Scottish Ale

Hello everyone I'm new to brewing and thought I would post my brews so that I could get some advice from the veterans as well as input from the newbies like myself

FIRST BREW
(Really second, I messed up my first one pretty badly, turned sour and terrible, my mom still liked it tho...)

Scottish Ale
(90 Schilling clone)

Brought 4.5 gallons of water to boil

Turned down to medium heat (steamy) and steeped 1 lb crystal 60L as well as 8 oz chocolate malt for 30 minutes, then discarded the grains

Took the kettle off the heat and added 7 lb Amber LME (which I had warming in a hot water bath in the sink to help dissolve into the boiling water) trying my best to keep it from sticking to the bottom

Put back on stove and brought to boil, added 1 oz cascade hops (60 min), 1 oz cluster and 0.5 oz liberty (30 min), then 0.5 oz liberty (10 min) all of them in hop socks to limit the trub

Took kettle off heat and immersed wort chiller and covered with foil to keep air from contaminating it. Watching the temperature go down to 70 degrees and then I siphoned to the fermenter which helped to aerate the wort. (I had put 1 gallon of bottled water in the fermenter and ahead of siphoning so that I could aerate the water easier) it came to about 4 gallons so I added another gallon of bottled water to make up the difference to make a total of 5 gallons

I pitched the SAFALE US-05 yeast which I had rehydrated previously and put on the lid as well as the airlock which I filled with sanitizing solution

I put the fermenter in my basement which I hope will be in my desired temp range

Will update once I hit my next stage

PLEASE lend any advice you might have, Thanks!

Your recipe for Scottish ale is one of my favorites. I have brewed about 20 batches that are similar to what you describe. My preferred strength is 9 lbs LME plus additional 2 lbs of brown sugar after 3 days in the primary.

I also store in the basement where the temp is in the mid 60's. My heavier ABV batches require at least 3 months in the secondary, so I have 10 carboys to allow long storage times of multiple batches.

How do you think it will turn out if I primary for teo weeks and bottle condition for another 2? I started at 1.061 for my OG so it looks like it should turn into around 6.2 %ABV, you were saying you kept in secondary for 3 months I was just curious if mine would still taste good. As for the brown sugar did you just throw 2 lbs straight brown sugar into your fermenter? will there be any solids left over? I'm using a plastic bucket with lid and airlock so I should just toss and seal back up? Thanks for the advice

schwibbidy said:

As for the brown sugar did you just throw 2 lbs straight brown sugar into your fermenter? will there be any solids left over? I'm using a plastic bucket with lid and airlock so I should just toss and seal back up? Thanks for the advice

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2 lbs of brown sugar is a lot. It will result in a thinner beer as the sugar will completely ferment. Make sure you know what you are doing, and what to expect, before you add any sugar.

Yeah I think I will keep to my recipe this time around being that I really just want to finish a beer that is actually drinkable! My first brew was so sour and nasty...ugh... I need to redeem myself!

I want to start another one soon in time for christmas, i would love to hear any favorite recipes for a winter brew that an amateur like me could accomplish, that would be sweeeeeeeet

7lbs of LME will just barely be done in the primary in 10 weeks. It's close but you'll probably be ok. The taste will be fine but if there are any unfermented sugars remaining it will cause a hangover if you drink more than one or two. Two weeks to bottle condition afterward is ok.

Yes, I put 2 lbs of brown sugar (from the grocery store) straight into the primary. I used to use a 6 gallon carboy for the primary, and that required melting the sugar in hot water in order to pour it. But about a year ago I started using a 10 gallon plastic wine fermenting bucket as my beer primary. It's waaaay easier to use and clean, and the beer turns out the same. To add the sugar I just lift off the top (the lid has a rubber seal, so it's partially airtight) and dump the sugar in. After a couple of days the granules of sugar are gone, there are no solids remaining.

Calder said:

2 lbs of brown sugar is a lot. It will result in a thinner beer as the sugar will completely ferment. Make sure you know what you are doing, and what to expect, before you add any sugar.

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This is true for session beers but when I use 9lbs of LME in a 5 gallon batch there is plenty of body to compensate for 2lbs of sugar.

kpwright said:

This is true for session beers but when I use 9lbs of LME in a 5 gallon batch there is plenty of body to compensate for 2lbs of sugar.

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9 lbs LME would give you a gravity of about 1.065. Add 2 lbs brown sugar and you get an OG of about 1.083. Based on gravity points, you have over 20% of your fermentables as simple sugar.

While I admit I have used more than that in some beers to help dry them out to style (Belgians), it is generally considered to be an excessive amount for a Pale Ale.

kpwright said:

7lbs of LME will just barely be done in the primary in 10 weeks. It's close but you'll probably be ok. The taste will be fine but if there are any unfermented sugars remaining it will cause a hangover if you drink more than one or two. Two weeks to bottle condition afterward is ok.

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?????

7 lbs of LME should ferment out in less than a week. I'd advise letting it sit longer on the yeast after it is finished. Could be packaged in 3 to 4 weeks.

Why/How do unfermented sugars cause hangovers? Higher alcohols can result in hangovers (and simply drinking too much). Higher alcohols are caused by fermenting at too high a temperature, and are formed from the sugars being fermented.

I typo-ed in my original post, I meant to say two weeks for fermentation, not ten weeks which some people thought. I'm planning on bottling after the two weeks and bottle condition for two more weeks or longer. Is it true that the beer will thin out if I pitch the brown sugar straight tomorrow (which it will have been fermenting for 72 hours)? Given that I won't be fermenting for ten weeks but only two? I'm just trying to see what I can do to make it a lil more of a holiday beer

Just bottled my brew this past Saturday, I'm calling it Apocalypse since it will be ready right around the time the Mayans think the world will fall apart so I'm hoping to have a pretty tasty brew for the entertainment...will post updates when I get to taste here in a few weeks

I've been tasting my brew throughout the last week and a half and have to say that it still has a wine/cider/astringent taste to it.... I believe it's due to me steeping my grains at too high of heat. I read that it can release a lot of tannins and can really impact the flavor in a negative way.

schwibbidy said:

I've been tasting my brew throughout the last week and a half and have to say that it still has a wine/cider/astringent taste to it.... I believe it's due to me steeping my grains at too high of heat. I read that it can release a lot of tannins and can really impact the flavor in a negative way.

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That might be the cause, but I doubt it. Could you have fermented at too high a temperature and be tasting some higher alcohols?

I fermented for two weeks at 62-65 in my basement so I don't think that's the cause