Smokey Scottish Ale

Brew date: Dec. 21, 2016
#56 - 6.25 gal

Don't use more than 1 oz of peated malt next time... Now that I have your attention, let me explain.

This started out as a beer for a co-worker, Elizabeth. She won my company's raffle for a beer I donated, and asked for a malty Scotch ale. Perfect!, I thought. I had been wanting to brew one for quite a while, and was recently inspired by Great Divide Brewing's Claymore Scotch Ale.

The grain bill was a bit too traditional, I should have gone more American-ized. Including adding some caramel malt 60-80L and goning warmer on the mash temp -- maybe 157 F.

In addition, I opted to add a little smoked malt for depth of flavor. Turns out 3 oz in roughly 20 lbs of grain was too much for my taste. While I had a lot of compliments on the beer, I thought it was just too smokey.

Ingredients:
15.75 lb Maris Otter - Muntons
1 lb Melanoidin malt - Best Malz
8 oz Cara 45 - Dingemans
6 oz Cara 20 Belgian Caravienne - Dingemans
4 oz Chocolate malt - Briess
3 oz Roasted Barley - Briess
3 oz Peated malt - Thomas Fawcett
4 oz Acidulated malt - Meussdoerffer

1.25 oz Cascade (6%) (KB leaf) (60)
1 t Irish moss (15)
Yeast nutrient
1.7 L Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale Starter

Water:
10 gal - 50/50 RO & filtered
3 g Gypsum
4 g Calcium Chloride
1 g Epsom

Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 168F
Sac rest @ 155F (60)
Heat to mash out
B. Sparge 4 gal
Boil (60)
Chill to 57F
Ferment at 57F

Target:
OG: 1.080
FG: 1.024
SRM: 19
IBU: 23
ABV: 7.4%
Efficiency: 77%
Attenuation: 70%

Results:
1st run: 3.5 gal @ 1.097
Preboil: 7.5 gal @ 1.073
OG: 1.085
Add ~1/2 gal filtered water to reduce to 1.080 and 6 gal

"Mental Health" Oatmeal Porter

Brew date: Nov. 7, 2016
#55 - 6.25 gal

Part two of a two-brew day. Inspired by a delicious oatmeal porter from Zipline Brewing out of Nebraska that I tried the last time I was in Denver (thanks, Jim!). Don't think I quite hit the mark, but pretty close.

Ingredients:
11.75 lb Briess 2-row
1 lb Flaked oats - Briess
10 oz Caramel 60L - Briess
9 oz Chocolate malt - Briess
9 oz Blackprinz - Briess
8 oz Black malt - Briess
4 oz Acidulated - Meussdoerffer

1.5 oz Cascade (KB leaf) (60)
1 oz Fuggle (KB leaf) (15)
1 t Irish moss (15)
Yeast nutrient
2 pks Wyeast 1056 American Ale

Water
9.25 gal (5 gal RO & 4.25 gal filtered)
6 g Gypsum
1 g Epsom
3 g Calcium Chloride

Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 165F
Sac rest @ 154F (60)
Mash out to 168F
B. Sparge 3 gal
Boil (60)
Chill to 65F

Target:
OG: 1.065
FG: 1.016
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: 33
SRM: 30.5

Results:
1st run: 4 gal @ 1.067
OG: 1.070

Note:
- Fermentation peaked at 72F
- Keg on 11/21/16
- Very vigorous fermentation!