S^4 Ale Recipe

My last few posts have centered around my experiment using the strong runnings from Stewart’s latest batch of barleywine. I had a sudden “AHA!” when I went to get the recipe, and have a much better idea why the beer has such a strong flavor, which until now I’ve been unable to really nail down… HOPS.

Yeah, I used about double what I thought… so my guess is that many of the flavors are just unincorporated hop flavors that will blend and mellow with age – the brew is more like a low octane english barleywine than maybe a traditional strong ale… not sure. At any rate, for 10 gallons:

Fermentables

• 13.5 gallons Stewart’s Brewing Co barleywine strong runnings (made from Maris Otter and 3-5% Crystal 60L, ~1.060 SG)
• 2 lb English Amber malt
• 1 lb English Crystal 45-55L
• 6 oz English Chocolate malt

Hops (12 oz total):

• 3oz Kent Golding pellets (5.7% AA) FWH
• 1oz Kent Golding pellets (5.7% AA) 60 min
• 2oz Kent Golding pellets (5.7% AA) 15 min
• 2oz Fuggles pellets (5.7% AA) 5 min
• 2oz Fuggles pellets (5.7% AA) 1 min
• 2oz Willamette pellets (5.7% AA) 1 min

Yeast: 2 packages Nottingham Dry Ale yeast

Instructions:

• Steep grains for 20-30 minutes between 155-165 deg in full volume of wort. Periodically (every 3-5 minutes) “tea-bag” the grain bag. Do not squeeze grain bag when removed.
• Boil total of 90 minutes
• 2 servomyces @ 10 minutes, 1 whirfloc tablet @ 5 minutes
• Oxygenate 3 minutes per 10 gallons @ 75 deg and pitch yeast

Session stats:
Original Gravity: 19.8 brix (~1.079)
Fermentation temperature: 70-73 deg
Final Gravity: 1.016 (hydrometer)
Calculated %ABV: 8.5
Calculated IBUs: 57.5 (Rager)

So there you have it. Lots of hops, but supposedly not an overwhelming amount of IBUs. Despite that – I think the 12oz really packed in alot of hop flavor, which at the moment is hitting my palette as “medicinal”. That should mellow with age.

I’m not saying that I don’t have fusels in there… cause Jebus knows there probably are… but its probably not as big a deal as I was originally thinking. I think once it ages for 6 months or so, this ought to be a tasty (albeit pretty hoppy) brew.