Scotch Ale

Maple moon

I’m in NY on my annual visit with Irish Mike. We have not brewed a beer on any of my previous visits but decided to give it a go. While in Syracuse we stopped at the brew store. They had peated malt, so we’re brewing a scotch ale.

Crushed grains for the scotch ale

Grain bill

• 10 pounds Marris Otter
• 1/2 pound peated
• 1/2 pound crystal 90
• 3 ounces roasted

Hops

• 2 ounces Fuggle 4.2% alpha, pellets

Yeast

• White Labs Edinburgh ale yeast, WLP028

Brew notes

Irish Mike stirring the mash at the cabin in NY.

Mike’s got a propane burner and brews outdoors. I need to do the same. He raised the temp of the mash water and overshot the temp quickly. I really like the speed the burner works, much faster than the stove at home.

Strike temp 130 F at 12:15 PM. Mash in at 12:20 PM, 124 F. Mash is a little loose. Mike considered adding a pound of 2 Row to thicken it, but it’s in good shape.

30 minute protein rest. Raise temp to 150 F, 1:10 PM. Hold for 2 hours.

Go drink beer at Nail Creek Pub in Utica. 2 hours turns to 3 hours.

Return from lunch and mash out at 170 F. Collected wort and went to hockey game.

sparging in the kitchen

Colgate wins with a big third period comeback. After game, start the boil, 9:00 PM. Cold outside and it took a long time to reach hard boil.

Midnight toss in the hops. Boil for an hour. Shut off heat and set kettle in the snow.

Pitched yeast at 3 AM or something stupid and had a good bubble by the time I left for STL.