Evenin,
I wondered if many of the readers of this blog under the age of 30 know of or less likely still have tried, and even less likely still, have enjoyed, a bottle conditioned ale?
I had a chat back in March with one of the brewers from Northern Monk (it may have been April) about putting bottle conditioned beers in the fridge to reduce its liveliness, and then opening it cold and allowing it to return to room temperature. He seemed concerned. What bottle conditioned beer are you drinking nowadays? I had to think.....Durham Temptation I replied. He seemed to think that was the only one likely to be any good. He is probably right. And its three years since I last had one. I may have met them in May. These are just months after all....
In 1995 I started working at Archer Road Beer Stop, Sheffield's first real ale off license, then just changed from Small Beer, as Davefromtshop had taken over. In 1995 I believed that bottle conditioning was the future of beer. I know. Don't judge me. And this was despite a horror show of evidence to the contrary. If putting live yeast in a cask and expecting strangers in multiple venues to know how to keep it and to avoid multitudinous naturally occurring happenstances that may ruin a beer is risky, then doing the same with a bottle is surely madness.
Then there were the rules. Chill it first, open it col.d Certain beers, such as Burton Bridge Empire Pale Ale, needed chilling for a day, and then to be poured into two steins to hold the froth. Much beer had issues with the yeast used (who chooses to put yeast in a beer that you can't drink?) which would either die, go rank through other issues such as light or temperature, and then needed to be poured away. Usually with the rest of the contents of the bottle. Apart from King and Barnes and Marstons, and the ever so lively Burton Bridge, oh, and Durham, most bottle conditioned ale, or BCA, was to be avoided at all costs.
Although the Belgians seem to know what they are doing with it.....
This realisation of the pooernes of BCA in part prompted me to write the following post here. All the way back in 2012. Having thought carefully about it I reckon there may only have been a handful of bottled beers, all aged, and very few purchased, that were BCAs, thereafter. And that isn't all down to the horrors of the Corvedale or Litton brewery bottled beers, all of which were senselessly bad.
Its mainly because, as of 2014 or 2015 when I first tried "modern" beer in a can, I have recognised that the type of beer I like to drink tastes better in a can. Nobody wants a BCA soupy IPA. Some such beers are bottled but very clearly implore you to drink fresh - spot on advice. I want to drink the freshest beer with the hops at their prime. And the likes of Citra, Mosaic and Centennial do seem to have extra citrus bitterness when freshly mashed. So gerrit supped!
I do still have couple of old beers that I intend to drink, and some that, unlike most of my collection, may in fact be worth something so won't be opened, although that is a narrow market am sure. My 1994 Thomas Hardy Ale is reaching maturity next year and will be shared. The difference there is, the style is suited to ageing, and the yeast also. Its a work of art. It may not have a whole bagful of zesty hops but it will still be an interesting and hopefully enjoyable drop.
Apart from Durham, am struggling to think of breweries whose beers I like that I know still produce BCAs. Are BCAs dead? No. And for different reasons, not all positive. They don't however end up in my monthly beer shop nowadays, with far far better potations on offer in can.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
Showing posts with label BCA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BCA. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 August 2018
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
The Devil's in the detail
Morning,
I have to stifle a snigger when I read the phrase of the title because its one of many I have attributed to "management" at my employer, and is therefore, of course, to be used sarcastically, and to mock the inconsistencies of messages received from such people.
How apt then, that this cliche applies to bottle conditioned beer labelling, what I see plenty of.
I know from years of experience of Bottle Conditioned Beers (BCA), that there's a tried and tested formula to avoiding fountains, fobbing, foam and frustration. Admittedly this formula relies on the product being drinkable, and Christ, that's a whole other story, but for now I am concentrating on beers you can, or at least could, drink.
I usually chill the BCA in the fridge for half an hour, then let it come back to room temperature. That way its less lively on opening but can still be drunk less chilled if desired. Yet only recently have I noticed any suggestion on BCA bottle labels that the beer should be served cool, or that it could be lively. Here is a range of advice found across a number of excellent bottles, giving mixed messages to the consumer:
Brampton Winter Bock, one of the best bottled beers I tried this year, simply advises that for best results the beer should be "served cooled but not cold, at between 12 and 14 degrees Centigrade".
The Durham Jubilate India Pale Ale advises "Serve at 10 degrees C. This beer may be lively so have a glass to hand when opening". Their 2010 vintage of Temptation advises only "do not serve below 8 degrees C.", and the May 2007 vintage advises that to enjoy the full complexity of flavour it is "best not to chill".
Thornbridge Islay cask reserve stout, bottled 2006, advises only that you "store upright in a dark cool place and pour carefully". Their Alliance sherry cask strong ale, confirms that the bottle contains champagne yeast, and instructs the drinker to "age upright in a cool dark place and pour slowly to allow the natural sediment to remain in the bottle".
