British Strong Ale 11-11-11 Gun Stock Ale (Old Ale) *Official Recipe*

[smokinghole]

I'm contemplating using this strain for a stout of similar strength. Hmmmmm.

 

[statseeker]

Holy balls, this strain requires a blow off tube big time. Just fitted it because beer got in the air lock, took the air lock off and it shot off like a cork from a champagne bottle and foam went all over the carboy. Super. The foam also went into the blow off bucket I put next to the carboy to be ready to put in in. This happened to be in a closet with jackets in it so beer got on the jackets, this is awesome (not in the Bill and Ted kind of way). Should I worry about contamination from the beer getting into the bucket and any beer that made contact with the lip of the carboy and might have gotten back in? My guess would be no, but I've never experienced this level of crazy fermentation before. I'm sure this has happened to many of you guys before, maybe worse than this, haha.

 

[eljefe]

Holy balls, this strain requires a blow off tube big time.

Too funny. My experience was similar:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/thar-she-blows-how-bad-good-217045/

I swear I lost about half a gallon. It tasted great when I racked it last week.

Good luck

 

[GuldTuborg]

Well, after a long delay, I'm finally getting around to brewing my 11/11/11 old ale today. I have a new burner, too, so I'm finally off the whole stovetop brewing thing. The only real issue so far is that my grains were milled 10 days before brew day, due to life being difficult. I'm hoping for the best, nonetheless. Updates to come.

 

[smokinghole]

I took a gravity sample the other day it's approx 1.017ish (using a refrac). It's clearing up and the color is awesome.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Oh man, what a brew day. I treated myself to a new burner (SQ14) and an immersion chiller for christmas. No more stove tops and water bath chillings for me! Still, there were some kinks to be worked out in the process. I heated my strike water way too hot, had a big boil over upon reaching boil (losing around a half oz of hops or more in the process), and boiled over on the stovetop, too. I started with 2 gallons of first runnings in 2 pots, transferred to one pot when it got down to 1 gallon, and all was going well. With 3 pints left, it decides to make a big, syrupy mess all over the new glass range=boo. I hate electric ranges.

Still, I made 1.084 OG with 72% efficiency. I'm happy with that as it's only a little under my usual efficiency, and a bit higher than usual for big beers. I have a side experiment of 2/3 gallon going with S-04 in a separate jug. I didn't want to put any more than 4.5-5 gallons in my 6 gallon carboy given the blow off problems all of you have been having. It will be neat to taste the difference in the old ale blend and the S-04 once done.

Since everyone loves pictures, here's the hydrometer showing my 1.084 OG. It's a lovely deep red color, almost the same as the cherry wood cabinet it's resting on. For, uh, color comparison, my last glass of Speedway Stout sits next to it. Hey, it was a long brew day, I deserve a treat!

In other news, I have significant airlock activity after 3.5 hours. I'll take that as a good sign.

 

[MDVDuber]

I brewed this one on 20 February 2011, so I think I'm the back marker. I stumbled on this yeast by chance and then this recipe while looking for a strong ale to brew with it. So thanks to all of you for the hard work in building this recipe!

The name is great too - though growing up I used to ski at Gunstock Mountain in NH. On a clear day from the top you can see the whole of Lake Winnipesaukee spread out beneath you - I'm thinking it's label material right there.

In the interest of total disclosure I couldn't get my hands on any Target Hops so I used a combination of Nugget and Fuggles - an IBU reading of just a tick over 71 according to BrewSmith.

Checked my gravity today and it's at 1.022 - so I think the Sacc is just about done. I'll make a few for checks over the next few days to be sure.

Taste - well WOW! Definitely sweet, but not unfermented wort sweet, just a nice undertone of sweet depth. Fruit too - dark stone fruit, so cherries? plums? I was worried a bit that it was going to be too bitter - but it's really a nice undertone of bitterness with I think a touch of the spicy and earthy coming through from the hops.

I'll post pics of the colour when I rack to secondary, but it's nice tanned leather shade right now.

Since I'm getting close to going to secondary I have 2 questions.

1) What temp are you guys using for secondary?

2) I see lots of talk of the brett needing O2 - are you racking into a 5 gallon carboy or are you going larger say 6 gallons to provide some extra O2 in the headspace?

Thanks again to the designers of this recipe!

