12-12-12 Wee Heavy Recipe Formulation

**smokinghole** · 09-28-2011, 01:02 AM

In the spirit of past years recipes I propose to keep the recipe simple. Just look at the BGS and the Old Ale recipes. They are simple grain bills that allow the process and yeast to provide all the character.

I propose a long boil for plenty of kettle carmelization along with a satellite boil to boil down 2 gal of runnings down to a syrup that is added back to the boil.

I will be brewing a 7.5gal batch up for myself but the recipe I'm posting here is for a 6 gal batch. Due to the proposed three hour boil you would need a larger than 10gal pot for a brew of this boil volume. However you can do a satellite boil and add volume as the primary boil kettle loses water.

I think mashing at 152-154 would be right with this being an all malt beer. I've used WLP028 for a number of beers at this point so I am familiar with the yeast's performance in a wort of this gravity. When it comes to hops I am thinking about the upper end so I'm looking at between 20-30ibus. As for hop variety I plan on using Nugget because that's what I have on hand. For a traditional hop we could go with EKGs or Target.

The malt I plan on using is Maris Otter because I have a full bag to use. The roasted malt is about double what I see some recipes use but again I envision some character fading over the year before the swap.

12-12-12 Wee Heavy 6gal
Strong Scotch Ale
Type: All Grain Date: 8/27/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal Brewer: Adam Cole
Boil Size: 10.62 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 180 min Equipment: Penrose Kettle (18Gal) and Cooler (13Gal)
End of Boil Volume 7.02 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal Est Mash Efficiency 87.8 %
Fermentation: Wee Heavy Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
21 lbs 8.0 oz Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 96.6 %
12.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 2 3.4 %
0.75 oz Nugget [11.30 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 20.7 IBUs
0.50 oz Nugget [11.30 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 4 8.4 IBUs
1 pkg Edinburgh Ale (White Labs #WLP028) [35.49 ml] Yeast 5 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.103 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.024 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 10.5 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 29.1 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 19.7 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 22 lbs 4.0 oz
Sparge Water: 2.44 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 31.01 qt of water at 162.5 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Add 15.57 qt of water at 204.0 F 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 2.44 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

Let's hear all your ideas!

**SaccharoVices** · 09-28-2011, 01:17 AM

Recent Brew Recipe:

13# Maris Otter
.5# Weyermann Melanoidin
.5# Crystal 60, British
.25# Crystal 120, British
.25# Weyermann Cara-Aroma
2 oz. Roasted Barley, British

1 oz. Fuggle- pellet, 4.9%AA, 60m
.5 oz. Golding- plug, 4.5%AA, 60m
.5 oz. Golding- plug, 4.5%AA, 30m

Wyeast 1728 in 1.5l starter

OG: 1.091, FG 1.020, 5.25g post-boil volume, 87% efficiency

I believe that I would go for first wort carmelization next time, reducing or omitting the dark crystal and cara-aroma (substituting with additional MO in equal measure). Hops are right. Nice beer though.

LuckyBeagleBrewing · 09-28-2011, 02:18 AM

Been working with this formulation for a bit and I think this would be a nice, complex scotch ale. Have a thought about using the cherry wood smoked malt in it.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: McKracken Scottish Ale v2
Brewer: DVD
Asst Brewer:
Style: Strong Scotch Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 14.64 gal
Post Boil Volume: 10.40 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 10.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 10.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.124 SG
Estimated Color: 18.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 180 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
40 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 93.0 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 2.9 %
8.0 oz Smoked Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 1.2 %
4.0 oz Wheat Malt, Midnight - Briess (550.0 SRM Grain 4 0.6 %
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 90.0 Hop 6 14.9 IBUs
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 30.0 Hop 7 10.7 IBUs
2.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 mins) Fining 8 -
1 lbs Brown Sugar, Dark (50.0 SRM) Sugar 5 2.3 %
2.0 pkg Edinburgh Ale (White Labs #WLP028) [8000ml Yeast starter] 9 -

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 43 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 52.50 qt of water at 170.5 F 156.0 F 45 min
Mash Out Add 22.30 qt of water at 196.6 F 168.0 F 10 min

Notes:
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Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
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**azscoob** · 09-28-2011, 03:35 AM

I have been planning on brewing the Traquair house ale for a while now, here is the recipe I pulled up.

Brewing Method: All Grain
Yeast: Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale
Yeast Starter: 1/2 US gallon at High Krausen
Batch Size: 11 US Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.085
Final Gravity: 1.020
Alcohol Content: 8.64 %
Total Grains: 32.79 US Pounds
Color: 12-22 (depending on carmelization)
Extract Efficiency: 75 %
Hop IBU's: 28.6
Boiling Time: 2 hours
Primary Fermentation: 10 days @ 62f
Secondary Fermentation: 10 days @ 58f
Additional Fermentation: 2 months in brite tanks @ 45f

Grain Bill:

32.48 lb. Scottish Malting GOLDEN PROMISE PALE ALE 2 ROW (99%)
.31 lb. Roast Barley (1%)

Hop Bill:

1.57 oz. N. BREWER 6.9% 45 min
1.57 oz. N. BREWER 6.9% 35 min

Mash Schedule:

Single Step Mash:

90 minutes @ 154
10 minutes @ 168

Brewers Notes:

Yeast: WYEAST Scottish Ale

1728 Scottish Ale
Rich, smokey, peaty character ideally suited
for scottish style ales, smoked beers and
high gravity ales. Flocculation - high;
apparent attenuation - 69-73%. (55-70°F)

Notes:

Remove two gallons of first runnings and Carmelize it (boil down to about 1 pint and add back to boil).

