Mike took a family trip to Scotland and had a handful of memorable pints. When he got home, he realized it’d been way too long since I brewed any Scottish ales. He wasn’t sure why. He loves those easy drinking, low carbonation, packed with malty flavor beers. He decided to try his hand at a Scottish Heavy, a style that sits right in the middle between the Scottish Light and the Export. Long time homebrewers might remember the old BJCP naming convention with schilling in the title.  This beer is also known as a Scottish 70-Shilling ale. With his plan set, Mike brewed his recipe and brought to the studio to taste.

Scottish Heavy Homebrew Recipe

3.5 US Gallon Batch Size

Water:
Mostly tap, with Campden and ½ tsp gypsum

Grain Bill:
72% Maris Otter
13% Crystal 80
13% Flaked corn
1.7% Roasted barley

Hops:
0.5 ounces of  Target (60 min) – 17 IBUs

Yeast:
Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale

Instructions:

Mash at 154°F for 45 minutes with ramp up to mash out at 60 minutes.
Fermented at basement temperatures for 2 weeks.
Forced carbonated to a low level for cask/pub ale vibes

Outcomes:

OG: 1.042
FG: 1.005
ABV: ~4%

Our Impressions

Tasting this beer took Mike right back to a cozy Scottish pub. It had a nice amber, tea color. The aroma was full of bready malt and the low carbonation makes you want to keep sipping. The Maris Otter malt is the star, layered with deeper caramel notes from the Crystal 80.The “just enough” roasted barley brought a beautiful color without any roasted flavors. Lastly, the flaked corn rounds out the mouthfeel, making it smooth and a little lighter than you might expect.

There’s barely a whisper of hops, just enough to keep the malt in check. There is no peat and no smoke. It’s just classic, clean, easy-drinking malt-forward beer. Mike thinks bottle conditioning or serving on cask would push it even closer to the real deal. Even force carbonated and kegged, it’s the kind of beer you want on tap all fall and winter long (or late spring!)  If you’re a fan of pub session ales, give this one a shot and let us know what you think.

BREW ON!