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...

[Martin Bridges]

Yeah, I've based my grist on his, but he puts chamomile in and I hate chamomile.

[Damon Colbert]

I used 21g crushed whole coriander in a 23L batch, and that seems about spot on to my tastes. Its a convenient amount, as it's exactly one packet.

I didn't have any luck finding the dried bitter orange peel, so I used the zest from one orange (about 30g) which seems consistent with all the online advice (be it good or bad) about using fresh peel.  Just be super pedantic about avoiding the pith; I thought I was, but evidently not as it turned out more bitter than I expected from 18 IBU.

[Tilt]

I'm not sure on the amount to use in a beer but you can find bitter dried peel at asian grocers.

[Damon Colbert]

Excellent tip, never thought of that.  Will have to remember that for my next attempt.

[Martin Bridges]

Awesome, thanks for the hints guys.

[Susie Warwick]

Hi all,
I've slowly been working my way through this thread trying to absorb some knowledge for my second BIAB batch, but I could really use some advice. I'm trying to make an IPA with plently of Pine flavour and aroma. I've been looking at hop characteristics online and it seems chinook and simcoe have pine type flavours. Would just using these hops be too intense? Should I balance out with some other aroma hops with dry hopping? Is the addition at 0 Minutes going to add much aroma?

I'm also wanting a fairly pale coloured beer with a decent body to hold loads of pine bitterness. An almost pine candy sensation would be perfect. I got some advice to add munich malt to give body (have I added enough?) and I like a fine foamy head so some carapils are in there. Should I swap out the base malt for some other speciality malts to give more caramel flavours for sweetness?

(Single infusion full volume mash at 67 with 10 minute mash out to 75) Aiming for around 18L after boiling.

4.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) 84.2 %
0.50 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) 10.5 %
0.25 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 5.3%

15g Chinook 60
15g Chinook 30
15g Chinook 15m
15g chinook 0m
15g simcoe 0m

Yeast 1 pack of US-05 estimated OG is 1.06 (according to beersmith). I'm not sure if my setup is that efficient, but if it is should I use 2 packs of dry yeast?

Beersmith 2.0 gives a IBU of 54.7 for this beer. (I like my hoppy beers, Emersens bird dog and Green flash west coast IPA are some of my favourites.)

Any advice would be really appreciated! I feel like I've read too much and yet not enough so I'm in new information overload right now.

[Grant R Baker]

Looks pretty good. I guess you are after a really pale ale... but still I would replace the Dextrine with Carahell, Caramunich, a pale Caramalt or Biscuit malt.

All of these will give it a little more sweetness to be countered but the hoppy bitterness.

 

Dextrine is almost colourless at 2.0 SRM, The others are 25, 100, 49 and 49 (roughly) in that order... so the brew will darken a little. Brewsmith will show you the results.

 

One pack of yeast will do... your target brew is about 4.5%.. you may want another half kilo of MO to kick up the ABV (if desired)

Good luck

[Susie Warwick]

Carahell looks good! I'll swap that out for the carapils, thanks Grant!

[Richard Jack]

You'll probably want to plan on a substantial dryhop.

If you don't know anything about dry hopping, this is worth a listen: http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/Brew-Strong/Brew-Strong-12-08-08...

Also, I second that suggestion from grant about adding some crystal/cara malt. My favourite for pales is caramalt (35). I'd leave the carapils in though.

If I want piney flavours I like to bitter with Southern Cross.

[Susie Warwick]

Yeah that sounds good, so leave the carapils and add 250g of carahell :) I should be getting some decent body hopefully.

Yeah I'm pretty sure I should dry hop to get some of the aromas I want, I'm really unsure wether to go with more piney hops or add another citrus or flowery hop to add complexity and balance out the pine. Though I do love those resinous tree flavours!

[Hamish Jones]

I am a believer in simcoe, I have done a few brews now with it, you get a pink grapfruit citris flavour from it and pine like your in a plantation, but I have been heavy handed with it, 

The IPA I am taking for a test drive at the moment had 114g simcoe at 2 minutes and another 114g dry hopped for three days, thinking I should have let it dry hop for 7 days just to get all the goodness out of the dry hop

[Susie Warwick]

Nice, I'm tempted to emulate that dry hopping idea. Brave for a newbie, but I can dig it. 7 days 114g of simcoe.