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Recipe: Right Proper Skibsøl

As one of the very few commercial breweries in modern times to attempt a smoky “ship’s beer,” Right Proper in Washington, D.C., shares this recipe inspired by the Danish tradition.

Right Proper Brewing May 3, 2023 - 3 min read

Recipe: Right Proper Skibsøl Primary Image

Photo: Matt Graves

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From cofounder Thor Cheston and the production team at Right Proper in Washington, D.C., here is a homebrew-scale recipe based on the skibsøl they first brewed in 2015. While it’s low in alcohol, the range of specialty malts here delivers a bigger, smoother malt profile than would have been traditional—though it might have wider appeal than going with 100 percent smoked malts.

For more about this nearly forgotten beer style, see Skibsøl: The Smoky Ale of the Seas.

ALL-GRAIN

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.034
FG: 1.009
IBUs: 24
ABV: 3.3%

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MALT/GRAIN BILL
2 lb (907 g) Weyermann Pilsner
1.4 lb (635 g) beechwood-smoked malt
12 oz (340 g) cherrywood-smoked malt
8 oz (227 g) Weyermann Caramunich II
8 oz (227 g) rye malt
6 oz (170 g) Weyermann Caraaroma
6 oz (170 g) chocolate malt
6 oz (170 g) flaked oats
4 oz (113 g) Weyermann Carafa III

HOPS SCHEDULE
0.5 oz (14 g) Magnum at 60 minutes [24 IBUs]

YEAST
Fermentis SafAle US-05 or other Chico strain

DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 155°F (68°C) for 45 minutes. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. After the boil, chill to about 68°F (20°C), aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 68°F (20°C). When fermentation is complete and gravity has stabilized, crash, package, and carbonate.

BREWER’S NOTES
Or, go traditional: For a more historically accurate version, you could opt for a grist of 100 percent beechwood-smoked malt. However, commercially available varieties tend to be pale; a handful of Carafa or debittered black malt could adjust that color to a darker brown with relatively low flavor impact. (Of course, to take the concept further, you could always smoke your own malt over a beechwood fire.) Go relatively high on the IBUs, and ferment with your favorite kveik since the traditional yeasts for skibsøl were likely similar.

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