# Scottish Ale



## jswordy

Man, it was cold down here in the Southland over the weekend. How to warm up the house? I know! Boil some Scottish Ale!













That was quite a bit of work, so I treated myself to steaks. Great grilling weather. 23 degrees. I could set my homebrew down and it did not get warm! 





Happy to report that the air lock is bubbling away this morning. This Brewer's Best (LD Carlson) kit, if it lives up to the great reviews, is one of the best values on the market. For $29.50, you get the usual grains, LME, DME, grain bag, hops, AND the priming sugar, yeast and even bottle caps. A lot of kits make you buy those last bits extra. We'll see. I do like that two of these kits exceed the $50 requirement at my supplier for free shipping.

I also have a more pricey Northern Brewer Scottish Ale kit for later. It will be nice to compare and contrast.


----------



## BernardSmith

Wait, 23 F is cold??? The temperature here is about 0 F today with a windchill of about minus 10 F... Now THAT is chilly...


----------



## jswordy

BernardSmith said:


> Wait, 23 F is cold??? The temperature here is about 0 F today with a windchill of about minus 10 F... Now THAT is chilly...



Yep, I did my time for the first half of life in northern Illinois. Never going to live up North again. I'll let ya'll boast about how great it is to be miserable. 

It is cold for the South. 23 with wind chill of 17 is cold here. Wednesday night, it is supposed to fall to 5. That is extreme. Normal temps this time of year are high 40s-low 50s with lows of 30-35. 

Many times in the past I have traveled to the frozen tundra of the Midwest, only to return to shirtsleeve weather here. But this is our week of winter here for this year. By late next week, we'll be back in the low 50s. The first weekend in March, I am to travel to Illinois for my niece's wedding reception (she's getting hitched in Cancun). So it will be another shocker to go up there, I'm sure.


----------



## olusteebus

Jim, if you like irish stout, you may enjoy this beer. You can get it in Alabama grocery stores (publix) and it is way good to me. 

I am gonna try making some someday.


----------



## jswordy

Yeah, Good People is a good company. I like their IPAs. I'm not much on stouts. My eventual goal is to clone Innis & Gunn Original. If you ever get a chance to try I & G Cherrywood Aged, be sure you do! If I can clone I&G (which many have tried but not succeeded at), I'll be happy. But I am just starting out. Easy is what I am after right now.

I boosted my Scottish Ale with an extra half-pound of Munton's Dark DME and made a 20-liter batch. We'll see what happens.


----------



## olusteebus

Can you describe scottish ale.


----------



## BernardSmith

My understanding - and I am not an expert on BCJP styles is that Scottish beers tend to be sweet and malty and thin on the hops and not very alcoholic (from about 2.5 to about 5 % ABV) - the mashing temperatures tend to be higher and so the sugars are less fermentable - hence the sweetness


----------



## jswordy

Yep - more malt, less bitterness and hops. I don't know about "thin on the hops," they use about the same amount of hops, but different varieties. My favorite beers. A good 90 shilling is a work of art. This one I am doing is an 80 shilling. Find yourself a six-pack of Innis & Gun Original or Whiskey Aged and you'll probably get hooked like me. I am not a hop-head. I do like bitter beers but within reason. 

Here's a review: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOWdvnd3S8g[/ame]

Like that guy, I am not a beer (or wine) connoisseur, I just know what I like.

So I sprinkled yeast Sunday at about 3 p.m. and left yesterday for a later work start at 11 a.m. with a vigorous ferment. Came home last night, and it had finished. No action in my 3-piece air lock and the cap is all the way down. Beer is so different than wine!

So tonight I will transfer to a carboy. Pondering adding a touch of brown sugar to ferment just a bit so I get a layer of CO2 in the headspace. Then we'll let it clear.


----------



## olusteebus

damnit, now I want to make that.


----------



## Elmer

I wanted to grill some steaks this weekend, but I did not have the energy to shovel my way to my grill, unbury the grill and have my beer freeze in sub zero weather.

But 2 things I take away from your photos.

