now. But it's a 750ml bottle.
It looks like it's gone bright now too. :party: It's a bit hard to tell as the bottle it's in is a returnable one that is worn and hazy as. The only clear part is the neck. And it's crystal clear there.
So my next brew is going to be another DP brew. I'm just deciding which one to do.