Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy  (Read 5406 times)

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« on: February 26, 2017, 09:36:44 am »
Working out a wee heavy.  The father in law and I had a great time hanging out with founders Dirty Bastard. So the question was asked, "Can you make this?" 

An hour later I am starring at the question, 1 gal 1st runnings boiled to a thick syrup or crystal malts, or both even.

I know that I only want to use a small amount of roasted malts for that deep ruby color.  What is your take on a wee heavy?

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline Steve Ruch

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1743
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2017, 09:50:45 am »
Working out a wee heavy.  The father in law and I had a great time hanging out with founders Dirty Bastard. So the question was asked, "Can you make this?" 

An hour later I am starring at the question, 1 gal 1st runnings boiled to a thick syrup or crystal malts, or both even.

I know that I only want to use a small amount of roasted malts for that deep ruby color.  What is your take on a wee heavy?

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

What information does Founder make available about this beer? Replicating their recipe and process (as closely as possible) on a H B level would be the way to go.
I love to go swimmin'
with hairy old women

Offline natebrews

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 484
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2017, 09:50:59 am »
I haven't made a wee heavy, but I did do a scottish ale that I used the 'boil down a gallon to syrup' method on.  I did the recipe twice in quick succession.  The first time was with the boil down and the second was with crystal malts.  Of the two, I preferred the second.  Granted, I'm sure this has a lot to do with your burner, boil intensity, and how far down you let it go yadda yadda. 

Risk of failure should be no deterrent to trying.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2017, 10:35:01 am »
No crystal, IMO.  I don't think you can find a better or more authentic tasting wee heavy recipe than this one...http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/WeeShroomy . Leave out the mushrooms...
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline brewinhard

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3272
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2017, 11:32:26 am »
No crystal, IMO.  I don't think you can find a better or more authentic tasting wee heavy recipe than this one...http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/WeeShroomy . Leave out the mushrooms...

+1.  Brewed this one last fall and it tastes pretty darn good right now. Plenty of malt with just the Golden Promise and roasted barley. Surprisingly so! Malt bombs away!!

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2017, 11:48:28 am »
No crystal, IMO.  I don't think you can find a better or more authentic tasting wee heavy recipe than this one...http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/WeeShroomy . Leave out the mushrooms...

+1.  Brewed this one last fall and it tastes pretty darn good right now. Plenty of malt with just the Golden Promise and roasted barley. Surprisingly so! Malt bombs away!!


Awesome, Rob. Glad to hear it came out great.
Jon H.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2017, 12:12:22 pm »
I do like the boil down method. But, if the goal is to get close to Dirty Bastard, doing it Founders way would get you closer. They claim 8.5% abv, 50 IBU, and 7 different malts.

https://foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/dirty-bastard/
Jon H.

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2017, 02:18:25 pm »
Ugh... 7 malts...

Pale
Munich
Medium Crystal
Dark crystal
Smoked
Roasted
Adjunct?? Maybe wheat?

Just a guess. Idk

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2017, 03:02:27 pm »
For a Dirty Bastard type scotch,  I wouldn't use any smoked malts or wheat. Maybe 20% Munich, 2 row base, and mix some crystals and a couple oz of roasted barley to hit maybe 20-22 SRM. And I would mash low, like 149F/90 mins considering the mix of crystals. Scottish strain. 
Jon H.

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2017, 03:11:32 pm »
I was thinking wlp001 or 028 both are similar and I have a .5l fresh slurry of 001.  I assumed smoked malt in there for dirty Bastard.   It's not to style it had a bit of smoke in the aroma to me anyway.  And I think it even mentions smoke flavors IIRC.  I was thinking normal hockurtz 😣but Idk...  I like the simplicity of wee shromy denny, but it's not the color or complexity I was hoping for.  I am afraid it would come out as a over hopped impy red ale without the shrooms at ~50 IBUs from challenger and maybe some EKG

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2017, 03:13:36 pm »
Ugh... 7 malts...

Pale
Munich
Medium Crystal
Dark crystal
Smoked
Roasted
Adjunct?? Maybe wheat?

Just a guess. Idk

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
Maybe carapils? Kosmicki like to use carapils in his beers. 50 IBUs are balanced with the carapils and crystal IIRC as to what Kosmicki said at the 2014 GR HBC.

Oh, they use 1056 as the house yeast. So 001 would work.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2017, 03:15:31 pm »
Ugh... 7 malts...

Pale
Munich
Medium Crystal
Dark crystal
Smoked
Roasted
Adjunct?? Maybe wheat?

Just a guess. Idk

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
Maybe carapils? Kosmicki like to use carapils in his beers. 50 IBUs are balanced with the carapils and crystal IIRC as to what Kosmicki said at the 2014 GR HBC.

Oh, they use 1056 as the house yeast. So 001 would work.
Well if 1056 is their house yeast u don't feel bad using 001 as a on hand substitution.

Carapils tracks...  so prelim

60% UK base either MO or GP
10% Munich 10L
10% Carapils
10% Crystal 40/60L
5% Crystal 120L
5% roasted barley
~20SRM
50ish IBUS
001

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
« Last Edit: February 26, 2017, 03:19:32 pm by JJeffers09 »
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2017, 03:40:10 pm »
I definitely wouldn't use 5% roasted barley. It'll be pretty roasty at that level. Personally, I'd use 1% and finish adjusting color with the dark crystals.


Edit - I'd be willing to bet that they use a 2 row base, too. It'll be good either way, though .
« Last Edit: February 26, 2017, 03:50:12 pm by HoosierBrew »
Jon H.

Offline stpug

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 742
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2017, 04:52:20 pm »
Ska's Oskar Blue's Old Chub uses ~2.5% beechwood smoked malt and what it imparts is really mellow.  This is the formulation I used last spring for this brew and the results were excellent.  The color was ~26SRM and IBUs were matched 26IBUs (tinseth).  Perhaps it will spark some ideas, perhaps not.

73% Pale Malt, Optic (Fawcett)
11.5% Crystal Dark - 77L (Crisp)
8% Munich Malt, Light (Avangard)
3% Special B (Dingemans)
2.5% Beechwood Smoked Malt (Weyermann)
2% Carafa Special II (Weyermann)
« Last Edit: February 27, 2017, 10:28:00 am by stpug »

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
Re: Strong scotch ale / wee heavy
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2017, 09:15:25 am »
that's a lot of crystal malt OP (25%).  also I think you're in stout range with that grist, giving it the eyeball test.  might want to rethink that - I like the 1% roasted malts and using the crystal weights to target the color you want. 

bear in mind, even mashing low, you may still not get high 70s attenuation. 

that Old Chub recipe (isn't that Oskar Blues name?) looks pretty tasty too.
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281