Saturday 15 February 2014

Me talking

The title says it all. Me doing what I enjoy most - boring not just the pants but the undercrackers, too, off people droning on about beer history.



If you'd like to see me do this sort of thing live, I am available for hire.

Buy my book.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed the interview, Ron. I could have seen it easily go on for several more segments, each devoted to a particular area (malts, hops, etc.). Good show.

I was particularly interested in the comment on the Pretty Things 1945 mild being a Barclay Perkins beer. I am in Mass and was lucky enough to have several bottles of it. I've looked for the recipe to no avail. Any chance you could post it?

cheers!

--John S.

Ron Pattinson said...

John,

I can talk about that stuff pretty much endlessly. Stoppong usually the trickiest thing.

Here's the recipe:

22nd Feb 1945 Barclay Perkins X Ale
OG: 1030
FG: 1009
amber malt 8.12%
crystal malt 5.80%
MA malt 20.89%
SA malt 22.05%
PA malt 22.05%
no. 3 sugar 10.83%
caramel 0.97%
flaked barley 9.28%
0.65 lbs hops per barrel
100% Fuggles

mash 66 barrels with strike heat of 154º F, mash temp 144.25º F
underlet 16 barrels with strike heat of 180º F, mash temp 149º F
tap heat: 147.5º F
sparge 148 barrels at 165º F
tap heat: 154.5º F

Boiled for 1.5 hours
Pitched at 61º F
Max fermentation temperature 70º F
Colour: as brewed, 45º Lovibond (1 inch cell)
finished 90º Lovibond (1 inch cell)

Anonymous said...

I also really enjoyed the interview, Ron. It is such a plesasure to hear from someone who knows as much (or more)about a specific subject as anyone else in the world. Your words carry weight.

My interest is not homebrewing, or even brewing, just the tantalising idea of tasting extinct or moribund beer styles. And how much you can learn from the past if you are preapred to do the research and keep your mind OPEN.

I particularly enjoyed the stuff about the fact that old yeast is much more accessible than old barley, which does make sense but is counter-intuitive to the casual thinker. I will be sure to get a copy of the new book.

Apart from the Burton Ale Fuller's brewed (saw some in their pub in KX Station on Sunday), are any of your other collaborative beers avaia;able in London? Are you promoting your book in the UK, at all???

Thanks for the knowledge, Ron, please keep going!

Benj65

Ron Pattinson said...

Benj65,

what I most enjoy about research is finding out how wrong my guesses were. And how dynamic the past was.

I'm not sure if any other of my beers are around in London. People are always brewing my recipes, or versions of them. It's impossible to keep track. But official collaborations, I think not.

I'm in the early stages of planning a promotional event in London. Later in the year, because I'm too busy for the next couple of months. And people need time to brew.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for the recipe, Ron.

best,
John S.

Anonymous said...

Ron, did you ever get a bead on what "SA malt" is? The only info I could find is inconclusive:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2008/11/sa-malt-question.html

--John S.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ron,

Like John I could listen to you speak on this for hours. Your enthusiasm for your subject really came through. Regarding your theory on the evolution of brown malt to non-diastatic I have some notes on this because i also explored your ideas here. From mememory the diastatic brown malt made a very dark, almost black beer (I probably could have 'toned down' the cure). However the same brown malt used in one of your recipes (1812?) produced a beer that looked like a modern bitter (e.g. copper), and tasted a but like a rich bitter too! I had another go at it, making brown malt over hornbeam but not working it to retain the enzymes and brewed the same recipe. As you suggested the beer was back to being roasty and black. In both cases I probably made the brown malt darker than it needed to be (I think early porter was described as being a translucent dark brown/red?). Anyway will make sure i include all these details and more in the chapter. (Have just completed a section on making your own 1700's style pale malt cured over coke and comparisons with modern pale ale, lager malts etc.)

Cheers,

Ben

Keith said...

Wow, this was really great. May I ask that anyone that catches Ron's talks in the future please tape (with permission) and post somewhere and let us know.

I live in Latin America, and the conversation about beer is growing but limited. I can's put into words how enlightening this was. We can't quite afford to bring you here, but someday perhaps.

So, please record and post...



Lady Luck Brewing said...

Just had a chance to watch this Ron and I really enjoyed it.

I'm glad you agreed to do a podcast. I've been emailing a few podcasts over the last year to go to your blog to get some great historical information.

Great job!
Cheers.