King Fergus Wee Heavy
Brewed: 3/30/2025 Kegged: 4/13/2025
In 2025, I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal compared to 2024.
I have my Roll-a-Style list, which helped me keep track of styles that I still need to brew.
The idea is that I use a 20-sided online die to decide which style to brew next. However, the past few new styles, I have decided and "pretended" to roll the number I wanted to brew.
But, recently, I actually rolled the online die, and got 19 ...
... which corresponds to 17C. Wee Heavy.
"Rich, sweet malt depth with caramel, toffee, and fruity flavors. Full-bodied and chewy, with warming alcohol. Restrained bitterness, but not cloying or syrupy."
I came up with this recipe, using "McZainasheff's Wee" Strong Scotch Ale recipe in Jamil's Brewing Classic Styles as a reference.
I ended up reducing the OG / ABV on the recipe to be closer to the lower end of the style, mostly because my last couple brews have been pretty big beers.
The name King Fergus comes from the Pixar movie "Brave".
As you may remember from Merida Scottish Ale, I've established a pattern of using "Brave" references in my previous Scottish Ales Mor'du Scottish Ale and Clan DunBroch Scottish Ale.
King Fergus is Merida's father in the movie.
I brewed this late March and it is currently fermenting. Should be drinking by the end of April.
On untappd: King Fergus Wee Heavy
For more about this beer, see Sheppy's Blog: King Fergus
| King Fergus Wee Heavy --- Batch 1 (373) |
| Style | Wee Heavy | Batch Size | 5.50 gal | |||
| Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 6.60 gal | |||
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 60.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity | 1.072 SG | Estimated FG | 1.022 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 21.6 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 6.7 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.301 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 15.3 SRM |
|
|||||
| Measured OG: | 1.073 | Measured FG: | 1.013 | ||||
| ADF: | 81 | Measured ABV: | 8.0 |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.38 gal | Denver, Colorado | Water | 1 | - | - |
| 5.00 g | Calcium Chloride (Mash) | Water Agent | 2 | - | - |
| 2.00 g | Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) | Water Agent | 3 | - | - |
| 15 lbs | Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) | Grain | 4 | 85.7 % | 1.17 gal |
| 12.0 oz | Crystal Light - 45L (Crisp) (45.0 SRM) | Grain | 5 | 4.3 % | 0.06 gal |
| 12.0 oz | Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) | Grain | 6 | 4.3 % | 0.06 gal |
| 8.0 oz | Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) | Grain | 7 | 2.9 % | 0.04 gal |
| 4.0 oz | Crystal Extra Dark - 120L (Crisp) (120.0 SRM) | Grain | 8 | 1.4 % | 0.02 gal |
| 4.0 oz | Pale Chocolate Malt (200.0 SRM) | Grain | 9 | 1.4 % | 0.02 gal |
| 0.500 oz | Magnum [12.60 %] - Boil 40.0 min | Hop | 10 | 18.3 IBUs | - |
| 1.000 oz | East Kent Goldings (EKG) [4.30 %] - Boil 10.0 min | Hop | 11 | 3.3 IBUs | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saccharification | Add 33.53 qt of water at 165.3 F | 156.0 F | 45 min |
| Heat | Heat to 158.0 F over 10 min | 158.0 F | 15 min |
| Mash Out | Heat to 170.0 F over 7 min | 170.0 F | 10 min |
If steeping, remove grains,
and prepare to boil wort
Make 1.4 liter (6 cups) yeast starter a day before brew day. (or rack onto previously brewed yeast cake)
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=99,Mg=15,Na=21,SO4=93,Cl=130,HCO3=104
18 lbs of malt is more than the Foundry can handle. Do a double mash: half the base grains at 152 for 45 minutes, and drain for the wort to be "strike water" for the second half of grains. Follow the recipe mash schedule for this second half.
After double mash is done, check pre-boil gravity.
Adjust boil length based on gravity and boil-off rate to reach target OG. (if gravity is high, dilute as appropriate)
Cool wort to as close to 60 degrees as possible.
Rack onto previously brewed yeast cake (if one is available)
Ferment 2 weeks at ambient temperature.
