Wee Heavy Strong Scotch Ale

[permo]

The grain bill and mash schedule is the magic on this one for sure. Its so malty , toasty and nutty.

 

[KatoBaggins]

I brewed this on Memorial Day. On Labor Day it's pretty damn awesome! Thanks a bunch, Joe! Now, if I can keep out of it, it should just get better and better.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441568090.009910.jpg

 

[Adirondack47]

Has anybody oaked their batch, and if so how did it turn out?

 

[CJ-3]

Has anybody oaked their batch, and if so how did it turn out?

I just bottled mine today after using 2 ounces of French Oak chips soaked in scotch. The sample I pulled from the bottling bucket was absolutely amazing! I used scotch instead of bourbon because I was concerned bourbon would bee to sweet for a very malty beer. The scotch soak in my opinion worked fantastically and was the right choice to me.

If you have not brewed this yet I will post again in a month when it is carbed up.

 

[KatoBaggins]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1449380803.924433.jpg It just gets better and better. Yum.

 

[Blou04]

Hi, i plan to brew a scotch next year, would there be any benefit to use golden premise instead of maris otter.
Also, is caramel malt + decotion mash + first wort caramel too much caramel and malt flavor? or is it even better?
cheers

 

[KatoBaggins]

Hi, i plan to brew a scotch next year, would there be any benefit to use golden premise instead of maris otter.
Also, is caramel malt + decotion mash + first wort caramel too much caramel and malt flavor? or is it even better?
cheers

I'm very satisfied with the amount of caramel I got with the Crystal 60, roasted malt and chocolate malt from the original recipe. The changes I made in the recipe were going with EKG hops and WhiteLabs Edinburgh WLP028 yeast.

If you love huge caramel flavors adding in first wort caramel might be good for you. For me, I think it would be too over the top...maybe.

If you chose to do the above amount of caramel, IMHO, you would not be able to tell the difference between golden promise and maris otter. But for that matter, I don't think I'd be able to tell GP from MO in the original recipe either. It's definitely a caramelly/malty beer.

PS - Let us know how yours turns out. This is a wonderful recipe. I'll make it again soon.

 

[PerryS]

Hi, i plan to brew a scotch next year, would there be any benefit to use golden premise instead of maris otter.
Also, is caramel malt + decotion mash + first wort caramel too much caramel and malt flavor? or is it even better?
cheers

There is already a lot going on in this recipe. Try it as published, and then make single changes each time and see if you like it. I'm on my fifth batch in three years - continuous process improvement, don'cha know.

My changes for personal taste include Kent Golding for style, and mash 149F for 60min (no decoction - I'm lazy). YMMV. The flavors are malt/ethanol, then caramel/smoke, then a faint hint of cherry. Really good.

 

[Blou04]

Thanks, i already modified it since roasted barley(300 srm) is impossible to find in Belgium. I will substitute it with a smaler amount of black malt or black barley(1100-1400 ebc).

 

[BrianGee]

I'm still pretty new to AG and plan on brewing this soon once I'm completely confident and dialed in on my system. It will be my first decoction.

Those of you who have done the OP's mash profile - 45 minutes at 149 and decoct to raise to 157 for 45 minutes - how do you set up your volumes in BeerSmith?

For a single infusion batch sparge, BeerSmith tells me to mash in with 1.25 quarts per pound of grain. No problem, understood. When I change the mash profile to a single decoction the strike water ratio changes to 2 quarts per pound. With this grain bill that's 34.5 quarts of water, which only leaves a gallon for sparging. That can't be right, right? What's a more reasonable water/grain ratio?

Related, with the default 2 quarts/pound ratio, BeerSmith says to decoct something like 5 quarts (software is at home don't remember the exact number) but the videos I've watched all show about a quart of thick mash per pound of grain. As I change the ratio the decoction volume changes, as I would expect.

How are you guys doing this? Thanks!

 

[rwgaro]

Brewed this in Oct with a few minor tweaks, bottled on 12/1. This is really good - very malty. I've been having bottle carbing issues (consistently undercard / head issues) until recently, and unfortunately this was one my of last brews where I had these issues. So it's very lightly carbed but still really nice... Thanks for the recipe!

