I’ve become a fan of the American Strong Ale variety. High alcohol, high hopped, sweet and smooth. I figured I was due for a shot at one now that I’ve brewed about 10 batches. I went partial/mini mash for this batch.
I was shooting for an 8%-10% ABV on this batch and it came out at 9%, so I feel good about that. I seems to have a smooth and sweet raisiny malt flavor and a nice piney hop balance. The oak spiral added another layer of depth to the flavor, an earthy base.
I will taste this at different stages of maturity (see notes below). I am anticipation that it will taste its best at months 6-9, which will be this coming summer. Not the ideal “beach beer” but a great brew for the campfire on a cooler summer evening.
Enjoy!
Recipe and Notes
Mash:
- 8 oz American White Wheat
- 2 lbs Caramel 80L
- 1 lbs Caramunich I
- 8oz Biscuit Malt
- 8oz Honey Malt
Boil:
- 3 lbs Light DME at start of boil
Hop Additions:
- 1 oz Nugget Hops (added at 60 min, start of boil)
- 3 oz Chinook Hops (added at 40, 20, and 10 min of boil)
Added at Flame out:
- 3.3 lbs Amber LME
- 3.3 lbs Gold LME
Primary Fermentation:
- Wyeast 1056 American Ale, 4 weeks
Secondary Fermentation:
- at 4 weeks, racked to secondary, added oak spiral
- at 8 weeks, added 2 oz. Cascade Hops
Bottling and Aging
- Bottled on the Winter Solstice 2013
- Will taste it on:
- Valentine’s Day 2014 (tasting notes to come…)
- St. Patrick’s Day 2014 (tasting notes to come…)
- Memorial Day 2014 (tasting notes to come…)