KingBrianI
Well-Known Member
This is it. The thread you've been waiting for. The OFFICIAL 11-11-11 thread! This year we'll be brewing an Old Ale and I think it's going to be the best anniversary series beer yet. Brewpastor originally suggested the idea of a "bugged" beer for 11-11-11 <--- just look at all those little legs. From there, we started thinking about styles that could be bugged for those who like that sort of thing, or done bugless for those who aren't into funky beer. Old Ale was a natural choice. Especially since this Fall, Wyeast are again releasing their Old Ale Blend, a combination of an attenuative English ale strain and a Brettanomyces strain. Perfect.
From there, we began attempting to come up with a recipe. A combination of pale, amber and brown malts was suggested to create a pseudo-historical base malt. Historical base malts would have been darker and less uniform so the amber and brown malts should help replicate that somewhat. A kettle caramelization step was also suggested to not only recreate a traditional long boil, but also because it creates wonderful flavors. The layered, complex caramel and toffee flavors created using this method would be perfect in an Old Ale so it was incorporated into the recipe. After throwing amounts and ideas around in this thread, jmo88 posted the final recipe here.
It should be noted that one of the coolest parts of these anniversary series beers is that each person has a slightly different take on the beer. So if you brew it, please feel free to add your own special touch to the recipe. Whether that is using a different yeast, boiling down a different amount for the kettle caramelization, oaking to your own taste, soaking the oak cubes in your favorite liquor before adding the the beer, etc., it's all welcome. When we do the exchange next year, we'll all be able to experience the subtle differences in each brewer's version.
That reminds me, some of you may be new or might not have heard about the anniversary series beers here. Let me take a minute to explain the concept and go over what it is all about. We are fortunate to be living and brewing in a time where the years combine with the dates to make neat, repeating numbers. 8/8/8, 9/9/9, 10/10/10 and now 11/11/11. To commemorate these dates, for the last several years members of HBT have been brewing a single recipe about a year prior to that date. Then, when the date approaches, we exchange our x/x/x beers along with other homebrews with 3 other members. We then have 3 other versions of the x/x/x beer in addition to our to enjoy on the x/x/x day (or thereabouts). It's a very cool experience that I heartily recommend to all members of the board.
Now, back the to the 11/11/11. I'm really excited about this recipe. When made, I imagine a beer pouring a deep polished walnut color (hence the name - Gun Stock Ale). Sweet, chewy malt with toasty and nutty overtones will form the canvas. Rich caramel and toffee will round out the flavor while deeper notes of leather, tobacco, oak, sherry and a slight horsey character from the Brett add to the complexity. A slight tartness and hints of pie cherry come through to fill out the top notes. I really think this will be the best x/x/x yet.
So, hopefully I've convinced you to brew this beer. I'm very excited about it and really think it is going to be awesome. It's a long wait to 11/11/11, but I think it will be worth it!
AG Recipe
Partial Mash Recipe
From there, we began attempting to come up with a recipe. A combination of pale, amber and brown malts was suggested to create a pseudo-historical base malt. Historical base malts would have been darker and less uniform so the amber and brown malts should help replicate that somewhat. A kettle caramelization step was also suggested to not only recreate a traditional long boil, but also because it creates wonderful flavors. The layered, complex caramel and toffee flavors created using this method would be perfect in an Old Ale so it was incorporated into the recipe. After throwing amounts and ideas around in this thread, jmo88 posted the final recipe here.
It should be noted that one of the coolest parts of these anniversary series beers is that each person has a slightly different take on the beer. So if you brew it, please feel free to add your own special touch to the recipe. Whether that is using a different yeast, boiling down a different amount for the kettle caramelization, oaking to your own taste, soaking the oak cubes in your favorite liquor before adding the the beer, etc., it's all welcome. When we do the exchange next year, we'll all be able to experience the subtle differences in each brewer's version.
That reminds me, some of you may be new or might not have heard about the anniversary series beers here. Let me take a minute to explain the concept and go over what it is all about. We are fortunate to be living and brewing in a time where the years combine with the dates to make neat, repeating numbers. 8/8/8, 9/9/9, 10/10/10 and now 11/11/11. To commemorate these dates, for the last several years members of HBT have been brewing a single recipe about a year prior to that date. Then, when the date approaches, we exchange our x/x/x beers along with other homebrews with 3 other members. We then have 3 other versions of the x/x/x beer in addition to our to enjoy on the x/x/x day (or thereabouts). It's a very cool experience that I heartily recommend to all members of the board.
Now, back the to the 11/11/11. I'm really excited about this recipe. When made, I imagine a beer pouring a deep polished walnut color (hence the name - Gun Stock Ale). Sweet, chewy malt with toasty and nutty overtones will form the canvas. Rich caramel and toffee will round out the flavor while deeper notes of leather, tobacco, oak, sherry and a slight horsey character from the Brett add to the complexity. A slight tartness and hints of pie cherry come through to fill out the top notes. I really think this will be the best x/x/x yet.
So, hopefully I've convinced you to brew this beer. I'm very excited about it and really think it is going to be awesome. It's a long wait to 11/11/11, but I think it will be worth it!
AG Recipe
Partial Mash Recipe