Round Guys Brewing Co. The Russian Messenger clone

Round Guys Brewing Co. The Russian Messenger clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.095 FG = 1.024
IBU = 71 SRM = 52 ABV = 10.3%

Round Guys owner Scott Rudich takes a distinctly European approach to this beer, and the Pilsner and Munich malts that form the bulk of the grist lay down a great bready base for the rich brown malt and raisiny crystal to follow.

Ingredients
13.5 lbs. (6.1 kg) Pilsner malt
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Munich malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) pale chocolate malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) brown malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) roasted barley (500 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
12.75 AAU Apollo hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 17% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Bravo hops (30 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 14% alpha acid)
0.6 oz. (17 g) Columbus hops (0 min.)
Safale US-05 or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast
2/3 cup (133 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains, then mix with 6.25 gallons (23.7 L) of 163 °F (73 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, and being sparge. Sparge the grains with with enough water to obtain 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list and Irish moss if desired.

After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 63 °F (17 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast.

Ferment at 64 °F (17 °C), raising by one degree Fahrenheit per day to reach 70 °F (21 °C), then hold there until the completion of primary fermentation. Once the beer completes fermentation, reduce temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes.

Extract with Grains Option:
Substitute the Pilsner malt with 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract, and the Munich malt with 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Munich liquid malt extract. Bring 5.4 gallons (20.4 L) of water to approximately 162 °F (72 °C) and hold there. Steep grains for 15 minutes, then remove bag and allow to drain into the wort. Add liquid extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list and Irish moss if desired. Now follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.