Legendary Mike Brown's Spruce Ale

Classification: spiced ale, spruce beer, extract

Source: Mike Ligas (LIGAS@SSCvax.CIS.McMaster.CA) Issue #733, 9/27/91

I didn't like this beer at first because I felt that a spruce essence was lacking in the flavour. However, two months in the bottle cured that problem and the beer was exquisite and "sprucey" and improved with further aging.

Ingredients:

3.3 pounds, Steel City Ale Kit
2.2 pounds, John Bull plain light malt extract
1.1 pounds, plain light dried malt extract
1/3 pound, crushed chocolate malt
1/4 pound, crushed crystal malt
6 ounces, fresh spring spruce sprigs (boil)
8 spruce sprigs (finishing)
2 cups, culture of Munton & Fison Ale yeast

Procedure:

Place Crystal and chocolate malts in 1 gallon cold water and raise temperatire to 158 degrees and immediately strain into the brew kettle and sparge with 2 cups of 158 degree water. Add malt extracts and water to bring volume to 6 gallons. Add boiling sprigs when boil begins and boil for 60 minutes. Add finishing sprigs and boil for 3 minutes. Chill via wort chiller. Pitch yeast at 68 degrees. Single stage ferment in glass for 14 days then bottle using 1 cup corn sugar to prime.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.046
Primary Ferment: 14 days