Transfer to keg to be stored for another 4 weeks.
Chill and Keg carbonate.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: | Strike Temp: | |||||
| Mash Temps: | ||||||
| Pre-boil OG | (1.065 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (6.60 gal) | |||
| Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
| Fermentation | ||||||
| Day 1: | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
Brewing Notes
3/30/2025 Brew day in garage today. Up a little before 5:30. Was mashed in at 140 or so at a little before 6 and was up to 156 mash temp around 6:10 Started with 8 gallons water and about half the grains, which seemed to fit well. Reiterated mash. First one don't before church. Second during church. Was pitched and in basement around 12:15 in time to watch Houston /Tennessee. 1.073 og.
3/31/2025 Fermentation took off yesterday afternoon, and is going strong. Already pushed liquid out of a keg. Tilt down to 1.052 at 68.
4/1/2025 Still going pretty strong. Tilt says 1.015 at 73 degrees. Thinking about putting the spunding valve on soon, but will wait until it slows down some.
4/2/2025 Slowed down quite a bit, but still have thick krausen. Tilt says 1.008 at 68. Going to put spunding valve on.
4/3/2025 Pressure was up over 7psi, so I loosened the valve. Seemed to release the psi to 5. Beer is clearing up nicely and looks like a gorgeous ruby red. Looking forward to drinking this beer. According to the schedule, we're going to keg in about 10 days and age for at least another week.
4/13/2025 Kegged today. I measured the FG at 1.013, which is considerably lower than planned / expected. This makes this an 8% abv beer, which is also high. The beer does taste great. Not sure if the iterated mash made it more fermentable or if the tons of yeast I pitched attenuated more than expected. Now I have two 8% + beers on tap. This is probably the first time this happened. Need to be careful because this doesn't taste like an 8% beer.
4/17/2025 Poured a sample. Needs clarification. Not as carbonated as I thought it would be. Great flavor. Doesn't taste like an 8% ABV beer. Nice full body. Will love drinking this. Might get drunk on Easter Sunday.
4/22/2025 Had lots Easter Sunday. It's also a nice beer to blend with some old less flavorful beer the wife brought back from work. Really a great beer even though it is higher ABV than I usually like. Dangerously smooth.
3/30/2025 Brew day in garage today. Up a little before 5:30. Was mashed in at 140 or so at a little before 6 and was up to 156 mash temp around 6:10 Started with 8 gallons water and about half the grains, which seemed to fit well. Reiterated mash. First one don't before church. Second during church. Was pitched and in basement around 12:15 in time to watch Houston /Tennessee. 1.073 og.
3/31/2025 Fermentation took off yesterday afternoon, and is going strong. Already pushed liquid out of a keg. Tilt down to 1.052 at 68.
4/1/2025 Still going pretty strong. Tilt says 1.015 at 73 degrees. Thinking about putting the spunding valve on soon, but will wait until it slows down some.
4/2/2025 Slowed down quite a bit, but still have thick krausen. Tilt says 1.008 at 68. Going to put spunding valve on.
4/3/2025 Pressure was up over 7psi, so I loosened the valve. Seemed to release the psi to 5. Beer is clearing up nicely and looks like a gorgeous ruby red. Looking forward to drinking this beer. According to the schedule, we're going to keg in about 10 days and age for at least another week.
4/13/2025 Kegged today. I measured the FG at 1.013, which is considerably lower than planned / expected. This makes this an 8% abv beer, which is also high. The beer does taste great. Not sure if the iterated mash made it more fermentable or if the tons of yeast I pitched attenuated more than expected. Now I have two 8% + beers on tap. This is probably the first time this happened. Need to be careful because this doesn't taste like an 8% beer.
4/17/2025 Poured a sample. Needs clarification. Not as carbonated as I thought it would be. Great flavor. Doesn't taste like an 8% ABV beer. Nice full body. Will love drinking this. Might get drunk on Easter Sunday.
4/22/2025 Had lots Easter Sunday. It's also a nice beer to blend with some old less flavorful beer the wife brought back from work. Really a great beer even though it is higher ABV than I usually like. Dangerously smooth.