Stewart’s Brewing Company McBride’s Strong Ale clone
Close to a traditional English style Strong Ale, with earthy English East Kent Golding hops and roasted barley, pale and dark malts and some wheat malt for added body. “I would call ours a ‘Classic’ English Strong, because it isn’t as aggressive as the more modern examples out there,” says Stewart’s Head Brewer, Ric Hoffman.
Stewart’s Brewing Company McBride’s Strong Ale clone, All-Grain
(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 30 SRM = 17 ABV = 7.8%
Ingredients
12 lbs. (5.4 kg) Crisp pale malt (or other English pale malt)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) Crisp dark crystal malt (77 °L)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Crisp chocolate malt
0.75 oz. (21 g) Crisp roasted barley
10 oz. (0.28 kg) Crisp wheat malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) sucrose (table sugar)
4.25 AAU Northern Brewer hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 8.5% alpha acids)
3.15 AAU Mt. Hood hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g of 4.2% alpha acids)
11 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (10 min.) (2 oz./57 g of 5.5% alpha acids)
English ale yeast (your choice)
0.75 cups corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash grains at 156 °F (69 °C) for 60 minutes. Lauter and sparge to collect 5.75 gallons (22 L) at 1.071. Boil 60 minutes, add sucrose with 20 minutes remaining.
Ferment with Ringwood Ale, Whitbread, Fuller’s, or your favorite earthy, malt-accentuating English yeast. Primary fermentation should last 1–2 weeks at 68 °F (20 °C). Condition in secondary fermentation for 2 weeks at 60 °F (16 °C).
Option: Age the beer an additional month or two on 1 oz. (28 g) of oak chips.
Stewart’s Brewing Company McBride’s Strong Ale clone, Partial Mash
(5 gallon/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 30 SRM = 17 ABV = 7.8%
Ingredients
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Crisp pale malt (or other English pale malt)
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Muntons Light dried malt extract
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) Muntons Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
12 oz. (0.34 kg) Crisp dark crystal malt (77 °L)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Crisp chocolate malt
0.75 oz. (21 g) Crisp roasted barley
10 oz. (0.28 kg) Crisp wheat malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) sucrose (table sugar)
4.25 AAU Northern Brewer hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 8.5% alpha acids)
3.15 AAU Mt. Hood hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g of 4.2% alpha acids)
11 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (10 min.) (2 oz./57 g of 5.5% alpha acids)
English ale yeast (your choice)
0.75 cups corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Steep grains at 156 °F (69 °C) in 3.0 qt. (2.8 L) of water for 60 minutes. Boil wort 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add dried malt extract at start of boil. Add sucrose and liquid malt extract with 20 minutes left in the boil. Ferment with your favorite earthy, malt-accentuating English yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). Condition in secondary for 2 weeks at 60 °F (16 °C). Option: Age an additional month or two on 1 ounce oak chips.
