Heather/Heather Ale
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Hey Guys, look this over for me, and do a "reality check". I've never brewed anything like this before... I have Pict in my background, and have wanted to do something like this for a good while.... This will be a batch I fire up the bagpipes for.
    I was planning on doing a first wort "hop" with 2-oz of heather (I will use a paint strainer bag), removing prior to the start of the boil. At 15-min. remaining in the boil adding another oz of Heather and an oz of Sweet Gale to the bag for the remainder of the boil. Honey to be added to the chilled wort. The Fuggle hops have been in my fridge for about 2-years, so shouldn't get much AA out of them.....
    If you can't open up my spreadsheet, let me know, and I'll type it out for you....... basically just being lazy.......

    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    i can't see your recipe, but if you add hops, even old ones, you can't play the pipes without a touch o shame.
    no hops in heather ale. traditionally that is.
    i have made this beer several times both with and without hops. both are delicious.
    made a yarrow beer many moons ago too....that was..........vomity comes to mind.
  • scoobscoob
    Posts: 16,617
    I have heather and sweet gale at home. Could you repost the spreadsheet so I can check out that recipe?
    Jesus didn't wear pants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,580
    Beer Name: Hadrian's Wall

    Style: Heather, Honey Ale
    BJCP category: 23


    SUMMARY

    (Original Gravity) O.G. = 1.068
    (Final Gravity) F.G. = 1.017
    (Bitterness) IBU = 18
    (Color) SRM = 14 14
    (Alcohol) APV = 6.5 %
    Calories per 12-oz bottle = 219

    BREWING NOTES:

    Add 2- ounces of Heather tips to first runnings (first wort "hopped").
    Add 1-oz Sweet gale and 1-oz Heather 15-min. left in boil






    RECIPE SUMMARY
    5.5 Gallon batch
    Yeast: S-05
    Grain: Sugars: Hops:
    Pounds: Type: Pounds: Type: Variety: Oz.: Boil Time:

    9.5 Golden Promise Malt 2 Honey Fuggle 1 60

    0.375 Crystal 60

    0.1875 Roasted Barley

    1 Victory Malt

    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,430
    Anything that needs to be brewed whilst playing bag pipes intrigues me. What does this taste like?
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Thanks for the "copy/paste" Lake!..... some of the columns got a bit wacked, but at least the masses can see......
    I'm dropping the hops per frydogs comment.....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,430
    Don't let him push you around. He's just pushing because he thinks he can get away with it.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Hah! He didn't have to push very hard..... I had been teetering on the edge anyway....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    just remember, a beer without any hops tastes very different. i, personally, don't think its bad at all, but some have a hard time getting over the no hopped flavor.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Other than the whole *to hop or not to hop* issue......... how does my grain bill look???
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    looks good to me, should make a tasty beer. the only thing that caught my eye was the victory. if i were doing it i would cut the victory down to 1/2 or a quarter pound. but i am biased because i don't really care for victory. if you like, leave it as is.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    I was kind of going back and forth between the victory and bisquit.....
    I'll go with the bisquit, and lower to 1/2 pound.... thanks
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Ok.... I have revised the recipe to:

    10-pounds Golden promise malt
    8-oz Crystal 60
    3-oz Roasted Barley
    8-oz Biscuit malt

    I'll do a single infusion mash at 156 degrees.....

    I'll first wort hop 2-oz of heather

    add another oz of heather and an oz of sweet Gale with 15-min left in the boil
    2-pounds of honey added to the chilled wort..
    I'll use S-05 yeast... should do a reasonable job with this.

    should end up with an O.G. of 1.069, SRM of +/- 13
    IBU is anybodys guess..... (aint no hops)
    Figure the APV will be around 6.7% .... should be a little higher depending on attenuation.... with all that honey....




    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    hmmmm.....i'm at work so i don't have my notes, but a full ounce of sweet gale seems like a lot.
    i might be totally misremembering amounts though, i'll double check when i get home.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Ok.... let me know, I've never used sweet gale before.........
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    i finally remembered to look, and in my batches i have never used more than 4 grams per batch and most batches have 3 grams in there, which is only 1/8 of an ounce (little less)
    its powerful stuff. i was using dried sweet gale
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Good to know...... thanks buddy!
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,049
    A thought about yeast and no hops. Hops are good at killing bad things that may want to grow in your beer. Dry yeast come pre-infected, and a hopless beer can really bring that out, check out:
    http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=may-15-2008---base-malt-experiment
    I would highly recommend you use something similar from White Labs rather than US-05.
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,580
    Dr_Jerryrigger said:

    A thought about yeast and no hops. Hops are good at killing bad things that may want to grow in your beer. Dry yeast come pre-infected, and a hopless beer can really bring that out, check out:
    http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=may-15-2008---base-malt-experiment
    I would highly recommend you use something similar from White Labs rather than US-05.



    that's really interesting. something to think about for sure. One thing i didn't pick up on was the boiling regimen they when through on the wort. Those grains carry lacto on them so inadequate boiling could easily result in an instant infection as well.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,049
    Lakewood said:


    that's really interesting. something to think about for sure. One thing i didn't pick up on was the boiling regimen they when through on the wort. Those grains carry lacto on them so inadequate boiling could easily result in an instant infection as well.


    This it true. They did a follow up episode with liquid yeast which didn't have the same problem, though they may have boiled longer that time around.
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    I do at least an hour boil, this one will be about 90-min. to get to volume. I have not had very good luck with liquid yeast..... by the time it gets to me it's shot.... never had any problems with this brand of dry yeast.... I also clean off the outside of the packet with an iodine solution before I open it. Now the old Red Star, Edme, John Bull stuff I used back in the old days...... that was a different story......
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
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