Crisp Victorian Steampunk Ale or Steam Lager

  • Fruit, marmalade and rustic hops
  • ABV 5.5%
  • IBU 35
  • OG 1051 SG

The Crisp Victorian Steampunk Ale recipe (also known as Steam Lager) was first brewed for the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in 2018, blending the old world with the new. We utilize Chevallier as the base malt to provide a rich, robust, marmalade-like and malty base, and layer on top the classic California Common hops, Northern Brewer. We’ve added an Australian twist with Vic Secret hops, making this a truly well-travelled ale.

BASICS

BATCH SIZE (LITRES):

1630

BATCH SIZE (UK BARRELS):

10

ORIGINAL GRAVITY:

1051 SG

FINAL GRAVITY:

1008 SG

IBUs:

35

COLOR (EBC/SRM):

23 / 12

BREWHOUSE EFFICIENCY:

85%

METHODS / TIMINGS

TEMPERATURES

MASH TEMP:

68°C / 154°F

COLLECTION TEMP:

15°C / 59°F

FERMENTATION TEMP:

17°C / 62°F

MASH LIQUOR VOL (LITRES):

809

LIQUOR / MASH RATIO:

2.5 : 1

TIMINGS

MASH:

60 mins

BOIL:

90 mins

INGREDIENTS

MALTS (kg) %

CHEVALLIER®

245

76

LIGHT MUNICH

50

15

CRYSTAL 150

25

7

LOW COL CHOCOLATE

4

1

YEAST

CALIFORNIA COMMON

HOPS (g) Contribution% Alpha Acid% Addition

NORTHERN BREWER

198

25

9

Start of boil

NORTHERN BREWER

198

25

9

Middle

VIC SECRET

119

25

15

10 mins before end

VIC SECRET

119

25

15

Flame out

HOPS

NORTHERN BREWER

(g)

198

Contribution%

25

Alpha Acid%

9

Addition

Start of boil

NORTHERN BREWER

(g)

198

Contribution%

25

Alpha Acid%

9

Addition

Middle

VIC SECRET

(g)

119

Contribution%

25

Alpha Acid%

15

Addition

10 mins before end

VIC SECRET

(g)

119

Contribution%

25

Alpha Acid%

15

Addition

Flame out

Mike'S TOP TIP

To further develop flavor and color, increase the boil time on the recipe to 90 minutes.

Malts used in this Recipe

Chevallier Malt

Chevallier Heritage Malt was the first ever selected landrace for malting, and it’s what our founders, Fred and George Smith, would have malted back in 1870. Chevallier reigned supreme for over 100 years as the dominant barley variety in England from the 1820s to the 1920s. It was propagated worldwide and was commercially grown in Australia as recently as 1960. It formed the backbone of many Victorian ales, and in its revived form, we’ve seen it win awards for its depth of flavour. 

It has a robust maltiness, akin to a Maris Otter malt turned up to eleven, with a rich marmalade character and a long-lasting aftertaste. In a new make spirit for whisky, its malt bursts through.

Find out more about Chevallier Malt here.

Light Crystal Malt

To make Light Crystal, we increase the temperature further, and the endosperm darkens, allowing flavors to develop further. Think of Crystal Malts like you would make caramel at home. With Light Crystal, the crystallized sugars present impart an intense caramel flavour. Light Crystal will also impart a reddish hue to the beer, and it works very well in Bitters and Ruby beers.

The number after the word Crystal refers to the EBC colour of the malt if you mashed at 100% of the grain bill. To get a rough conversion to Lovibond, just divide by two.

Find out more about Light Crystal Malt here.

Low Color Chocolate Malt

Another step up in color in the chocolate range, so called because of the flavor it produces in the final beer, not due to the presence of actual chocolate.

Low Color Chocolate Malt imparts a delicate chocolate aroma and taste much like a mellow cold brew coffee. This malt type lacks the astringency of the more darkly roasted malts.

Find out more about Chocolate Brewing Malt here.

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