Old ale recipe help.

[Steelers77]

So I made a mild in anticipation of the Old Ale I want to make and I'm looking for some suggestion for my recipe. I've read a few BYO article about Old Ale but have newer attempted one. Anything I should lookout for, and any suggestions on a recipe?

Thanks guys

 

[Got Trub?]

I've made JZ's recipe from BCS which turned out really good. Wish I had brewed 10g instead of my usual 5 as this is definitely a beer that improves/changes with age. I let mine age about 8 months before tapping it and it was gone by 12 months and was still getting better

GT

 

[LexusChris]

I made one a year ago, that after some aging, was pretty decent. I followed some examples around here, and recipes in the beersmith library. Mine came out like this.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Ye Olde Ale
Brewer: LexusChris
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Old Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal      
Boil Size: 6.27 gal
Estimated OG: 1.095 SG
Estimated Color: 17.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 43.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
12.00 lb      Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)          Grain        71.64 %       
1.00 lb       Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)                  Grain        5.97 %        
0.50 lb       Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM)                  Grain        2.99 %        
0.25 lb       Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)                Grain        1.49 %        
1.00 oz       Nugget [13.00 %]  (60 min)                Hops         36.1 IBU      
1.00 oz       Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]  (15 min)    Hops         6.9 IBU       
1.00 oz       Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]  (2 min) (AroHops          -            
0.25 tsp      Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)                Misc                       
1.50 lb       Honey (1.0 SRM)                           Sugar        8.96 %        
1.50 lb       Sugar, Muscavado (25.0 SRM)               Sugar        8.96 %        
1 Pkgs        Edinburgh Ale (White Labs #WLP028) [StarteYeast-Ale                  


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 13.75 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp     
60 min        Mash In            Add 4.30 gal of water at 170.1 F    154.0 F

On my next version of this, I might back the Aromatic malt down a bit to 3/4#. Also, I used a bit more honey & Muscovado sugar than I intended. It was supposed to be 1# of each .. not the 1.5# that crept in there.

It was definitely strong, both in ABV and malt aroma. After 5 months of aging, I started making good progress on that keg. I dont' think it made it the end of month 6....

Good luck!
--LexusChris

 

[beerandcoding]

Here is the recipe for an Old Ale I made earlier this year.

64% 2-Row
8% Munich (10L)
8% British Dark Crystal (~150L)
8% Flaked Barley
4% Belgian Special B (~115L)
4% Light Brown Sugar
4% Molassas

Prime with Turbinado sugar.

I brewed my Old Ale for a Tribute category at a local festival, so I hopped the crap out of it. For a classic Old Ale, I would just add bittering hops to reach about 40 IBUs; Nugget. Magnum, anything like that. You can also sub 12% Crystal 120L in for the British Crystal and Special B if it is easier. I pitched Nottingham, but any fairly neutral English or American yeast will work.

When I made this beer, it really started to take on some of the sherry-like flavors that you get in some old ales after a couple months in the bottle. Avery's Old Jubilation is the closest commercial brew as far as taste.

Cheers!
Kevin

 

[Steelers77]

Thanks for the insight thus far.

I was thinking of going with some thing like this:

10 lbs Pale Malt, Golden Promise (Thomas Fawcett) - (UK) Mash 89% 3
6 oz Crystal Malt - 60L - (US) Mash 3% 60
4 oz Crystal Malt - 80L - (US) Mash 2% 80
1 oz Chocolate Malt - (US) Mash 1% 350
8 oz Invert Sugar - (UK) Boil 4% 0

1 oz Challenger Boil 60 Minutes Pellet 7
0.75 oz Goldings, East Kent Aroma 0 Minutes Pellet 5

This is for a 3.5 gallon batch, and I'm thinking about oaking it in secondary.

 

[Got Trub?]

Don't waste your money on invert sugar. Just use sucrose. Yeast have the enzyme invertase and will convert the sucrose to fructose and glucose all by themselves. Bless their little hearts. You will need to add more chocolate malt if its flavour you are after, if it is only for colour then ignore me.

GT

 

[Steelers77]

Trub,
The invert is actually homemade caramel syrup. That option was not available on the calculator I used at foremostbrewing.com. The chocolate malt is just for color, I was trying to keep it simple.