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Hinckley & Bosworth Branch |
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Brewing Tin Hat Ale for the Hinckley Beer Festival Three members of Hinckley & Bosworth CAMRA Branch were quick to volunteer for a chance to brew a special beer for the 2nd Hinckley Beer Festival at Tunnel Brewery, Ansley, Warwickshire. The brewery is situated behind the Lord Nelson pub in Ansley, just outside Nuneaton. After much discussion with Mike Walsh, the brewer, it was decided to try to replicate an East India Pale Ale. This type of ale is slightly darker than the normal India Pale Ale and is very well hopped, not simply for taste, but to ensure that the beer is preserved in good condition for a long journey – to India originally. Fortunately the Tunnel Brewery version will not have to travel quite so far to reach Hinckley this September. A predominantly pale malt mash was decided on, tempered with a little crystal malt which was considered traditional. The mash (malt and hot water) was left for 90 minutes at a temperature of 78oC to allow the sugars to be dissolved into the liquid.
The resulting wort (pronounced “wert”) was then drained off the grain and pumped into the boiling vessel, or copper, where it was heated to boiling point. The main hops were then added and the mixture boiled for 90 minutes. A traditional mix of Fuggles and Goldings hops was chosen. To give the beer added flavour and aroma late hopping was carried out a few minutes before the end of the “boil”. The late hopping consisted of a mixture of Amarillo, Cascade and Goldings hops. The particular mixture of these hops was the result of a lengthy debate between the three volunteers as each hop variety has its own characteristics and acidity.
On completion of the boil the brew was pumped through a heat exchanger to cool the liquid and to recover energy in the form of hot water ready for the next brew. In the meantime the yeast had been primed with part of the partially completed brew and was pitched into the fermenting vessel once the temperature was deemed suitable. The whole process took from 9.00am to 4.00pm and it was very satisfying to see nearly 6 barrels of beer (about 1600 pints!) quietly starting to ferment. Whether we have chosen the types of malt and hops wisely remains to be seen of course. All we can say is that it smelt wonderful during the whole process.
If you would like to taste the finished article this can easily be arranged by visiting the 2nd Hinckley Beer Festival to be held at the Masonic Hall, Hinckley on the 10th to 12th September 2009!! If you like it, please seek out the brewers and congratulate them. If the beer is not fully to your liking then blame Mike Walsh for giving us wrong information! Happy drinking, Alan, Bill and David (the brewers) would like to thank Mike & Bob (Tunnel Brewery) for offering us this opportunity. PS If you would like to sample a range of Tunnel beers a visit to the Lord Nelson at Ansley is a must. Hinckley Beer Festival details Words by Bill Smith
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