Weekend Welcome (Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Homage Brew)

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.010
IBU = 32  SRM = 16  ABV = 6%

Samuel Smith’s Brewery holds the recipe for Winter Welcome — a beer first brewed over 30 years ago by retired Head Brewer Steve Barrett — close to the chest. This recipe for Weekend Welcome was created by Craig Hartinger, homebrewer and long-time employee of the importer of Sam Smith’s, Merchant du Vin, and is based on many years of Winter Welcome sampling and a little insider knowledge of the brewery. If not an exact clone, this recipe will get you most of the way there. Brew this recipe, then grab a bottle of Winter Welcome and compare.

Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.08 kg) English Maris Otter pale ale malt 
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
1.13 lbs. (0.51 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
7.5 AAU Fuggle whole leaf hops (60 min.) (1.15 oz./33 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Goldings whole leaf hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75 % alpha acids)
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Using a fairly thick mash of 1 lb. of grain per 1 qt. of water, with calcium chloride additions to achieve at least 50 ppm calcium, mash for 45 minutes at 158 °F (70 °C) or until conversion is complete. Recirculate for about ten minutes to set the grain bed, then sparge with 5 gallons (19 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C) and collect about 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) in your boil kettle. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops as indicated. 

At flameout, rapidly chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C) and pitch yeast, oxygenate thoroughly. Primary fermentation at 65 °F (18 °C) should complete in about four days, but let the beer sit for at least two weeks to fully absorb all fermentation byproducts. Rack beer and force carbonate to 2.1 volumes or prime and bottle condition.

Weekend Welcome (Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Homage Brew)

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.010
IBU = 32  SRM = 16  ABV = 6%

Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
1.13 lbs. (0.51 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
7.5 AAU Fuggle whole leaf hops (60 min.) (1.15 oz./33 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Goldings whole leaf hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75 % alpha acids)
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by steeping only the crystal malt additions (placed in a muslin bag) in about 1 gallon (4 L) of water at 155 °F (68 °C) for 15 minutes. Remove grain bag then add more water to your boil kettle to bring it to 4 gallons (15 L). Once liquid is at or near boil, turn off the flame and slowly add half of the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Adding just half of the extract at this time will help increase hop isomerization. Turn flame back on, bring to boil, and add bittering hops. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add the rest of the malt extract. At flameout, rapidly chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C), top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Pitch yeast, oxygenate thoroughly. Primary fermentation at 65 °F (18 °C) should complete in about four days, but let the beer sit for at least two weeks to fully absorb all fermentation byproducts. Rack beer and force carbonate to 2.1 volumes or prime and bottle condition.