Dunham Massey Porter is significantly less verbose and states only that the beer should be served between 12-13 C.
Meanwhile Blue Anchor Spingo advises to "serve slightly chilled and pour with care".
George Gales Prize Old Ale advises "stand for some hours at room temperature" and then, "carefully withdraw the cork and pour slowly"
And finally, Penlon Stock Ram Stout, advises you put the bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes before opening as it is lively! Hurrah! Some decent advice at last! *
The problem with these mixed messages comes when a lack of info results in a poor drinking experience for the consumer. Because the only consistent message seems to be to drink at 8-14 degrees C., and to pour carefully. Only the Spingo (which is an unfailingly dire BCA) suggests chilling to any extent, along with the Penlon beers. The Gales advice is quite detailed, which is ironic, considering how unsophisticated their sherry like offering was, but crucially none of the stronger ales including those you are positively encouraged to age, make any proviso for the obvious result of natural carbonation from the live yeast. Why?
BCA is already a seriously maligned concept suffering from terrible practitioners and poor retailer knowledge. As this shows, a lack of useful labelling advice potentially exacerbates the problem. The label is the producers last chance to influence the consumer's drinking experience, so, whilst label space is limited, maybe include words along the lines of "this beer is conditioned naturally in the bottle and can be lively on opening. For best results please open the bottle chilled to reduce the carbonation. The beer can then be left to reach room temperature, allowing you to fully appreciate the flavours."?
OK, so there's no career for me writing succinct bottle instructions, but the label content is a manageable factor for producers in their products journey to the glass, and easier to control than elements such as the vagaries of staff and retailer knowledge.
Some BCA's don't need chilling. Very few. If chilling reduces the likelihood of more indefensible fountains of failure, then surely that's good advice to impart?
Wee Beefy
*amusingly, Wee Fatha keeps all his BCA's in his "chilled" hallway (non scientific, not always accurate). Without reading the Penlon label I went to open the bottle from the hall at the table, since, last time, there had been a war of attrition between me and Wee Keefy and Wee Fatha to persuade him to refrigerate a wheat beer, which he vehemently opposed as beer "shouldn't need to go in the fridge". And when the Penlon escaped in foam all over his table? He said " you should have put that in the fridge". Thanks for that. The Devil's in the detail it seems....
I have to stifle a snigger when I read the phrase of the title because its one of many I have attributed to "management" at my employer, and is therefore, of course, to be used sarcastically, and to mock the inconsistencies of messages received from such people.
How apt then, that this cliche applies to bottle conditioned beer labelling, what I see plenty of.
I know from years of experience of Bottle Conditioned Beers (BCA), that there's a tried and tested formula to avoiding fountains, fobbing, foam and frustration. Admittedly this formula relies on the product being drinkable, and Christ, that's a whole other story, but for now I am concentrating on beers you can, or at least could, drink.
I usually chill the BCA in the fridge for half an hour, then let it come back to room temperature. That way its less lively on opening but can still be drunk less chilled if desired. Yet only recently have I noticed any suggestion on BCA bottle labels that the beer should be served cool, or that it could be lively. Here is a range of advice found across a number of excellent bottles, giving mixed messages to the consumer:
Brampton Winter Bock, one of the best bottled beers I tried this year, simply advises that for best results the beer should be "served cooled but not cold, at between 12 and 14 degrees Centigrade".
The Durham Jubilate India Pale Ale advises "Serve at 10 degrees C. This beer may be lively so have a glass to hand when opening". Their 2010 vintage of Temptation advises only "do not serve below 8 degrees C.", and the May 2007 vintage advises that to enjoy the full complexity of flavour it is "best not to chill".
Thornbridge Islay cask reserve stout, bottled 2006, advises only that you "store upright in a dark cool place and pour carefully". Their Alliance sherry cask strong ale, confirms that the bottle contains champagne yeast, and instructs the drinker to "age upright in a cool dark place and pour slowly to allow the natural sediment to remain in the bottle".
Dunham Massey Porter is significantly less verbose and states only that the beer should be served between 12-13 C.
Meanwhile Blue Anchor Spingo advises to "serve slightly chilled and pour with care".
George Gales Prize Old Ale advises "stand for some hours at room temperature" and then, "carefully withdraw the cork and pour slowly"
And finally, Penlon Stock Ram Stout, advises you put the bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes before opening as it is lively! Hurrah! Some decent advice at last! *
The problem with these mixed messages comes when a lack of info results in a poor drinking experience for the consumer. Because the only consistent message seems to be to drink at 8-14 degrees C., and to pour carefully. Only the Spingo (which is an unfailingly dire BCA) suggests chilling to any extent, along with the Penlon beers. The Gales advice is quite detailed, which is ironic, considering how unsophisticated their sherry like offering was, but crucially none of the stronger ales including those you are positively encouraged to age, make any proviso for the obvious result of natural carbonation from the live yeast. Why?
