Cats Meow 3
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Wee Heavy/Old Ale


Classification: Scottish ale, wee heavy, old ale, strong ale, all-grain

Source: Martin A. Lodahl (hpfcmr.fc.hp.com!hplabs!pbmoss!malodah) Issue #751, 10/30/91


It's confession time. This was intended to be a Scottish Wee Heavy, but works much better as an Old Ale. I just haven't quite captured that uniquely malty characteristic of Scotch ales, but I'm still trying. I tried smoking the crystal malt over a peat fire, which really wasn't terribly successful in imparting peaty flavors to the malt. Next time I'll get the peat really soggy; perhaps that will work better. It's rich, vinous, with complex port-like ethers and not a hint of astringency (a common hard-water problem) or off-flavors. Next time I brew it, though, I'll delete the wheat malt (plenty of head, for the style, without it) and the brown sugar (the vinousness is too much for a Scotch ale), substitute 2 pounds dextrine malt or flaked barley (still mulling this over) for an equal weight of pale malt, and smoke the cystal more heavily.

Ingredients:

Procedure:

Heat 18 quarts of mash water to 140 degrees, ph 5.3. Mash-in for 5 minutes at 130 degrees. Continue without a protein rest. Starch conversion of 60 minutes, 158-150 degrees. Mash-out for 5 minutes at 168 degrees. Sparge with 5 gallons water at 168 degrees, ph 5.7. Add brown sugar and boil for 90 minutes. Add boiling hops at 30 minutes. Dry hop with 1/2 ounce each of Willamette and Hallertauer 3 days after pitching, and bottled 4 weeks later.

Specifics: