Smoked Scotch Ale recipe check

[mosto]

Hi all,

After trying a few commercial Scottish Ales lately that have a peat smoke flavour to them, I'm keen to have a crack at brewing one. After checking the BJCP guidelines as a reference point, I see that peat smoke is not looked upon favourably in the style, or brewing in general it would seem. However, I've quite enjoyed the flavour in the few examples I've had, but a bit of research suggests a little goes a long way.

Primarily, I'm brewing this to my own taste (obviously), but I also keeping in mind the comp season which is almost upon us should it turn out worthy enough for entry. So, given the peat will throw it out of style for a Scottish Ale, if it turns out any good, I'd probably enter as a Classic Smoked Style, citing Scottish Export as the base. Anyway, here's what I've come up with, happy to here your thoughts. Plan on crushing grain tonight to brew after work tomorrow.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Smoke On The Water
Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Classic Style Smoked Beer
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 20 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 28 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.037
Efficiency: 60% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.015
ABV (standard): 4.88%
IBU (tinseth): 21.74
SRM (morey): 18.42
FERMENTABLES:
3.3 kg - United Kingdom - Golden Promise (61.1%)
1.5 kg - German - Munich Light (27.8%)
0.5 kg - Barrett & Burston Dark Crystal (9.3%)
0.05 kg - United Kingdom - Peated Malt (0.9%)
0.05 kg - United Kingdom - Roasted Barley (0.9%)
HOPS:
30 g - Fuggles, Type: Pellet, AA: 5.1, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 21.74
MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 68 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 30 L, Sacc rest
2) Temperature, Temp: 78 C, Time: 10 min, Amount: 0 L, Mash out
YEAST:
White Labs - Irish Ale Yeast WLP004
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 71.5%
Flocculation: Med-High
Optimum Temp: 18.33 - 20 C
Fermentation Temp: 18 C
Pitch Rate: 0.75 (M cells / ml / deg P)

Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2016-07-14 05:38 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2016-07-14 05:36 UTC

 

[Tex083]

Not sure where you are located but I brewed a "scotch ale" using a good wack of peated malt, 1kg in a 20L batch probably a 5kg malt bill. It's VERY smokey and gives the islay whisky impression, I also added a bit of caramel malts to balance the smoke with sweet. Low hopping rate. If your in Melbourne and want a beer let me know.
Oh I used Scottish ale yeast from Wyeast and it's a good yeast I like to use it on all my stouts and porters.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Pillar Of Red


Pillar Red

Batch Size (L): 22.00
Total Grain (kg): 4.88
Anticipated OG: 1.055
Anticipated EBC: 47.4
Anticipated IBU: 29.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 79 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


% Amount Name
---------------------------------------------------
82.1 4.00 kg. BB Ale Malt
13.3 0.65 kg. Weyermann Carared
4.1 0.20 kg. Weyermann Caraaroma
0.5 0.02 kg. JWM Roast Barley




Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. EKG Pellet 6.20 25.2 60 min.
16.00 g. EKG Pellet 6.20 4.5 20 min.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Boil the first runnings to get that scottish flavour


Gives that caramal flavour you can only get from boiling your first runnings

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

w1728 is THE YEAST for Scottish ales


.......w1728 is also awesome for Stout & Porter

 

[mosto]

Thanks for the replies.

I BIAB, so am unable to collect any first runnings to boil. I'm hoping the Golden Promise will lend a 'sweetness' to it. I've never used it before, but have read it is a sweeter base malt. That, combined with the dark crystal will hopefully get that caramel/toffee quality.

I've gone with WLP004, as I'm looking to settle on a yeast bank of 3-4 strains, and I'm thinking WLP004 for could be the all-rounder I'm after for darker ales. I've used it for a couple of Irish Reds and was really happy with the results, so I'm thinking it could do the trick for Porters and Scottish Ales as well.

 

[Yob]

Thanks for the replies.

I BIAB, so am unable to collect any first runnings to boil. I'm hoping the Golden Promise will lend a 'sweetness' to it. I've never used it before, but have read it is a sweeter base malt. That, combined with the dark crystal will hopefully get that caramel/toffee quality.

I've gone with WLP004, as I'm looking to settle on a yeast bank of 3-4 strains, and I'm thinking WLP004 for could be the all-rounder I'm after for darker ales. I've used it for a couple of Irish Reds and was really happy with the results, so I'm thinking it could do the trick for Porters and Scottish Ales as well.

Stu is on the money.. get some 1728, its an animal of a yeast.

 

[mosto]

No worries, I'll have to go with WLP004 tonight as that's all I have on hand, but I'll definitely try out 1728 and audition it as my 'dark allrounder'.

 

[sp0rk]

Thanks for the replies.

I BIAB, so am unable to collect any first runnings to boil. I'm hoping the Golden Promise will lend a 'sweetness' to it. I've never used it before, but have read it is a sweeter base malt. That, combined with the dark crystal will hopefully get that caramel/toffee quality.

I've gone with WLP004, as I'm looking to settle on a yeast bank of 3-4 strains, and I'm thinking WLP004 for could be the all-rounder I'm after for darker ales. I've used it for a couple of Irish Reds and was really happy with the results, so I'm thinking it could do the trick for Porters and Scottish Ales as well.

When you've finished your mash and have hoisted the bag/squeezed, take off around 2L into a pot and boil it on the stove until you've reduced it to about a schooner's worth
This will do more or less the same thing as reducing your first runnings
I do this with MOST of my UK beers and dark beers

 

[sp0rk]

Pillar Of Red


Pillar Red

Batch Size (L): 22.00
Total Grain (kg): 4.88
Anticipated OG: 1.055
Anticipated EBC: 47.4
Anticipated IBU: 29.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 79 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


% Amount Name
---------------------------------------------------
82.1 4.00 kg. BB Ale Malt
13.3 0.65 kg. Weyermann Carared
4.1 0.20 kg. Weyermann Caraaroma
0.5 0.02 kg. JWM Roast Barley




Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. EKG Pellet 6.20 25.2 60 min.
16.00 g. EKG Pellet 6.20 4.5 20 min.

The mrs picked me up some carared while she was in Coffs and I have 1728 on order with Brewman, very keen to get some of this made
Sadly don't have any Caraaroma though, might just have to sub it with medium crystal

 

[Danscraftbeer]

0.9% Peated Malt seems very light on. Never tried it though. I use Weyermann beech smoked and have used it up to 20%. That wasn't too much either. Still a background flavour at 10% in an IPA style. Depends on the type of beer, and the taster of the beer I guess. It a nice flavour but not obviously smokey to me. Definitely not an upfront flavour in say stout or porter at 20%. IMO
I'd make it 9% for the smoked malt. ymmv.

 

[Randai]

Recently did a scottish export with a whack of beechwood smoked malt from weyermann. Also I put in around 200g of heavy peated smoked malt from craft brewer. The reason being I had had the smoked malt from weyermann sitting around for some time and was thinking "well I want a smoked beer", hence the peat malt, and apparently smoked malt loses the smoke over time.

I have it carbing on tap at the moment. I've sampled it a few times. Its pretty smokey, maybe a touch too much hops if I must say, its a bit over the top.

Though I think some settling time might make it more agreeable, but as I screwed up my pipeline, I'll probably be drinking it in suboptimal condition.

So as far as everyone saying "peat malt is over the top", well I guess I can't agree so much. But I like smokey stuff in general, but like everything YMMV.

 

[Bribie G]

As an official Pom who grew my beer gland on many an Edinburgh beer and who has drunk all over Scotland I suspect that the use of smoked malt is an American Wank along the same lines as putting a wedge of lime in the neck of a Corona bottle.
Maybe a few Scottish breweries have jumped on the bandwagon, if so they should be deported after Independence next year.

 

[mosto]

Hmmm....your all slowly convincing me that I've gone a bit light on the Peated Malt. I'm thinking I may double it to 100 grams to make it around 2% of the grist. I certainly want to know it's there, but I don't want it to be over-powering either.

 

[Randai]

From what I've read smoked malt in a scottish beer isn't "to style". But eh, if you like smokey beers go for it.

Either way, my limited experience with it, doesn't seem over powering if you like smoke. Honestly with the grist I had which from memory.

56% Beech Smoked Malt - had laying around, thought it had no smoke flavour when chewing on it, I was totally wrong.
4% heavy peat malt - I added this in to bump up the smoke I thought
I did have some more base in there plus crystal.

But at those percentages I go "Yeah this has that bacony flavour", but honestly I can't tell you if I can detect the peat malt.

 

[MartinOC]

Peat is DEFINITELY "out of style" for Scottish/Scotch ales (in fact any smoke is). However, if you wanna make one, then go for it, mate - it's YOUR beer. Just go easy on peat & try beech or oak-smoked stuff instead.

Enjoy!!

 

[Brewman_]

The mrs picked me up some carared while she was in Coffs and I have 1728 on order with Brewman, very keen to get some of this made
Sadly don't have any Caraaroma though, might just have to sub it with medium crystal

Hey spork, just FYI, I have Caraaroma that you could get at the same time as the yeast, if you prefer to get the real thing.

Just sayn,


Cheers Steve

 

[sp0rk]

I was thinking that, but I wanted to brew on sunday, so it wouldn't be here by then
I could hold off a few weeks though, I guess

 

[Brewman_]

Spork, will PM you

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I have actually smoked base grain myself in the BBQ just as I do Beef Jerky or fish or other meats.
I layed it out on those foil bbq trays with lots of holes poked through the bottom. Turn it over and smoke for 30min to an hour.
Usually Hickory chips. Spray water mist over the grain to help adhere the smoke. Dayum the things we do for cooking/brewing etc. B)