Am I getting old or...

[TSR2]

Is Ale getting stupidly strong? I'm not a massive drinker, but i like an ale, and a good IPA always goes down a treat. Recently i helped one of the girls in the office get her pc going again and she bought me a few IPA's. 2 Green King and 2 Brew Dog. Now traditionally an IPA in the uk is less than 4% abv. I opened the Brew Dog one tonight and after the very hoppy initial taste (not a bad thing at all) there was quite a kick. When i checked the abv, it was 5.6%. The blurb on the bottle goes on about how its an anti corporation brewing company etc etc, but what had the potential to be a nice little ale was ruined by making it ridiculously strong. I know Stewart Brewing up near Edinburgh to a lovely IPA and there are several great ones down south. What are these guys thinking, are they just trying to brew student get wasted juice? Or am i just getting old.

[DaveB]

Hello Mate

No.. you're not getting old at all. There has been an underlying trend of making stuff into loopy juice for a while now. I think it makes a certain fraternity of 'real ale' drinkers think themselves 100% beef-cakes by drinking the stuff Greene King IPA (cask) is around 3.6% ABV which is plenty for me.. someone who prefers a mixture of taste and quantity over strength An IPA at 5.6 is nothing more than an abomination IMHO

Coincidentally.. some years ago when keeping GK Abbot, I made the mistake (made out of necessity) of having to sell a barrel that had only been in the cellar a few days. It had fallen bright so I thought why not. It tasted very similar to GK IPA.. the only difference being when you came to stand up Abbot is best kept for over a week in the cellar and about 2 1/2 weeks after it leaves the brewery, it's at it's best. Try and drink it earlier and it tastes much different but will still make you fall over

ATB
DaveB

[SkippyBing]

I think Brew Dog also brew the strongest beer in the world, mainly by freezing it to increase the alcohol percentage*, so I suspect they're doing it on purpose to get a reputation.

*I think that's how it works, freeze it so you can skim the water off in the form of ice?

[dfarrow]

Gents , I must admit to liking a good ''cooking '' bitter with taste , and lower alcohol ; so that I can quaff a couple of pints without falling over . Much more and I'm full up and merry .
Dave , you just set of taste buds with your teasing tale of best beer keeping .... Please could you tell us more and explain going ''bright '' ,and other tap room tales ?
I'm sure we're not too old to learn new skills .

Cheers Dave f

[Garry Russell]

I guess IPA now stands for Instant P!ss Ar$e??

[DaveB]

Dave..
'Falling bright' is a tech term for going clear. When cask ale leaves the brewery (prior to it leaving the brewery), finings are added. Obviously.. sitting on the back of a truck and being transported to the pub, the contents of a cask are like stew with all the natural sediment and hops mixed together. When a cask is opened (traditionally 2 days before it's needed).. two things happen. A secondary fermentation takes place which will ultimately give the contents it's specified ABV AND.. those finings added prior to shipping do their job and make the sediment fall to the bottom of the barrel.. they make it 'fall bright'.

These days.. finings have advanced to such an extent that a cask can be opened and it will fall bright in minutes.. I kid ye not. Brakspear use these all singing, all dancing finings (they call it Quick Cask) and they DO work. It took them a while to sort it but you can now leave a Brakspear cask untapped until required so no more getting caught by a mad rush.. unless of course you run out

ATB
DaveB

[dfarrow]

Dave , thanks, there's some good top tips 'n things I did not know about beer . Typing this brings up a thirst ....'fraid it'll only be a can of Fursty Ferret [ Hall 'n Woodhouse , Blandford ] with Turkey pie for tea . Sadly we're a bit far from Adnams , Greene King or Brakspears ...
Now I'm sure there's another tale lurking .... a pub with no beer ?

ATB dave f .

[Vancouver]

Hey I found Old Speckled Hen in my local BC Liquor store today, I cleared them out of their entire stock of 14 bottles . I was so astonished to find it.

[DaveB]

And there is was.. gone

ATB
DaveB

[RJP]

Haha When I was in Pakistan we, erm, acquired a regular supply of beer from Dushanbe, a 'weak' one and a strong one. I preferred the stronger one which it turned out was 12% I don't think I could even look at a can of the stuff now without being ill