Is there anything like a Wee Heavy Scottish Ale, such as Traquair?

[Jim H]

Has anybody brewed something using BrewArt ingredients that is anything like a Traquair Wee Heavy Scottish Ale?
So far I've been concentrating on the 5-6% ABV beers that only take a week or so in the Droid, but I'd like to make something like Traquair.

I have the Polski Baltic Porter BrewPrint and might try that next and go from there. The X3 says "toffee flavors" which I thought might be like the Traquair clone recipes that say to boil some of the wort down to a thick syrup. And the E2 and E3 ingredients have medium bitterness. With no additional hops that might be a bit like a Wee Heavy, and about 8% ABV.

I wish the ingredient descriptions were a little less vague. I did make a pretty good Traquair clone a long time ago from grains and extract. I suppose I could do something similar in the Droid. But the BrewArt ingredients are just so easy and convenient, and not that pricy compared to a case of Traquair. Let me know if you have any tips.

[Rob Courtney]

On 04/12/2023 at 11:27 PM, Jim H said:

Has anybody brewed something using BrewArt ingredients that is anything like a Traquair Wee Heavy Scottish Ale?
So far I've been concentrating on the 5-6% ABV beers that only take a week or so in the Droid, but I'd like to make something like Traquair.

I have the Polski Baltic Porter BrewPrint and might try that next and go from there. The X3 says "toffee flavors" which I thought might be like the Traquair clone recipes that say to boil some of the wort down to a thick syrup. And the E2 and E3 ingredients have medium bitterness. With no additional hops that might be a bit like a Wee Heavy, and about 8% ABV.

I wish the ingredient descriptions were a little less vague. I did make a pretty good Traquair clone a long time ago from grains and extract. I suppose I could do something similar in the Droid. But the BrewArt ingredients are just so easy and convenient, and not that pricy compared to a case of Traquair. Let me know if you have any tips.

Hi Jim,

 

Not something that I have made before but some experimentation could be a goer here. From what I am looking at as far as a heavy Scottish Ale goes it is minimal on hops if it has any at all. I'll have a think about it but you are on the right track with an X3.

@BrewArt Team any thoughts

[Jim H]

8 minutes ago, Rob Courtney said:

Not something that I have made before but some experimentation could be a goer here. From what I am looking at as far as a heavy Scottish Ale goes it is minimal on hops if it has any at all. I'll have a think about it but you are on the right track with an X3.

@BrewArt Team any thoughts

Thanks! I thought of heavy Scottish ale when I made the Kremlin Russian Imperial Stout. A totally different flavor, but a high ABV, and before I added the 2 hop packs it was "sweeter," or less hoppy, like a wee heavy.  I also accidentally used the Y7 yeast meant for the Baltic Porter with that Stout that came with a Y1. I don't know how much that changed the flavor.

My Celebration Ale just got bottled, so I'm going to try that Polski Baltic Porter with three X3 packs, and a replacement Y7 yeast. I'll probably figure out how to make something more like Traquair after trying that.

Some easy Traquair clones for 2.5 gallons are roughly:

400 grams Pale Malt, 56 grams roasted barley, 450 grams light dry malt extract, 1.5 kg light malt extract (syrup), and 28 grams or less of Kent Goldings or Northern Brewer hops, added throughout a 60-minute boil; not very hoppy.

I'm sure anything I try will be perfectly drinkable, even if not Traquair. I do like experimenting, and 10 liters is a good amount. 1 gallon is too much work for the resulting product, especially if it comes out great, and 5 gallons can be a bit unwieldy. So the BeerDroid is perfect, and can keep the correct temperatures over a long fermentation period.

 

[BrewArt Team]

Hi All,

@Jim H That's great to hear you're looking at brewing a good old fashioned Wee Heavy. You can definitely get close using BrewArt ingredients, but I'd recommend purchasing a liquid yeast, as there is no dry option available. 
A good place to start is:
 

E5

E3

X1

X1

X1

X1

X1 Wyeast 1728

 

Brewing Program: Propagate: 22, Ferment 20, Keg 18, Store: 4.

This should get you:
7.5% ABV, 24 IBU, 35 EBC. (18SRM)

This should get you in the ball park of something very similar. 
Please let us know if you make it and how it turns out. 

Cheers

[Wazza_wantsbeer]

Having a look at this as I've enjoyed Strong Scotch Ales in the past and what the @BrewArt Team just posted, I would definitely suggest Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale Yeast which can be purchased from Grain and Grape among other LHBSs

https://www.grainandgrape.com.au/product/wyeast-activator-1728-scottish-ale/

Will follow this and looking forward to see how it turns out.

