Next batch: Gruagach Scottish Ale

**Walker** · 10-17-2005, 02:18 PM

I think I finally have the recipe ready for my 80/- Scottish Ale.

As usual, I am submitting it for scrutiny here. You guys always have great feedback on my recipes. I'm 1 full week from brew day, so I have time to make all manner of changes.

Grains
3/4# crystal 40L
1/8# black patent
1/8# beech smoked malt
1/8# biscuit malt

Extract
7# light LME

Hops
1.5oz EK Goldings @ 60 minutes

Yeast
Wyeast 1728 (scottish ale)

Comments? Suggestions?

The one thing I am not sure of is the rauchmalt. I've never used it before, but after asking around here, I was told that a couple oz is plenty to get a light smokey flavor.

-walker

**Baron von BeeGee** · 10-17-2005, 02:26 PM

If I'm not mistaken (and I frequently am), the peat smoked malt and rauch malt are two different animals. I believe rauch malt is beechwood smoked, unless it's kind of catchall for smoked malts in general. I recently used some rauch/beechwood malt in a stout that is headed to the secondary tonight, so I'll have more information on taste in a few hours!

**Walker** · 10-17-2005, 02:31 PM

sorry! typo.. I meant "BEECH smoked malt".

original post corrected. thanks for catching that.

-walker

Darth Konvel · 10-17-2005, 02:37 PM

Looks pretty good. I'd be weary of adding much more of the peat, as I've also heard a little goes a long ways.

All in all, I'd say it looks pretty true to the style. My only suggestion would to maybe throw a little Munich malt in there as well.

**Walker** · 10-17-2005, 02:43 PM

I was going back and forth between adding munich or adding biscuit. I only want one of the two in there, and flip-flopped several times on which to add.

However, after making my Fat Tire clone, I thought I'd give the biscuit a shot in the Gruagach, too.

-walker

**david_42** · 10-17-2005, 02:50 PM

Sounds like it will work. 2 oz. smoked should be good. Speaking from personal experience, 1/2 lb of peat smoked malt will make a barley wine taste like "Olde Bog Water". Took two years to get to the drinkable stage.

**Walker** · 10-17-2005, 02:55 PM

Note folks: I had a mistype in the original post. I'm using beechwood smoked malt and not peat malt.

Does the rule of "a little goes a long way" apply to both types of smoked malt, or just to the peated malt? (ie; is it OK to use MORE that a couple oz of beechwood smoked malt?)

-walker

**Baron von BeeGee** · 10-17-2005, 02:59 PM

My recipe called for 6oz beechwood smoked malt which was 3% of the total grain bill. In addition, it calls for oak cubes in the secondary, but I'll be giving it a sip before transferring it to secondary to see what the contribution of the smoked malt was. It was quite palpable in the mash.

Deuchar · 10-17-2005, 03:01 PM

A little brown sugar added to the boil might help to sweeten the final product and give a characteristically syruppy finish.

Darth Konvel · 10-17-2005, 04:08 PM

Looking around real quick, it looks like folks use up to 1/2 a lb of smoked malt - although those recipes has alot of other flavors going on to balance them out. Perhaps 2 to 6 oz, depending on how pronounced or balanced you'd want it to be.