Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.’s Taildragger Clan-Destine Clone
All-Grain Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.011
IBU = 22 SRM = 16 ABV = 6.2%
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) Golden Promise pale ale malt
1 lb. (454 g) Carafoam® malt
0.75 lb. (340 g) Crisp crystal 77 malt (77 °L)
2.5 oz. (71 g) roasted barley (500 °L)
6 AAU Fuggle hops (60 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (10 min.)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale), Wyeast 1098 (British Ale), or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Starting with a medium-thick mash of 1.33 qts./lb. (2.8 L/kg) achieve a mash temperature of 154 °F (68 °C) and hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Begin lautering by raising mash temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) for mash out. Recirculate for about ten minutes until clear. Sparge using water at 170 °F (77 °C) acidified to a pH near 5.2. Collect 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) in the kettle. Boil for 90 minutes, adding the Fuggle hops with 60 minutes to go, and the Irish moss with 10 minutes remaining. Upon completion of the boil, whirlpool and let rest for 20 minutes.
Chill quickly to 65 °F (18 °C) and collect the wort in the fermenter. Pitch the yeast and aerate well if using a liquid yeast strain. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C) for about two weeks or until reaching final gravity. Cold crash to 32 °F (0 °C) in a closed container (you don’t want air being sucked back into the vessel). Allow the beer to reach final temperature, then rest an additional two to five days for clarifying. Carbonate to around 2.5 v/v or bottle condition. Serve in a nonic glass between 45 °F (7 °C) and 50 °F (10 °C) for optimum experience.
Extract With Grains Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.011
IBU = 22 SRM = 16 ABV = 6.2%
Ingredients
6.8 lbs. (3.1 kg) Muntons Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1 lb. (454 g) Carafoam® malt
0.75 lb. (340 g) Crisp crystal 77 malt (77 °L)
2.5 oz. (71 g) roasted barley (500 °L)
6 AAU Fuggle hops (60 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (10 min.)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale), Wyeast 1098 (British Ale), or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a muslin bag for easy removal of the grain, steep your grains for ten minutes in three gallons (11.4 L) of water between 145–160 °F (63–71 °C). Temperature does not have to be specific since the purpose is simply to steep the grains. Upon completion of the steeping, remove the bag, draining the liquid without squeezing the bag. Raise temperature to near boiling and slowly stir in half of the extract. Return to the heat source and raise to boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the beginning, Irish moss at 10 minutes remaining, and the rest of the extract with 5 minutes remaining.
Meanwhile, boil and chill about 2.5 gallons (9.46 L) of water so you can top up your wort later. Chill wort quickly to 65 °F (18 °C). Add pre-boiled and chilled water to top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C) for about two weeks or until reaching final gravity. Cold crash to 32 °F (0 °C) in a closed container (you don’t want air being sucked into the vessel). Allow beer to reach final temperature, then rest an additional two to five days for clarifying. Carbonate to around 2.5 v/v or bottle condition. Serve in a nonic glass between 45 °F (7 °C) and 50 °F (10 °C) for optimum experience.
Tips For Success
To ensure a smooth fermentation, best results will come from making a starter if using a liquid strain. The starter will provide an ample amount of yeast and, along with proper aeration, can help reduce the chances of fusel alcohol production. Patience, especially during the cold-conditioning phase, is also very important to produce the clean character desired in an authentic Scottish export ale.
There is no extract substitute for Golden Promise malt. Since Golden Promise is a heritage malt similar to Maris Otter malt (although Scottish vs. British heritage), we used the closest extract we could find, which is Muntons Maris Otter. This will get you “in the ballpark” but the all-grain version will get closer to the original as there are discrepancies between these two base grains.
