Williams Brothers Brewing Co.’s Fraoch Heather Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.049  FG = 1.012 IBU = 23 SRM = 18 ABV = 4.8

Ingredients

8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) Marris Otter or other English pale ale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Carapils® or dextrin-type malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (20° L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (40° L)
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt
3 cups fresh or 1-2 cup dry heather flowers (1/2 added for 60 minutes, 1/2 added at end of boil)
4.2 AAU Fuggles hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g of 4.2% alpha acids) (optional)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Fuggles hops (0 min.) (optional)
1 pt. starter of Scottish Ale yeast (Wyeast 1728 or equivalent)
2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Mash grain in 13.3 quarts (12.6 L) of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with enough 168 °F (76 °C) water to collect 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Total boil time is 90 minutes, aim to turn off the boil with 5.25 gallons (20 L) of wort in the kettle. After 30 minutes of boil, add first addition of heather flowers and if you want, the first addition of hops. Continue boil for remaining 60 minutes. Add second addition of heather flowers and create a whirlpool or use a hopback of flowers. If you want, the second addition of hops should be added at flameout as well. Cool to 69 °F (20 °C) to pitch starter. Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 69 °F (20 °C) for seven days then rack to secondary fermenter. Continue fermentation for seven more days until gravity is about 3° Plato (1.012) or fermentation is finished. Let settle. Rack, prime and bottle. Age seven more days before drinking.

Extract with grains option: Substitute the pale ale malt with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) English pale malt extract syrup and cut the Carapils® malt down to 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg). Other ingredients remain the same. Start with 5 gallons of 150° F water. Steep crushed grain for 30 minutes. Sparge grains with enough 170° F water to make 5.5 gallons. Heat to boiling and add extract syrup. Total boil will be 60 minutes. At beginning of boil add first addition of heather flowers. Continue for remaining 60 minutes. Whirlpool and add second addition of heather flowers or use a hopback. Cool to 69° F to pitch starter. Oxygenate-aerate well. Follow fermentation schedule above.