BBA Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.. input?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by FATC1TY, Nov 16, 2013.

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  1. dogglebe

    dogglebe Initiate (0) Feb 12, 2013 New York

    This may be true, but it won't stop me from adding five ounces to my wee heavy.
     
    #41 dogglebe, Dec 12, 2013
  2. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    That's what homebrewing is all about.Brewing exactly the beer the way you want it to be.It just won't be an authentic Scotch Ale but it doesn't need to be :slight_smile:
    BTW, Fowler's brewed a beer called Twelve Guinea Ale which was a type of beer known in Scotland as a "Heavy"
    Because of its strength it was sold in small "wee" bottles. Hence Wee Heavy.
     
    #42 marquis, Dec 12, 2013
  3. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (2,084) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah

    Caramel is what Scottish breweries really used for colour.
     
    #43 patto1ro, Dec 13, 2013
  4. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah


    Interesting.. What I added back was without a doubt, getting really damn close to being caramel. Needed some butter is all.
     
    #44 FATC1TY, Dec 13, 2013
  5. patto1ro

    patto1ro Pooh-Bah (2,084) Apr 26, 2004 Netherlands
    Pooh-Bah

    Scottiish brewing was odd, but not in the way people usually think. I would explain it more fully, I really would.

    Except iit's the Kerstbier festival tomorrow. I have to go to bed.
     
    #45 patto1ro, Dec 13, 2013
  6. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    Alright, so.. it's still in primary, pretty sure it's done. Haven't tasted it, but might tonight.

    Whats the thoughts on crashing it, or like "lagering" it for lack of a better word? I have it at around 35 right now in my fermentation freezer with some other stuff. It's still on the yeast cake as well.

    I'm planning on oak aging it, and will probably do that in secondary since it'll be around 1.5 months to 2 months or so of the oak.
     
    #46 FATC1TY, Dec 17, 2013
  7. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,647) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    It tastes dry, like dirt.
     
    #47 hopfenunmaltz, Dec 17, 2013
  8. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    I interested to see how this is coming along.

    I brewed up a Wee Heavy yesterday. I have 6 small oak chips soaking in 8 oz of bourbon. In 6 weeks or so, Id really like to rack into a keg with chips and bourbon and let it sit until the fall. I have read that chips can be over overpowering do to surface area. But I think many people are using ounces of chips and id only be using a couple grams. Thoughts?
     
    #48 jmich24, May 20, 2014
  9. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah


    It worked out fine. a little light in the color, wanted it a bit darker, but good none the less.

    I used cubes, which I find are far superior to chips. If you plan to add them to your keg and serve from it while it's sitting on the wood, I'd use cubes. I wouldn't dump the Bourbon the cubes have been soaking in. I used to do it and hated the flavor.

    What I do now, if I'm not putting it into a barrel, is boil the cubes for a couple minutes, drain them, then I cover with the bourbon. If you don't let them sit too long, you can add the whole thing to the beer. The boiling helps remove some of the fresh oak tannins that taste like crap.

    Chips.. I can't help with. Used them twice, they worked fast, over oaked the beer, and left splinters all in the carboy.
     
    #49 FATC1TY, May 20, 2014
  10. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    Thanks for the quick reply. I'm not going to waste my time with the chips. I have plenty of time to get cubes and lots of bourbon in the cubboard. I am contemplating splitting the batch and using a nice aged rum on the other half.
     
    #50 jmich24, May 20, 2014
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