 

[NickersonC]

Those using different hops such as EKG, are you raising the amount used to match IBUs? Ex. did you use say 1 oz EKG at 60min and 30min to get a little closer to the original or stick to a half ounce at both times?

 

[PerryS]

Those using different hops such as EKG, are you raising the amount used to match IBUs?

I'm using 1.3 oz EKG 60 minutes, .7 oz 30 minutes. I'm limited to a 6# stovetop mash, so I do a partial mash at 149F for 60 minutes. (Decoction is right out for me.)

Just looked through the brew log, and I have made this recipe seven times. For awhile, I was substituting Maris Otter (and Maris Otter LME) for base, which provides a very nice black cherry "flash" at the end of the tasting. This recipe provides three or four tastes in one sip - it's a keeper.

 

[NickersonC]

Not sure if it's been asked but what do we think about using wyeast 1450 Denny's favorite? Planned on the pound of melanoidin malt instead of decoction and decently high mash temp of 154F, overkill with the 1450?

 

[permo]

Not sure if it's been asked but what do we think about using wyeast 1450 Denny's favorite? Planned on the pound of melanoidin malt instead of decoction and decently high mash temp of 154F, overkill with the 1450?

I think the meanoidin is not needed. If I where to use 1450 on this beer I would mash at 156 and ferment 55-60 degrees with it. You don't want this beer drying out.

 

[BrianGee]

For a single infusion batch sparge, BeerSmith tells me to mash in with 1.25 quarts per pound of grain. No problem, understood. When I change the mash profile to a single decoction the strike water ratio changes to 2 quarts per pound. With this grain bill that's 34.5 quarts of water, which only leaves a gallon for sparging. That can't be right, right? What's a more reasonable water/grain ratio?

Sorry to quote myself on this. I'm planning this brew day and haven't done a decoction before. I'm wondering what you guys are using for your mash in water/grain ratio.

 

[permo]

Sorry to quote myself on this. I'm planning this brew day and haven't done a decoction before. I'm wondering what you guys are using for your mash in water/grain ratio.

There is a difference between a step mash and a decoction. With a decoction you should not run into water volume issues/deffiencies. You mash at your normal ratio and pull a portion of the mash and boil it to create the temperature steps.

 

[BrianGee]

Thank you. It makes perfect sense, it was BeerSmith's default that was throwing me off.

 

[scottywags]

I just bought everything to brew this one up...bought 2 packs of notty. I'll post back once it's drinkable!

 

[scottywags]

I brewed this up on Wed and it was probably the best brew day I've had...I hit numbers and volumes perfectly! Not to mention I did my first decoction..I really can't believe how easy that is to do. I just scooped most of the grains out and added them back to the kettle and brought to a boil stirring constantly. Then added back to the mash tun until I hit 157. Let sit for 45 then added everything back into the tun and went from there.

Starting OG 1.084 with right at 5.5 gallons into the fermenter
I rehydrated 2 packs of notty and this morning she is bubbling like crazy at 60 degrees.

If I can finish around 1.016 or so like BF is predicting, I should have one heck of nice strong brew! Thanks again permo.

 

[scottywags]

Looking for opinions please...
I took a reading today and I think it's done fermenting...we are at 1.019 and I want to move to a secondary.

Should I rack straight to keg and put some co2 on top and then let it sit in my serving fridge at 35 degrees for a couple of months?
Or should I just rack into another pale (just to get it off the yeast) and return it back to my fermenting fridge and hold in the 50 - 60 degree range?

What would be the best thing for this beer?

TIA

 

[jojacques]

I'll be brewing this one next week (doing an Oatmeal stout tonight) but I'll be tweaking it a bit, I wanted something a bit stronger.
Do you think I upped my IBUs enough, considering FG will be fairly high, (so it will be a sweeter beer..)

Batch size: 5.5Gal, 68% Efficiency (est.)
Estimated OG: 1.085
Estimated FG: 1.021
IBU: 31.4
SRM: 20.7

Grains:
15# 2 row (I have a 55pounds bag I want to go through, so no Marris)
1.2# Caramel 80
1.2#Munich
1# Victory Malt (Mixing Victory + Caramel 120 since I do not have Special Roast on hand)
.25# Caramel 120
.25# Cara-pils
.15# Roasted Barley
.15# Chocolate Malt

Hops:
1 oz Brewer's Gold - FWA (I do not have Chinook on hand)
0.6 oz Brewer's Gold -Boil 30min

I will mash at medium body, because estimated FG will be way too high if I do a Full Body Mash (est. 1.026!)
I'll people know how it turns out.

