Beer Recipe of the Week: Dragon's Milk October Beer

"It's the stuff of legend, the muse of poets, the nectar of the gents. Strong beer, brilliant as topaz, sweet as dew, and dripping with the perfume of hops, was for centuries a revered icon of English culture." (Mosher, 129) That's the description of English October Beer in Randy Mosher's book. Sounds good right? In modern American translation, it would go something like: "It's the stuff of blurry weekends around the holidays. Strong beer, you know you want some."

All Grain Recipe 5 gallons (19 L)

Ingredients

15.5 lb	Maris Otter Pale Malt
3 oz (85 g)	East Kent Goldings 5% Alpha Acid (90 min)
2 oz (57 g)	East Kent Goldings, 5% Alpha Acid (30 min)
2 oz (57 g)	East Kent Goldings, 5% Alpha Acid (0 min)
1 packet	Any alcohol tolerant English ale strain (Wyeast 1028 London Ale)

Statistics

Starting Specific Gravity: 1.088

ABV: 7.3 to 8.4%

IBU: 74

Maturation: 6 to 12 months

Directions

Mash in relatively thick, at at 1 quart per pound, and try to get a rest temperature of about 153 F. After an hour, add boiling water to mash out at around 168 F.

Collect enough run off to have 5 gallons of wort after a 90 minute boil. Bring the wort to a boil and add 3 oz (85 g) of East Kent Goldings hops. After 60 minutes, add 2 more oz (57 g) of East Kent Goldings hops. At the end of the boil, add the last 2 oz (57g) of East Kent Goldings hops. Cool the wort and aerate it a proper amount then pitch your yeast. The beer will reach maturation in 6 to 12 months, due to its high gravity.

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