9097-PC Old Ale Blend | Garage Project’s Lie Back & Think of England Old Ale
Old Ale Inspired Recipe
Lie Back & Think of England is an Old Ale Recipe inspired by an Old Ale, Peter Gillespie of Garage Project, brewed in England and re-crafted specifically for our Private Collection feature. This recipe is an old personal favorite – but dials up the alcohol content. Featuring Wyeast’s Robust & Ruddy Autumn Private Collection – 9097-PC Old Ale Blend and English Malt this recipe is sure to be your new favorite Old Ale Recipe. Lie Back, Think of England, listen to the suggested soundtrack and brew yourself an Old English Ale!
Peter Gillespie is the head brewer and founder of Garage Project in Wellington, New Zealand. Started in 2011 in a derelict gas station and repair shop with his brother Ian and childhood friend Joe Ruffell, the Garage Project has grown into multiple locations across Wellington featuring tap rooms, the Wild Workshop and a collaborative called B-Studio. Even with the growth, the guys at Garage Project continue to live by the same spirit that drove them – take risks, experiment, have fun and always try something new.
RECIPE: Lie Back & Think of England
20 L batch
Original gravity: 1.081 (19.5° P)
Final gravity: 1.016 (4° P) (lower with extended aging on Brett)
ABV: 8.5% by volume
IBU: 43
SRM: 23
Fermentables:
- 5.5 kg (12.12 lb) Maris Otter pale ale malt
- 700 g (1.54 lb) Pale wheat malt
- 350 g (0.77 lb) Medium Crystal
- 170 g (0.37 lb) Chocolate Malt
- 30 g (0.066 lb) Roast Barley
Hops:
- 25 g (0.88 oz) Admiral, 12.5% a. a. @ 60 min
- 20 g (0.70 oz) East Kent Goldings, 5% a. a. @ 10 min
Other Ingredients:
- 350 g (0.77 lb) Treacle @ 10 min
Yeast:
- 9097-PC Old Ale Blend
Water:
- Calcium Chloride addition to 50-75 ppm Ca depending on local water
Additional Directions:
- Mash grains at 67 °C (153 °F) for 60 minutes.
- Mash out and sparge at 76 °C (169 °F).
- Boil 90 minutes, adding first hops 60 minutes before flameout.
- Add East Kent Goldings hops and Treacle at ten minutes before flameout.
- Chill wort to 17 °C (63°F) and ferment allowing temperature to free rise to 20 °C (68 °F) and ferment to completion.
- Prime with 85 g (2.99 oz) sugar per 5 gallons (18.9 L) before packaging.
- Keep warm for two to three weeks and then cellar in a cool spot for at least 3 months, preferably longer.
- Continued aging will accentuate Brettanomyces character and this beer can be aged and enjoyed for years to come.
From the Brewer
“This is a recipe inspired (very loosely) by an old ale I used to make at a brewery in Sussex, England. It was a much lower alcohol and produced as cask only. Each cask would get a slug of black treacle (boiled first) as priming. The finished beer pulled through a sparkler head on a hand pull was a truly divine experience.
This recipe dials up the alcohol content. A lot of traditional UK beers were much stronger but have been whittled down over the decades in response to alcohol taxation. Instead of priming with treacle I’ve included it in the boil. Brett is a beast and will chew through all sorts of normally unfermentable sugars as well as any priming’s. No one likes exploding bottles or unpourable kegs.
I’ve suggested Maris Otter Pale malt, but any good UK variety will do including Optic or Golden Promise. I haven’t specified maltsters for any of the malts here. Look for English malt if you can – anything from Crisp, Fawcett’s or Bairds is normally reliably delicious if it’s reasonably fresh.
Anyone lucky enough to have access to a wooden cask could barrel age this beer before packaging. In the absence of a barrel you could also experiment with some oak chips/barrel cubes, but don’t overwhelm the other flavors – a light hand will allow Brett character to shine through.”
-Peter Gillespie
Brew Day Soundtracks – Best of English
The Streets – Original Pirate Material, Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner, The Clash – London Calling, The Beat – I Just Can’t Stop It, Motörhead – Motörhead or Ace of Spades, you decide, The Libertines – Up the Bracket, Radiohead – Kid A, anything by PJ Harvey, Sleaford Mods – English Tapas, Kaiser Chiefs – Employment, Gorillaz – Demon Days.
More Recipes to Come
All season we’ll be introducing homebrew recipes that come directly from brewers who partner with us at Wyeast. Each recipe is specifically crafted by a pro for our Robust & Ruddy Private Collection release. These strains are only available for homebrewing now through December 2018.