1-I now want to move my next boil up even sooner
2-we have the same brick facade in our kitchen. Mine is just older and looks like poo!


----------



## jswordy

Elmer said:


> I wanted to grill some steaks this weekend, but I did not have the energy to shovel my way to my grill, unbury the grill and have my beer freeze in sub zero weather.
> 
> But 2 things I take away from your photos.
> 
> 1-I now want to move my next boil up even sooner
> 2-we have the same brick facade in our kitchen. Mine is just older and looks like poo!



Mine is from the mid-1960s and it is on wifie's list of stuff to get rid of. LOL.

I could not believe how fast this beer fermented. Guess I'll roll with it.


----------



## wineforfun

jswordy said:


> I am not a beer (or wine) connoisseur, I just know what I like.



That, my friend, is a quote to live by.


----------



## BernardSmith

Not off topic I hope... but I never know how folk know when their beer has fully fermented out.. Typically you can expect the hydrometer to read north of about 1.010 but it could be 1.013 or 1.015 or thereabouts..and where it ends up has as much to do with your mashing temperature and that has a great deal to do with a whole host of variables - like ambient temperature, the accuracy of the thermometer, the insulation of your mash tun, the technique you use to reach and maintain mash temp and the volume of solids to liquid in the mash...In other words, I don't believe any recipe that tells me what the finished gravity will be or believe most folk who claim that they hit that number. 

The only way I can know that it has finished fermenting is to wait a few weeks and check the gravity a couple or more times within a period of a few days...


----------



## mike_d

Hitting a precise final gravity is part of the true challenge of brewing. The goal is not to brew great beer _once_, but to brew great beer _every time_. Easier said than done.

There are a lot of variables, as you mentioned, but eliminating them is easy, but takes time. 

-Know your processes. If you change the way you do things every time you brew, you'll never yield consistent results. Using the same water/grain ratio will lead to consistent results. 
-Know your equipment. If used the same way every time, your equipment will yield the same results every time. If your mash tun loses three degrees in an hour on a 50 degree day today, it'll lose that same three degrees on a 50 degree day six months from now. Also, crushing your grain on different mills will yield different results.
-Know your ingredients. If your recipe uses barley that's 38 pppg, and the barley you have on hand is 39pppg, it will change your starting gravity, as well as your final. Like the variance in grapes, different lots of the same barley may have different attributes. Knowing these is more than helpful.
-Know your environment. If you're not precisely controlling fermentation temperature, or mashing outdoors in different weather each time, you'll not yield consistent results.

Having said all that, just because beer can be made in a week, doesn't mean it should be. Waiting a few weeks after pitching is never a bad plan. Giving the yeasties time to ferment, clean up after themselves, and settle out, will give you cleaner, clearer beer.

Probably the one thing most people are guilty of in home brewing and winemaking is adjusting too many things at once. When we are trying to fix a problem, we should only change ONE part of the process at a time, else we'll never know what _exactly caused the problem in the first place_. That's something all of you winemakers that have much more experience than I do should be familiar with, patience.

Now, back to the Scottish Ale...I enjoy hops. Not nearly as much as some people, but I do like them. However, lately I've been Getting away from hoppy beers. A Scotch Ale is on my list of things to brew, but whether it's a 60/70/Wee Heavy will all depend on what time of year I get to it. Up next for me are an ESB, an Oatmeal Stout, and a Butternut Squash beer. 

The pricing for the BB kits seems really good for partial mash kits with caps, sugar, and yeast all included.


----------



## olusteebus

Jswordy, how long do you expect the ale to stay in the bottle before it gets good?

My oatmeal stout was about 3 months.


----------



## jswordy

I expect to bottle it and start drinking it after 3 weeks for carb. Not going to let it sit around, as I do not have a back stock of beer. I suppose it will get better as I go, but it will probably be gone in a month or so. 

Supposedly, there's a Northern Brewer Scottish Ale kit on the way, and I'll start that one soon. 

