Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[jt]

4 minutes ?

[jt]

I know I'm going to regret it, but I'll give it a crack.
Looks like the IBU from this 140gm hop bill will give me about the same IBU as I'd get with my standard earlier additions of 85gm
So by the numbers I'll have about the same balance.
Going to add a gm of Super Alpha at the 60 minute mark though. No mention of dry hopping ?

78% Malteurop
10% Munich I
3% Caramalt
7% Dark Crystal
2% Chocolate
1.050 with US-05 and
20min 10g cascade 5g mot 5g hallertau
15min 10g cascade 5g mot 5g hallertau
10min 15g cascade 7g mot 7g hallertau
5min 15g cascade 7g mot 7g hallertau
1min 20g cascade 10g mot 10g hallertau

Allowing for a bit more hop debris I should just get a kegful out of the batch and ready to drink Queens Birthday weekend
North Welly tasting Queens Birthday Weekend chaps ?

[JoKing]

I would worry about dry hopping it. You'll have a crystal clear idea of what happened in your kettle.

[jt]

what happened in your kettle.

probably a bloody big mess ...

[Reviled]

Good on ya JT, looks like quite the hoppy brew ;o)

[Matthew]

Sweet, book me in for the Century tasting!

Don't be afraid to kick that super alpha up a notch either. 2gms I say ;-)

[jt]

I'm wondering if the grist should be a bit paler - thoughts ?
Caramalt & Pale Crystal, Pale Crystal or caramalt ?

[JoKing]

Nope - looks like a nice hoppy brown. Count me in on a taster too.

[jt]

Awwww - I've f'd it already, I knew I should have kept it simple.

I had 6 bags all labelled one to six to measure out
1 - 60 min 2g Super alpha
2 - 20min 10g cascade 5g mot 5g hallertau
3 - 15min 10g cascade 5g mot 5g hallertau
4 - 10min 15g cascade 7g mot 7g hallertau
5 - 5min 15g cascade 7g mot 7g hallertau
6 - 1min 20g cascade 10g mot 10g hallertau

All worked well, dished out the super alpha and cascade.
Then half way through the hallertau I suspected that I'd done something wrong.
I'kept going and when I was through the Motueka additions finally figured out ..
I'd been adding the 20 minute addition to the first bag. But I hadn't kept track of where I was.
I think I have an extra 14 to 20g of hops in there

Oh well, at least the grain bill worked out fine ...

[MrC]

I prefer to keep my hops simple. I struggle to get my head around the flavour & aroma profiles of more that 2 hop varieties (ignoring bittering). Have you considered dropping one hop variety altogether?

Another option could be Hallertau at 30min with Motueka & Cascade after that at 15, 5 & 0.

May favourite hop addition timing for pale ales is 60, 15, 5, 0 & dry.

[Raffe]

My fifth brew, first stab at a dark beer, aiming for a brown(ish) porter.

82% 3600g Pale Liquid Extract
7% 300g Crystal 60L
5% 200g Chocolate Malt
5% 200g Crystal 120
2% 100g Black Malt

23L
1.052 est OG
S05 dry yeast

60 mins 35g Pacific Gem 14.7%
30 mins 15g Goldings 5.3%
20 mins 10g Willamette 4.5%
15 mins 15g Goldings 5.3%
10 mins 15g Willamette 4.5%
5 mins 10g Willamette 4.5%
5 mins 15g Goldings 5.3%
1 min 15g Willamette 4.5%
dry hop 7 days 25g Goldings 5.3%

32.1 IBU (estimated, given I will only be doing a partial boil and adding top-up water to 23L)

Any thoughts on the hop additions? What is the effect of a series of small additions throughout the boil - or should I consolidate the additions?

[Reviled]

"What is the effect of a series of small additions throughout the boil"

By doing that IMO you will get a much more complex flavour and aroma profile from the hops youre adding, but tbh in this sort of beer its not really nessecary, you want the malt to really shine in a Porter with the hop flavour and bitterness to hold it all up, if it were me id just do a single 60 min addition then use the williamette and goldings at about 15-20 mins, then if youre that way inclined, dry hop with the goldings (allthough id much prefer williamette over goldings for this beer)

My 2 cents...