Scottish Ale -- Looking for feedback

[borden]

I posted a recipe a week or two ago for a Scottish 80/- that I ended up not brewing (opting to fill my last bucket with an all-Cascade pale ale instead). I now have another bucket open, and I've read a bit more on some of the grains and hops out there in the Scottish brewing world (thanks, Michael Jackson!), so I've adjusted my recipe and would appreciate any feedback people have to offer. I'm not really sure what I'm expecting, beyond a very well-balanced, sessionable Scottish pub-style ale. I lived in Edinburgh for a year and a half and I miss the beer!

Here's what I've come up with:

PARTIAL MASH (154F 60 min mash, expecting 60% efficiency with my method)

4.5 lbs Golden Promise
2 lbs Muntons Light DME
12 oz Caramel 60
8 oz Amber Malt
4 oz Dark Wheat Malt

1 oz US Fuggles (4.8% AA) 60 min
1 oz US Golding (4.5% AA) 10 min
1 oz US Fuggles (4.8% AA) Flameout

Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale

BeerCalculus provides this:

OG: 1.038 - 1.044
FG: 1.011 - 1.013
Color: 10 SRM
Bitterness: 23 IBU
ABV: ~4.1% (at 60% eff.)

Being new to recipe formulation, this looks tasty and well balanced to me, but I'd certainly appreciate any remarks at all about things you might like, not like, or change in your shoes. Thanks!

 

[zgoda]

I don't know how close to style profile you want to be, but Scottish beers get hops only for bittering. Also, the grain bill usually consists of pale malt and medium crystal 40-60L (if not pale only) plus small amout of roasted barley for color, ~1oz should be enough. Traditionally there was no crystal malt, kettle caramelization was used to get caramel flavours.

Commercial examples are often brewed with adjuncts like torrefied wheat or corn.

I think you miss only ~1oz roasted barley here. It will give you fantastic dry finish and appropriate color with reddish hue.

 

[borden]

Good feedback! I included the Amber and Dark Wheat as that's what Caledonian 80/- from Edinburgh uses, according to my Michael Jackson book. However, I think I might remove that Caramel 60, throw in the ounce of roasted, and do a boil-down of some of the wort to get the caramelized flavor. I'll tinker in BeerCalculus, in any case.

Thanks for the help.

 

[borden]

Alright, I made some changes. Now thinking:

PARTIAL MASH (154F 60 min mash, expecting 60% efficiency with my method)

5 lbs Golden Promise
3 lbs Muntons Amber DME
4 oz Dark Wheat
1 oz Roasted Barley

1.5 oz US Golding (AA 4.5%) 60 min
.5 oz US Golding (AA 4.5%) 10 min

Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale

BeerCalculus provides this:

OG: 1.045 - 1.052
FG: 1.013 - 1.015
Color: 9 SRM
Bitterness: 24 IBU
ABV: ~4.7% (at 60% eff.)

This is a slightly maltier take. I want some hops towards the end so it's not all malt -- plenty of good Scottish ales, like the Caledonian 80/-, have definite hops aroma and bite. But I don't mind being a bit more malt forward than them. This seems like a decent compromise. Any thoughts?

 

[jonmohno]

Why would you post a recipe on the recipe forum without trying it first? It sounded good?

 

[borden]

Why would you post a recipe on the recipe forum without trying it first? It sounded good?

Is that a serious question?

EDIT: Just so we're clear, you know this is the recipe/ingredients forum, not the database, right?

 

[bjl110]

Let me know if it turns out well (looks good to me, but I know ~nothing). Went to Edinburg a couple years ago and fell in LOVE with Caledonian 80/-. I'd love a close recipe!

 

[borden]

Let me know if it turns out well (looks good to me, but I know ~nothing). Went to Edinburg a couple years ago and fell in LOVE with Caledonian 80/-. I'd love a close recipe!

Will do. I worked at a pub there for a while and poured my share of pints -- the cask ales and 70/- and 80/- were the best, but I didn't appreciate them enough til the end.

I suspect my recipe will come out maltier, but I'm just hoping to do something less dark and rich than a lot of American takes on Scottish brews, but that still incorporates some of those trademark elements.

I'll try to brew this within a week, and will be sure to update. Cheers.

 

[zgoda]

BTW, here's my Scottish Export recipe -> http://hopville.com/recipe/568594/scottish-export-80---recipes/szkocki-export

Beer was very tasty yet still far from Belhaven 80/-.

 

[Bob]

Okay, you made a few too many changes for me to track.

First, I wonder why you switched from light to amber extract, while talking about getting rid of the crystal. Domestic Amber extract has crystal/caramel malt in it.

Second, you said that Amber malt was one of the signature grist ingredients of the target flavor profile, then you cut it. Did you think it's in Amber extract? It's not.

Third, you significantly increased the OG.

Were this my beer, I'd stick to Light/Pale extract, put the Amber malt back in, and brew it, keeping the hops profile of the revised recipe.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[borden]

Okay, you made a few too many changes for me to track.

First, I wonder why you switched from light to amber extract, while talking about getting rid of the crystal. Domestic Amber extract has crystal/caramel malt in it.

Second, you said that Amber malt was one of the signature grist ingredients of the target flavor profile, then you cut it. Did you think it's in Amber extract? It's not.

Third, you significantly increased the OG.

Were this my beer, I'd stick to Light/Pale extract, put the Amber malt back in, and brew it, keeping the hops profile of the revised recipe.

Cheers!

Bob

I did think Amber DME would have amber malt in it, so that's good to know.

This is helpful stuff. I just want to get this recipe as tasty as possible for devoting time and money on it. Thanks!