Also have crab apple wine, muscadine wine, two white wine kits, and elderberry wine to make yet. Need to get the freezer cleared out. So, busy times ahead.


----------



## olusteebus

I saw a four pack of Innis & Gunn Whiskey aged in Piggly Wiggly here. About 10 bucks, that would be between 13 and 14 bucks a six pack. Kind of pricey. If I want something like that, it would be a kit. 

I like imperial stout and those kits are considerably more expensive than most kits. I bet a good Scottish Ale is up there also.


----------



## olusteebus

I looked and found a irish ale that had great reviews and it was only 31 bucks. It was an extract kit, gonna make that soon.


----------



## Elmer

I have to admit I have never had a scottish Ale (commercially or otherwise).

I am an IPA, Stout, creame ale guy. 

That being said I had planned to start my second batch in april and have my lawnmower ale (cream ale) ready for may. After tasting my first batch I moved up the boil date on my calender to mid march.
Now after reading this thread and realizing I need to up my production or suffer a dry spell, I have whipped my calender clean of any anticipated boil dates (SWMBO tries to keep me to adhere to my calender-"no drinking until you hit the 3 week mark on your calender").
but now I am just thinking of boiling this weekend!
and then I can buy a new kit!


----------



## jswordy

olusteebus said:


> I saw a four pack of Innis & Gunn Whiskey aged in Piggly Wiggly here. About 10 bucks, that would be between 13 and 14 bucks a six pack. Kind of pricey. If I want something like that, it would be a kit.
> 
> I like imperial stout and those kits are considerably more expensive than most kits. I bet a good Scottish Ale is up there also.



That is amazing, I&G in the Piggly Wiggly!!! $10 is actually a good price. Why do you think I am trying to clone it? But as far as I have been able to tell, no one has accurately cloned I&G.

*DO NOT BUY IT!!!* If you *DO* buy the I&G Whiskey Aged, you will be hooked on it. Avoid it like heroin. It is life-altering.

If you want a safer Scottish Ale alternative, try Belhaven. It is also slightly cheaper. While good, it will not addict you like I&G does. And it's kind of cool to know you are drinking beer made with water from wells dug in the 16th century.

So... I racked the beer into a carboy Tuesday night and added one tablespoon of brown sugar. Got slow bubbles through Wednesday. Done last night but the cap is raised, so I know there is a nice layer of CO2 atop the brew. Wait a while and then rack and bottle.

My higher-dollar Northern Brewer Scottish ale kit, which is a third more expensive and has a different ingredients list, is due to arrive today. I probably won't start it until I get back from the frozen tundra up North in early March.


----------



## LoneTreeFarms

I usually leave mine in primary for 2-3 weeks then rack straight to the keg, no secondary for me, unless I'm adding oak or fruit or something crazy. never made a Scottish ale but that looks tasty jswordy!!


----------



## jswordy

LoneTreeFarms said:


> I usually leave mine in primary for 2-3 weeks then rack straight to the keg, no secondary for me, unless I'm adding oak or fruit or something crazy. never made a Scottish ale but that looks tasty jswordy!!



Yeah, there's a disagreement about all that. Everyone I know "in person" says to do a secondary before bottling, including my professional brewer friend. They all do it, and the instructions in the kits I have had so far also say it is preferred. The Midwest brewing instructional video says always use a secondary for clearer beer. 

I'm new to all this, but my first batch turned out clear as could be after secondary, and I have never been served anything but crystal clear beer by my friends who are advising me... so that's how I'm doing it.

Your keg is serving as a secondary, in a way. I don't keg beer, I bottle it.


----------



## Elmer

jswordy said:


> Yeah, there's a disagreement about all that. Everyone I know "in person" says to do a secondary before bottling, including my professional brewer friend. They all do it, and the instructions in the kits I have had so far also say it is preferred. The Midwest brewing instructional video says always use a secondary for clearer beer.
> 
> I'm new to all this, but my first batch turned out clear as could be after secondary, and I have never been served anything but crystal clear beer by my friends who are advising me... so that's how I'm doing it.
> 
> Your keg is serving as a secondary, in a way. I don't keg beer, I bottle it.



