old ale recipe

[lowery]

I was thinking about brewing an old ale.

I was also planning on adding 2oz oak chips for 1-2 weeks to simulate cask conditioning.

Please critique

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.15 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 87.98 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 9.62 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.40 %
1.50 oz Phoenix [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops 29.9 IBU
1.00 oz Bramling Cross [6.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Whitbread Ale (Wyeast Labs #1099) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.23 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 32.9 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 20.0 SRM

 

[GuldTuborg]

I'd prefer my gravity a bit higher, but it looks fine otherwise. Higher gravity means better aging potential, and you want to age this sucker for a while. Maybe even consider a partial mash with some Maris Otter is you're feeling adventurous. I love your hop pairing, by the way. Phoenix are getting tougher and tougher to find anymore, and it's a great hop. The bramling cross will also make a great late addition.

 

[944play]

Casks were not intended to impart flavor historically.
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2011/10/horst-again.html

Not that being historically authentic should be a necessary goal, but at least be honest about it.

 

[lowery]

Thanks for the info. I do always try to be as historically accurate as possible.
I didn't want the ale to have an overpowering oak taste like a lot of the barrel aged beers on the market do, rather just a hint of oak for complexity sake.
Would 2oz of chips be too much, or not enough? I've seen some people who don't recommend leaving them in longer than 7 day, others say 2 weeks. Either way, if it ages for several months it should mellow out anyway.