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FWH or Not Summer Ale

FWH Version of a Split Batch of Special Bitter - 2009 Savannah Brewers League Experiment Beer.
Blind triangle taste testing of FWH-only and 60-min bittering only beers.

Brewer: Christo Email: -
Beer: FWH or Not Summer Ale Style: English Pale Ale
Type: All grain Size: 3.5 gallons
Color:
7 HCU (~5 SRM)
Bitterness: 29 IBU
OG: 1.046 FG: 1.010
Alcohol: 4.7% v/v (3.7% w/w)
Grain: 4 lb. 10 oz. Marris Otter
4 oz. British Carastan
2 oz. American victory
Mash: 86% efficiency
154F
Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.041 4 gallons
FWH-only hop addition is assumed approximately 10-15% more IBUs than shown. Other half of split batch was hopped only at 60 minutes.
Hops: 31.0g Kent Goldings (4.5% AA, 60 min.)
Yeast: S-05
Log: 17 days at 72F. Both in 5 gal carboys.
Carbonation: medium carbonation.
Tasting: When you know the two beers are different, you can detect a distinct difference between the the FWH'd and the 60-min beers. FWH being slightly more bitter but "smoother" and the 60-min being more malty but a little harsher. FWH definitely with more flavor/aroma as well.

When you don't know which beer is different (blind triangle taste testing with 3 samples, 2 the same, the other different), however, it is very difficult to tell apart from the 60-min-only hopped version. In club blind tastings, 4 out of 5 could not correctly tell the difference when given three samples, two of the one variety and the third the other.

As a side note, surprised at the nice malt flavor of the overall recipe used being very good with nice toasty quality from Marris Otter even though just a tiny amount of specialty malts.

Recipe posted 07/22/09.