I did a secondary quite by mistake.
I racked from primary to a carboy with the intent of bottling a day or 2 later.
When I went to bottle I noticed there was some sediment as I had sucked up some goop from primary.
I racked again and bottled. 
I still ended up with some sediment in mybottles but that is because I did not use any whirfloc or moss (I will be this time).
But then again I am using a AIO to rack, which some extra long hoses, so racking is not that much of an issue.
I have already approached SWMBO about a kegging system. She thinks I should get a few more boils under my belt, and for the kids to be out of school & the cars paid off, & the mortgage paid off, & my student loans to be....you get the hint!


----------



## jswordy

I'm done buying equipment. I have enough. No need for more toys when I can git-r-dun now.


----------



## jswordy

Things are clearing up nicely... top half is cleared... Mmmmm...


----------



## Elmer

jswordy said:


> Things are clearing up nicely... top half is cleared... Mmmmm...




Is that the primary?
I am considering doing primary in a carboy, but I am so used to using a bucket.
Not to mention it is way easier to take an sg just by opening the lid and dropping the hyrdrometer in.


----------



## jswordy

Elmer said:


> Is that the primary?



That is the secondary. I would not recommend primary in a carboy, though I know people who do it. Cleanup can be a mess with certain beers.

Forgot to mention, I got the Scottish ale kit delivered from Northern Brewer yesterday. Totally different approach to the same style beer! This will be interesting to taste test.


----------



## BernardSmith

Interestingly, Mr Beer recommends not to rack into a secondary (but then they don't make 2 gallon carboys) and to allow beer to age 4 weeks and not 2 or 3 in the primary. This seems counter intuitive as the amount of time a customer ages their beer in their kegs is the amount of time their customers are not likely to be making (read buying) a refill or a recipe... If 4 weeks is considered better for most beers - even lower gravity brews when made with LME (or DME) - then I wonder if the 4 weeks with all grain will take that up a notch....


----------



## mike_d

The time a beer needs in primary and/or secondary is affected by numerous things, however, source of fermentables is not one of them. Extract, (liquid or dry), started out as the same grain that I use to brew my beers. It's just someone else did the time consuming part, and presented the fermentable sugar in a nice, easy, ready to use package.

I don't use a secondary. I also don't worry about when my beers are done. I'll rack them from primary straight into my bottling bucket or keg. _When I get around to it._ That's usually in the 3-6 week range. With careful racking, you can have beer as clear as you want it. But remember, when you're bottling, you're creating new fermentation in the bottle, so you'll have some sediment in the bottle anyway. Allowing a beer 3-4 weeks in the bottle will also go a long way towards providing clearer beer. Having several days to a week in the fridge before drinking will also help yeast settle out. 

Using a secondary is most beneficial for those who aren't careful with racking, or with extended bulk aging. If you can rack your beer without sucking up the yeast cake, and are not aging your beer for several months, you don't need the secondary.

Just because you _can have a beer go from grain to glass in three weeks, doesn't mean you should. A good rule of thumb would be to expect normal strength beers, (4-7%), to sit in a fermenter, (primary or secondary, completely up to you), for 3-4 weeks, and be in a bottle at at least 70 degrees for two more weeks._


----------



## jswordy

BernardSmith said:


> Interestingly, Mr Beer recommends not to rack into a secondary (but then they don't make 2 gallon carboys) and to allow beer to age 4 weeks and not 2 or 3 in the primary. This seems counter intuitive as the amount of time a customer ages their beer in their kegs is the amount of time their customers are not likely to be making (read buying) a refill or a recipe... If 4 weeks is considered better for most beers - even lower gravity brews when made with LME (or DME) - then I wonder if the 4 weeks with all grain will take that up a notch....



I think part of the Mr. Beer logic is that you are using their proprietary system. I had some similar instructions from Coopers about brewing their beer, which involved using their proprietary brewing system. I am using my winemaking stuff, so I am adapting. 

