011. Shawn's Scotch Ale

Formulations for scotch ales very, but they all start with a pale malt or pale extract base, generally making up about 70-80% of the grain bill. Crystal malt is used in both commercial and homebrewed recipes making up from 5-10% of the grain bill. Black or roast malt provide color and character in the 2% range, though most purists prefer roast malt over black malt.

Interestingly almost all commercial examples use either wheat malt or sugar in the 5-10% range, though sugar is rarely added to homebrewed versions. Other commonly added homebrew grains in small amounts include chocolate malt, cara pils for body, munich and amber malts though these are not commonly added to commercial browns. [Ref: Daniels]

There is no specific hops tied to the scotch style, though low alpha traditional English or Continental hops are considered most appropriate. Goldings, Williamette and Fuggles are often used commercially, though noble hops such as Hallertauer or Saaz can also be used. Bitterness and hop flavor should be kept to a minimum, so use just enough hops to balance the malt.

The selection of scotch yeast is not as important as the fermentation method. Scotch ales are fermented at much lower temperatures (50-60F) than traditional ales, and the fermentation can take several weeks to complete as a result. After fermentation the ale is cold aged to aid in clarity. This produces a very malty but clean beer profile. You also want to select a low attenuation yeast that can handle the lower temperatures.

Though Edinburgh is famous for its pale ales and hard water, high sulfate water is not a critical element in brewing scotch ale and in fact can be detrimental as it brings out the hop sharpness too much. I personally recommend a moderate neutral water profile low in sulfates that will support the malty base and not enhance the hops excessively.

Own notes: Soak oak chips in single malt scotch for a week, while in primary. Add to primary. Birthday gift: beer and scotch!

BIAB Procedure

Brew365 calculator.

Parameters:
Batch size 3.2 g
Trub loss 0.5 g
Mash thickness 1.5qts/lb
Grain temp 70 f
Wort shrinkage 4%
Grain absorption 0.13g/lb
Boil off 15%

1. Start with strike water of 8.82L (2.33G) @ 166.33F.
   
2. Put in 6.2 lbs of grains.
   
3. Sach Rest at 155F for 60 mins.
   
4. Assuming grain absorption of 0.13G/lb (0.806), should end up with 1.52G in brew kettle.
   
5. Prepare for dunk sparge by adding 11.43L (3.02G) to secondary brew kettle. Add grain bag for 15 minutes @ 170F. Squeeze.
   
6. Begin partial mash out in primary brew kettle for 15 minutes @ 170F.
   
7. Add sparge water to primary brew kettle. This should result in 4.5G of pre-boil wort.
   
8. Begin boil as usual
   
   Mash started at 158, went down to 153 @ 30 mins. 151 @ 10 mins.
   
   Didnt factor in partial mash with extract additions. Post-boil wort was 3.9 gallons - which estimates a 6.7% abv. Good enough.
   
   Looks like efficiency was super low...maybe because of the partial mash? I shoulvde read about it beforehand.
   
   Added 3 oz (6 Tbsp) of Johnny Walker Red and very fine oak chips. Keep sealed in fridge for 5-7 days. Put in Monday-Wednesday.
   
   First taste on 10/26 - two weeks after bottling. App: Much darker then I expected - it is a deep reddish brown. Minimal head, might change with more time in bottles. Aroma: A very sharp and crisp malty aroma with notes of oak and lots of scotch. Taste: Kind of like a maltier, weaker scotch. Perfect. MF: Medium body, medium-low carbonation.
   
   Second taste on 11/10 - four weeks after bottling. App: Dark brown with deep ruby highlights.. Minimal head. Aroma: Scotch still comes though. Slightly smoky with deep caramel. Taste: Full and sweet taste with hints of single malt scotch and caramel. No hop bitterness. MF: Medium-low carbonation. Medium viscosity. Overall: Wish it had greater head retention, but usually this style doesn't. Maybe add carapils next time. Quite delicious though, with a burst of flavour. Scotch isn't quite as strong as I suspected.
   
   Description: This clean, malt-forward beer aged on scotch-soaked oak chips will leave you oddly refreshed. Dark brown in colour with deep ruby highlights, you will taste hints of single malt scotch and caramel with no hop bitterness. Brewed as an homage to my older brother's birthday and his affinity for scotch, the twenty-four bottles of this limited edition release will be gone quickly. 5.9% abv, 24 IBUs.