The Czar’s Revenge

The Czar’s Revenge

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.098 (23.4 °P)  FG = 1.030 (7.5 °P)
IBU = 77 SRM = 61 ABV = 9.2%

Ingredients
11.4 lb. (5.17 kg) Edme Maris, Muntons or similar pale English liquid malt extract
22 oz. (624 g) Great Western roasted barley (500 °L)
14 oz. (397 g) Dingemans Special B (120 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) Briess caramel Munich (60 °L)
7 oz. (198 g) Briess chocolate malt (350 °L)
7 oz. (198 g) Crisp pale chocolate malt (200 °L)
15.99 AAU Horizon hops (1.23 oz./35 g at13% alpha acids) (60 min.)
8.3 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.66 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (10 min.)
8.3 AAU Kent Goldings (1.66 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (1 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast

Step by Step
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid packing the grains too tightly in the bag, using more bags if needed. Steep the bag in about 1.5 gallon (~6 liters) of water at roughly 170 °F (77 °C) for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and a gravity of 1.084 (20.2 °P). Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

The total wort boil time is 60 minutes. Add the bittering hops as soon as the wort begins to boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add the remaining hop additions at 10 minutes and 1 minute. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 16 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, three packages of liquid yeast or one package of liquid yeast in a 6-liter starter.

Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes. Store the beer in a cool, dark place and allow to age. The beer will improve over time and should mature six or more months before drinking.

The Czar’s Revenge

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.098 (23.4 °P)  FG = 1.030 (7.5 °P)
IBU = 77 SRM = 61 ABV = 9.2%

Ingredients
17 lb. (7.71kg) Crisp British pale ale malt or similar (3 °L)
22 oz. (624 g) Great Western roasted barley (500 °L)
14 oz. (397 g) Dingemans Special B (120 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) Briess caramel Munich (60 °L)
7 oz. (198 g) Briess chocolate malt (350 °L)
7 oz. (198 g) Crisp pale chocolate malt (200 °L)
15.99 AAU Horizon hops (1.23 oz./35 g at 13% alpha acids) (60 min.)
8.3 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.66 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (10 min.)
8.3 AAU Kent Goldings (1.66 oz./47 g at 5% alpha acids) (1 min.)
White Labs WLP001 California Ale, Wyeast 1056 American Ale or Fermentis Safale US-05

Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash thickness that will enable your system to achieve the necessary pre-boil volume and gravity. Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (25 L) and the gravity is 1.076 (18.4 °P). If your system loses efficiency on big beers, start with an additional 4 to 5 lbs. (2 kg) of base malt or make sure you have a couple of pounds (1 kg) or more of malt extract on hand to make up any deficiency in efficiency.

The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add the remaining hop additions at 10 minutes and 1 minute. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 16 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, three packages of liquid yeast or one package of liquid yeast in a 6-liter starter. Follow the remainder of the extract with grains recipe.