Speights Old Dark

earle · Post by **earle** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 8:34 am

Posted about a year ago about Black Sheep Ale and Speights Old Dark but had no replies.

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... highlight=

Anyhow, was having another browse through Oliver & Geoffs brews last night and came across these two.

Oliver
30 Continental Dark Lager

Started 20.8.00 Bottled 5.9.00

1 can Munton's Export Pilsener
500g dried dark malt
1 Brewcraft Dark Continental Lager conversion kit: - 520g dried malt/glucose/corn syrup
- 100g chocolate malt
- 25g Hallertauer hops
100g malted wheat

OG 1043 FG NR ALC/VOL NK

BREWING NOTES All brewing water had been boiled. Yeast starter made. Brought grain in cold water to the boil and sparged. Boiled again. Boiled hops and 250g malt for 30 minutes.

TASTING NOTES During fermentation, this tasted just like Speight's Old Dark Malt Ale. (See our review). Next time I might try making it with an ale yeast. Geoff tried this, see his No.91 Continental Dark Lager/Hybrid. 18.11.00: Lovely, Nice hops and well-balanced maltiness. 20.4.00: A bit on the watery side, but a nice, chocolatey lager.

Geoff
91 Continental Dark Lager/Hybrid

Started 07.10.00 Bottled 23.10.00

1 can Muntons Export Pilsner (1.8 kg)
100g malted wheat
500g dark dried malt extract
Brewcraft Continental Dark Lager Conversion Kit (hops, chocolate malt, 600g glucose)
Yeast from 3 Cooper's Sparkling Ale stubbies

BREWING NOTES Grains boiled 20 minutes. Hops added, stand 10 minutes. Strained, balance of ingredients added. This is a variation on Oliver's No.30 Continental Dark Lager.

TASTING NOTES Tasted 3.06.01: â€œA beaut beer! Yum!â€

Speights Old Dark is supposed to be a porter so I thought I'd give the above ago with Ale yeast. I'm trying some other porters as well e.g Wassa's Honey porter but love the Speights.

Just wondering if there was any update on this one from Geoff or Oliver or whether anyone else had tried this particular one?

Thanks
Earle (who also has a long list of future recipes in beersmith, but you can't have too many can you?)

sonictruth · Post by **sonictruth** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 9:26 am

speights old dark is a great drop. I brought back a sixer in my suitcase from NZ when the wife and went on our honeymoon. i've seen speights gold around the place but no old dark, shame.

wouldnt have a clue whats in it tho.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 10:26 am

Even better than the Speights is Montieths Black. That's my holy grail (recipe anyone!?)

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 10:30 am

Rob, I'm assuming you have seen this...

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 10:31 am

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo! thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!

sonictruth · Post by **sonictruth** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 11:03 am

serious?!?! i dont like monteiths black......too burnt

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 11:17 am

You sure get around doc.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 11:20 am

Yup, it was my favourite beer from kiwi-land. But I like my stouts and porters, so that might explain it.

sonictruth · Post by **sonictruth** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 12:11 pm

oh dont get me wrong, i love stouts and porters....ive been brewing for about a year and only managed to make 1 pale beer....all the rest are dark. but that being said, i dont like montieths black, it tastes like burnt toast....IMO

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 12:19 pm

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I suppose that's what makes diversity so great, we can each have our favourites. Reminds me of a friend of mine... we have mutually exclusive tastes in women. Which serves to reduce the possibility of conflicts.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 12:22 pm

So which of you likes the hairy ones?

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 12:24 pm

Chris wrote:So which of you likes the hairy ones?

I would be more concerned with which likes the bald ones

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 12:45 pm

Sick... sick. *shakes head*

earle · Post by **earle** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 1:29 pm

I'm with sonictruth here. What I like about the Speights is that it doesn't have the really burnt taste which I not that partial to.

I think the Montieths recipe will come in handy (thanks Doc) since it was intended as a Speights, though I'll have to convert it back to extract with specialty grains. I'm thinking i would have to back off on the roast barley a bit and reduce the lactose to bring it back into balance. The EKG used would be more in keeping with the style than the Hallertau used by Oliver and Geoff (who were aiming for a continental lager).

I'd also be concerned about bald but hairy ones.

Earle

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 4:24 pm

I love the roasted barley taste in beers so much so that i put it in my porters too. Well, most of the time.

Get around? Who have you been talking to.....?

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 4:32 pm

I thought roasted barley was one of the things that distinguishes a stout from a porter...

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 4:47 pm

So i keep being told but i think its in the style for a baltic porter altho IIRC it says slight roastiness. 200g is subtle isnt it?

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Oct 10, 2007 5:26 pm

As a sledge hammer.