Using my current kit as an example: It is a 6 week (42-day) kit. They are allowing one week for primary fermentation, two weeks in secondary, and three weeks bottle carb.

But I'm a winemaker. My beer finished in 2 days and went to secondary (my brewing friends say it is not unusual for beer to finish in 3 days here). Two weeks in secondary (if it takes that long) will mean 16 days total. Then 2 or 3 weeks to bottle carb. That's just 30 days on the short end and 37 max. Then the sitting around part, which basically for me is gonna be how long will it last with me poaching beers off it.

As far as using a secondary or not, I'm going to follow the instructions of my longtime brewing friends, one of whom is the head brewer/co-owner at a craft brewery. Keith has been brewing for over 20 years, having started out with just the kind of equipment I am using. He now produces thousands of gallons a month. I'll go with that.


----------



## jswordy

Got to take a trip to Illinois this weekend, so the ale will rest in secondary a bit longer than I'd ideally like. Cap is up in the bubbler, so no worries. Hope to prime and bottle the next weekend. That's good, as I am out of beer right now. Oh yeah, my friend Keith breaks ground this week or next on a brand new brewery. So the hobby can grow quite a bit!


----------



## Elmer

My 2nd batch was an extract "ale", I may bottle this weekend after 2 weeks of primary simply because the next 4 weekends are booked.

I already looking for a recipe for my next batch. I am thinking of going partial grain and trying some dry hopping.
I have a recipe for a Sculpin clone, but it will cost me near $70 for the boil. but considering a 6 pack is $14, I guess the cost is worth it.


----------



## jswordy

Aye laddies, the ice storm cancelled my trip to Illinois, so here's 55 bottles of Scottish ale and a wee bit of flat beer left in a wineglass for the brewmaster for his troubles after bottlin'! She should be ready for springtime porch sippin' in 3 weeks, and since it's 65 here now, none too soon.


----------



## jswordy

Pulled a green bottle last night for inspection in a light. This stuff is clear as a bell! And I am THIRSTY! Come on, March 23! At least I'll get a carb test bottle out of that!


----------



## BernardSmith

How do you get those bottles to levitate like that? When I try that they all fall down ...


----------



## jswordy

BernardSmith said:


> How do you get those bottles to levitate like that? When I try that they all fall down ...



Then yer not drunk enough!


----------



## jswordy

Carb test in a freezer-frosted glass last night, 12 days in. Needs to go the full 21. The brew is clear as a bell with no adjuncts used. This beer turned out lighter in taste than I thought it would, probably due to a couple of practices with a full 5-gallon boil that the brewer needs to refine. I'll work on that. I also know I need more hops than the 1 ounce total provided in the kit. 2 ounces total would be about right. Still, adding in the price of 2 ounces of hops on top of this all-inclusive kit ($27 with yeast and even the caps and bag!) and free shipping over $50 total, I just can't go wrong.


----------



## jswordy

We are now right at 3 weeks bottle carb, and I am drinking this. I have my bottles in my 1960s Cornelius Coke cooler now (best $25 I ever spent an an auction). The beer has improved a lot in 3 weeks in the bottle. Probably my last 6-pack will really taste excellent.


----------



## Elmer

Had my first Scottish ale last weekend while brewing. Not bad, heavy and malty. 
A nice break from all the hops!


----------



## jswordy

Ah yes, Belhaven. My second favorite SA. I don't much like the wee heavy SAs. 80 shilling is my preference. I'm not that big a hophead, I like the malt to come through unless it is a pilsner or lager. And I'm not equipped to make those.

The malty ales are great with cherry or oak aging.

Talked to a friend in Michigan who has made a hefeweizen ale. Sounds lovely. Might have to look into that one sometime.


----------



## wineinmd

That's a lot of bubbles on the side of the glass. Looks a bit like a soda. Is that how a Scottish Ale should be? How was the carb?


----------



## jswordy

wineinmd said:


> That's a lot of bubbles on the side of the glass. Looks a bit like a soda. Is that how a Scottish Ale should be? How was the carb?



