Ted Manahan, one of the Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® blind-tasting panel judges, enjoys the challenge and adventure of making gruit ales, with low or no hops. This recipe stays close to the historical interpretation: dark brown, sweet, smoky, with a noticeable herbal flavor—a tasty Scottish holiday beer.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch Size: 6 gallons (22.7 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 66%
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.012
IBUs: 0
ABV: 6.3%
GRAIN/MALT BILL
11 lb (4.9 kg) pale malt (2-row)
2 lb (907 g) smoked malt (Bamberg)
1 lb (454 g) rye malt
4 oz (113 g) black patent malt
8 oz (227 g) aromatic malt
HOPS/HERBS/SPICES SCHEDULE
0.04 oz (1.1 g) sweet gale at 60 minutes
1 oz (28 g) mugwort at 60 minutes
¼ tsp wormwood at 30 minutes
½ tsp black pepper at 30 minutes
0.04 oz (1.1 g) cardamom seed at 10 minutes
0.05 oz (1.4 g) ginger root at 10 minutes
0.05 oz (1.4 g) licorice root at 10 minutes
0.05 oz (1.4 g) juniper berries in primary
DIRECTIONS
Mash at 155°F (68°C) for 60 minutes. Boil for 75 minutes, following the hops/herbs/spices schedule. Before adding the juniper berries to your primary, sanitize them in vodka for a day. Ferment at 64°F (18°C).
YEAST
Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale
BREWER’S NOTES
I mash high for greater residual sweetness. Sometimes I caramelize the first runnings as you would for a wee heavy. I ferment at 64°F (18°C) because that is the temperature of a Scottish castle (and my basement).