3 Sons Brewing Co.’s Summation clone

3 Sons Brewing Co.’s Summation clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.154  FG = 1.074
IBU = 40  SRM = 60  ABV = 10.5%*

The easiest way to replicate this huge beer on a homebrew scale is with an extended boil and the addition of malt extract to assist in hitting the high gravity. As you can see in the recipe, Director of Brewing Operations Corey Artanis loves to layer lots of different malts in imperial stouts for added complexity.

*ABV calculated prior to barrel aging. At 3 Sons, this beer usually finishes close to 13% after 18–28 months in barrel.

Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) dark dried malt extract
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) 2-row pale malt
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) Maris Otter malt
4.4 lbs. (2 kg) Golden Promise malt
1.9 lbs. (0.9 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) chocolate malt
14 oz. (400 g) caramel Munich malt (60 °L)
14 oz. (400 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
14 oz. (400 g) crystal malt (80 °L)
8 oz. (225 g) wheat malt
5 oz. (140 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special III malt
5 oz. (140 g) Briess Blackprinz® malt
5 oz. (140 g) Briess Midnight Wheat malt
12.6 AAU Columbus hops (120 min.) (0.9 oz./26 g at 14% alpha acids)
Yeast nutrient
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), Omega OYL-011 (British Ale V), or LalBrew Verdant IPA yeast
LalBrew CBC-1 (if priming)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
It is recommended that you repitch yeast from a previous batch of beer for adequate pitch rates. If that is not easily attainable, a large yeast starter made up in advance (if using a liquid yeast strain) or pitching 3 sachets of dried yeast is recommended. 

Mash the grains with a liquor-to-grist ratio of 1.15–1.25 qts. per lb. (2.4–2.6 L/kg) at 158 °F (70 °C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear of particles then start the burner and run off into kettle. Sparge to collect 8 gallons (30 L). Boil for 2 hours, adding hops at the start of the boil. Add the dried malt extract in the last 10 minutes of the boil. Check the gravity and, if needed, add additional extract to bring it up to 1.154. 

Chill to 65 °F (18 °L) and add yeast nutrient according to manufacturer’s instructions. If using a liquid yeast, you will need to aerate extremely well and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 68–70 °F (20–21 °C).

When fermentation is complete and gravity has stabilized for 3–4 days, drop temperature to 52 °F (11 °C). Drop yeast or rack beer off of it into a secondary vessel purged with CO₂. Hold for an additional 5–6 days in secondary and allow to rise to ambient temperature. Rack into a 5-gallon (19-L) Bourbon barrel purged with CO₂, leaving just a little head space. Allow your taste to guide you in how long to keep the beer in the barrel, first tasting after a week or two. When ready, rack to a keg and force carbonate or bottle. If bottling, pitch a cask-conditioning yeast such as LalBrew CBC-1. 

3 Sons Brewing Co.’s Summation clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.154  FG = 1.074
IBU = 40  SRM = 60  ABV = 10.5%*

*ABV calculated prior to barrel aging.

Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) dark dried malt extract
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) wheat liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) chocolate malt
14 oz. (400 g) caramel Munich malt (60 °L)
14 oz. (400 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
14 oz. (400 g) crystal malt (80 °L)
5 oz. (140 g) Weyermann Carafa® Special III
5 oz. (140 g) Briess Blackprinz® malt
5 oz. (140 g) Briess Midnight Wheat malt
12.6 AAU Columbus hops (120 min.) (0.9 oz./26 g at 14% alpha acids)
Yeast nutrient
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), Omega OYL-011 (British Ale V), or LalBrew Verdant IPA yeast
LalBrew CBC-1 (if priming)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
Place the crushed grains in a muslin bag (or two muslin bags so they are not packed in tightly) and submerge in 6.5 gallons (25 L) water as it heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). When that temperature is achieved, remove grain bag, allowing to drip into the kettle. With the heat turned off, stir in the malt extract until dissolved. Return to heat and bring wort to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil. Follow cooling, fermenting, aging, and packaging instructions in the all-grain recipe.

Tips for Success: To time your barrel aging correctly with smaller barrels you’ll need to sample regularly after the first couple weeks in the barrel. Artanis recommends buying 2-inch (5-cm) stainless finishing nails and drilling a hole into the center of the head of the barrel BEFORE you fill it for easy access to pulling samples. Hammer a sanitized, stainless steel finishing nail in the hole and fill the barrel. After pulling samples, spray the nail with some isopropyl to sanitize before re-inserting it.  

Oak chips soaked in Bourbon can be used to finish the beer on the homebrew scale if you do not have a barrel. Age the chips in just enough Bourbon to cover them for a week, and then add the chips to the beer for another week or more. Consider adding the Bourbon too.