The Bruery: Mash clone, All-Grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.092  FG = 1.016
IBU = 30 SRM = 30  ABV = 11%

Ingredients

17 lbs. (7.7 kg) Great Western 2-row pale malt
1.9 lbs. (0.86 kg) Briess Bonlander® Munich malt (10 °L)
0.4 lb. (181 g) Castle Abbey® malt (17 °L)
0.3 lb. (136 g) Castle chocolate malt (340 °L)
13.5 AAU UK Challenger hops (60 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 9.6% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc® tablet (10 min.)
Bourbon soaked oak cubes
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.25 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (2.6 L/kg) and a temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is 7 gallons (26.5 L).

Boil 120 minutes, adding ingredients as indicated. Chill to 65 °F (18 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The yeast pitch rate is 1,000,000 cells per mL per degree Plato. On a homebrew scale, this is approximately three packages of liquid yeast. For the wood aging, The Bruery’s Experimental Brewer Andrew Bell says, “after primary fermentation is finished, rack the beer to a CO2-purged, first-use bourbon barrel (or as an alternative, add bourbon soaked oak cubes to the beer in a secondary fermenter).

Age the beer on the oak until a refined bourbon character is achieved (approximately one year on a commercial scale, usually less on a smaller scale depending on the surface area of your oak source). After aging, bottle or keg as normal, carbonating the beer to around 2.5 volumes of CO2 (forced carbonation would be easier with this high ABV beer).” If you plan to bottle condition, you may consider pitching some fresh yeast at bottling.

Partial mash option: Reduce the 2-row pale malt in the all-grain recipe to 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) and add 10 lbs. (4.5 kg) golden liquid malt extract. Place crushed grains in a large muslin bag. Heat 2 gallons (7.6 L) water and target a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Add the grain bag and hold the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete, about 60 minutes. Remove the grain bag and slowly wash the grains with 2 gallons (7.6 L) of hot water. Add the liquid malt extract and top off to 7 gallons (26.5 L) in the brewpot. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.