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Big Horse Brewing Company’s McStallion Scotch Export Ale: Replicator

Dear Replicator, I’m hoping to convince my husband to brew something other than the super bitter beers he likes. I normally just drink big red wines. This winter we were touring waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. We stayed at a hotel in Hood River, Oregon and up the hill from the hotel we found Big Horse Brewpub. He ordered a sampler selection and one of them I just loved. It was their McStallion Scotch beer. I hope you can get a recipe for it and publish my letter. He subscribes and maybe seeing my letter and the recipe in print will convince him how much I want him to brew it.
Janice Anderson
Seattle, Washington

The Columbia Gorge is home to many waterfalls and they attract thousands of tourists every year. However, its prevailing west winds that cause a venturi effect in the gorge attract even more. This makes the Gorge one of the top 10 destinations in the world for wind surfing and kite boarding. The sandy banks of the Columbia River at Hood River serve as a prime launching area. There is possibly no better location to watch the activity than from the third floor bar or deck of Big Horse Brewing.

Owner Randy Orzeck describes himself as being from “back east.” That would be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. It was the wind surfing that brought him to the Pacific Northwest and now a thriving brewpub keeps him here. The breweries dotted across about a 30 mile stretch of the river recently organized to form B.I.G. – Breweries In the Gorge. Big Horse is now one of B.I.G.’s top 10 beer destinations.

Big Horse began as Horsefeathers Fine Food and Spirits restaurant in 1988. Randy’s wife of 20 years, Susan, also helped him with another business venture, Justa Pasta. This supplied high quality pasta for their business and eventually many of the most popular Italian restaurants in Portland, Oregon. Seeking a new challenge and wanting to benefit from the surge in craft brewing they sold the pasta business. The idea was to reinvest the money and convert their restaurant to a brewpub.

With no brewing experience Randy jumped in with both feet. He ordered a four-barrel system from Elliot Bay Fabrication. He also purchased a half-barrel system for practice batches during the four-month delay in receiving the big system. He admitted that the first few batches weren’t very good but the knowledge he gained form his restaurant experience quickly led to very drinkable beers.

When the commercial system arrived it seemed way beyond his newly acquired homebrewing skills. He placed a call to Dave Logsdon (Founder of Wyeast Laboratories and owner of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales). Dave spent two days sharing his brewing experience and wisdom with Randy, and this was all Randy needed to get him through the first five years of his new brewing career. Evidently Dave impressed upon him the need for high levels of sanitation as he reused the same yeast for the first two years!

As business increased he had to devote more time to management and less to brewing. This lead to the hiring of a full-time brewer, Jason Kahler. Jason added some new beers to the lineup and was able to hone his skills further with the very efficient four-barrel system. This resulted in him moving on to open his own small brewpub, Solera, up the hill from Hood River in the town of Parkdale.

The current brewer, Derrek Smith, began his career as a homebrewer eight years ago cranking out 10-gallon (38-L) batches on a converted keg system. He applied to over 40 breweries for an internship or low level starting position with no luck. He couldn’t afford the tuition for formal brewing education so he simply read every brewing book he could get his hands on. Derrek was friends with Jason Kahler and the timing of him leaving was in his favor. He brewed with Jason for a week and made two successful batches. This was enough to convince Randy that he had his new brewer.

Derrek says, “the nice thing about the four barrel system is that it allows me to brew a wide variety of styles.” This is evidently working as Randy claims that over the past few years they have increased sales up to
350 barrels per year. He also says that McStallion Scotch Ale is their second best year-round seller.

While discussing the beer, Derrek advises that this recipe is best suited to all-grain brewing. He feels that
the Golden PromiseTM and Maris Otter malts coupled with a more complicated boiling schedule contribute a
lot to the base flavor. Additionally, he recommends a long, cool fermentation and aging of at least one month (two is better).

Big Horse Brewing Company’s McStallion Scotch Export Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.067 FG = 1.015
IBU = 19 SRM = 17 ABV = 6.9 %

Ingredients

9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Golden PromiseTM pale malt
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
2.5 oz. (71 g) Carafa® Special II malt (475 °L)
5.2 AAU UK Golding hop pellets
(60 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g at 4.75%alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (30 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast.
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

This is a single step infusion mash. Mix all of the crushed grains with 4.1 gallons (15.5 L) of 172 °F (78 °C) water to stabilize at 155 ºF (68 °C). This is a medium-thick mash using 1.2 quarts of strike water per pound of grain (2.5 L/kg). This ratio will help to reduce maximum ferment-ability. A less fermentable wort is also created by the higher mash temperature. Mash for 40 minutes then drain approximately 0.75 gallon (2.8 L) of wort and boil it separately for one hour to make a syrup. Be careful not to scorch as the mixture thickens (for cleaning reasons). Slowly sparge with 175 ºF (79 ºC) water.

Collect approximately 6 gallons (23 L) of wort runoff. Combine that with your first boiled wort and boil for 120 minutes. This is an extra long boil in order to caramelize and darken the wort. This helps to develop the proper flavor profile for this style. While boiling, add the hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrient as per the schedule. During the boil, use this time to thoroughly sanitize your fermentation equipment.

After the boil is complete, cool the wort to 75 ºF (24 ºC) and transfer to your fermenter. Pitch the yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to 65 ºF (18 ºC). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete. This may take 7–10 days. Gently transfer to a carboy, avoiding any splashing to prevent aerating the beer. Allow the beer to condition for an additional week. Prime and bottle condition or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2. Allow the beer to age for at least four more weeks to fully develop the flavors and enjoy your McStallion Scotch Export Ale clone.

Big Horse Brewing Company’s McStallion Scotch Export Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.067 FG = 1.015
IBU = 19 SRM = 17 ABV = 6.9 %

Ingredients

3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Muntons Maris Otter liquid malt extract
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Muntons light, dried malt extract
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Golden PromiseTM pale malt
2.5 oz. (71 g) Carafa® Special II malt (475 °L)
5.9 AAU UK Golding hop pellets
(60 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (30 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast.
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mash the milled grain in 1.5 gallons (6 L) of water at 155 ºF (68 ºC) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from the wort and rinse with 2 quarts (2 L) of hot water, then top off to 3 gallons (11.4 L). Boil for 75 minutes. Top up with 2 quarts (2 L) water, add the liquid malt extract and boil for an additional 60 minutes. While performing the 60-minute boil, add the hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrient as per the schedule. During the boil, use this time to thoroughly sanitize your fermentation equipment. When the boil is complete add the wort to 2 gallons (7.5 L) of cold water in the sanitized fermenter and top off with cold water up to 5 gallons (19 L).

After the boil is complete, cool the wort to 75 ºF (24 ºC). Pitch your yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to 65 ºF (18 ºC). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete. This may take 7–10 days. Gently transfer to a carboy, avoiding any splashing to prevent aerating the beer. Allow the beer to condition for an additional week. Prime and bottle condition or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.

Allow the beer to age for at least four more weeks to fully develop the flavors and enjoy your McStallion Scotch Export Ale clone.

Issue: September 2015