First try at a strong scotch ale

[jmichaeldesign]

My strong scotch usually turns out to be the best beer of the year for me. I mash in the medium range 152-154. I really think it needs some crystal malt to give it the right flavor, but keep the amount really low.

88.3% Pale Ale Malt - I use rahr. Its cheap and works out well for me
3.7% Caramel 60
2.7% Caramel 120 or Special B, I prefer the Special B, but they're similar
2.7% Pale Chocolate
2.7% Honey Malt

40 ibus at 60 minutes, I've used goldings or willamette I do think its important to use a large amount of low alpha hops to get a bit of hop flavor carrying through

5 ibus at 10 mins. I like a hint of late hop flavor in my wee heavy. I let them age so this addition ends up being very subtle. Once again willamette or goldings.


I like all my beers well attenuated. The large amount of base malt and the low ish mash temp work well for this. My last batch of wee heavy started at 1.088 and finished at 1.16. I design my beers for 80% attenuation, especially for high gravity beers.

 

[Pappers_]

I like all my beers well attenuated. The large amount of base malt and the low ish mash temp work well for this. My last batch of wee heavy started at 1.088 and finished at 1.16. I design my beers for 80% attenuation, especially for high gravity beers.

Your beer may be delicious, but its drier than the BJCP guidelines suggest and what I expect when drinking a Wee Heavy. Perhaps not an issue, but an observation.

 

[Stephonovich]

So if I do 14 lb of gp I'm looking at approx 2.72oz of rb. That sound about right? To me seems a little low on the rb but your formula is pretty tried and true.

The recipe I used was 20.5 # of MO and 4 oz. of RB, hence 82:1. It doesn't have to be exactly that; I think the original proposed recipe was 20# MO and 12 oz. RB. Buried somewhere in the thread is the generally decided upon ratio that I then used. If I do it again, I might bump up the RB to 6 oz., and probably do a heavier caramelization. That, and try to get something resembling head retention. Could try more hops (you're not going to notice it anyway) with later adds, and of course, higher carb levels.

 

[carsonwarstler]

The recipe I used was 20.5 # of MO and 4 oz. of RB, hence 82:1. It doesn't have to be exactly that; I think the original proposed recipe was 20# MO and 12 oz. RB. Buried somewhere in the thread is the generally decided upon ratio that I then used. If I do it again, I might bump up the RB to 6 oz., and probably do a heavier caramelization. That, and try to get something resembling head retention. Could try more hops (you're not going to notice it anyway) with later adds, and of course, higher carb levels.

Would you say with that ratio the color was more of an amber, brown, or porter?

 

[Stephonovich]

Would you say with that ratio the color was more of an amber, brown, or porter?

Brown-Porter. Beersmith has it at about 14 SRM, but that doesn't take into account the extra color added by the caramelized wort added back in. Really rough guess, probably about 25 SRM actual.

 

[carsonwarstler]

Brown-Porter. Beersmith has it at about 14 SRM, but that doesn't take into account the extra color added by the caramelized wort added back in. Really rough guess, probably about 25 SRM actual.

Thanks, exactly what I needed. I like my scotch ales to be a big darker and toastier/roastier than normal. So I'm going to go with 14lb mo and 4.25oz rb. 1.75oz EKG. Ill keep it basic then if there's a flavor I didn't get, I'll start adding more grain like peated, etc. Thanks again everyone!