Author: Steve Thanos
Sometimes change can be good. For me, at least, it can be easy to get stuck in a brewing rut, and during such times, I often find myself pondering what styles I’ve either never brewed or haven’t in a long time. With its malt-forward, toasty, and caramel notes, a Scottish Export is a definite palate shift from the hoppy IPA and crisp lagers I typically keep on tap.
The strongest of the three lower strength Scottish beers, Scottish Export has been called 80/- (shilling) in reference to amount of taxes it historically incurred as a function of its alcohol content. Similar in many ways to the Best Bitter made popular in England in the same timeframe, Scottish Export tends to present with a slightly darker color and more of toffee malt character that reduces the impression of bitterness compared to its English counterparts.
During a recent visit to Skeleton Key Brewery, I tried their Don’t Blink, a Scottish Export described as “a full-bodied and malty Scottish-style ale with a pleasant and mild sweetness.” Having not had a Scottish ale in quite some time, I found the caramel and toasty malt flavors in this quaffable pint to be a nice change of pace, and I tough it might be cool to have a keg on tap. Not long after, I designed a recipe I felt would meld all of my favorite characteristics of this classic style and recently got around to brewing it up!
| Making Hurkle Durkle Scottish Porter |
I stuck with a fairly basic recipe for this Scottish Export that was more or less consistent with BJCP recommendations, though using only the ingredients I had on-hand at the time.
Hurkle Durkle Scottish Porter
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 21.7 | 20.4 SRM | 1.068 | 1.016 | 6.83 % |
| Actuals | 1.068 | 1.016 | 6.83 % | |||
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Maris Otter | 10 lbs | 88.89 |
| Caramel Malt 60L | 1 lbs | 8.89 |
| Roasted Barley | 4 oz | 2.22 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuggle | 28 g | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 4.5 |
| Fuggle | 14 g | 30 min | Boil | Pellet | 4.5 |
| Fuggle | 14 g | 15 min | Boil | Pellet | 4.5 |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tartan (A31) | Imperial Yeast | 75% | 0°F - 0°F |
Notes
| Water Profile: Ca 4 | Mg 1 | Na 10 | SO4 6 | Cl 2 |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
After collecting the full volume of filtered water and adjusting it to my desired profile, I lit the flame under the kettle then proceeded to weigh out and mill the grain.
Once the water was adequately heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to make sure it was at my target mash temperature.
While the mash was resting, I prepared the kettle hop additions.
When the 60 minute mash was complete, I removed the grains then boiled the wort for 60 minutes before rapidly chilling it with my JaDeD Brewing Hydra IC.
Refractometer readings showed the wort was at quite a bit higher of an OG than I expected, indicating very good efficiency.
After transferring the chilled wort to a fermenter, I placed it in my chamber for a couple hours to finish chilling to my desired fermentation temperature of 66°F/19°C, at which point I pitched a pouch of Imperial Yeast A31 Tartan.
At 2 weeks into fermentation, I took a hydrometer measurement confirming FG had been reached.
At this point, I cold crashed the beer and left it for another week before transferring it to a sanitized keg. The filled keg was placed in my fridge and left to condition for a couple weeks before it was ready to drink!
| IMPRESSIONS |
This being my first foray into brewing a Scottish ale, I was excited to see how Hurkle Durkle would turn out and was admittedly disappointed with this higher than expected strength, as it pushed this batch outside of the BJCP guidelines for the style. Nevertheless, I was very happy with the final outcome, and given its strength, and worries I held about it not fitting within stylistic guidelines were easily forgotten.
I perceived this beer as having a nice balance of caramel and toasty malt notes that muted any noticeable hop flavor, though the bitterness was just enough to balance the sweetness. On the finish, I got a pleasant grainy characteristic, and despite the relatively high FG, it finished surprisingly dry, which made this beer very enjoyable to drink.
I tend to get much higher efficiency than others I know who use the BIAB method, and that’s what I initially presumed was responsible for the higher than expected OG. However, considering how far outside of the projected strength this beer ended up being, it also occurred to me that I may have accidentally used more base malt – it happens. Either way, I’m cool sticking with Scottish Export, as that was the intention, and even with the higher alcohol, it possesses all of the expected characteristics.
I have a bit of a weird quirk where it comes to naming my beers, as my wife can attest to. When I first came across the phrase “hurkle durkle,” I researched its meaning and found that it refers to the act of lying in bed leisurely well after one should get up for the day. A couple pints of this beer certainly makes lying around and ignoring responsibility appealing, so I felt it was a fitting name for my first batch of Scottish Export.
If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making something similar, please feel free to share in the comments section below!
Support Brülosophy In Style!
All designs are available in various colors and sizes on Amazon!
Follow Brülosophy on:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
If you enjoy this stuff and feel compelled to support Brulosophy.com, please check out the Support page for details on how you can very easily do so. Thanks!
