Old Ale is a style in which the balance among which notes to hit hard, which to hit softly, and which to ignore altogether is tough to strike but essential to get right. Let’s start with the name, which might throw brewers for a loop. In particular, it’s the “old”—that means it needs to be aged extensively, right? I mean, it’s right there in the name. It’s also in the “strong ale” category, so you need to be getting a lot of warm alcohols, right? I mean, it’s right there in the name.
Done well, Old Ale includes flavors that we often associate with aged beers but that can be developed without the risk of actually engaging in extended aging. Don’t let the name fool you.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 70%
OG: 1.079
FG: 1.020
IBU: 51
SRM: 30
ABV: 8.3%
MALT-GRAIN BILL
14 lb (6.4 kg) Maris Otter
0.25 lb ( 113 g) Black Patent
0.25 lb (113 g) British Medium Crystal (65L)
0.25 lb (113 g) Extra Special Roast (130L)
1 lb (454 g) Black Treacle syrup
HOPS SCHEDULE
1.25 oz (35 g) Nugget [12% AA] at 60 minutes
YEAST
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III)
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mix with 4.6 gal (17.5 l) of 164°F (73°C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Sparge the grains with 4 gal (15.1 l) and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gal (23 l) of wort. Just prior to the boil, remove from the heat, stir in the Black Treacle syrup to dissolve, then return to the heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, following the hops schedule.
After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 60°F (16°C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch the yeast.
Ferment at 60°F (16°C) until the completion of primary fermentation, then let the temperature rise to 64°F (18°C) for a diacetyl rest. Crash the beer to 35°F (2°C) for 48 hours, and bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 1.75 volumes.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Two words: treacle syrup! If you can’t get it, you might want to (seriously) consider not brewing this beer until you can get it. It’s a revelation and adds a phenomenal “old” flavor to the beer, without the waiting. This is still a beer that can (and probably should) be aged, but the treacle lets you jump-start the process!