Drop-In Brewing Co.’s Heart of Lothian clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.012
IBU = 23 SRM = 22 ABV = 5.6%

Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.08 kg) Golden Promise malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (70 °L)
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Simpsons DRC™ malt (110 °L)
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Weyermann Carafoam® malt
0.2 lb. (0.09 kg) English chocolate malt (450 °L)
3.7 AAU Fuggle hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.9% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU East Kent Golding hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.6% alpha acids)
6.9 AAU East Kent Golding hops (0 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 4.6% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) or SafAle S-04 yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains, then mix with 3.6 gallons (13.5 L) of 164 °F (73 °C) strike water to achieve a single infusion rest temperature of 149 °F (65 °C). Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Mashout to 170 °F (77 °C) if desired.

Vorlauf until your runnings are clear before directing them to your boil kettle. Batch or fly sparge the mash and run-off to obtain 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort. Sparging for this beer takes 2 hours on scale but may be quicker at home. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated above left in the boil. At 15 minutes left in boil, you may want to add either Irish moss or Whirlfloc as fining agents.

After the boil, add the whirlpool hops indicated and whirlpool for 15 minutes before rapidly chilling the wort to 66 °F (19 °C). Pitch yeast and aerate the wort. Maintain fermentation temperature of 68 °F (20 °C) for this beer.

Once primary fermentation is complete, and the beer has settled, bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.

Drop-In Brewing Co.’s Heart of Lothian clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.012
IBU = 23 SRM = 22 ABV = 5.6%

Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.27 kg) light dried malt extract
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (70 °L)
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Simpsons DRC™ malt (110 °L)
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Weyermann Carafoam® malt
0.2 lb. (0.09 kg) English chocolate malt (450 °L)
3.7 AAU Fuggle hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.9% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU East Kent Golding hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.6% alpha acids)
6.9 AAU East Kent Golding hops (0 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 4.6% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) or SafAle S-04 yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Bring 6.5 gallons (25 L) of water to roughly 150 °F (66 °C). Steep all the specialty malts 15 minutes before removing and draining. Add the extract, while stirring, before heating to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the indicated times left in the boil. At 15 minutes left in boil, you may want to add either Irish moss or Whirlfloc as fining agents.

After the boil, add the whirlpool hops indicated and whirlpool for 15 minutes before rapidly chilling the wort to 66 °F (19 °C). Pitch yeast and aerate the wort. Maintain fermentation temperature of 68 °F (20 °C) for this beer.

Once primary fermentation is complete, and the beer has settled, bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.

Tips for Success:
First off, use high-quality, fresh ingredients with an emphasis on UK-based malts and hops if possible. Consider Crisp, Thomas Fawcett, and/or Simpsons as your maltsters of choice.

Next, focus on your fermentation. Ensure your pitch is appropriately sized and healthy; the easiest way is to either repitch yeast from a previous batch of beer or create a starter in whatever way you’re most comfortable. This yeast strain has been known to struggle to attenuate to this extent, so be sure to provide an ideal environment with proper temperature control to ensure a strong fermentation.

Finally, focus on water chemistry for a malt-forward beer. To this end, ensure you have at least 40 ppm of calcium in the brewing water but more importantly your ratio of chloride-to-sulfate should be in the range of 1:1 to 2:1. With great base ingredients that are well-attenuated and flavored appropriately with the right amount of ions, you should have no trouble brewing an amazing Scottish 90/-.