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The following are notes regarding Sykes's "Best
Quality Shavings Ale". If any questions arise regarding this ale
that are not addressed in this post please make your concerns known and
i'll see if they can be addressed.
<p><u>Miscellaneous Production Issues</u><u></u>
<p> For some reason unknown to me unhopped ales
in general go off if great quantities of slurry are not used.
I their for feel the need to restate that no less then two quarts of
slurry be used per six gallons of ale. Also, i have noted that
when the ale is first racked or dropped it behooves the brewer to inject
pure oxygen, as per modern home brewing practice, for 30-40 seconds.
<br> I have noted that this ale should be fermented at
temperatures no greater then 70 degrees F. during both primary and secondary
stages. I have also noted that the taste of the ale improves
significantly when cask conditioned or via prolonged contact with French
oak chips. I confess that i am unaware of the kind of oak used
in the manufacture of barrels at the time of the recipe's creation.
<br> During the production of this particular ale
i noted that that my starting gravity ranged from 1.072 to 1.080.
The rather low rate of extraction makes me think that traditional home
brewing must have been a vary expensive proposition indeed.
<br> When i have bottled this ale i've noted that it
best be prime with gyle or honey. Corn sugar when used as a priming
agent seems to have resulted in poor head retention.
<br> I would strongly recommend that the aging
guidelines in the last post be followed. This ale is rather astringent
and harsh when when young. Also, after bottling, this ale must sit
for no less then three weeks, preferably four or five. Although the
tannins and other chemicals extracted from the wood appear to provide natural
preservatives i do not know how long this ale can be kept. In any
case, the batch has always been consumed within a month after the first
bottle is opened.<u></u>
<p><u>Tasting Notes</u><u></u>
<p> This ale does not taste at all like any modern ale i've
had. The fir contributed a very significant tannin element to the
taste profile which was characterized by a high residual sweetness.
The ale was also vary malty and full bodied with a slight,but noticeable
alcoholic aftertaste. Oddly enough, the Carduus, yarrow and century
did not contribute much to the flavor profile. While they did contribute
a noticeable bitterness that was reminiscent of hops they didn't provide
any taste or aromatics that was perceptible. The licorice
seems to have added to the aftertaste but certainly was not prominent.</html>