Wee heavy recipes

[MrRook]

97-98% golden promise malt
2-3% roast barley
20-25 IBUs of East Kent holdings
Wyeast Scottish ale yeast.

 

[Kveik Freak]

Jamil talks a little about peated malt (or lack of it) wrt Scottish ales in BCS:

Good point. Sensory perceptions can be influenced by what we expect to be there.

Another example is here, from a book published in 1822 in London but containing letters written in the 1720s ascribed to Edward Burt. He says plain as day that Scottish common ale was smoky from use of peat, turf, or furze to prepare the malt. The way he writes, it is clear that by then English ale did not have the taste – he notes the Scottish taste as something unusual and acquired due to custom.

Go far enough back and most common ale would have been a bit smokey. Peat, turf and furze (gorse) were the fuels used by the very poor. Wood or coal would have been too expensive for many folk to malt with.

There's an excellent book called The Scots Cellar by F. Marian McNeill which collates a great deal of historical information about the drink produced in Scotland and the customs surrounding it at various times in its history.

The recipes in it are a bit suspect though- F. Marian McNeill was a folklorist not a cook or a brewer.

Briefly, the 16th century hops seem to have become common in England but not Scotland, where ale was still mostly being produced by brewsters (alewives). There are records of hops being used by the wealthy, who weren't shy about importing expertise from abroad either.

This completely changes in the 1700s, when the historical big names were established with finance. The cottage industry was driven out of business and from that point until craft brewing started to take off in the 1960s the whole industry is dominated by large industrial breweries.

It's all fascinating stuff. I'm into medieval reenactment and am interested in eventually trying to do some gruit-type ales to take to events to share with friends.

 

[Kveik Freak]

By the way, this might be a wee bit off topic in this thread but I have a load of resources bookmarked about medieval brewing and the history of brewing in Scotland and northwestern Europe. If there's interest then I'm happy to post them in a thread like I did for kveik.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Go far enough back and most common ale would have been a bit smokey.

But this thread is not talking about common ale from "far enough back"- we're talking about a style that is based on a single "industrial" beer from the 19th century or later, in the Central Belt, where there's not much peat but there's plenty of coal.

And straw-burning or wind drying were always preferred where they were an option, even going back to the 13th century - and you don't get much smoke from them.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Peated malt tastes *rank* in beers. Rauchmalt seems to be the way to go if you want smokiness.

Peated malt works fine - you just have to use far less of it than German smoked malts, 2-3% is enough for most people (but I seem to be quite sensitive to something in smoked beers which other people enjoy, so there is obviously some kind of genetic element to it as well).

 

[Kveik Freak]

Peated malt works fine - you just have to use far less of it than German smoked malts, 2-3% is enough for most people (but I seem to be quite sensitive to something in smoked beers which other people enjoy, so there is obviously some kind of genetic element to it as well).

Thanks, that's good info.

 

[foxbat]

This is Jamil's recipe for a Wee Heavy from BYO. I think the BCS version is a little different but I don't have it to hand.

McZainasheff’s Wee
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.099 FG = 1.026 IBU = 28 SRM = 20 ABV = 9.7%

Ingredients
17.8 lbs. (8.1 kg) British pale ale malt
17.6 oz. (0.5 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) Munich malt (8 °L)
7 oz. (0.2 kg) crystal malt (120°L)
1.8 oz. (50 g) roasted barley (500 °L)
6.5 AAU Kent Golding hops (60 min.) (1.3 oz./37 g at 5% alpha acids)
2 AAU Kent Golding hops (10 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 5% alpha acids)
1 tsp Irish moss (optional)
White Labs WLP028 (Edinburgh Ale) or Wyeast 1728 (Scottish Ale) yeast

Whilst I'm sure that makes a great beer it does smack of the typical US kitchen-sink approach to ingredients that simply would not have happened "back in the day". My only surprise is that they held back on the hops to only one variety and two additions.

 

[Sadfield]

Peated malt works fine - you just have to use far less of it than German smoked malts, 2-3% is enough for most people (but I seem to be quite sensitive to something in smoked beers which other people enjoy, so there is obviously some kind of genetic element to it as well).

Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude uses 100% Peated Malt and is very nice. Particularly if you like Islay whisky. Horses for courses.

 

[JonBrew]

Whilst I'm sure that makes a great beer it does smack of the typical US kitchen-sink approach to ingredients that simply would not have happened "back in the day". My only surprise is that they held back on the hops to only one variety and two additions.

But surely a recipe designed using the US kitchen-sink approach wouldn't produce a great beer? I've not brewed this particular recipe but knowing Jamil Z's philosophy when it comes to recipe design I'm pretty sure all those ingredients have a reason for being there.

I agree it's probably not reflective of a recipe for how a Wee Heavy would have been brewed "back in the day" but that isn't necessarily a bad thing in my view. I suppose I depends whether the OPs intention is to make a great Wee Heavy using modern malts and techniques, or to brew the style based on historical practices and the limited ingredients they had back then.

 

[uDicko]

I just want a tasty wee heavy that has been tried by forum members that they think is representative of the style. I've now got loads to choose from

Will post here what I ended up making but I'm working on this one.

Think I might drop the melanodin and/or either the roasted or Crystal. I know it needs one of them

Vitals
Original Gravity: 1.079
Final Gravity (Adv): 1.019
IBU (Tinseth): 27
Color: 42.5 EBC

Mash
Strike Temp — 68.1 °C
Temperature — 64 °C — 30 min
Temperature — 70 °C — 30 min

Malts (5.65 kg)
5 kg (84%) — Crisp Maris Otter — Grain — 7.9 EBC
500 g (8.4%) — Crisp Crystal Dark — Grain — 148 EBC
100 g (1.7%) — BestMalz Melanoidin — Grain — 70 EBC
50 g (0.8%) — Bairds Roasted Barley — Grain — 1180 EBC

Other (300 g)
300 g (5%) — Brown Sugar, Light — Sugar — 15.8 EBC

Hops (45.2 g)
30 g (22 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5% — Boil — 60 min
15.2 g (5 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5% — Boil — 15 min

 

[strange-steve]

But surely a recipe designed using the US kitchen-sink approach wouldn't produce a great beer? I've not brewed this particular recipe but knowing Jamil Z's philosophy when it comes to recipe design I'm pretty sure all those ingredients have a reason for being there.

I agree it's probably not reflective of a recipe for how a Wee Heavy would have been brewed "back in the day" but that isn't necessarily a bad thing in my view. I suppose I depends whether the OPs intention is to make a great Wee Heavy using modern malts and techniques, or to brew the style based on historical practices and the limited ingredients they had back then.

I think this is a good point, it's easy to bash US brewers when they comment on British styles (I may even be guilty myself on occasion) but Jamil's philosophy as you allude to is not the kitchen sink approach, everything that's there should be there for a reason. He makes that point in the book:

"My early recipes, like those of many homebrewers, were overly complex. Overly complex recipes are often overwhelming, and the flavors are muddy. I learned over time to simplify many of my recipes, and they are much better for it. Yet for some reason, there are a few early recipes that defy simplification. Any attempts to make them less complex produce unsatisfactory results, and I have to go back to the originals."

For what it's worth, I've brewed many of his recipes and they've been great, and when brewing a new style I always go to his book for ideas and inspiration.

 

[foxbat]

I just want a tasty wee heavy that has been tried by forum members that they think is representative of the style. I've now got loads to choose from

Will post here what I ended up making but I'm working on this one.