[Jim H]

1 hour ago, BrewArt Team said:

E5

E3

X1

X1

X1

X1

X1 Wyeast 1728

 

Thanks! I'll give it a try. I have used Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale Yeast in the past when making a Traquair clone from grain. I think that should work well.

[Steve Gyldenvand]

13 hours ago, BrewArt Team said:

E5

E3

X1

X1

X1

X1

X1 Wyeast 1728

Alright, putting this on my To Do List. Now, to find that yeast...

[Steve Gyldenvand]

22 hours ago, Steve Gyldenvand said:

Now, to find that yeast...

FYI, any U.S. brewers interested in this, the Wyeast 1728 can be found from Northern Brewer for $10.99

Edited December 8, 2023 by Steve Gyldenvand

[Rob Courtney]

On 07/12/2023 at 12:32 PM, Jim H said:

Thanks! I'll give it a try. I have used Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale Yeast in the past when making a Traquair clone from grain. I think that should work well.

This is why I like this forum, usually one of us has the answer but when we don't, we have a great network

[Jim H]

I bottles my Polski Baltic Porter a few days ago. It tastes similar to a Wee Heavy to me, or at list similar characteristics: thick, strong, malty, not overly hoppy.

I got an E3, E5 and five X1 as BrewArt recommended. I also added an X3 I had since I thought it could maybe be a little darker with a bit more malt, and the Polski has 3 of those. I used 1 pack of Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast. Since I added the extra ingredient pack, I used a bit less water, maybe 9.25-9.5L. I'm fermenting a little cooler at about 17C/63F. I've used 1728 yeast in the past and fermented at 14.5C/58F and that has always worked well. It has a wide range. I got a fermentation notice 18 hours ago. It hasn't started spewing out the top like the Polski and Russian Imperial did, but it is bubbling like crazy in the view window, so it still might. The OG was about 1.075 after a day+ of propagation, right when I got the fermentation notice. One Traquair clone I've done in the past was 1.070, another 1.085, about 7.8% and 8.5% ABV. So this is looking good so far.

I'll let you know how it is in a few weeks.

[Jim H]

My BeerDroid alerted me that my wee heavy was done fermenting a few days ago, after fermenting 10 days (not including propagation). An SG reading was about 1.018 a few days in a row. It was originally about 1.075 after propagation, so that's about 7.5% ABV if not a bit higher. That's what it tastes like. It is approaching that barley wine flavor.

I'd say it tastes like some kind of wee heavy, but not much like the Traquair House Ale clones I've made in the past. The Polski Baltic Porter actually tastes more like Traquair overall to me, but with more coffee and chocolate notes. This one tastes a bit more fruity, and less caramel-like, than many wee heavy ales.

I'll see how it tastes when cold and carbonated in a few weeks, and then a few months. It might not be the best Traquair clone, but it is definitely a good, strong beer without an overly-hoppy aftertaste. So I'd say it was a success!

 

[Rob Courtney]

18 hours ago, Jim H said:

My BeerDroid alerted me that my wee heavy was done fermenting a few days ago, after fermenting 10 days (not including propagation). An SG reading was about 1.018 a few days in a row. It was originally about 1.075 after propagation, so that's about 7.5% ABV if not a bit higher. That's what it tastes like. It is approaching that barley wine flavor.

I'd say it tastes like some kind of wee heavy, but not much like the Traquair House Ale clones I've made in the past. The Polski Baltic Porter actually tastes more like Traquair overall to me, but with more coffee and chocolate notes. This one tastes a bit more fruity, and less caramel-like, than many wee heavy ales.

I'll see how it tastes when cold and carbonated in a few weeks, and then a few months. It might not be the best Traquair clone, but it is definitely a good, strong beer without an overly-hoppy aftertaste. So I'd say it was a success!

 

Yeah will be interesting to hear your thoughts on this after some more time, flavours should develop and it sounds like that at the very least, it's a good beer which might just need some more experimentation.

[Jim H]

A few months later and is has mellowed a bit and tastes more like a Wee Heavy. I think it still needs some tweaking. Maybe adding the X3 the Polski has was a mistake. But I think it needs 8 if not 9 packs. Maybe another X1 or some other E would have been better. Still a very good beer. On the thicker, sweeter side, not too hoppy. I think small bottles are better than kegs. Too easy to drink that way!  

[Wolf]

Interesting experiment. I haven't tasted that particular wee heavy but the ones I have had in the past have had a faint alcoholic cola flavour to them so the extra X3 probably doesn't hurt.