BCA is already a seriously maligned concept suffering from terrible practitioners and poor retailer knowledge. As this shows, a lack of useful labelling advice potentially exacerbates the problem. The label is the producers last chance to influence the consumer's drinking experience, so, whilst label space is limited, maybe include words along the lines of "this beer is conditioned naturally in the bottle and can be lively on opening. For best results please open the bottle chilled to reduce the carbonation. The beer can then be left to reach room temperature, allowing you to fully appreciate the flavours."?
OK, so there's no career for me writing succinct bottle instructions, but the label content is a manageable factor for producers in their products journey to the glass, and easier to control than elements such as the vagaries of staff and retailer knowledge.
Some BCA's don't need chilling. Very few. If chilling reduces the likelihood of more indefensible fountains of failure, then surely that's good advice to impart?
Wee Beefy
*amusingly, Wee Fatha keeps all his BCA's in his "chilled" hallway (non scientific, not always accurate). Without reading the Penlon label I went to open the bottle from the hall at the table, since, last time, there had been a war of attrition between me and Wee Keefy and Wee Fatha to persuade him to refrigerate a wheat beer, which he vehemently opposed as beer "shouldn't need to go in the fridge". And when the Penlon escaped in foam all over his table? He said " you should have put that in the fridge". Thanks for that. The Devil's in the detail it seems....
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Wee Beefys 2012 beer bites - 2 bottled beer reviews
Hello again,
regrettably (or mercifully), 2012 beer bites is not a series of 2,012 separate pieces of information regarding pubs and real ale. Instead its just a title, which I have used before, that has been adapted slightly. So don't panic, you do have time to read this post.
So, here are my reviews of two of my Christmas beer bottle selection this year.
Brewery : Dunham Massey, Cheshire
Name : Milk Stout
Strength : 4.0%
BCA/none BCA? : BCA.
Purchased : Dunham Massey brewery shop.
Here is the beer pictured modelling my rather fetching retro Tolly glass that I was kindly given by the Rutland in Sheffield - cheers gents. Alas the bottle pic did not make it....
Colour : Jet black, with a thin white head
Carbonation/Pouring : low, poured flat, with some latter bubbles joining the head, however the lack of carbonation was a benefit as excessive fizz disturbs the yeast sediment.
Aroma : Oh dear.
I had smelt the particular aroma that greeted me on opening the bottle, and then on pouring into the glass, before. It was the rank smell of sour beer and nasty yeast. Dear god, I thought, here I am about to review a beer, a bottle conditioned one at that, and from a brewery I reckon have nailed bottle conditioning, and its only gone and been orf! I sighed whilst looking at the "CAMRA says this is real ale" logo and remembered disconsolately how many times that sticker adhered to the label of a bottle of undrinkable filth, and how bad that was for real ale, and how I would have to solemnlyy concede to Wee Keefy that even a brewery I rated had got it wrong, and then I had a sip. And it was fine.
Taste : somehow the first swig, despite the smell, tasted of dark beer, and in the second, somehow that initial grimace making aroma was gone. Now almost all I could smell was roast malt.
The main flavour that hits you is a very ascorbic dry roast malt, like a much meatier stout than one you might find labelled milk stout (the milk, of course, is just lactose but it still usually renders the stout sweet). In the second taste the roast malt gives way to a light creaminess, before a further wave or roast malt bitterness comes through.
As you take more slakes there is a strange but by no means unpleasant lemon sherbets fizz in the mix, I wondered if this might be the sweetness of the lactose fighting through the roast malts. The beer is described on the label as a sweet stout but, it certainly isn't that, which is maybe to its credit.
Head retention - the head is very thin and very quickly moves to the edge of the glass and slips slowly lower with the beer, leaving no trace on the glass, and looking not unlike a thin halo of white icing that hasn't separated from the cake.
WBrating : 6.5
Loses points for scaring off less trusting drinkers with its initial aroma, and for being, although nice, not much like it claims to be.
Beer number 2:
Brewery : Tatton brewery company, Cheshire
Name : Ale
Strength : 3.7%
BCA/none BCA? : none.
Purchased - Tatton brewery shop
Colour : dark varnished wood, virtually red, with a lustrous frothy head.
Carbonation/Pouring : very lively if not well chilled, however the beer does settle down quickly allowing you to enjoy mostly burp free beer. The carbonation does remain throughout however.
Aroma : strangely, almost no malt or hops, just subtle spice, apples and grapefruit.
Taste : Grapefruit, and biscuity malt hit you initially with a long dry fizzy hop finish. Its startlingly snappy for a lower gravity ale, and although the bitterness is warmed by malt in the background it still has a very pleasing bite, albeit more traditional English than Nelson Sauvin as is often found in bitter beer these days.
