Old Ale - Extract and Grains

Posting this for Greg who was after a brew like Old Peculier, this isn't a clone but a big Old Ale.

Old Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.093 FG = 1.022 1BU = 66 SAM =21 ABV = 9.0%

ingredients

11.6 lbs. (5.26 kg) English pale liquid malt extract
10.6 oz. (300 g) crystal malt (80 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) black patent malt (525 °L)
8.0 oz. (227 g) Lyle's Black Treacle (100 °L) (5 min.)
16.5 AAU Target hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./42 g at 11% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) or Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or Danstar Nottingham yeast

Notes Ask your local homebrew shop for an English-style liquid malt extract. If they do not have any, English-style extract made from 100% Maris Otter malt is available from several online suppliers. Always choose the freshest extract that fits the beer style. If you cannot get fresh liquid malt extract, it is better to use an appropriate amount of dried malt extract (DME) instead. I like the Thomas Fawcett crystal malts, as they have a huge caramel flavor that is very British. I have used black malt from a number of suppliers over the years and find that those from Britain are still best. Feel free to substitute any high quality malt of a similar flavor and color from a different supplier. My hops are in pellet form and come from Hop Union, Willamette Valley, or Hopsteiner depending on the variety.

Step by Step
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Steep the bag in about 1 gallon (~4 L) of water at roughly 170 °F (77 °C) for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquid and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 6.5 gallons (25 liters) and a gravity of 1 .072. Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. This helps concentrate the wort and aids in the development of flavor compounds. You should check the gravity of your wort before you add your first hop addition. If the boil is not tracking according to plan, keep boiling until you are at the right gravity, and then add your first hop addition. The first hop addition comes with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil and the treacle during the last couple of minutes (stir thoroughly).

Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 16 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 3 packages of liquid yeast, or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 1.3 gallon (5L) starter. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) to start, raising the temperature gradually to 70 °F (21 °C) for the last of fermen-tation. When finished, carbonate the beer to approximately 2 volumes.

Jamil Zainasheff
BYO Sep 2013

When i get the keg up and running this may be one to try. Cheers Gash.