12-12-12 Wee Heavy Recipe Formulation - Page 3

**smokinghole** · 09-28-2011, 02:27 PM

I have to pick up a couple examples to refresh my memory. I want to pick up some Skullsplitter if I can get it along with Traquair House. Only bad thing is I'm in PA and finding single bottles is a pain and I pay a premium for singles of most anything.

KingBrianI · 09-28-2011, 02:44 PM

I guess I'll go ahead and weigh in on the subject. Like azscoob and others have mentioned, keeping the grainbill simple is also my suggestion. I'd really like a Golden Promise base with a touch of roasted or black barley for color. I'm even thinking about a little british crystal malt to help fill out the flavors even more. Definitely a big kettle caramelization, though I may do more than 2 gallons of the first runnings, and I'll try to reduce it down to a thick syrup. I'd also not want to go crazy with the ABV. An OG somewhere between 1.100 and 1.110 should get around 10% ABV depending upon FG. For hops I'd want to go with something Britishy, Northern Brewer, Northdown, Target, EKG, etc. I'd definitely go with either the wyeast or white labs scottish ale yeasts. As for smoked malt, I think I would leave it out. And barrel or oak aging would be good. It's been a while since I researched Traquair House Ale, but I believe they mash or ferment in a wooden vessel. The oak definitely makes itself apparent in that beer. And since I think that beer is sublime, I wouldn't be against aging on oak or barrels for the 12/12/12.

Wow, that was a disjointed post. Anyway, those are my preliminary thoughts.

**Steelers77** · 09-28-2011, 02:53 PM

Brian,
Would you take the first runnings gallons down to about 1/2-3/4 of a gallon? I've done that in the past with great success and think it would be great in this beer.

**azscoob** · 09-28-2011, 03:04 PM

I made a big red a while back, on a 10 gallon batch I caramelized just under 2 gallons down to just over 1 pint.

It turned out really well, good depth and complexity that I attribute to the caramelization.

KingBrianI · 09-28-2011, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelers77

Brian,
Would you take the first runnings gallons down to about 1/2-3/4 of a gallon? I've done that in the past with great success and think it would be great in this beer.

I wouldn't go by volume but by consistency. I've done kettle caramelization several times in the past and I've found it very hard to estimate what the volume of the molten hot syrup is at the end of the caramelization. I just take it to the thick syrupy consistency I'm shooting for. I have found that when it isn't boiled down enough, the flavors and color from it arent nearly as strong as when it is boiled down really thick.

**smokinghole** · 09-28-2011, 03:44 PM

I like boiling until the spoon I'm using to stir has drops drying on it before they can fall off. Then I take the pot back to my main boil and dissolve it with hot wort back into the main kettle. If it doesn't drip off the spoon I figure I'm pretty much there. It is very close to burning at that point though so you have to be careful.

statseeker · 09-28-2011, 04:06 PM

I think this one is going to be a sort of "your mileage may vary" type of brew for most of us. As long as we can agree on the base type, the hop type, the gravity and the process, I think we're pretty much there.

Base, let's mostly agree, Maris Otter.

Hops, British. Target, NB, EKG.

Yeast: English or Scotch (whichever the brewer wants, from US-04 to White Labs British to Wyeast 1724)

OG: 1.090 - 1.110

Process: Caramelize 2 gallons first runnings. Boil 2-ish hours. Hop addition times are brewers choice.

Can we agree on that?

BenS · 09-28-2011, 04:41 PM

Quote:

I do believe smoke malt is part of the style and you just can't get the same result from the yeast.

The slight smoke that a lot of people experience while drinking this beer does not come from smoke malt. Strong Scottish Ale is typically fermented on the cool end (60-62F) because of the originating country (think about how warm Scotland gets). The smokiness that people taste is actually phenols that the yeast produce at those low temps. Yeast selection is key to an excellent strong scotch ale.

**bottlebomber** · 09-28-2011, 05:19 PM

I want in on this, but I've never done a swap before. What's involved? I like all the ideas going out so far. I would probably opt for at least 4-8 ounces of cherry smoked malt but I guess we can hash that out later.

bierhaus15 · 09-28-2011, 09:08 PM

If someone wants to use Traquair House's ale as a template, the recipe is basically 99% Pale, 1% Roasted Barley, EKG or NB hops, and some kettle carmelization that occurs over the course of their two-hour boil. They ferment in oak barrels for 3-5 days and the oak they use is very old memel (prussia/lithuania). Therefore, any oak character you may perceive is not from wood itself. Aside, the jacobite ale has coriander in it.

Smoked malt is not something I like in my Scottish ales and I will be keeping it out. Same with 'oak' in the sense of aging. Mashing, boiling, and fermentation should give us all the intricate flavors we are looking for.