Old Ale

5 gallons, extract with grains; OG = 1.077 to 1.080 FG = 1.018 to 1.020; SRM = 35 IBUs = 36

Ingredients

• 14 oz. British crystal malt (55° Lovibond)
• 6 oz. torrified wheat
• 2.5 oz. British chocolate malt
• 8.75 lbs. Muntons extra-light DME
• 6 oz. black treacle
• 7.8 AAUs East Kent Goldings (1.5 oz. of 5.2% alpha acid) (bittering)
• 5.2 AAUs East Kent Goldings (1 oz. of 5.2% alpha acid) (flavor)
• 1 AAUs Fuggles (0.25 oz. of 4% alpha acid) (flavor)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• 5.2 AAUs East Kent Goldings (1 oz. of 5.2% alpha acid) (aroma)
• 2.6 AAUs East Kent Goldings (0.50 oz. of 5.2% alpha acid) (dry hop) London Ale (Wyeast 1028) or English Ale (White Labs WLP002)
• 1-1/4 cup Muntons extra-light DME for priming

Step by Step   

Bring 1 gal. of water to 155° F, add crushed grain and hold for 30 min. at 150° F. Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with 1 gal. of 168° F water. Add the dry malt, black treacle and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 3.5 gal.   

Boil for 45 min., then add the flavor hops and Irish moss. Boil for 14 min., then add the aroma hops. Boil for 1 min. Cool wort for 15 min. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gal.   

Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 80° F. Oxygenate/aerate well. Ferment at 68° F for 7 days, then rack into secondary (glass carboy) and add dry hops. Ferment until target gravity has been reached and beer has cleared (5 weeks). Prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70° to 72° F for 3 to 4 weeks. Store at cellar temperature.

Partial-Mash Option:

Acidify the mash water to below 7.2 pH. Mash 1.75 lbs. British two-row pale malt and the specialty grains in 1 gal. water at 150° F for 90 min. Sparge with 1.5 gal. of water at 5.7 pH and 168° F. Follow the extract recipe, omitting 2 lbs. of Muntons extra- light DME from the boil.

All-Grain Option:

Acidify the mash water to below 7.2 pH. Mash 12.75 lbs. British two-row pale malt and the specialty grains in 4.25 gal. of water at 150° F for 90 min. Sparge with 5 gal. of water at 5.7 pH and 168° F. The total boil time is 90 min. Add 6 AAUs of bittering hops for the last 90 min. of the boil. Add flavor hops, Irish moss, aroma hops and dry hops as indicated.

Helpful Hints:

If your water is soft (below 50 ppm hardness), add 1/4 tsp. gypsum, 1/4 tsp. non-iodized table salt and 1 tsp. chalk to adjust. If your water is hard (greater than 200 ppm hardness), dilute it 50/50 with distilled water. Old ale is ready to drink 3 months after carbonation. It will peak between 6 and 10 months and will last for up to 1 year at cellar temperatures.