[mihalybaci]

I've read in "Brewing Classic Styles" and "Scotch Ale" that traditional recipes for wee heavy are simply pale malt and roasted barley with much of the complex malt flavors arising purely from an extended (2+ hour) boil. I would like to try this, but I also don't want to make a flat tasting beer. Has any one tried the extended boil method with good results? Are there tips/tricks for producing a beer that a true Scotsman would enjoy?

[denny]

I've done it with an extended boil, but you can achieve the same thing in kess time by taking a gal. of first runnings and boiling it down to less than a pint, then adding it back to the kettle.  AFAIAC, the absolute, without a doubt best homebrew Scotch ale recipe is Skotrat's Traquair House clone recipe.  You can find it here, with the addition of chanterelle mushrooms.  Leave those out and you've got a killer Scotch ale.

http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/WeeShroomy

[mihalybaci]

Excellent, that recipe looks pretty nice. the mushrooms are intriguing addition. How long of a boil did it take before you achieved the desired result?

[bonjour]

I make a pretty mean Strong Scotch Ale with the long boil method, but Skorat's recipe is also a very, very good one.

[mmitchem]

I have done very well with Scotch Ale in competition. I made my Scotch Ale recipe shortly after reading Ray Daniel's Deigning Great Beer. It is an excellent insight into the traditional brewing methods.
The long, vigorous boil promotes kettle carmelization, which you  want in a Scotch Ale. This can also be accomplished by boiling down a portion of the first runnings and adding them back to the main boil. I have never tasted the two methods side by side and would love to see the difference. Anybody ever compared the two methods?