Scottish Session Ale
This recipe was brought about by the request for a session beer that would fit well with a winter themed party. The hosts of the party had tried my Scottish Wee Heavy (based on ohiobrewtus' Kiltlifter Wee Heavy recipe) and enjoyed it, so they wanted something similar. Lowering the gravity of the wort will be the easy part, the hard part will be maintaining a proper flavor profile and mouthfeel with so little grain.
The even more challenging bit, however, will be convincing the crowd of Robert Burns revelers that craft beer is a good substitute for poetry or song! As every year, my truly Scottish neighbor invites us all to celebrate the life of a great drinker and lover of mirth; Robert Burns. This unique and truly fantastic party requires that each guest entertain the crowd in some way fitting of ol' Rabbie. Copious amounts of food, beer and whiskey flow and a gorgeous haggis will be present. The haggis, of course, must also be Addressed and thanked for its beauty and deliciousness.
Flaked oats and a higher mash temperature will be the keys to unlocking a fuller bodied, lighter, version of the Kiltlifter.
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Style & Targets
Scottish Ale
4.5% abv @ 5 gallons
Ingredients
8 lbs 2-Row
12 oz Flaked Oats
8 oz Crystal 60
4 oz Aromatic Malt
4 oz Biscuit Malt
4 oz Peat Smoked Malt
1.6 oz Black Patent
1.6 oz Black Barley
1.5 oz East Kent Goldings Hops (60 mintues)
0.5 oz East Kent Goldings Hops (15 minutes)
0.25 oz Fuggles Hops (15 minutes)
1 tsp Irish Moss (15 minutes)
0.75 oz Fuggles Hops (5 minutes)
White Labs #028 Edinburugh Ale Yeast
*Recipe calculated with BeerSmith 2.0 - The best brewing software around*
Procedure
Mashed 13 qt at 156 F for 60 minutes
Sparged with 5.25 gal at 178 F (brings my mash up to 168 - 170 F very nicely)
Brought to boil, followed hop schedule, chilled, siphoned off to bucket and pitched yeast.
OG: 1.049
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The batch is happily bubbling away this morning so the first hurdle was passed. Once the beer is done, kegged and cooled I will update this post and let you know if my attempt to create a lighter beer with good body was a success.
Update: The beer was a huge hit at the party and it got a pretty wide ranged seal of approval from about 30 tasters. Hooray for successful experiments! We used the Portable Party Keg System to dispense the beer away from home.
Cheers