Weelly Heavy Recipe

[sweed]

Hi guys,
I just brewed this one up. 5.25 gallons.

12 lbs light pilsen dme- 5lbs @ 60 min, 7 lbs @ 15 min
8 oz crystal 60
8 oz special B
2 oz roasted barley
4 oz smoked malt
1 oz northern brewer at 60 min
1 whirfloc at 15 min
White labs Edinburgh Scottish ale yeast
OG 1.105
Est. FG 1.026
10.3% abv
22 ibu's
20 srm

My lhbs didn't have peated malt, so I went for the smoked malt. I probably know 4 oz is nothing for this stuff, but I just wanted to see what that much did. I was told to use the whole pound.
The wort sample tasted awesome and sweet, I can't wait for this to be finished. It'll be prefect for the fall, if it makes it that long. I'm going to ferment for a month, then I'll bottle it. I almost was thinking about soaking some oak chips in bourbon and rack on top of those for a week, but I'm still not sure. I'll keep you updated.

 

[Cyclman]

I have a Wee Heavy brewed in Nov. hope it'll be awesome for next fall.

 

[sweed]

I have a Wee Heavy brewed in Nov. hope it'll be awesome for next fall.

I just noticed fall is only 5 months away, that would be 4 months in bottles, so it should be alright. By Thanksgiving it should be even better. I'll try to save this for a year but who knows. I really hope it turns out great.
I just got home from work and it's fermenting at a nice 66°. It hadn't 'started', or I didn't see any notable signs of fermenting this morning, but it's chugging along nicely now.

 

[logan3825]

With that much extract I think your FG may end up higher than you intended.

 

[sweed]

With that much extract I think your FG may end up higher than you intended.

If it ends a few points higher I won't mind. All my other higher brews have finished where they were supposed to, so we'll see in about a month!

 

[Calder]

It's Edinburgh!

If the smoked malt is not peated, you will not notice 4 ozs. You probably want about 3 lbs of most other smoked malts to be similar to 4 ozs of peat smoked malt.

That yeast strain might get you down where you want.

 

[sweed]

It's Edinburgh!

If the smoked malt is not peated, you will not notice 4 ozs. You probably want about 3 lbs of most other smoked malts to be similar to 4 ozs of peat smoked malt.

That yeast strain might get you down where you want.

Haha, my b!
I knew it wasn't peated, but figured I would throw some in there just to see what, if anything, happens. I'll look for peated malt somewhere else and try that.
It's still going to town at about 68. No blow off issues, I think because the ambient temperature is always low when I start to ferment big beers.

 

[sweed]

Almost 3 weeks in, it's still bubbling in the blow off about every second. It's been doing this for the past few weeks. I was planning on bottling this after 4 weeks, but if there is still active fermentation going on, I think I'll leave it for a few more weeks.

I want to use this yeast for another beer I think. What would be good to drop on top of it? Would an imperial stout work? I already have an imperial stout in bottles aging with vanilla and bourbon thats sitting at 13%, but I could always use more! I think a 10% RIS would do nicely. I have a porter fermenting now, and that yeast will be used for a huge barleywine.

Edit: I think I am going to wash and save this yeast and use an american ale yeast for a ten-fidy clone I am going to brew up on Homebrewing day 5/4!!
I've never washed yeast, so I'll have to buy some mason jars or something.

 

[logan3825]

4 weeks is way to soon for a beer that big.

I would not save the yeast from a big beer. They generally end up stressed and not very healthy.

 

[sweed]

4 weeks is way to soon for a beer that big.

I would not save the yeast from a big beer. They generally end up stressed and not very healthy.

For my 12-13% imperial stouts I gave them a month and the FG was good. I did secondary them also though. I was planning just to bottle these right from the primary as long as the FG is good, so think it should be. I'll be too busy this weekend to bottle, as I'm going to be brewing on Saturday, and maybe bottling a cider. So I can keep it for another few weeks easily in the primary. I'm excited to see how this one turns out.

 

[sweed]

I finally got around to bottling this. The FG is 1.029, so I did finish a little higher than expected, for a solid 10% brew. The sample is very good. I'm getting some dark fruit, little toffee, some tiny roast with that Scottish yeast. Its really complex trying to get all those flavors, and I think I nailed what I was going for. The only thing I wish I had some peat malt for a little smokiness, because I got nothing for that little bit of smoked malt, which was expected. If this was racked on some oak for a little while, it would make it fantastic I think. Just some notes for future batches.
I'll be hiding this away for this fall/ winter. I really like the color on this also.

 

[unionrdr]

Be vewee vewee cawfull...He's makin wewee heavy...hahahahahaha! Looks great in the glass. One of these days I'll find one better than Sam Adams...

 

[sweed]

Be vewee vewee cawfull...He's makin wewee heavy...hahahahahaha! Looks great in the glass. One of these days I'll find one better than Sam Adams...

I've only had a few Scottish ales. A good one is shipyard's double Scottish ale (I think it's called) aged in oak barrels. Very good, the second one I had tasted bad, almost like vinegar not sure what happened there. Oskar blues Scottish ale is good. I'll Jane to look for the Sam's one.
Some other I wasn't a fan off, they almost tasted skunked, the real ones from over seas?

I think I'll be happy with this.I'll try a bottle maybe I'm a month.

 

[unionrdr]

Thanks for the heads up. I'd like to find one that doesn't taste funky/dirty. Like it was aged in peat or something that adulterates that particular flavor.
Not sure what's going on there,but fresh aughta be great.

 

[sweed]

I decided to try one tonight. I put one in the fridge last night. It's been 2 weeks, and I've got to say it's already good, not much head of course, but carbonation is good. The flavor is very nice, and even the aroma is good. I have a feeling in 6 months this will turn out great. I could drink these now and like them. But, they'll have to wait. I'll try one every month or so, I can't drink much until November, lol.

 

[unionrdr]

It'll def take a couple months to condition properly. Patience is key.

 

[sweed]

It'll def take a couple months to condition properly. Patience is key.

Definitely! I might have to store these at my parents house like I did with my vanilla imperial stout. I also have a ten fidy clone I need to bottle soon, and I have a huge barleywine that I'll be putting in the secondary as soon as it finishes to a respectable gravity, then bulk age that for months...I have a lot of big beers, lol.

Brewing that cream ale today!

 

[unionrdr]

Well,how about just boxing them up in a corner of the basement? At home,but out of sight,out of mind...

 

[sweed]

Well,how about just boxing them up in a corner of the basement? At home,but out of sight,out of mind...

I live in a small apartment, or that's where they would go!
At the parents, in their cool dark basement is out of sight, out of mind.