Scottish Ale is generally a lower-carb beer. It's like Scotland's version of English Bitter, though I am sure they would not like that comparison. It's malt-forward.


----------



## olusteebus

This better be good Jim!

Knowing you are a man of impeccable taste, I bought a six pack. If I like it, and I think I will, I may make some.


----------



## jswordy

olusteebus said:


> This better be good Jim!
> 
> Knowing you are a man of impeccable taste, I bought a six pack. If I like it, and I think I will, I may make some.



I cannot vouch for that brand, having never had French Broad.

My favorite brand is Innis & Gunn. I like the Cherrywood Aged best. The Whiskey Barrel Aged is also good. Even the Original is good stuff. I don't care for wee heavy. I like a good 80 shilling. See "Shilling Categories" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Scotland

If you want a SA kit to use as a good starter, buy this:

http://www.sunsethydro.com/product-p/897542010389.htm

EVERYTHING is in the kit. Yeast, caps, bag, etc. If you buy from that supplier and your order is over $50 (2 kits, or they have other supplies like all suppliers do), shipping is free.


----------



## Elmer

The Wee Heavy I tried was good, but not great.
It also may not have been the best introduction to Scottish ale.
Then again I am more of an IPA/stout guy.
Right now I am sinking 72ibu 9.9% imperial stout.
I might have to make one of these!


----------



## jswordy

Elmer said:


> The Wee Heavy I tried was good, but not great.
> It also may not have been the best introduction to Scottish ale.
> Then again I am more of an IPA/stout guy.
> Right now I am sinking 72ibu 9.9% imperial stout.
> I might have to make one of these!
> View attachment 21603



If you're an IPA guy, skip it. These aren't for hopheads.


----------



## Elmer

jswordy said:


> If you're an IPA guy, skip it. These aren't for hopheads.




Today's beverage is 100 IBU, 8%
It is so hoppy I can't even begin to describe the hoppyness.
But that is the great thing about beer there is one out there for each of us!


----------



## wineinmd

Granted, I've never had a beer that sought to combine the two, but stout and high IBUs don't sound like a good combo to me. The roastiness of a stout doesn't seem like a good match to the hoppiness/bitterness of an IPA. I know some people like hops, hops, and more hops, which can cause a lupulin threshold shift, thus rendering something that would be extremely bitter to me, much less so for them. 

That's the beauty of craft brew and homebrewing. There's always something new to try (or create if it isn't yet out there).

Edit: +1 to what Elmer said above. That's what I get for eating lunch before finishing a post.


----------



## Elmer

wineinmd said:


> Granted, I've never had a beer that sought to combine the two, but stout and high IBUs don't sound like a good combo to me. The roastiness of a stout doesn't seem like a good match to the hoppiness/bitterness of an IPA. I know some people like hops, hops, and more hops, which can cause a lupulin threshold shift, thus rendering something that would be extremely bitter to me, much less so for them.
> 
> That's the beauty of craft brew and homebrewing. There's always something new to try (or create if it isn't yet out there).
> 
> Edit: +1 to what Elmer said above. That's what I get for eating lunch before finishing a post.



Oddly enough the Imperial Stout was not as noticeably hoppy as one would think. The hop adds a layer to the roastyness. SWMBO tried it and remarked it was "chocolatey", and she is not a HOP head at all.
my personal opinion is to try as many different kinds as possible. I may not like them all, but atleast I will know what I like.


----------



## wineinmd

Elmer said:


> Oddly enough the Imperial Stout was not as noticeably hoppy as one would think. The hop adds a layer to the roastyness. SWMBO tried it and remarked it was "chocolatey", and she is not a HOP head at all.
> my personal opinion is to try as many different kinds as possible. I may not like them all, but atleast I will know what I like.


Hoppiness is in the eyes, or tongue as it may be, of the beer holder. 

I don't like cucumbers. People would always tell me "Try this. You can't even taste the cucumber in it." I would eat it. It would taste terrible, because it tasted like cucumber to me. As such, I avoid things with cucumbers in it. I'll try the new thing right next to it that has ingredients I know I like or haven't tried before though. 

