scotch ale

[Darrin Smith]

anyone got a good scotch ale recipe pleeeease?  I really like the renaissance one so something along those lines would be awesome for the coming winter........

thanks

[Grant R Baker]

I can't make myself hand out the one I have got going... but I'll give you a start...

 

23l batch - grain bill is big of a 23l batch.. so a big mash tun is used... and a longer mash.. atleast 90mins.

5.5 to 6kilos of Pale Ale malt (GP or MO or PA)

2 to 2.5kilos of caramel/crystal/caramunich malts (suchs as Crystal 60, 120, Caramuich I or II, Carahell, Caraoma etc)

A  50grams of Black Patent or Chocholate malt to colour and add a tinge of burnt flavour (maybe).. its personal preferrence with the whole recipe.

Target about 35-50EBC (colour) and 7-8% ABV

 

Bitter with your favourite hops.. Nugget, Northern, Pacific Gem... maybe add some intermediate hops.

Flavour and aroma hops in the last 20 to 5 mins...  I like the Goldings hops here but there are heaps to choose from.

 - Target 30-35IBU until you know if you want less or more bittering.

 - OG somewhere above 1.075 and FG down to 1.020-1.017.. if it goes too low it won't be as thick.. thus don't water it down to make up volume... and boil a bit more if you really want a slightly reduced but thicker brew.

 

 - Yeast - quick and easy Saleale-04 will do... but there a a few Scotch Ale yeasts from White Labs & Wyeast I intend to try next time... someone recommended Wyeast British Ale for a Scotch Ale... time will slowly tell I suppose.

 

 - Ferment for 2 weeks in Primary and 4 in secondary (or 6 in Primary)

 

If you read the classic recipes for a Scotch Ale.. you are meant to ferment it at cooler times (at about 6C) for 6 weeks... a lot longer than your normal ale... but like you mine is required for winter.... thus made recently for this winter with a heavy brown ale to keep it company.

 

Hope this is of some use.

Quick Edit:: Use BrewMate (free) or BrewSmith2 to help target the recipe to the beer style.

[Darrin Smith]

legend cheers, i always have issues with efficiency on these big boys so it will be interesting to see.  Big starter of s04?

[Grant R Baker]

nah.. I'm a bit anti-starter myth me.  I just sprinkle the S04 satchel in and away it goes. Since I'm leaving it ferment for 6 weeks there is no real rush. (I'm gonna get flamed here.. I smell it).

 

The bugger with brew efficiency for me is I could not be bothered cooling a sample to see if it had achieved the OG required.. but over time I learned the average evaporation rate of my Kettle (11.5% with the lid on, slightly open & 14% lid off, depends how windy or if too many bugs flying about)... that helps target the brew calculations....

 

BrewMate is pretty good there.. just plug yer evaporation rate (guesstimate) into its BrewDay calculations and it adjusts the water volume calculations for you. My last Dark Ale was bang on 23l and perfect 1.047OG.... big smile I finally got it right.

[Darrin Smith]

ha, i rehydrate as everyone says its a must (except the yeast packet).

[Darrin Smith]

awesome, interesting read.

[sockmerchant]

I did one with:

4.5kg Marris

250g Munich

450g light crystal

125g dark crystal

85g chocolate

Only bittered to 25IBU with kent goldings.

used safale 05, but might change that next time. Did my first decoction on this one and will probably repeat it if i rebrew

turned out pretty good. 

 

[Darrin Smith]

sounds nice, is that in traditional style?

[sockmerchant]

Yeah. I think it was based pretty closely on a JZ brewing classic styles recipe.

[Grant R Baker]

Finally after 8 weeks of fermentation and 5 weeks conditioning in the bottles my Scotch Ale are ready. 

 

Two bottles went down very nicely on Saturday night.... I am very happy with it. Medium brown, stong caramel pressence, not too bitter and about 7.2%ABV..

 

I should have brewed a bigger batch (the 30 bottles are going to go fast and may not last till winter proper) but I'll need a bigger mashtun and fermenter for that.

[Darrin Smith]

and a massive gym to burn it off haha, sounds delicious.........

could you boost it with more DME?

[Grant R Baker]

I could but won't.   I don't use DME as its not cost effective and doesn't offer the variations that grains do.