The second taste is even more bitter, but its tamed by a sweeter flavour perhaps the malt. As you continue drinking, the long bitter grapefruit finish seems to increase its bite. The beer would probably lose its sharpness if chilled so make sure you serve it at room temperature. Despite my attention being drawn by the bitterness its not unpleasant or overpowering and is a very well balanced beer overall.
Head retention - the head is quite large, possibly a temperature issue, but it follows the beer loyally down the glass leaving sparkling white trails behind it, and remains sat in the middle as well as round the edges to the bottom of the glass, which is pleasing on the eye.
WBrating : 8.5
Gains extra points for being far more astringent and packing in much more flavour than the ABV suggests.
Happy supping!
Wee Beefy.
regrettably (or mercifully), 2012 beer bites is not a series of 2,012 separate pieces of information regarding pubs and real ale. Instead its just a title, which I have used before, that has been adapted slightly. So don't panic, you do have time to read this post.
So, here are my reviews of two of my Christmas beer bottle selection this year.
Brewery : Dunham Massey, Cheshire
Name : Milk Stout
Strength : 4.0%
BCA/none BCA? : BCA.
Purchased : Dunham Massey brewery shop.
Here is the beer pictured modelling my rather fetching retro Tolly glass that I was kindly given by the Rutland in Sheffield - cheers gents. Alas the bottle pic did not make it....
Colour : Jet black, with a thin white head
Carbonation/Pouring : low, poured flat, with some latter bubbles joining the head, however the lack of carbonation was a benefit as excessive fizz disturbs the yeast sediment.
Aroma : Oh dear.
I had smelt the particular aroma that greeted me on opening the bottle, and then on pouring into the glass, before. It was the rank smell of sour beer and nasty yeast. Dear god, I thought, here I am about to review a beer, a bottle conditioned one at that, and from a brewery I reckon have nailed bottle conditioning, and its only gone and been orf! I sighed whilst looking at the "CAMRA says this is real ale" logo and remembered disconsolately how many times that sticker adhered to the label of a bottle of undrinkable filth, and how bad that was for real ale, and how I would have to solemnlyy concede to Wee Keefy that even a brewery I rated had got it wrong, and then I had a sip. And it was fine.
Taste : somehow the first swig, despite the smell, tasted of dark beer, and in the second, somehow that initial grimace making aroma was gone. Now almost all I could smell was roast malt.
The main flavour that hits you is a very ascorbic dry roast malt, like a much meatier stout than one you might find labelled milk stout (the milk, of course, is just lactose but it still usually renders the stout sweet). In the second taste the roast malt gives way to a light creaminess, before a further wave or roast malt bitterness comes through.
As you take more slakes there is a strange but by no means unpleasant lemon sherbets fizz in the mix, I wondered if this might be the sweetness of the lactose fighting through the roast malts. The beer is described on the label as a sweet stout but, it certainly isn't that, which is maybe to its credit.
Head retention - the head is very thin and very quickly moves to the edge of the glass and slips slowly lower with the beer, leaving no trace on the glass, and looking not unlike a thin halo of white icing that hasn't separated from the cake.
WBrating : 6.5
Loses points for scaring off less trusting drinkers with its initial aroma, and for being, although nice, not much like it claims to be.
Beer number 2:
Brewery : Tatton brewery company, Cheshire
Name : Ale
Strength : 3.7%
BCA/none BCA? : none.
Purchased - Tatton brewery shop
Colour : dark varnished wood, virtually red, with a lustrous frothy head.
Carbonation/Pouring : very lively if not well chilled, however the beer does settle down quickly allowing you to enjoy mostly burp free beer. The carbonation does remain throughout however.
Aroma : strangely, almost no malt or hops, just subtle spice, apples and grapefruit.
Taste : Grapefruit, and biscuity malt hit you initially with a long dry fizzy hop finish. Its startlingly snappy for a lower gravity ale, and although the bitterness is warmed by malt in the background it still has a very pleasing bite, albeit more traditional English than Nelson Sauvin as is often found in bitter beer these days.
The second taste is even more bitter, but its tamed by a sweeter flavour perhaps the malt. As you continue drinking, the long bitter grapefruit finish seems to increase its bite. The beer would probably lose its sharpness if chilled so make sure you serve it at room temperature. Despite my attention being drawn by the bitterness its not unpleasant or overpowering and is a very well balanced beer overall.
Head retention - the head is quite large, possibly a temperature issue, but it follows the beer loyally down the glass leaving sparkling white trails behind it, and remains sat in the middle as well as round the edges to the bottom of the glass, which is pleasing on the eye.
WBrating : 8.5
Gains extra points for being far more astringent and packing in much more flavour than the ABV suggests.
Happy supping!
Wee Beefy.
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