Same thing with beer. I've got a long list of styles that interest me. A 72 IBU stout is way down that list. If it was on a flight of beers, I'd try it, but I won't be buying one until I exhaust my list.


----------



## Elmer

wineinmd said:


> Hoppiness is in the eyes, or tongue as it may be, of the beer holder.
> 
> I don't like cucumbers. People would always tell me "Try this. You can't even taste the cucumber in it." I would eat it. It would taste terrible, because it tasted like cucumber to me. As such, I avoid things with cucumbers in it. I'll try the new thing right next to it that has ingredients I know I like or haven't tried before though.
> 
> Same thing with beer. I've got a long list of styles that interest me. A 72 IBU stout is way down that list. If it was on a flight of beers, I'd try it, but I won't be buying one until I exhaust my list.



That is the great thing about flights, the variety. And if you dislike it you only have 4 to 6 oz to drink.
Honestly I am only buying beer in 22 oz bottles because I need the bottles for my christmas brew. While just going out and buying 22 oz bottles seems reasonable it has afforded me an opportunity to try a different 22 oz bottle each time.
It is a fun journey.

Now to this cucumber issue? 
I understand, to a degree. I have the same issue with Okra! but then again you cant make a pickle without cucumbers, so I cant imagine what you put next to your deli sandwich!


----------



## wineinmd

Elmer said:


> That is the great thing about flights, the variety. And if you dislike it you only have 4 to 6 oz to drink.
> Honestly I am only buying beer in 22 oz bottles because I need the bottles for my christmas brew. While just going out and buying 22 oz bottles seems reasonable it has afforded me an opportunity to try a different 22 oz bottle each time.
> It is a fun journey.
> 
> Now to this cucumber issue?
> I understand, to a degree. I have the same issue with Okra! but then again you cant make a pickle without cucumbers, so I cant imagine what you put next to your deli sandwich!


Cucumbers are pickles that were cut down before their prime. Every cucumber wants to grow up to be a pickle, but the world is a cruel, cruel place sometimes.


----------



## BernardSmith

The Scots are famous for having a sweet tooth - and their ale was always a lot more maltier than the beer the English brewed. I think - but I cannot swear to this - that the word "wee" in "wee heavy" has to do with the bottle the beer traditionally came in. "Wee" as in "small"


----------



## olusteebus

Is the Wee heavy considered not that good because the alcohol level diminishes the maltiness? I like it ok but would prefer a good stout I think. I will try a lower shilling I suppose.


----------



## jswordy

Elmer said:


> Now to this cucumber issue?
> I understand, to a degree. I have the same issue with Okra! but then again you cant make a pickle without cucumbers, so I cant imagine what you put next to your deli sandwich!



Breaded and fried okra - Mmmmm! Boiled - yuck. 

However, if you eat Campbell's soups, you are eating boiled okra as the thickener. And it doesn't seem to bother me there.

Two of my fav pickle brands...

http://www.bubbies.com
http://www.wicklespickles.com


----------



## Elmer

jswordy said:


> Breaded and fried okra - Mmmmm! Boiled - yuck.
> 
> 
> 
> However, if you eat Campbell's soups, you are eating boiled okra as the thickener. And it doesn't seem to bother me there.
> 
> 
> 
> Two of my fav pickle brands...
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.bubbies.com
> 
> http://www.wicklespickles.com




And with that I just threw out every can of Campbell's in my pantry!
[emoji90]


----------



## jswordy

Said goodbye to the last 2 of these Scottish Ales last night. 

"I'll miss ye, old friend" I moaned before draining the last swallow out of my mug. 





I will definitely brew this kit again, perhaps with a tweak or two, but it is very good as it comes in the box.


----------



## wineinmd

55 bottles in less than a month. Nice work!


----------



## jswordy

wineinmd said:


> 55 bottles in less than a month. Nice work!



I don't make the stuff to sit around and talk about it.


----------

