Wee Heavy recipe thoughts

[Golddiggie]

I'm looking at brewing a wee heavy in about a month (it's after two other recipes get brewed). Right now I'm trying to decide how much of the peated malt I want to add. I've never used it in a recipe before. I have used cherry wood smoked malt and like what it gives that recipe.

My current recipe has 2% of the grist as the peated malt (comes out to 1/2#). I'm thinking of using the entire pound that I bought in the recipe though. Which puts it to 4% of the grist. Does anyone see a major issue with that? The current recipe is:
Crisp Maris Otter (No 19): 85.7%
Simpson double roast crystal: 8.2%
Pale chocolate: 4.1%
Peat smoked malt: 2%

Changing the peat smoked amount would change the recipe to:
Crisp Maris Otter: 84%
Simpson double roast crystal: 8%
Pale chocolate: 4%
Peat smoked malt: 4%

I'll be hopping with EKG to about 22IBU in the recipe (unless I change that). ABV estimate is in the low 9% range (9.1-9.3% depending on which option I take).

Thoughts??
How heavy will the peat smoked malt be by changing the percentage from 2% to 4%? As I mentioned, I've not used that malt before, so I'm looking for thoughts from people who HAVE.

 

[easttex]

Technically speaking, the "official" description of a Wee Heavy says peat smoked malt is inappropriate:

And personally, I don't care for smoked beers myself. But it's your beer so use as much as you like. With that said, a little goes a long way so I'd start at 2% for this batch and if that isn't enough for you, up the percentage next time.

 

[Golddiggie]

I know it's not in the 'official description' but that only goes so far. Since the description of peat smoke malt is
"Robust smoky malt that provides a smoky flavor. Used in scottish ales and wee heavy ales."

My breakfast stout, with the cherry wood smoked malt is a huge hit.

 

[easttex]

Well again, I subscribe to the notion that a little smoke goes a long way so I'd start small and work up from there. I'm told that peat smoke is particularly pungent and can be overpowering.

 

[Miraculix]

I never had a Scottish ale that used smoked malt. But I might have had limited access to Scottish beers when living in the UK. Maybe the Scottish ales from America are different.

 

[Golddiggie]

Which is why I posted asking. If people experienced in it's use say that the 2% level is going to give me a better result, then I'll go that route (my original recipe). I know, from experience, that the cherry wood smoked malt can safely be used at a higher percentage. My first recipe with that had it at 13.3% and it was a good level.

 

[Golddiggie]

Updated the poll with the 1% option (which would be 1/4#).

 

[marc1]

I know it's not in the 'official description' but that only goes so far. Since the description of peat smoke malt is
"Robust smoky malt that provides a smoky flavor. Used in scottish ales and wee heavy ales."

My breakfast stout, with the cherry wood smoked malt is a huge hit.

I think the grain description is from a common use of the grain that is not to style for the beer type. People hear the name and think the beer must have peaty flavors because of the Islay scotches. If you want to make a Scottish ale to style, don't use it. If you want to make a Scottish ale that has peated smokiness, use it - it's your beer. It might get dinged in judging if you are entering it into competition, though.

 

[Golddiggie]

Not looking to enter it into a competition. I've actually never sent any brews in for judging. I'm more interested in making great beers than what some judges think of them. I'm also looking for more info as to what the peat smoked malt will give the beer. I might reduce the amount to just 1%. I'm still about a month away from brewing that recipe, so I have time to weigh the options.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I know it's not in the 'official description' but that only goes so far. Since the description of peat smoke malt is
"Robust smoky malt that provides a smoky flavor. Used in scottish ales and wee heavy ales."

No - because that way you're opening yourself to any random BS from a maltster who wants to sell a speciality malt. Peat malt may be used in some US beers that claim to be Scottish in style, but it simply is not used in traditional brewing in Scotland. It is a complete fantasy to suggest otherwise.

Not least because all the breweries are where the coal is, and not where the peat is - whereas in the main the reverse is true of distilleries. And wee heavy is not a style but a reference to a specific beer, Fowler's 12 Guinea Ale (equivalent to 252/-) - which was partigyled with a pale ale so uses normal pale ale grist. The Bellhaven wee heavy represents a continuation of the Fowler heritage and is just pale and black malt.

Use peat malt if you want, just don't call the resulting beer Scottish. And definitely don't call it a Wee Heavy.

 

[Falstaff]

I made a 90 percent peated Scottish WHISKY ale. It's intense but very good if you like Laphroaig. I don't think it's a Scotch ale if it uses peat. The confusion I think comes from the name. Scotch refers to the specific style from that country, not Scotch Whisky, which, to my knowledge, use peat mostly in Islay, not everywhere, anyways.

 

[DromJohn]

1) Don't let the capercaillie keep you down.
2) Get rid of my vote for 2%. Lower it to: AHS Belhaven Wee Heavy
I haven't brewed the Wee Heavy, but I did brew the AHS Belhaven Scottish Ale, and it did very well in a side-by-side.

 

[Golddiggie]

1) Don't let the capercaillie keep you down.
2) Get rid of my vote for 2%. Lower it to: AHS Belhaven Wee Heavy
I haven't brewed the Wee Heavy, but I did brew the AHS Belhaven Scottish Ale, and it did very well in a side-by-side.

That recipe has peated malt as almost 2% of the grist (1.75%). I can't see 1/4% making all that much of a difference.

 

[kevin58]

I know it's not in the 'official description' but that only goes so far. Since the description of peat smoke malt is
"Robust smoky malt that provides a smoky flavor. Used in scottish ales and wee heavy ales."

My breakfast stout, with the cherry wood smoked malt is a huge hit.