 

[BGHSmt7]

Looking for opinions please...
I took a reading today and I think it's done fermenting...we are at 1.019 and I want to move to a secondary.

Should I rack straight to keg and put some co2 on top and then let it sit in my serving fridge at 35 degrees for a couple of months?
Or should I just rack into another pale (just to get it off the yeast) and return it back to my fermenting fridge and hold in the 50 - 60 degree range?

What would be the best thing for this beer?

TIA

If you're aging for a couple months, I'd put it in the keg or a carboy. Plastic allows too much oxygen in. Just make sure that the yeast have done their job cleaning up their byproducts prior to racking.

 

[Reverend_Godless]

Hey guys,
I'm thinking about trying a partial extract variant of this recipe. Here's what I'm thinking. Please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions.
Grain Bill
Weight in Lbs
8 Amber DME
1.75 Pale Malt, Maris Otter
1 Caramel / Crystal Malt 60L
1 Munich Malt
1 Special Roast
0.15 Roasted Barley
0.1 Chocolate Malt

Hops Schedule
Weight in Oz
0.5 Chinook (perhaps sub EKG) 60
0.5 Chinook (perhaps sub EKG) 30


Est Original Gravity 1.0947
Measured Original Gravity:
Est Final Gravity: 1.0237
Measured Final Gravity:
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9
Actual Alcohol by Vol:
Bitterness:
Est Color:


In Quarts In Gallons Temp (F)
Strike Water 6.5 1.625 149
Sparge Water 5 1.25 149

Yeast: White Labs Irish Ale WLP004 (Saved from previous batch)

 

[dirkjk]

Love this recipe, first time came out amazing. Didn't last long in the keg.

Made a second batch about 5 weeks ago. Last week took out of primary and put in a keg (I dont secondary beers most of the time). Tasted the other day and very disappointed. Almost has a band-aid taste if I recall correctly.

My question is it too green still? Has anyone tasted it only 4-5 weeks old?

 

[BGHSmt7]

John Palmer's How To Brew:

Medicinal
These flavors are often described as mediciney, Band-Aid? like, or can be spicy like cloves. The cause are various phenols which are initially produced by the yeast. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds. Rinsing with boiled water after sanitizing is the best way to prevent these flavors.

 

[MrBlackrock]

As a novice homebrewer, how would i go about brewing this in a single infusion,no mash out, fly sparge method.?

 

[andrewmaixner]

As a novice homebrewer, how would i go about brewing this in a single infusion,no mash out, fly sparge method.?

Just mash for an hour at 149 and then go to boil. adjust your base malt higher to account for your expected efficiency, and/or have a little light DME on hand, just in case, to adjust gravity higher at the end if you are way off (ALWAYS a good policy to have that on hand just in case, even for experienced people).

 

[MrBlackrock]

Just mash for an hour at 149 and then go to boil. adjust your base malt higher to account for your expected efficiency, and/or have a little light DME on hand, just in case, to adjust gravity higher at the end if you are way off (ALWAYS a good policy to have that on hand just in case, even for experienced people).

Thanks. How would this look for a copy of this ?

6.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 80.6 %
0.45 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L(Fawcett Crystal 2) (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.6 %
0.45 kg Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.6 %
0.45 kg Special Roast (50.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.6 %
0.10 kg Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.2 %
0.10 kg Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.2 %
28.35 g Fuggle, U.S. [4.75 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 12.6 IBUs
14.17 g Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 13.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml]


More of a Ballpark thing, not exact copy.

 

[permo]

Thanks. How would this look for a copy of this ?

6.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 80.6 %
0.45 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L(Fawcett Crystal 2) (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.6 %
0.45 kg Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.6 %
0.45 kg Special Roast (50.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.6 %
0.10 kg Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.2 %
0.10 kg Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.2 %
28.35 g Fuggle, U.S. [4.75 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 12.6 IBUs
14.17 g Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 13.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml]


More of a Ballpark thing, not exact copy.

Looks excellent. For a single infusion I would mash around 152-153 as you don't want this beer to dry out too much.