Instructions: Heat 18 quarts of mash water to 140 degrees, ph 5.3. Mash-in for 5 min- utes at 130 degrees. Continue without a protein rest. Starch conversion of 60 minutes, 158-150 degrees. Mash-out for 5 minutes at 168 degrees. Sparge with 5 gallons water at 168 degrees, ph 5.7. Add brown sugar and boil for 90 minutes. Add boiling hops at 30 minutes. Dry hop with 1/2 ounce each of Willamette and Hallertauer 3 days after pitching, and bottled 4 weeks later. Its confession time. This was intended to be a Scottish Wee Heavy, but works much better as an Old Ale. I just havent quite captured that uniquely malty characteristic of Scotch ales, but Im still trying. I tried smoking the crystal malt over a peat fire, which really wasnt terribly successful in imparting peaty flavors to the malt. Next time Ill get the peat really soggy; perhaps that will work better. Its rich, vinous, with complex port-like ethers and not a hint of astrin- gency (a common hard-water problem) or off-flavors. Next time I brew it, though, Ill delete the wheat malt (plenty of head, for the style, with- out it) and the brown sugar (the vinousness is too much for a Scotch ale), substitute 2 pounds dextrine malt or flaked barley (still mulling this over) for an equal weight of pale malt, and smoke the cystal more heavily.

Original Gravity: 1.070

Final Gravity: 1.020 Primary Ferment: 4
weeks

Serving Size:

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.