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Note on Steeping: Steeped Crystal malt for 30 minutes, started at 74C, wrapped in blankets, was at 66C by end of steep, just what I was aiming for (centered around 70C)
A simple extra special/premium bitter, ingredients widely available in the U.K.
Fermented at 19 degrees C (external temperature) (turns out this was a bit low for this yeast)
After 3 weeks, OG only at 1.020. Tastes and smells lovely, although there is still plenty of sugar left. And here I thought it would be ready in time for a camping trip. Raised temperature to 21C and gave it a gentle swirl to get back in there.
Came down to final gravity. Bottled.
Tasted after 1 week in a warm place and 1 week in the fridge; It needs more time, as it is very unbalanced. The hop flavour dominates initially and sweetness of the malts and golden syrup lingers against the bitterness. I'll try another in a few weeks time.
On the plus side, it is a ruby red ale; what a nice surprise!
After a month in brown bottles it tastes fantastic; Very morish, hoppy but not overly bitter, and with a spicy/savoury taste. After 3 months it is even better, but the portion I kept in a 1 gallon cask tastes like the two weeks old sample = overly bitter. I wonder if this is to do with bitterness from dry-hopping (sounds odd but read on): Farnesene Oils that are high in noble hops such as Saaz can lead to bitterness in dry hopping! But to discover if this really did cause the problem in the casked ale, I need to research a bit more about extracted farnesene oils and light let through brown bottles.
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