Aleforge
Well-Known Member
I made a Belhaven's Wee Heavy clone back in late November. I was forced to bottle before a secondary because I was in the middle of a move and had no where for a few weeks to move the carboy. Anyhow my SG was 1.094 and my FG was 1.030. IBU = 37. Its been bottled for a few weeks and I thought I would see how the carbonation was doing and wanted to try a sample.
Its horrid, I can't come up with anything positive. Its so sickly sweet its like drinking nectar. I am guessing the recipe I got just sucks, or the fermentation needed a kickstart as it stopped at 1.030. I did read on here that it can be acceptable for a Wee Heavy however so I wasn't that worried.
My question is, I know this type of beer takes a long time to age and come up to its full potential. But will conditioning this stuff for even a year help with the over powering sweetness?
I guess it could just be a huge failed brew on my part, which is a dissapointment as its one of my favorite styles!
Here is the recipe,
Belhavens WEE Heavy
Extract with specialty grains:
heat 1 gal. water to 155° F add:
9 oz. British 55L Crystal malt
4 oz. Belgian Biscuit Malt
3 oz. Belgian aromatic malt
2 oz. Peated malt (not sure what this is- shop could suggest sub if they dont have it.)
1.5 oz. Black Patent malt
1.5 oz. Roasted Barley malt
Steep at 150° F for 30 min., strain grains into brew pot and sparge with 1 more gallon at 155° F
Bring to boil, remove from heat and add:
5.25 lbs extra light DME
3.3 lbs light malt syrup
12 oz. Invert sugar (Lyle's Golden Syrup suggested)
1.5 oz. Whitbread [email protected] (bittering- sub any Golding for this)
Add water to bring to 3.5 gallons.
Remove 3 oz. wort, caramelize it in a separate pan and return it to the wort. Boil 45 minutes then add:
1/4 oz. Fuggles (flavoring)
1/4 Oz. East Kent Goldings (flavoring)
1 tsp. Irish Moss (or other clarifier)
Boil 15 min. remove from heat and chill to below 80° F.
Strain into primary fermenter, add purified cold water to bring up to 5 1/4 gal.
Pitch:
1st choice- Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale
or
2nd choice- Wyeast 1968 London ESB
You know what to do from here.
For All-grain recipe, just mash 12 lbs. Scottish 2-row with specialty grains instead of DME and LME.
Its horrid, I can't come up with anything positive. Its so sickly sweet its like drinking nectar. I am guessing the recipe I got just sucks, or the fermentation needed a kickstart as it stopped at 1.030. I did read on here that it can be acceptable for a Wee Heavy however so I wasn't that worried.
My question is, I know this type of beer takes a long time to age and come up to its full potential. But will conditioning this stuff for even a year help with the over powering sweetness?
I guess it could just be a huge failed brew on my part, which is a dissapointment as its one of my favorite styles!
Here is the recipe,
Belhavens WEE Heavy
Extract with specialty grains:
heat 1 gal. water to 155° F add:
9 oz. British 55L Crystal malt
4 oz. Belgian Biscuit Malt
3 oz. Belgian aromatic malt
2 oz. Peated malt (not sure what this is- shop could suggest sub if they dont have it.)
1.5 oz. Black Patent malt
1.5 oz. Roasted Barley malt
Steep at 150° F for 30 min., strain grains into brew pot and sparge with 1 more gallon at 155° F
Bring to boil, remove from heat and add:
5.25 lbs extra light DME
3.3 lbs light malt syrup
12 oz. Invert sugar (Lyle's Golden Syrup suggested)
1.5 oz. Whitbread [email protected] (bittering- sub any Golding for this)
Add water to bring to 3.5 gallons.
Remove 3 oz. wort, caramelize it in a separate pan and return it to the wort. Boil 45 minutes then add:
1/4 oz. Fuggles (flavoring)
1/4 Oz. East Kent Goldings (flavoring)
1 tsp. Irish Moss (or other clarifier)
Boil 15 min. remove from heat and chill to below 80° F.
Strain into primary fermenter, add purified cold water to bring up to 5 1/4 gal.
Pitch:
1st choice- Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale
or
2nd choice- Wyeast 1968 London ESB
You know what to do from here.
For All-grain recipe, just mash 12 lbs. Scottish 2-row with specialty grains instead of DME and LME.