Mom's Special Ale

Classification: pale ale, extract

Source: Steve McRuiz (stevem@tulsa.com), The Brewery, 12/2/96

I used cinnamon sticks in the fermenter, but they didn't come out in the taste much at all, so I don't consider it a spice beer.

This beer came out really good after only 2 weeks in the bottle. Balanced pretty nicely. I was actually going for a McNally's type Irish ale with some cinnamon spice added, but the cinnamon is just barely present (you wouldn't know it was there unless you knew it was in the ingredient list). It's just barely fruity, definitely not estery. The Morgan's Caramalt contributed greatly to the colour, a deep reddish, with a touch of copper. Slightly alcoholic finish. Makes for hoppy-tasting burps, too. Nice, full bodied beer. After 4 weeks, it just keeps getting better.

Ingredients:

6 lbs. English Light syrup malt extract
2 lbs. English Light dry mail extract
2.2 lbs. Morgan's Master Blend Caramalt syrup malt extract
1 lb. 80 L. crystal malt
2.5 oz. Fuggle hops (boil)
1 oz. Challenger hops (finishing)
1 oz. Perle (7.3% alpha) hops (aromatic)
1 tsp. Irish Moss
Wyeast #1968 London ESB yeast
10 cinnamon sticks (4"-5")
.75 cup corn sugar (priming)

Procedure:

Place 80 L. crystal malt in straining bag and suspend in 3 gallons cold water, bring to boil. Once water comes to boil, remove spent crystal malt grains and feed to awaiting birds outside. Add all syrup and dry malt extracts, along with Fuggle hops for the boil. Boil for 30 minutes, then stir in Irish moss. Boil for an additional 25 minutes, then stir in Challenger hops. Boil for 5 more minutes, then remove pot from flame. Cool until 100 degrees F., then mix into fermenter holding 2 gallons cold water, top until 5 gallons total capacity. Pitch with Wyeast #1968 yeast. Add cinnamon sticks to primary fermenter and let sit for 2 weeks. Rack to secondary fermenter and dry hop with Perle hops (pellets), let sit for 1 week. Prime with corn sugar and bottle.

Specifics:

OG: 1.066
FG: 1.022
6% abv