hist-brewing: Re: heather ale

[Jim Johnston]

I have brewed the heather ale recipe from the issue of Zymurgy (the 
same as Buhner's as I recall), and a couple without hops and a lot more 
heather (these went sour quickly because of the lack of preservative 
qualities in hops).  The last recipe I brewed went like this:

10 lb.  Maris Otter malt
2 lb. Biscuit malt
1 oz. Kent Golding hops at start of boil
2 oz. dried heather flowers
1 g. 	dried sweet gale
1 lb.	thistle honey at end of boil
Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale Yeast

O.G. was 1.060, F.G was 1.012 (6.3%ABV).  The color was more coppery, 
very clear.  In side by side comparisons with commercial Fraoch, we 
liked our better, there is more body.

As for using peat-smoked malt, the most I have ever used is 2 oz. in a 
5 gallon batch of a heavy Scotch Ale.  More than that, it tends to 
overpower in my opinion.

I am planning on making a Wormwood Ale this winter.  Buhner's recipe 
calls for 1/2 oz for a 4 gallon batch, I was going to use 1/4 oz. in a 
3 galllon batch.  My other plan was to use 1 g. of the Wormwood and 1 
g. of the sweet gale.  I am just wondering if others have wisdom to 
impart regarding Wormwood.

Jim