So I bought a Scottish wee heavy from the local Total Wine. I wanted to try it before I attempted to brew such a monster beer. Well as it turns out, I love the flavor... But the aroma, not so much. Has anyone else had this kind of encounter with a beer? Home brew or otherwise? Like the flavor, but not the aroma? When I brew one of these is it just what I have to deal with for this particular kind of beer or can you flip the aroma by using a non standard hops?
Scottish wee heavy opinions?
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You should be able to modify the aroma to suite your palate - just the same as any other beer. Were you able to specifically pin-point the aroma you didn't like? I personally do not like an overly smokey scotch ale, which would be more about modifying the grain selection than tweaking the hops. If you can identify the aroma, maybe someone can help with the source and you can go from there.
BradleyBrew
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yeah some Scottish Ale recipes can be heavy on the peated malt. I would really use that in moderation.
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Make the world a better place, and leave out the smoked malt.
A Wee Heavy should get it's aroma from the malt. Shouldn't be much hop aroma to speak of.
A Wee Heavy should get it's aroma from the malt. Shouldn't be much hop aroma to speak of.
Grinder12000
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Scottish should never have anything smoked in it.
acuenca
Well-Known Member
Grinder12000 said:
Huh? 1728 yeast gives a smokey under tone at low temps...and I thought that was part of the usual flavor profile of a wee heavy...no?
exactly!
what was the aroma that you didn't like? was it yeast? a lot of ales from the British isles can have a little bit of funk in the aroma, but are very pleasant to drink. if you make one, you could try using a cleaner fermenting yeast, but that may take away from the overall impression of the beer.
I brewed a golden belgian that I loved the taste, but the smell was nasty. Other people didn't think it smelled as bad as I did, but they may have been trying to be nice.
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Yes, and I hope I never again am offered a Scotch Ale that is full of smoked malt because the brewer was unaware of that fact.
That goes for you too, Sam Adams.
acuenca
Well-Known Member
So just no added smoked malt? Ok ok... I thought that everyone was saying that it should have no smoked flavor aroma nothing...gotcha...
Draken
Well-Known Member
It was a from the French Broad Brewing Co. Wee-Heavy-Er Scottis Ale. I could not identify the smell exactly. It might have been something in the malt, but it was definately the aroma that bothered me. The taste was fabulous, very light smoke flavor, and a bit heavier than a normal scottish ale (as would be expected). Oh well. I may just have to go find one from a different brewer and give it a shot.
Cosmicbrew
Member
I am about to bottle my Wee Heavy. I used 30 grams of peated malt. Very very light flavor. Do not over peat it or you will have a malty rouche beer. There is a big debate on smokiness in wee heavies. 6 an 1/2 dozen if you ask me. I love just a hint of smoke, I mean just a tiny bit; it really opens up the malt flavors.
I used Edinburg yeast from white labs (primed for 24 hours)
I only used Fuggel hops (2 oz: 1 oz at boil, .5 at 30, .5 at 60)
this is for a 5 gallon batch.
Have fun with it, The scots would
I used Edinburg yeast from white labs (primed for 24 hours)
I only used Fuggel hops (2 oz: 1 oz at boil, .5 at 30, .5 at 60)
this is for a 5 gallon batch.
Have fun with it, The scots would
keesh
Well-Known Member
In John Palmer's/Jamil's book 'Brewing Classic Styles' they (Jamil) repeat consistently that peated malt should never be used in scottish beers. The smokey flavor, according to him, could be from the malt/malt sweetness, a slight oxidation perceived as smoky/earthy tones, or even possibly the type of water of yeast. However the fact remains that peat smoked malt shouldn't be used in this style, but unfortunately it has become an expected flavor/aroma because of this myth.
bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/12-12-12-wee-heavy-recipe-formulation-271379/
Join us my brothers... There is still time
Join us my brothers... There is still time
leymanalff
New Member
Scottish should never have anything smoked in it.
I leave the peat /smoked malt completely out....can't stand it. My wee heavy recipe looks like:
78% 2-row
10% munich
5.5% C-80
5.5% C-40
1% Black patent
Mash around 151
20 ibu nugget @ 60
1 IBU cascade @ 15
I prefer just using US-05, but a good hearty clean yeast will work. It's an awesome recipe!
OG 1.084
FG around 1.015
78% 2-row
10% munich
5.5% C-80
5.5% C-40
1% Black patent
Mash around 151
20 ibu nugget @ 60
1 IBU cascade @ 15
I prefer just using US-05, but a good hearty clean yeast will work. It's an awesome recipe!
OG 1.084
FG around 1.015
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If you like it, more power to you. I'm just curious what about that recipe is Scottish.
Do you at least use English malt? Cascade? I'm just a little confused.
bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
20 lbs Maris Otter
4 ounces Roasted Barley
1.5 ounces EGK
Kettle carmelization of the first runnings
Thats how you do it
4 ounces Roasted Barley
1.5 ounces EGK
Kettle carmelization of the first runnings
Thats how you do it
that's not a wee heavy recipe.
check out what this guy has to say.....this is also interesting. do some reading on that blog site about Scottish style ales, there's nothing about smoked anything in historical examples of this type of ale, no matter the '/-' rating of the beer.
OP, some good examples of Scottish brewed Scottish style ale are Orkney's Skull Splitter (a 'wee') and their Dark Island (~80/-). Bellhaven makes a decent ~70/- simply called Bellhaven Scottish Ale. these beers are a far cry from the smokey, boozy, dark ales American breweries label as 'wee heavy' and Scotch ale.
Not sure how that recipe doesn't fit....swap the cascade/base malt if it makes you happy(its what I had on hand for the last brew session), can't taste the 15 minute addition anyway, its only .15 oz.
As you can see I'm not a strict brewer, but that recipe is a "wee heavy" category GABF gold medal winner, so it's good enough too fool the judges. I think the original recipe called for a british strain......I don't normally have that style on hand.
Your links are not working for me...anyone else having problems?
it's not a wee heavy due to the american malt, hops and mainly the yeast. the links work fine, but if you can't get to the site linked, it's http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com, just search 'wee heavy' or 'twelve guinea'.
not to be argumentative, but i doubt that recipe scored well in the Scottish ale category. maybe a similar recipe with the right base malt, hops and yeast, but brewed like that i'm guessing it'd be too clean, dry and the malt flavors would've been too 'american' to fit the style.
TarheelBrew13
Well-Known Member
40watt said:
BJCP guidelines 9e specifically state that peat and/or smoke aromas may be present.
This is always a contentious issue with Wee Heavies but we shouldn't tell people there Scotch Ale isn't true to style by its presence or lack thereof. You may not like peat or smoke in your Scotch Ales but I can't get enough.
Also, going through the comments it appears that people have some confusing about this style. The OP is talking about making a Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy not a Scottish Ale. There is a big difference between those two beers. It's like me telling you I'm making an IPA and you telling me Pale Ales shouldn't be that's hoppy cause you like Bass.
To the OP, French Broad's Wee-Heavier is a fantastic brew. I applaud your recognition of its yumminess. They do use a peat smoked malt in that beer so that is likely the aroma you are perceiving. If you like the smoke but not the peat, try swapping that grain for a non-peat smoked malt. Good luck on your beer and I salute your appreciation of this misunderstood style.
ReverseApacheMaster
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You should put whatever you want in your beer. If you want peat malt, use it. If not, don't.
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That's cool, but I don't want to drink a Wee Heavy with peat smoked malt in it. I like a good smoked porter, and I'll bet there are other smoked beers I would dig. Just leave my Wee Heavy alone please. After aging it might be tolerable.