**Golddiggie** · 09-28-2011, 04:31 AM

This is the wee heavy (my Wee Honey MkII) that I'm already planning on brewing.

Type: All Grain
Yeast: Wyeast 1768
Starter: 2.75L on stir plate
Batch Size: 6 gallons
Estimated OG: 1.110
Estimated FG: 1.028
Estimated ABV: 11.0%
Expected efficiency: 70%
Color: 19.7
IBUs: 31.6
Boil Time: 60-90 minutes (depends on the volume collected and how the new burner performs with the coming brew/batch).

Grain Bill:
21# Pale Malt, Maris Otter
1.5# Honey Malt
1# British Crystal Malt II (65 SRM)
1# British Dark Crystal Malt II (120 SRM)

Hop Bill:
1.25oz Goldings, East Kent (7.20% AA) 60 minutes
1.500oz Goldings, East Kent (7.20% AA) 15 minutes

Mash:
Temperature Mash, 1 step
90 minutes at 152F
15 minutes at 168F

Notes:
Infuse with pure O2 prior to pitching yeast, then again 12-24 hours post pitch.
Leave on yeast for 4-8 weeks total (let the brew decide when it's done). Then rack into second sanke keg and age on 3oz medium toast Hungarian oak cubes for 4-8 weeks. Sample and decide if more time is needed on oak, or if it's ready for additional aging time (off the oak). Allow to age until it's ready for carbonating. Carbonate with CO2 (gas) to desired volumes level. Either keg brew in 2.5/3 gallon kegs, or bottle and keg.
Perform all rackings pushing with CO2 into vessels purged of air with CO2.

Optional: local honey post boil, either during chilling phase (once the wort is at/below 100F) or once fermentation has slowed.

kegdawg · 09-28-2011, 05:04 AM

This looks fun...I'm new to the swap, do I get to create my own recipe? or is there a mutual one to follow?

KingBrianI · 09-28-2011, 10:44 AM

Instead of everyone just throwing out a full recipe, how about we start by discussing what we want in the beer, how much alcohol it should have, what flavors we are going for, what techniques we would like to use.... Then we can start discussing the actual recipe. I think that would be much more helpful than having dozens of recipes posted with each person campaigning for their own version. Just a thought.

**smokinghole** · 09-28-2011, 11:22 AM

I am thinking it should be somewhere around 10% with a simple grain bill. I'm going for rich clean malt flavors with possible slight smokey flavors from the yeast. I don't see a need for smoked malt in this recipe as some of the scottish strains can do that on their own. I think there are a couple looking to boil down like 2 gal of mash runnings to syrup for adding back to the boil. The long boil I feel is necessary to provide some color and the sweet caramel flavors associated with this beer. Since this is a year long aging (or close to) beer before swap I think a couple of the aspects should be slightly bumped up so they can level out and mellow through the year to a normal level.

What's everyone else's vision for this brew? I like simple grains bills that make me and others go "wow what's in this recipe". If you ask me this beer is about process. Boiled down runnings, fermentation temp, yeast selection, and proper pitching rate are what will make this a great beer.

statseeker · 09-28-2011, 12:12 PM

I agree with the concept of a wee heavy for the style. I would however caution that people in my situation with smaller mashing equipment might be a bit left out. Granted, we could do 2 mashes, but it would be a pain. I have a 10 gallon mash tun and a 5 gallon HLT. Doing over 20lbs of grain is going to be sticky. Could we do maybe a 1.100-ish recipe with maris otter and a bit of caramel for color? Boiled down for 120 mins. I agree with the nugget hops, maybe liberty might be an option as well. Low AA, and medium IBU. Using Wyeast 1728 sounds about right. I think any English, Irish or Scottish yeast might do the job. Maybe even 1056.

LuckyBeagleBrewing · 09-28-2011, 12:34 PM

Since this is a 12-12-12 beer we should do something along that line in ABV at about 12%. Scotch ales are well suited for a higher ABV as the sweetness of the malt should offset any alcohol.

I do believe smoke malt is part of the style and you just can't get the same result from the yeast. Especially if this is to get an oak treatment. The smokiness from the malt mixed with the flavors of the hardwood are a great combination. Right now I have a 15% Scotch ale that has been aged for 3 months on oak and going on 2 years in the bottle. It is a very rich and complex beer with little carbonation.

I could not agree more with smokinghole that process is key to this.

First 2 gallon runoff boiled down to almost syrup for kettle caramelization and the remaining at least a 2 hour boil.
At least a good 2 gallon starter to get this thing off the ground.

But I also believe the ingredients play a large role. Do we use Golden Promise or Maris Otter for the base malt. I only put Maris in mine because I have 2 bags. I would definitely not be against buying a bag of Golden Promise if that is agreed upon.