Newest Threads

carsonwarstler · 12-20-2012, 02:36 PM

I'm a big fan of wee heavys, Scottish strongs, strong scotch ales (whichever name you care to give them) but regretfully cannot find many where I currently live. Seems like every brewery where I used to live had at least 1 version. So I'm attempting to brew one for the first time. I peeked around at various threads and recipes online and think I've come up with a fairly basic recipe and process that should yield good results. Please let me know what you think.. Especially if you brew this style with good success

13lbs golden promise (if I can find some), if not, uk pale 2 row
4 oz uk roasted barley
2oz peated malt

1.5oz east kent holdings at 60min

Wlp028

Mash for 60min@158

Collect 1 gallon of first runnings, boil it down to a pint. Then add to the rest of the runnings and boil them for 60 min.

Ferment at 60f for 2-3 weeks. Then age in a secondary for another 2 weeks around 65, then drop that temp to 40 for a couple more weeks ( probably kegged by then).

Thoughts....

Bheher · 12-20-2012, 05:11 PM

Looks like a good start, I would add another dark/crystal malt. Maybe Crystal 40 or 60. This will help give you a good caramel flavor that the style is known for.
What batch size are you brewing and what is your Mash temp?
I would ferment at 65 or 67 degrees 60F is pretty cool.

carsonwarstler · 12-20-2012, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bheher

Looks like a good start, I would add another dark/crystal malt. Maybe Crystal 40 or 60. This will help give you a good caramel flavor that the style is known for.
What batch size are you brewing and what is your Mash temp?
I would ferment at 65 or 67 degrees 60F is pretty cool.

I've read the flavors really come Out with a cooler than usual ale fermentation temperature. So maybe I will set my controller at 62 and let it fluctuate to 65.

Mashing at a high temp of 158.

What do you think about my planned kettle caramelization?

BryceL · 12-20-2012, 05:35 PM

I agree it looks like you are off to a pretty good start. Your caramelization sounds like a good plan. I've only brewed this style once and it came out fairly decent. I took a gallon of 1st runnings and boiled it down to about half. I could pick up some slight caramelization in the final product, but if I brew it again I would definitely boil it down more to enhance the flavor. I asked about the style on here before I brewed it but didn't get too much feedback, it seemed like not too many people brew it. Hopefully you are able to get some advice from someone with more experience with the style. Good luck with it though!!

Bheher · 12-20-2012, 05:45 PM

Typically a higher fermentation temperature will have more flavors from yeast esters, lower temperatures will result in a cleaner beer with less yeast ester flavors.
If you are doing a 5 or 6 gallon batch with 13lbs of base malt, I think you are looking at an original gravity of something like 1.065.
I think if you mash at 158 and then ferment at 60 or 62 you run a risk of having a pretty high final gravity and the beer coming out too sweet tasting.
Flocculation is when the yeast is finished fermenting and falls to the bottom of the fermentation vessel. It dosent really matter what temperature this happens at. When you say flocculate do you mean that you will start the frementation at 62 degrees and let it rise to 65 degrees to finish fermentation? If you do it that way I think you will be ok.

Kettle carmelization is a good idea for this style. Going from a gallon to a pint might take a while, you can just see how thick it gets as you are reducing the volume and play that part by ear.

**Golddiggie** · 12-20-2012, 05:55 PM

Here's a recipe that was done by a group... Read the critique thread about how it came out too.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/12-12-12-wee-heavy-recipe-formulation-271379/

**cluckk** · 12-20-2012, 05:59 PM

I'd recommend Wyeast's Scottish Ale yeast (1728).

Everything I've read recommends against using Peated Malt. Use it if you want, but if you use the Scottish Yeast at low temperatures it will impart a smokiness without it.

Mine has:
15 lb 2 Row
2 lb Chocolate Malt
2 lb Caramel Malt

1 oz Brewers Gold at 60
1/2 oz Fuggles at 60

Boiled for 90 minutes

F250 · 12-20-2012, 06:03 PM

Carson, I found this at NB concerning your yeast:

Quote:

This yeast can reproduce complex, flavorful Scottish style ales. This yeast can be an everyday strain, similar to WLP001. Hop character is not muted with this strain, as it is with WLP002. Does not ferment well less than 62° F, unless active fermentation is underway. Some Scottish ales are fermented below 62° F, but with this yeast strain, 65-65° F will produce desired results. Apparent attenuation: 70-75%. Flocculation: medium. Optimum temp: 65°-70° F

Good luck.

Rick

solbes · 12-20-2012, 06:15 PM

I went 12 lbs Golden Promise base, 6 oz Crystal 120, and 3 oz roasted barley for an OG of 1.073 (added 1 lb of DME due to kettle size constraints). No peated malt in mine. Mashed between 157 and 155. I kettle carmelized 1 gallon down to just over a pint. It was thick! The main wort boiled 90 minutes and was combined with the carmelized wort with about 50 minutes remaining. S-04 fermented in low 60's down to 1.020 FG @ 3 weeks.

Unfortunately no meaningful tasting notes as its in week 6 of secondary (@ ~ 50F). Tasted pretty good at racking, but I'm sure it'll improve after bottling and aging. I'm going to try and keep my hands off till next fall.

carsonwarstler · 12-20-2012, 07:02 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

I think I will leave the peated malt out and maybe toss in some crystal 120. Still planning on the

Ill do some more research on my yeast. I usually use white labs bc it's readily available and very fresh. But if the queasy ends up giving me the natural smoky flavor and wlp028 doesn't, ill find a source for it.