Think I might drop the melanodin and/or either the roasted or Crystal. I know it needs one of them

Vitals
Original Gravity: 1.079
Final Gravity (Adv): 1.019
IBU (Tinseth): 27
Color: 42.5 EBC

Mash
Strike Temp — 68.1 °C
Temperature — 64 °C — 30 min
Temperature — 70 °C — 30 min

Malts (5.65 kg)
5 kg (84%) — Crisp Maris Otter — Grain — 7.9 EBC
500 g (8.4%) — Crisp Crystal Dark — Grain — 148 EBC
100 g (1.7%) — BestMalz Melanoidin — Grain — 70 EBC
50 g (0.8%) — Bairds Roasted Barley — Grain — 1180 EBC

Other (300 g)
300 g (5%) — Brown Sugar, Light — Sugar — 15.8 EBC

Hops (45.2 g)
30 g (22 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5% — Boil — 60 min
15.2 g (5 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5% — Boil — 15 min

Bell Haven Wee Heavy is just pale, sugar and black malt for colour (source: BYOBRA)
My favourite is Orkney Island Skull Splitter which is pale, crystal, chocolate and wheat (source). No proportions given.

Looking at yours I'd drop the melanoidin on the grounds that you won't taste it but otherwise I'd brew that.

 

[peebee]

... I agree it's probably not reflective of a recipe for how a Wee Heavy would have been brewed "back in the day" ...

As @Northern_Brewer has already tried to impress on people (and seemingly failed) there is no such thing as a "wee heavy" style of beer at any time "back-in-the-day". Except for one beer that was named "Wee Heavy".

"Wee heavy" will be used conversationally to refer to little bottle of strong beer whether brewed in Scotland or not, in the same way as you might ask for a "small pickled onion" in an English Fish and Chip shop. Just ask a Scottish person, my only credentials is having lived in Scotland for a few years (1980's, and yes you would hear "wee heavy" mentioned).

The "Wee Heavy" style of beer just comes from the demented ramblings of a few Americans. Who admittedly are being quite successful in getting otherwise sane folk (Americans or otherwise) to believe their demented ramblings.


(EDIT: Which means if you want to, and can refrain from suggesting it's what they do in Scotland, you are perfectly free to add peat smoked malt to your "Wee Heavy" recipe and ... 'scuse me ... ).

 

[uDicko]

Skull Splitter
6000g Maris Otter
300g Crystal
300g Peated Malt
150g Torrefied wheat
100g Chocolate malt
100g Melanoidin
500g Brown Sugar
60 minutes mash @ 60C, batch sparge
75 minutes boil.
45g EKG @ 75minutes, 20g EKG @ 15 & 3 minutes.
CML Beoir yeast
OG 1080

@foxbat if Skull Splitter is one of your Favourites... not sure if this has some commonality. Its EKG, the curveballs maybe Peated malt (controversial choice )

 

[peebee]

@foxbat if Skull Splitter is one of your Favourites... not sure if this has some commonality. Its EKG, the curveballs maybe Peated malt (controversial choice )

On the subject of peated malt …

When did they change "Germolene" from tins to tubes? Seems I missed this.

 

[foxbat]

@foxbat if Skull Splitter is one of your Favourites... not sure if this has some commonality. Its EKG, the curveballs maybe Peated malt (controversial choice )

It's a regular at one of the beer festivals I used to go to every year before going to beer festivals became an even dimmer memory. You had to get there early before the real headbangers drain the barrel dry before us connoisseurs () could sample a half but it's worth it. I think I'd believe the ingredients on the brewer's website.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude uses 100% Peated Malt and is very nice. Particularly if you like Islay whisky. Horses for courses.

I've not had it, but you've got to be wary of claims that it uses 100% "peated malt" - it may be 100% of a malt that is smoked with peat, but that doesn't mean it's as intense as the "peated malt" that we can buy as homebrewers. I find it hard to believe that 100% of the latter would be drinkable - and I speak as someone who loves Islay malts.

 

[Sadfield]

I've not had it, but you've got to be wary of claims that it uses 100% "peated malt" - it may be 100% of a malt that is smoked with peat, but that doesn't mean it's as intense as the "peated malt" that we can buy as homebrewers. I find it hard to believe that 100% of the latter would be drinkable - and I speak as someone who loves Islay malts.

"It does appear to be the world’s first commercially brewed 100% peated-malt beer. "

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Fair enough, if it's coming from Baird's Inverness then it probably is standard peated malt, just can't imagine it would come out "balanced"...