 

[GuldTuborg]

I imagine the racking process itself would introduce enough oxygen to get things started, so a 5g carboy ought to be fine. Anyway, that's what I plan to do within the next week. Maybe someone with more experience with brett can chime in to confirm.

 

[eljefe]

I moved mine to a secondary about 2 months ago. I looked at it today and there was a thin layer of film on top and what looks like an infection.

In addiiton, there was activity in the airlock.

This was my first go with Brett, so I am not sure if the infection-like appearance is a direct result of the Brett or if I have other issues at hand.

I tried to take a picture with no luck, but it looks like the other threads of infection.

Thanks

 

[MarsColonist]

I moved mine to a secondary about 2 months ago. I looked at it today and there was a thin layer of film on top and what looks like an infection.

In addiiton, there was activity in the airlock.

This was my first go with Brett, so I am not sure if the infection-like appearance is a direct result of the Brett or if I have other issues at hand.

I tried to take a picture with no luck, but it looks like the other threads of infection.

Thanks

Brett is gonna look like that.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

This was my first go with Brett, so I am not sure if the infection-like appearance is a direct result of the Brett or if I have other issues at hand.

Sounds like the Brett to me. I wouldn't worry.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Checked the gravity a few days ago. It was down to 1.022, which is pretty much where I wanted it. The brett ought to take off a few more points in the coming months, and add their own unique funk. I hope, anyway. Still no fugly pellicle yet.

 

[jmhart]

I'm a little late to the party, but I'm brewing this up today. Doubled the batch to 10g. Old Ale Blend isn't currently available, so I'm splitting and doing 5g with Ringwood Ale and the other 5g with Ringwood + Brett L. Should be tasty.

Question for anyone: The treacle, at what point do you add it? With the first runnings as part of the carmelization? Once all runnings are combined? At 5 min? At flame out?

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

i added it at flame out to preserve the aroma

 

[jmhart]

i added it at flame out to preserve the aroma

That's what I was thinking, but the recipe states start of boil...which I thought was odd.

 

[barrooze]

I think I added the treacle at 10 min before flameout. At flameout would work too, but it's some thick stuff. I wanted to make sure it was fully integrated in the wort and didn't have any concentrated blobs.

 

[KingBrianI]

I'm a little late to the party, but I'm brewing this up today. Doubled the batch to 10g. Old Ale Blend isn't currently available, so I'm splitting and doing 5g with Ringwood Ale and the other 5g with Ringwood + Brett L. Should be tasty.

Question for anyone: The treacle, at what point do you add it? With the first runnings as part of the carmelization? Once all runnings are combined? At 5 min? At flame out?

i added it at flame out to preserve the aroma

That's what I was thinking, but the recipe states start of boil...which I thought was odd.

To make treacle (or molasses) sugar cane syrup is boiled for hours. The little bit of boiling in wort won't hurt the aroma.

 

[jmhart]

To make treacle (or molasses) sugar cane syrup is boiled for hours. The little bit of boiling in wort won't hurt the aroma.

I wondered that. I wasn't sure how it was made, but I thought it might be like maple syrup so an hour of boiling wouldn't matter.

Ok, I'll probably add it 5 or 10 before flameout to make sure it gets good and mixed in.

 

[KingBrianI]

If you brewed this and want to participate in the swap, get over to the following thread ASAP and sign up. Registration is closing this weekend.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f38/11-11-11-old-ale-swap-critique-thread-271674/

 

[GuldTuborg]

Well, I still haven't bottled, but I did check the gravity a couple days ago. The brett has taken it from 1.022 to 1.011. In total it's gone now from 1.084 to 1.011, at around 9.something%, and tastes AMAZING! It's slightly warming and very smooth, and very easy drinking for such a big beer. This recipe (and yeast) is definitely a keeper.

 

[bigbeer]

yea mines been in secondary for 6 months now and its incredible! how much oak and for how long did people put and would you adjust not that you've tried it?

 

[GuldTuborg]

It's been a while since I've thought of this thread. Good to be reminded.

I didn't oak mine any, and it came out great. I can imagine it could stand up to some light-medium oak character.

 

[bigbeer]

If i bottled half and left half in a 6 gal carboy would it oxidize too much if I do 7 days of oaking?

 

[rshortt]

Hi everyone,

I'm researching Old Ale recipes for a future brew and I found this - looks great!

Was there any talk about what kind of water profile to use? If not I'll probably just come up with something to accommodate the mash and IBUs.

Cheers.