This is a scaled down (and slightly adapted) historical recipe, or as close as I can manage anyway.
I won't be drinking this for about 3 months..the real thing was aged in the barrel for a year.
Originally, it would have had an ibu of 177! But, it was then aged before bottling and shipped for a few months. Even so, I'm eager to taste this ale.
It is not possible for me to replicate malt, water, yeasy and brewing/storing equipment exactly, so this will be a very loose replica.
This recipe is adapted from one I saw on a website, which in turn was quoting from a book
'The homebrewers guide to vintage beer' 2014. The author of the article and, I presume, the book is Ronald Pattinson.
I have adapted it to an export-type by making it stronger and have given more weight to late hop additions. It will still have very high ibus.
I have reduced the the original hop additions (90,60,30) and added aroma and dry hop additions, but apart from that it is very similar. Even the yeast is based on the same strain, Whitbread. 11g of S04. According to the yeast calculator this is an over pitch by 17%. I am hoping that this will actually help dry the beer out too, bringing it closer to the target ale profile.
Export IPAs would have also been exposed to Brett in their extended journey in barrels. This would have made the beer highly attenuated and dry. I cannot replicate this, but have instead added sugar in the hope that it will have a drying effect.
Brew day notes: mash temp very low 61-64... Pot was almost at the brim. Boiling water poured in, heat applied but not v effective. Low temp actually may work to dry it out too. Dunk sparge with 2 litres 80c water.
Pre boil gravity adjusted 1.098! Very fermentable wort. 8 litres final volume at OG 1.064. Might lack body, but will be very dry and spot on ABV for historical IPA. Let's see.
Day 5 of Primary fermentation gravity is 1.010...This is going to be an interesting brew. Already above 7% abv, so bang on for historical export strength IPA. I over pitched the yeast, but happily achieved the attenuation described in the recipe article.
4 day dry hop of Kent Goldings.
Day14 still 1.010.All done bottle tomorrow.
FG sample didn't taste like a modern IPA, more like a non-citrus hoppy barley wine, but with more conditioning and carbonation who knows what it will turn out like? Always knew this would be an interesting brew...