Wee Heavy The Claymore - Epic Wee Heavy

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Zamial

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
3,170
Reaction score
194
Location
WI
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Scottish ale
Yeast Starter
yes
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
-
Batch Size (Gallons)
6
Original Gravity
1.101
Final Gravity
1.027
Boiling Time (Minutes)
90
IBU
20
Color
15.6
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
-
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
-
Additional Fermentation
-
Tasting Notes
Whiskey Barrel Smoked Wee Heavy - 9E
The recipe + process is:

The Claymore - Whiskey Barrel Smoked Wee Heavy

6 gallon batch
OG:1.101
?FG: 1.027 <- serious guess lol
ABV: 9.6%
IBU: 20
SRM 15.6


Malts:
12 lbs 2 row

2 lbs rauch malt
4 lbs smoked malt
2 oz lightly peated malt

1 lbs amber malt
8 oz RED MILL Scottish Oatmeal
8 oz crystal 120
8 oz. Carapils
4 oz. Caramunich
4 oz. Caravienne
4 oz biscut malt
2 oz aromatic malt

Hops:
1 oz. EKG@60
.50 oz. Fuggles @40
.50 oz. EKG@20

Extras:
5.75 oz. Lyle’s golden syrup. (1/2 the bottle @ flameout)
Irish moss @ 15

Yeast: Scottish ale - 2L starter

Secondary onto JD whiskey barrel chips toasted @ 250 for 20 min. to taste.

Mashed @ 155F for 60 min. Second runnings @ 157F for 60 min and Mashed out @ 168 for 30 min.

(*This was all done on my stove top)
I immediately after collecting the 1st runnings brought it to a boil. It was stirred, to prevent scorching, and boiled the entire time! Part of the category description mentions long boils and caramelization flavors, so I wanted that! 2nd runnings were added to the the 1st runnings and then what did not fit was brought to a boil in a separate kettle. Collected the mash out runnings and added that to the 2nd runnings. I brought both pots to a boil split the hops in 1/2 per pot and started the long 90 min boil.

Near the end I dumped the 2nd kettle into my big kettle when it could all fit inside and added the final hop addition, moss and syrup to this. I boiled off a LOT of liquid and believe to have achieved a very true "Wee Heavy"per description.

After primary fermentation, toast 1/2 lbs of Jack Daniels whiskey barrel chips and rack to that until the flavor is perfect. (about 3-5 days)

Link to thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/claymore-252741/

Note: In the original thread I used the entire bottle of the Lyle's Golden Syrup. This made the Wee Heavy a little to "caramely" but it is/has aged out well. In hindsight, I highly recommend using 1/2 the bottle per THIS recipe. When I brew this again this year, I will be following this recipe.

No one that has tried this has disliked it. It is/has aged well and is hard to keep around for extended aging. I have dated labels and am planning to try to save these for vertical tastings.
 
Ooooh, this is one of the beers you gave me, right? I saw it today when I was digging through them. I'm sure I saw "The Claymore" on a label.

Hooray! :rockin:
 
So I have just popped a bottle of this and OMG the smoke has returned! This makes me seriously retract ALL of my previous statements of cutting the LGS down. This is my best/favorite Wee heavy I have tasted to date. NEVER have I had smoke flavors fade and return like this.

If aged 6 months or more I would change nothing... and probably will not next time.
 
I just had one of the last few bottles that I know of. This has REALLY come into it's own. The smoke and caramel flavors are in balance... well after over a year I would hope so. Before now the caramel overpowered the smoke and one would never have guessed it to be a smoked beer. FWIW the caramel DOES fade!

:tank:
 
Old post here, I know, but I just finished up a batch of this and it has to be one of the best I've brewed. I managed to let it sit 8 months before cracking into it, and I was going to put it in for a competition...but I drank it all....
 
hey thanks! I am pleased to hear you liked it so much. :mug:
 
That's a serious amount of smoked malt.

Yes however it gets stepped on by the golden syrup and the carmalized malt. The original recipe that calls for the entire bottle of golden syrup you could not taste ANY smoke flavors over the caramel. FWIW it was almost a year later you could taste ANY smoke!

As is, this is not a "smoke bomb" flavor wise as one would think.

Oddly this is MORE smoked malt than I add into my smoked porter! which is REALLY smokey but has nothing for the smoke to hide behind.
 
It's true. The smoke was definitely matched by all the beefy malts that are in this. Not to mention, the smoke flavor in this recipe pairs right up with the vanilla/oak flavors you get from the JD chips.
 
When you said you used 4lbs of smoked malt what kind did you use exactly? I'm on my homebrew supplies website and they consider smoked malt to be rauch malt. Since you already used 2 lbs of rauch malt for this recipe I'm assuming you are talking about something else. Sorry I'm still new to brewing.
 
When you said you used 4lbs of smoked malt what kind did you use exactly? I'm on my homebrew supplies website and they consider smoked malt to be rauch malt. Since you already used 2 lbs of rauch malt for this recipe I'm assuming you are talking about something else. Sorry I'm still new to brewing.

Briess smoked.

Rauch malt is beechwood smoked and has lost MUCH of it's smoke qualities while it takes a boat over and sits in customs. Briess is fresher and cherry wood smoked, so the flavor is a bit different.
 
Brewed this recipe today. Came up a little short on OG with 1.092, but hydro sample was delicious!

Boiled the first runnings down to a syrup, and utilized the my new stir plate for the starter. Just set up my scotch-infused oak to sit until fermentation is done. I've had great results with cubes, so chose those over chips.

Very excited! Thanks, OP!
ImageUploadedByHome Brew1397353545.697510.jpg
 
Just transferred to secondary, on top of the Scotch-infused oak. I'll let it sit there for 2 or 3 months before I bottle and age.

Hit an FG of 1.030. It's so good!
 
Are the oak cubes something special/specific or could you use properly kiln dried oak cubes from a cabinet shop? Just curious.
 
Are the oak cubes something special/specific or could you use properly kiln dried oak cubes from a cabinet shop? Just curious.

I used Jack Daniels brand whiskey barrel chips. I am sure anything else will alter the recipe radically as the chips infuse a special flavor.
 
I used Jack Daniels brand whiskey barrel chips. I am sure anything else will alter the recipe radically as the chips infuse a special flavor.

Thanks, I was considering toasting my own. I have found additional information on the subject.
 
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