Looking For Old Peculier Clone ?

[Greg2013]

I am just going to lob this out there (don't panic guys), i am looking for a possible extract receipe for a Theakston Old Peculier clone. If i can use all liquid malt even better but i doubt it, some steeping grains are a given. Just want to see if i can knock one up from ingredients i can get here. I do have Beersmith 2 but i am not familiar with how to use it, Cheers.

[Dunkel]

From my 1981 edition of "Brewing Beers like those you buy", I found this :-

2.0 kg Dark LME
250 gm Roast Barley
250 gm Crystal
1kg Soft dark brown sugar
60 gm Fuggles

Note the crystal has no EBC rating, as in the 80s none was available. Crystal 120 would be about right. Brew length 15 litres, Alcohol 6%. Now the instructions are a bit odd.

"Boil the malt extract, grains and hops for 45 mins. Strain into fermenting bin. Rinse hops + grain with two kettlefuls of hot water. Top up to 15 litres with cold water. Add yeast (Brewer's yeast) and five saccharin tablets. After fermentation finishes, rack into barrel primed with 100gm black treacle."

Ah, those were the days, when no one knew any better, and the summers were hotter, women were better looking, and beer was 30p a pint 

[Greg2013]

From my 1981 edition of "Brewing Beers like those you buy", I found this :-

2.0 kg Dark LME
250 gm Roast Barley
250 gm Crystal
1kg Soft dark brown sugar
60 gm Fuggles

Note the crystal has no EBC rating, as in the 80s none was available. Crystal 120 would be about right. Brew length 15 litres, Alcohol 6%. Now the instructions are a bit odd.

"Boil the malt extract, grains and hops for 45 mins. Strain into fermenting bin. Rinse hops + grain with two kettlefuls of hot water. Top up to 15 litres with cold water. Add yeast (Brewer's yeast) and five saccharin tablets. After fermentation finishes, rack into barrel primed with 100gm black treacle."

Ah, those were the days, when no one knew any better, and the summers were hotter, women were better looking, and beer was 30p a pint 

Cheers Dunkel, lol them were the days allright. May have to adjust some of that procedure but i have an idea of the ingredients anyway cheers.

[Greg2013]

There was only one crystal back then, "standard", which was about 140, but Dunkel's is good enough too.

Not a big fan of Old Peculiar. Have you had it? It and Marston's Pedigree, which is a waste of the last Burton Union set.

Yes have had OP and i LOVE it, my number one so far followed by 5 AM Saint.

[Eoink]

 I too am a fan of Theakstons Old Peculier. The  recipe I use is from   Brew your own British Real Ale 3rd edition by Graham Wheeler - published by CAMRA

19litre
Pale Malt 4510g
Crystal malt 245g
Chocolate malt 175g
Start of boil
Challenger hops 24g
Fuggle 12g
Last 10 mins Golding hops 12g
Dry hop with a few cones of Styrian Golding

You can replace the malt with 3380g LME or 2910g DME for extract brewing

Mash 66C for 90 mins
Boil 90 mins
OG 1058, 5.7% ABV,

He doesnt recommend any particular yeast for individual beers but in the general section on yeast he recommends white labs WLP023 Burton as a good yeast.  I have used it and SO4 for OP and I dont think there is much of a difference.

Wheeler describes OP as " Dark and vinous old ale, bursting with complex fruit flavours. Massive winey bouquet of rich fruit with peppery hop notes. Toffee and roast malt in the mouth, deep bitter sweet finish with delicate hops"
Tesco sell it for those who haven't tried it yet

[Greg2013]

Eoin i am assuming if i use LME i still have to use the crustal and chocolate malt?

[Eoink]

Eoin i am assuming if i use LME i still have to use the crustal and chocolate malt?

Yes - a straight swap of the the pale malt for LME, the crystal and chocolate malts should be seepedm, I think I seeped them for 30 mins at 60C when I did the extract version.

[Partridge9]

Going for a clone of this - all grain

4.00 kg    Maris Otter Malt; Bairds Malt
0.15 kg    Crystal 55; Bairds Malt
0.15 kg    Crystal 150; Bairds Malt
0.10 kg    Wheat Malt; Simpsons
0.10 kg    Chocolate Malt; Bairds Malt
0.20 kg    Molasses info; 30 mins into boil
21 g    Challenger (Pellets, 8 %AA) boiled 60 min
14 g    Fuggle (Pellets, 4.75 %AA) boiled 15 min
14 g    East Kent Goldings (Pellets, 5 %AA) boiled 1 min
Yeast :    White Labs WLP005 British Ale info

[Greg2013]

Going for a clone of this - all grain

4.00 kg    Maris Otter Malt; Bairds Malt
0.15 kg    Crystal 55; Bairds Malt
0.15 kg    Crystal 150; Bairds Malt
0.10 kg    Wheat Malt; Simpsons
0.10 kg    Chocolate Malt; Bairds Malt
0.20 kg    Molasses info; 30 mins into boil
21 g    Challenger (Pellets, 8 %AA) boiled 60 min
14 g    Fuggle (Pellets, 4.75 %AA) boiled 15 min
14 g    East Kent Goldings (Pellets, 5 %AA) boiled 1 min
Yeast :    White Labs WLP005 British Ale info

Looks interesting 

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

Not a big fan of Old Peculiar. Have you had it? It and Marston's Pedigree, which is a waste of the last Burton Union set.

I have had it, worth drinking once in a while, but I would rather drink something else. Its an old style beer, more suited to winter, and if its winter, then you have a lot more strong ales and stouts that will scratch the itch better.

Even Theakston themselves dont make much or sell much of it. But they are famous for it, and in a perverted sense, it makes them sell more of their other beer.

And yes, Pedigree is best left in the keg. Like a lot of Marstons beers.

In blighty, M&S sell a couple of 'own brand' ales that are made by big breweries. Same price for one made by St Austell, as one made by Marston. Chalk and cheese.

[Partridge9]

I have kinda wound it down - I notice its 5.6% so I will need to dial it into my software at home to hone it to that.

I am doing beer for a 40th and this is a 'special request' - he is insisting on it - so I'll give it a shot.

Its all very standard otherwise - mashing at 66C and 2 weeks at 19/20C.