Marc Hannewald from Norwich Amateur Brewers took a Gold at the 2023 Scottish Nationals for Vermilion, an experimental beer that co-fermented a Belgian Dark Strong wort with Grape Must, before aging on wood with Brett. The judges went onto award this complex, delicious beer Best of Show. He’s kindly shared his recipe below.
Vermilion
34C Experimental Beer
- ABV 13%
- OG 1.107
- FG 1.017
- IBU 31.3
- Mash 70C
Grist
The wort produced should be 1.107 and make up 51% in volume of your total fermentable liquid. Use Grape Must to make up your full volume; eg for a 23 L Batch you should aim for 11.7L of 1.107 wort topped off with 11.3L of Must.
- 53% Extra Light DME (Late Addition or substitute for equivalent base malt if all grain)
- 21% Light DME (Late Addition or substitute for equivalent base malt if all grain)
- 4% Aromatic Malt
- 4% Caramunich
- 4% Special B
- 2% Melanoidin
- 6% Molasses (Late Addition)
- 4% Belgian Dark Candi Sugar Rocks (Late Addition)
Must
- Winexpert – World Vineyard Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre with Grape Skins. 49% of total fermentable volume as above.
Hops
- First Wort Addition: Hersbrucker to 31.3 IBU
Yeast
Co-ferment in primary with the Beer and Wine yeast at a ratio of 2:1.
- Safale BE-256: Strong Belgian / Abbey Yeast
- Lalvin RC 212: Wine Yeast
- Wyeast 5526 Brettanomyces Lambicus
Other
Oak Cubes- High Mocha
Method
- Steep the specialty grains for 30 minutes then boil, adding the extract and sugar at 10 minutes remaining. Or, if using an all grain method, mash/sparge as usual, then add the sugars with 10 minutes remaining in the boil.
- Add the cooled wort (c.51% volume) to the grape must (c.49% volume) in the fermenter and pitch the ale and wine yeast.
- After two weeks in primary, rack to a secondary vessel with the oak cubes and pitch the Brett.
- Age for around 12 months before packaging.
