Awful Ogre Ale Recipe

Apr 26, 2017

Awful Ogre Ale (8.5 Litres)

Sometimes you want to throw finesse out the window and just make an impact. This American Strong Ale is exactly what it says it is. Awful. But not the awful of today. The awful that once meant awe-inspired. Like a mountain or a castle, this beer is big. Big and strong. Heavy bodied, boldly sweet, and with chocolate marmalade flavours followed by one powerfully bitter finish, this is one beer you won’t forget.

Ingredients

1 x 1.3kg Mr Beer Diablo IPA
2 x 250g Mr Beer Unhopped Malt Extract - Pale
1 x 100g Chocolate Malt grain
1 x 25g Centennial Hop Pellets
1 x 25g Chinook Hop Pellets
1 x 11.5g Safale US-05 Dry Yeast
1 x 72g Mr Beer Carbonation Drops

Features:

Colour: Brown
Body: Heavy
Bitterness: High
Approx. Alcohol Level: 7.3% ABV
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Instructions:

STEP 1: Mix

The day before: Line a pot (at least 2 litres) with a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the pack). Place the Roasted Malt Grain in a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and crack it using a rolling pin. Add the cracked grain and 1 litre of cold water, fit the lid and sit in the fridge overnight. Brew day: Remove from the fridge then gather up the corners of the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the liquid to drain from the grains back into the pot. Bring to the boil then add the Centennial Hops and boil for 15mins. Remove from the heat and set the pot in a cold/ice water bath to cool (about 15 mins). Clean and sanitise all equipment that will come in contact with the brew. Strain the cooled malt/hop infusion into the Fermenting Vessel (FV). Add the Diablo IPA and Malt Extract to the FV (no need to stir). Fill the FV with cold water to the 8.5 litre mark. Sprinkle the US-05 yeast and fit the lid.

STEP 2: Brew

Place the FV in a location out of direct sunlight and try to ferment at 18 - 20C. Fermentation should take 7 to 12 days. At around day 7, add the Chinook Hop Pellets to the brew by wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the pack) and place directly on top of the brew then re-fit the lid. After a couple of days, check the Specific Gravity (SG) Check the SG again the following day and so on.

STEP 3: Bottle

The brew is ready once the SG has stabilised over a couple of days, expect about 1010 to 1014. Gently fill clean PET bottles to about 3cm from the top. Add 2 carbonation drops per bottle and secure the caps (only one drop per bottle may be preferred). Store the bottles upright in a location out of direct sunlight at or above 18C.

STEP 4: Enjoy!

After at least two weeks, check for sufficient carbonation by squeezing the bottles. Bottles kept unrefrigerated should improve in with bottle age. When ready to drink, chill the bottles upright. The chilled beer may be poured into clean glassware, leaving the sediment behind. Expect the alcohol content to be approximately 7.3% ABV.