What do you look for in a heavy?

[neilpcraven]

Hi all,
There's a local brewing competition coming up and there's only one category: Strong Scottish Ale (wee heavy). I'm tempted to have a go.

As someone who drank a lot of Belhaven, Inveralmond and Harviestoun stuff in my younger days, I would tend to just take a classic line and brew to the book. I'm not really versed in "tasting" though and can only describe what I don't like in a strong scottish beer - I don't like it cloyingly sweet and I don't want to taste american C hops in it.

What do you like in a pint of heavy?

 

[graysalchemy]

Traditionally heavies are low in IBU's dont have much hop aroma. The other characteristic is that the first runnings are caramalised.

This is my traquair house clone

Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Pale Malt 5 EBC 36 lbs. 2.5 oz 16400 grams 91.1%
Roasted Barley 1350 EBC 0 lbs. 6.9 oz 195 grams 1.1%
Wheat Malt 3.5 EBC 1 lbs. 8.6 oz 700 grams 3.9%
Flaked Oats 0 EBC 1 lbs. 8.6 oz 700 grams 3.9%


Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Golding Whole 5.7 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 3.5 oz 99 grams 50%
Golding Whole 5.7 % 35 mins 0 lbs. 3.5 oz 99 grams 50%


Final Volume: 55 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.072
Final Gravity: 1.017
Alcohol Content: 7.3% ABV
Total Liquor: 81.5 Litres
Mash Liquor: 45 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 36.8377653410899 EBU
Colour: 48 EBC


Finally use wlp029 Edinburgh Yeast, it really makes a difference.

The beer is not cloyingly sweet though it has a toffee almost ameretto biscuit sweetness to it but it is balanced with the alcohol. This one ended up 9.5% due to increased efficiency with the overnight mash and the use of crisps pale malt. If I did it again I would lower the abv to around 7%.

It is certainly one of my favourite beers unfortunately you can't drink to pints of it without the wife noticing. :lol: :lol:

 

[neilpcraven]

Thanks!
That looks a lot like I was going to do, except I have an open bag of fuggles I was going to mix with goldings and throw in a handful of Special B - not much, but I've got an open bag of it that needs used and it might add a bit of fruitiness.

Good call on the oats as well!

 

[graysalchemy]

I like oats in beer.

I think the original recipe is 99% pale and 1% roasted barley, buit I wanted to add oats and wheat malt so I used an equivalent of 4% each (give or take).

Take note of the hops there are no late additions and there are only 36 IBU in a beer which has an og of 1072 (well it was more than that ) that gives a low BU:GU ratio, but it is enough.

The caramelising is the key to a traditional heavy IMHO. I took the first 1 gallon (out of 12) from the first runnings and caramelised for nearly the length of the boil until I had a couple of pints of thick caramelised wort.

Special B would be nice but don't over do it especially if you are planning on caramelising.

I was surprised how well this beer tasted after a few months however 18 months later it is wonderful and I expect still to be drinking it at Christmas time this year as well. :thumb:

 

[calumscott]

I like oats

I like my oats too.

(But a toddler and a newborn have put paid to that )

 

[neilpcraven]

I like oats

I like my oats too.

(But a toddler and a newborn have put paid to that )

 

[graysalchemy]

I like my oats too.

(But a toddler and a newborn have put paid to that )

And after number 2 you may wish to get a bit of a distaste for oats for a while and take up a hobby instead..................

One that's less expensive :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[neilpcraven]

Question on the recipe: 90 min boil time?

 

[neilpcraven]

Also, I plugged that into Beersmith and it only gave me a colour of 28EBC - did I miss something? Is it the longer boil and caramelised runnings that give you the darkness?

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes the caramelising will make it a deep ruby brown/red. I would give it a 90 minute boil. :thumb:

 

[neilpcraven]

What a time to find out that the only brew store in town doesn't stock roasted barley :/

 

[graysalchemy]

How do they expect you to make a stout. You could use black malt at a push but I would use one of our forum sponsors and buy online. :thumb:

 

[neilpcraven]

How do they expect you to make a stout. You could use black malt at a push but I would use one of our forum sponsors and buy online. :thumb:

Haha well, I'm in southern brazil so access to forum sponsors is limited.

However, asking a local brewer it seems they brew stores don't import it because you can buy it cheaper in the supermarket as caffiene-free coffee substitute!

 

[graysalchemy]

Sorry I didn't realise your location.

Hehe that sounds like a plan. I suppose roasted barley is quite coffee like in a away. :thumb: