Dark Scottish Ale

[Beertard]

Method: All Grain
Style: Scottish ale /80, my attempt at a Black Cuillin clone, ive not quite got the "heather honey" to shine yet but I'm working on it.
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 23 liters
Boil Size: 28.5 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.034
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)
Original Gravity: 1.045
Final Gravity: 1.011
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 21.15
SRM: 16

Fermentables
Amount Fermentable %
3.5 kg Golden Promise 79% I have used either Pale ale or Maris Otter.
0.5 kg CaraMunich I 11.3%
.25 kg Rolled oats 5.6%
.075 kg Chocolate malt 1.7%
.075 kg Roasted barley 1.7%
.030 kg Peated malt .07%
4.43 kg Total

Hops
Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU
10 g Challenger Pellet 8.5 Boil 45min 10.99
15 g Progress Pellet 6.25 Boil 30min 10.15

Mash Guidelines
Amount Description Type Temp Time
29 L Decoction 66 C 60 min
A medium body is how I like this for an easy drinking beer other wise its too heavy like a stout.

Yeast
Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Fermentation Temp:
18°C

Other
500g Honey
I've tried the honey in the boil, in the fermenter from the start and as bottle prime but next time I will, at the recommendation of Green-lobster, add it to "the secondary after the majority of other malt sugars have been utilized". I use what the local health store sells as organic honey.
Lightly roast the rolled oats before adding to the mash.
It should appear near black but is ruby red in the right light.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Looks really nice.

One trick with scotish ales is to boil your first runnings to caramelise them then add your remaining runnings.

 

[Beertard]

AHH yes forgot that, I do caramelise the first runnings, thanks. I've brewed this one five times now and developed it myself and I do like it.
It always turns out darker than the recipe calculator because of roasting the oats and the caramelising.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

That would be awsome brewed with w1728 Scottish yeast.

 

[Beertard]

I'll look for it at my local hbs.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Its a great yeast for this time of year because it works down to 13*c

 

[mje1980]

Oh my god, I've just been converted to Scottish ale yeast. I've got the white labs one, but I believe they're very similar. It's a cracking ale yeast, smooth n malty.

 

[Beertard]

My process for the oats in this brew, they give a nice toasty oat flavour and a bit of mouth feel.

Toast oats in a pan on the stove at low heat stiring enough so they don't burn, either a light toast or medium toast then add water and cook at above 82° until they release starch and start to go gelatenous,.

My thoughts, proper rolled oats not quick oats take fifteen minutes plus at hotter temp. then mashing to release starches, which is why I cook them before I put them in, so the starch is freely available for conversion at the begining of the mash.
It may not be required, you could just steep them for flavour and whatever starch they release will be converted by the enzymes but I pre cook my oats to get the most out of them.