Peat has no place in Scottish brewing. It never has. The notion that Scots brewers comes from romantic nonsense and misinterpretation of descriptions published decades ago. There is nothing wrong with using peat smoked malt in a recipe if you like the results but it is not Scottish.

 

[Golddiggie]

Between enough comments, and more thoughts on my end, I'm going to delete the peat smoked malt from the recipe. I'll probably tweak it a bit more before brewing it.

Now I'm thinking about using it in a 'whiskey' stout recipe. Maybe even soak some oak cubes in some that I have on hand (bought years ago, never opened) and let the brew rest with them in it for a spell.

 

[easttex]

Between enough comments, and more thoughts on my end, I'm going to delete the peat smoked malt from the recipe. I'll probably tweak it a bit more before brewing it.

Now I'm thinking about using it in a 'whiskey' stout recipe. Maybe even soak some oak cubes in some that I have on hand (bought years ago, never opened) and let the brew rest with them in it for a spell.

That would probably be pretty tastey.

 

[Falstaff]

Between enough comments, and more thoughts on my end, I'm going to delete the peat smoked malt from the recipe. I'll probably tweak it a bit more before brewing it.

Now I'm thinking about using it in a 'whiskey' stout recipe. Maybe even soak some oak cubes in some that I have on hand (bought years ago, never opened) and let the brew rest with them in it for a spell.

It wouldn't be to style. But part of the fun of home brewing is that you get to break the rules sometimes. It just wouldn't be a wee heavy anymore, but it could be something tasty.

I added beechwood smoked malt to a wee heavy recipe of mine once just for kicks and it was damn good, just probably not a wee heavy at that point.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I think that sums up the different approaches - this is Belhaven, actual brewers in Scotland :

And then some unknown US homebrewer decides that this is a clone of the same beer , with 7 malts rather than 2 :

It's just a joke.

As much as anything, it shows a pretty basic lack of understanding of the philosophy of commercial brewers in Europe, who generally use relatively few ingredients, but good ones. Throwing the kitchen sink at a recipe belies a certain lack of confidence in the ingredients IMO.

Anyway, getting past the wee heavy label - peat malt is one of things that's very easy to wreck a beer with, a little goes a long way. It's not like rauch malts which are relatively subtle in comparison. Also it's one of those things where different people can have different sensitivities to. So even if someone is saying "it works fine at 10%", it's hard to trust because you don't know their palate. Depends a bit on what the rest of the beer is doing, but I'd go 1%, 2% max if you want a beer that is vaguely balanced.

 

[Golddiggie]

I tend to use less malts in my recipes than more. To date, I've kept it under five malts (including base malt) with the malts selected actually being for flavors they provide. Years ago I would use more malts in recipes. I think the ones I'm making now, under this method, are better. I'm even trying to reduce the malts in some of my very successful recipes to see if I can get the desired flavors without additional malts.

I think I have a good recipe for the whiskey stout. I'm going to model it as a sweet stout, not a foreign extra, or anything really big. More so that people can enjoy more of it than get wrecked after a couple of glasses. The peat smoked malt is 1.8% of the grist for this one. Estimate is 5.4% ABV.

 

[Beerstein]

Use 3% and don’t call it a wee heavy, also increase the bitterness. I’m also a peat head.

 

[Beerstein]

I know it's not in the 'official description' but that only goes so far. Since the description of peat smoke malt is
"Robust smoky malt that provides a smoky flavor. Used in scottish ales and wee heavy ales."

My breakfast stout, with the cherry wood smoked malt is a huge hit.

I really like cherry wood. It’s more forgiving, and I think it’s more complex too.

 

[Golddiggie]

Use 3% and don’t call it a wee heavy, also increase the bitterness. I’m also a peat head.

I'm not an IBU head. I typically aim for the middle of the IBU range for a style when brewing it. I'm getting solid results that way.

Maybe I should swap the peat smoked for cherry wood smoked malt in the stout.

 

[passedpawn]

Well again, I subscribe to the notion that a little smoke goes a long way so I'd start small and work up from there. I'm told that peat smoke is particularly pungent and can be overpowering.

Pfft.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/100-peated-ale.276443/

 

[passedpawn]

I added peat to a wee heavy I made a long time ago and it did add a nice earthiness. I also used it in a fall brown ale I made once. I think that latter beer was a Tumbler clone (not sure if Sierra Nevada stills makes that).

 

[Falstaff]

Pfft.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/100-peated-ale.276443/

Yup I did a 90% peat based on this thread and I LOVE it.

 

[Golddiggie]

I added peat to a wee heavy I made a long time ago and it did add a nice earthiness. I also used it in a fall brown ale I made once. I think that latter beer was a Tumbler clone (not sure if Sierra Nevada stills makes that).

What do you think about me dumping the full pound of peat smoked malt into the new recipe (Whiskey Stout)? I have the malt, might as well use it. Worst case, it will be horrid and I'll dump it.

 

[Beerstein]

For reference, the smoked porter I just made, I used 15% smoked malt.

 

[Golddiggie]

For reference, the smoked porter I just made, I used 15% smoked malt.

My breakfast stout had 13.3% of the grist as the cherry wood smoked malt. The next brewing will have that increased to 16.2%. It was lesser than I had really wanted in the first brewing, hence increasing it for the coming batch.

 

[Falstaff]

What do you think about me dumping the full pound of peat smoked malt into the new recipe (Whiskey Stout)? I have the malt, might as well use it. Worst case, it will be horrid and I'll dump it.

Do it.

Do you like peat, though? Have you tried heavily peated scotch? If you like that then you cant go wrong. Just depends on your palate. Brew for your head. Otherwise, what's the point?

 

[Golddiggie]

Not really a hard alcohol drinker. I'm happy with good wine (cab's mostly) and beers I brew.