The finished beer One of my themes in 2018 has been to brew some new styles of beer. My approach is to read the available information in the BJCP guidelines, online forums, magazines, and anywhere else I can find it. I'll study the recipes to look for common themes and ratios, try to imagine how those recipes might taste as finished beers, and then come up with my own recipe based on what I've read. The British Old Ale style is one that I've liked when I've found a rare example here in the USA. Since I have never brewed one, today seemed to be the right time to try. My goal here is to create a darker-colored, higher-gravity Old Ale that's balanced (between malt and hops) and complex enough to make you want to sip it thoughtfully. Ingredients 8.25 pounds of a mix of Belgian Pale Ale and Swaen Pale Malt (see note below) 2 ounces of British Medium Crystal Malt (50-60L) 2 ounces of Belgian Special B Malt 1 ounce of Carafa III Special Malt 8 ounces of L...