English porter in Britain is simply known as “Porter.” The use of the term “English porter” is used to differentiate between other porters in the BJCP guidelines. The history of beer can sometimes be intriguing,, confounding, and funny; often at the same time. The confusion starts when beer geeks like myself try to dive into the history of a particular style. Oftentimes what we think are historical facts is nothing more than just rumors. These rumors get passed on for so long; they become less conjecture and more fact. As is the case when diving into the history of the English … [Read more...]

British Brown Ales have been around since the beginning of brewing history. It has been said that the malt is dried over open flames. This was prior to the kilning process that we know today. British Brown Ales were pretty popular and trended upward until the beginning of the 18th century. People were leaning toward a higher-hopped pale ale that was peaking its hoppy head around the corner. Where have we heard this before? As to be expected, the brewers who were still brewing these brown ales decided to increase the strength and bitterness of their beer. This was the genesis of the English … [Read more...]

Dark Mild as a beer is considered by some as the first session ale, which is a beer that is below the 5 percent alcohol by volume mark. The comparison of a dark mild to a stout starts and stops by both beers being named as a descriptor to a beer as opposed to a beer style. British Beer History In the 18th Century there were two types of malt liquor: Beer and Ale. Beer was first brewed in the 1500s when hops were first being imported. Conversely, Ale had been brewed since Saxon times. Ales were originally unhopped, but in 1700 there were a small number of hops made their way into ales. So … [Read more...]

English IPA is one beer that everyone looks to when they are talking about the history of a particular beer style. English IPA as a style came about due to the need to provide beer for those in the British Empire in the east, more specifically India. It was much too hot to brew beer in India. Also, the real ale that was popular in pubs in London would not survive the long boat ride. Fact or Myth A London brewer that went by the name, George Hodgson, saw this opportunity to use the high beta acid found in hops. There is information out there that disputes Hodgson having a monopoly on … [Read more...]

Australian Sparkling Ale is Australia’s very indigenous beer style. Much like America’s cream ale and California common, the Australian sparkling Ale has its roots deep in its own native land. Unfortunately, most of Australia's brewing history pre-European colonization is completely lost. Due to Australia’s remoteness factor, indigenous grains and fermentables such as honey were used extensively. The Difficulty of Brewing in Australia Documentation of Australia’s brewing history after British settlement in 1788 is actually much better. However, the same can’t be said to England’s … [Read more...]

There are a few ways to brew Guiness at home, and today we are going to look at a few of the most popular. Start with a recipe Hack a Clone Let's get started. Today, I'm brewing a clone of an old favorite.The grain bill for this one. I'm using five pounds of 2 row English, pale malt, two pounds, eight ounces of flaked, barley, and a pound of roasted barley. Also because I'm brewing this in a 10 gallon system and I'm only growing five gallons. I need to bulk up my grist. So I'm adding some rice holes as well. Now back in the day, Guinness was one of those drinks I'd really kind … [Read more...]

I'm not sure this is a good idea. I've been brewing every week and I'm always looking at ways to shorten my brew day. And well, I just sort of had this thought and that was, would it be possible to complete a brew day in one hour from putting water in my kettle here all the way through to putting the beer in my fermentation chamber? And if that was possible well with the baby, any good, you know what let's find out. So here we go. I have got a iPad here with a timer to keep me honest. Can you brew beer in 1 hour? Transcript: The first task is to get 3.7 gallons of water into this … [Read more...]

British golden ale is a hop-forward, highly drinkable and quite refreshing beer. Thanks to numerous wars, government regulations, altered consumer palates, industry trends adjusting, and corporate meddling, Great Britain’s brewing traditions have changed considerably over the years. British golden ale goes by many different names. Some call it English golden ale, summer ale, British blonde ale, golden bitter, summer bitter, and more likely many other similar names. A History and Geography Lesson Technically speaking, Great Britain is the land mass that contains England, Scotland, … [Read more...]

Ordinary Bitter closes out our exploration of the BJCP category 11. While researching the style, I came across what Paul Jones of Cloudwater Brew Company in Manchester, England once said about English Bitter beers. I’m paraphrasing here and add my own spin to it. There are some beers that you actually talk about, such as a great hoppy IPA or a complex Sour that mixes graininess and just the right amount of sourness that hits your jowls. Then there are beers that you just talk over. It’s good, it tastes like beer. Instead of talking about the simplicity of the beer, let’s continue talking … [Read more...]