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Author Topic: Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill  (Read 2909 times)

Offline ipaguy

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Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill
« on: December 01, 2010, 08:30:35 am »
Just getting started on planning this one.  Plan on using WYeast Scottish Ale and some late addition heather tips.  Also thinking secondary over oak chips.  This is what I'm thinking so far:

NB Munich LME - 6 lbs.
Briess Pilsen DME - 2 lbs.
Brown Sugar - 1/2 lb.

Pale Malt, 2-row - 2 lbs.
Biscuit Malt - 1/2 lb.
Flaked Barley - 4 oz.
Briess Cherrywood Smoked Malt - 2 oz.

I figure that should be around 1.080 OG.  Comments & suggestions welcome.
Primary: gotlandsdricke/alt/dunkel hybrid
Secondary: pale barleywine,
Bottled:  Gotlandsdricke
               Oatmeal/blackberry stout
               Honey Kolsch

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2010, 11:37:20 pm »
I haven't run all the calculations, but just based on first glance, I would throw out the biscuit malt and the cherrywood smoked malt.  Both of those are inappropriate to the style.  If you want smokiness, either get it from a Scottish yeast strain (yes, that's right, it's in the yeast!), or add just 0.5 oz of peat-smoked malt per 5 gallons.  I just made a Scotch ale with 0.5 oz peat-smoked malt and it turned out with a very very very subtle smokiness, not overpowering in any way, but detectable and pleasant -- and I never thought I would ever say that about peat-smoked malt, which can so easily become nasty if you use any more than an ounce in 5 gallons.  So anyway, there's a start for you.  Take heed -- I love the Scotch ale and have brewed many.
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2010, 01:37:50 am »
This just reminded me - I have a neighbor from Belfast.  Well, technically he's from Portadown (you know how they cheer for their team?  "Up Down!")

Anyway, once he came over for beers and I served him some homebrew without telling him anything other than the fact that I'd made it myself.  He took a sip, then another.  Then he said "this reminds me of the beers I used to have in Glasgow every year on holiday".  The recipe was JZ's Scottish 60/-, mostly unchanged.  If you're gong for authenticity, it's a great place to start.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline ipaguy

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Re: Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2010, 07:42:33 am »
Thanks for the input.  I still trying to find and sample commercial examples of this style to see what I do or don't like about them.  Also checking out the recipes on Homebrewopedia.  Haven't been able to find JZ's recipe yet.  I can tell that I'm going to need some roast barley.  From what I've tasted to far, 'authentic' is too sweet for my taste, so I'll be backing way down on the crystal I see in recipes.  I'll probably also bitter at the high end of the BJCP style range, maybe 30 IBU.  I think my use of the Munich LME would equate to around 25% Munich malt in an AG recipe.  Does that sound like it would work?
Primary: gotlandsdricke/alt/dunkel hybrid
Secondary: pale barleywine,
Bottled:  Gotlandsdricke
               Oatmeal/blackberry stout
               Honey Kolsch

Offline tygo

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Re: Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2010, 08:32:17 am »
  I can tell that I'm going to need some roast barley. 

Probably just for color adjustment though.  I use about 1% in mine.
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline gordonstrong

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Re: Working on PM Scotch Ale grain bill
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2010, 09:29:19 am »
Why all the German malts?  Can you get UK pale extract?

A Scotch Ale is really pretty basic; you can make it with just two grains: pale ale malt and roasted barley.  If you're making an extract version, then I'd guess the hard part would be to get the necessary dextrins since you wouldn't be able to get that with mash control.

So I'd get Maris Otter extract and steep about 2 oz of roasted barley and maybe a half pound of carapils with it.  If you're not going to do a long boil to caramelize it, then you'd need to add some darker crystal malts to simulate those flavors.

Biscuit malt can give some of the UK pale malt flavor, I guess.  I suppose you're using Munich extract for maltiness?  OK, but it's a different flavor.  I have no idea why you'd use brown sugar, though.  Molasses isn't an ingredient typically found in Scotch ales.

Heather tips aren't traditional, but might taste nice.  I think the recipe would likely make a tasty beer, although I'm not sure I'd think of it as a Scotch ale if you gave it to me blind.  The grain bill looks almost like a bock.
Gordon Strong • Beavercreek, Ohio • AHA Member since 1997 • Twitter: GordonStrong