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carsonwarstler · 12-19-2012, 12:25 AM

I know this thread is a few months old but I've got a question.... What exactly is caramelization? I've read it a couple times when looking for scotch ales... As its one of my favorite styles. Does anyone know the basics of the scotch ale? Or strong Scottish or wee heavy... Whatever it is called these days

**niquejim** · 12-28-2012, 12:41 PM

It is not actually caramelizing as the temperature isn't high enough but the result is the same. The first gallon of run off is boiled (concentrated) down to one pint which dramatically darkens the color and gives a , for lack of a better term, caramelized flavor that is expected in a Scottish Wee Heavy.

**MichaelBrock** · 02-25-2013, 09:27 PM

niquejim,

I have been planning on doing a Scotch ale for quite a while and this will definitely be the recipe. But I have a few questions.

How did your comparison to the real thing go?

Skotrat, in his recipe, uses only 1% of roasted barley. Do you think yours would be more roasty than his? I'm not a big fan of "roasty" in a beer and might reduce that a bit.

If you were to scale this to a 80/- would you reduce the roasted barley in the same proportion that the base malt is reduced?

**eljefe** · 03-02-2013, 01:10 AM

MichaelBrock
Not sure this answers your questions, but I have made this twice using the recipe as is with the exception of an additional 1/8 pound of peated moss (both times). I have had many a' wee heavys and I think this compares. I am reluctant to compare side by side because of many things can happen to the home brew or the compared to beer. Regardless this has been a solid wee heavy twice. The color, head, flavor profile is spot on. I would use this to be a wee heavy and not try to adjust it to be anything else. There are a lot of 80's on the board to pull from.

**MichaelBrock** · 03-02-2013, 01:43 AM

Yeah, I decided to just go with the flow. I'm brewing this up on Sunday, as written. I like the idea of boiling down the first runnings and didn't find a recipe for a 80/- that called for it. I think some time down the road I'll scale this down and try it as an 80.

**niquejim** · 04-18-2013, 12:37 PM

I always forget to check these pages so I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner. I use about 1% roasted barley and it does not give a roasted flavor, and I always boil down some of the first runnings for any Scottish ale no matter the strength. To me it helps give it that characteristic malty flavor that I love in those beers.
This beer is as close as you can get to Traquair House, nearly identicle when tasted side by side