RCE Collaboration, Foothiller/ FedoraDave, Strong Scotch Ale

[Foothiller]

FedoraDave and I have come up with our plan for a Strong Scotch Ale:

Style: Strong Scotch Ale
Batch: 2.25 gal, All Grain

Recipe Gravity: 1.071 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 24 IBU
Recipe Color: 19° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.018
Alcohol by Volume: 6.9%
Alcohol by Weight: 5.4%

Ingredients
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Biscuit (Belgian) [Aromatic, biscuit, nutty], 0.25 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 40L [Body, Caramel, Head, Sweet], 0.50 lb, Grain, Steeped
Honey Malt, 0.25 lb, Grain, Steeped
Maris Otter Malt [Nutty], 4.25 lb, Grain, Mashed
Munich [Amber to dark] [Malty, robust, sweet, nutty], 0.75 lb, Grain, Mashed
Roasted Barley [Burnt, Coffee, Grainy, Nutty, Roasted], 0.06 lb, Grain, Steeped

Kent Goldings (U.K.) - Aroma and dry hop intensely resiny, candy-like, sweet, slightly floral and spicy (7.2%) 0.75 oz, Pellet, 30 minutes

Irish Moss [Fining], 1/2 to 1 tsp
Wyeast 1728 - Scottish Ale Yeast, Temperature Range: 55°-75° F (ABV 12%) High Floculation

Note that the alpha acid content of hops varies, so you may need to adjust the amount of bittering hops based on actual percentage.

This is the first time brewing this style for each of us. I had a starting point for our discussions from previously considering this style, although it had not come closer in my actual brewing plans than about 4 months out. Dave has been great in suggesting refinements to my initial starting point, and we're both looking forward to seeing our result. We're both planning to brew this within the next 2 to 4 weeks, in my case before I lose winter temperatures, since from my reading this yeast does best at cool temperatures.

I'm sure we'll both report how our brewing goes, and how our result turns out a couple of months from now. As my fourth RCE, I really enjoy these collaborations, and have ended up with some great recipes from them.

[FedoraDave]

I'm going to get the ingredients Saturday and brew this up Sunday morning. I'll be using White Labs yeast, though, since my LHBS doesn't carry Wyeast. I don't think it'll make too much of a difference; the White Labs Edinburgh Ale yeast is comparable, from everything I've researched on it.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this beer turns out! I hope it'll become a standard offering at Fedora Brauhaus. It was great working with you, too, which is another reason I'm anticipating a really good beer.

[Foothiller]

It's fitting that you're beating me to brewing it! I checked that I have everything except the grains that shouldn't be milled more than a few days in advance. But after brewing my Vienna Lager last weekend, along with some smaller test batches and some things that are still aging in carboys, I would run out of room if I added anything this weekend! Too bad, since unlike most of this winter in California, the forecast is rainy.

[FedoraDave]

My primary concern is temperature. It's still really cold around here, so my basement is probably in the mid-50s. But it's 70 or above in the closet I'd use upstairs. So I'm not quite sure how best to work around that.

[jimjohson]

have you checked what the temp is on the top shelf (if you have any shelves in the basement) might be warmer up near the ceiling. warmth radiating from the room above.

[FedoraDave]

I'll have to check it and see. The weather has just been so brutally cold that the basement is a real icebox now. I'm toying with different ideas, and I'll have to check the range of the yeast and just do my best to work with it. I might be able to put some kind of a chamber together and use warm water bottles to keep it in the 60s.

Meatball brewing at its best.

[Kealia]

I dunno Dave, I'd skip the meatballs.

Unless you are Beer-lord. That guy will ferment anything

On a serious note, I hope this comes out well. It's not a Strong Scotch Ale but one of my favorite beers is the 90 Schilling Ale from ODell in Colorado.
I can only get it when I go out there, and I've been known to bring a six-pack home in my suitcase.

[Foothiller]

Dave, I'm not sure whether you need to be concerned about your temperature in the cool cellar. Wyeast 1728 Scottish yeast and White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh are said to be equivalent, but Wyeast says the temperature range is 55-75 F, while White Labs says it's best between 65-70 and does not ferment well below 62. Reading discussions on Homebrewtalk, one comment says he had perfect results at 68, one says he fermented at 48 with no problem, and others say they use mid 50s to low 60s. Comments say you get more esters at higher temperatures (not surprising), but the BJCP style guide says moderate esters (plums, raisins, dried fruit) are acceptable. For me, I think I'll be OK with expecting my temperature to be about 65 when my brewing time window is open. Any others have experience with these yeasts?

[FedoraDave]

It's all the way up to 78 now, and active fermentation is going on, so I think I'll move it down to the basement. It'll probably stay in the high 50s/low 60s during active fermentation.

[FedoraDave]

Checked on it this morning. It's at 60 degrees, although the basement is cooler than that, no doubt. Still bubbling away. I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

[FedoraDave]

I checked it again when I got home from work just now. It's at 58 degrees, and bubbling very intermittently. I filled a couple of water bottles with hot water and set them on either side of it. I cover my clear carboys with a black plastic garbage bag to keep light out, so I'm hoping I've created something like a little greenhouse with this. If it raises the temperature 4 or 5 degrees, that'll be fine.

Now I have to remember to check it before I go to bed tonight. And tomorrow morning. And when I get home from work tomorrow.....

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Foothiller]

Sounds like progress!

[FedoraDave]

It was around 62/64 this morning, so that's good. I don't know if I'm doing any harm causing these temperature swings, but any affect on the beer should be minimal, I'm guessing. I don't think the temp got too extreme. Fermentation has slowed to about a bubble every four or five seconds.

[Foothiller]

I got my brew bottled on Sunday. Pouring a couple of sips while bottling, it tasted similar to a Strong Scotch Ale that I had with dinner Saturday at Rubicon Brewing in Sacramento, so I'm looking forward to trying the final result in a month. This yeast turned out to be quite a beast: after mashing between 155-158 to get a full body, and fermenting at 68, it reached 76% attenuation in 2 days, and finished at 77% attenuation. Maybe I just haven't been observant enough before, but this was the first time I have seen yeast clumps swirling around the LBK during fermentation, while I checked the stick-on thermometer on the side of the LBK. The more complex sugars from the high mash temperature may have been slower to sparge, because I was still getting plenty of sugar at the end of my sparge, and got only 69% mash efficiency instead of my usual 75% or more. My wort was still cloudy after 3 weeks in the LBK, so I gave it 4 weeks before bottling, and then had a clear wort. These are just curiosities rather than issues, so I'm looking forward to the end result.

[FedoraDave]

Sad to report that I'm getting a vinegar taste out of mine that's been getting stronger as the bottles warm condition. I must have gotten an infection in there, so this batch may be destined for the drain. It's happened once before, with an altbier. So sad, because I really felt this was a good batch/recipe. I'll have to make it again ASAP, because I really want to see how it comes out.