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]

Have a look back here for Kid Chocolate. I brewed a dozen tweaks of it
From memory, 10% Pale Crystal, 5% Brown, a fair whack of Pale Chocolate from memory and some black.
Use plenty of crystal, whatever sort it is, plenty of nice rich chocolate. And then the Brown, or Biscuit if you prefer, for a nice distinctive malt.
I used '04, suited it well. Nottingham finished too low.

[Dyl]

Hi,

I'm new to the game, but trying to brew a nice NZ APA (similar to Tuatara AoPA). Realise this will be hard with extract but whaddya reckon to the following? Maybe move some of the dryhops to flameout?

 

APA! American IPA

Recipe Specs ---------------- Batch Size (L):           23.0

Total Grain (kg):         4.200

Total Hops (g):           250.00

Original Gravity (OG):    1.057  

Final Gravity (FG):       1.013 

Alcohol by Volume (ABV):  5.76 %

Colour (SRM):             10.1  

Bitterness (IBU):         50.9  

Boil Time (Minutes):      60

Grain Bill ----------------

3.000 kg Liquid Malt Extract - Light (71.43%)

0.500 kg Dry Malt Extract - Light (11.9%)

0.300 kg Dextrose (7.14%)

0.200 kg Caramunich III (4.76%)

0.200 kg Crystal 60 (4.76%)

Hop Bill ----------------

15.0 g Pacific Jade Pellet (15.2% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)

10.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.4 g/L)
10.0 g Nelson Sauvin Pellet (11.5% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil) (0.4 g/L)

15.0 g Pacific Jade Pellet (15.2% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)

15.0 g Wai-iti Pellet (3.5% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)

10.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (0.4 g/L)

15.0 g Nelson Sauvin Pellet (11.5% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)

10.0 g Wai-iti Pellet (3.5% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (0.4 g/L)

50.0 g Cascade Pellet (7.8% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop) (2.2 g/L)

50.0 g Nelson Sauvin Pellet (11.5% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop) (2.2 g/L)

50.0 g Wai-iti Pellet (3.5% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop) (2.2 g/L)

Misc Bill ----------------

Fermented at 20°C with Safale US-05

 

 

 

[Scarrfie]

Or perhaps the 5 minute mark. I haven't had much success with using high alpha hops in the last 10 mins so I would move the Pacific Jade to an earlier (20 min?)addition as it gives a harsh bitterness, or perhaps swap that out as a dry hop.

[Des Ross]

A lot of the joy of brewing your own beer is experimentation and often one persons experience with a particular hop, or timing of hop additions, will be different to somebody else. For example, I have found Jade to impart a very soft bitterness! I have yet to use wai iti but have used all the others in your recipe...i find NS is a very dominant hop and if it was me, I would be reducing the additions of NS if you want the character of cascade and wai iti to shine. Jade as a late addition would be interesting but I've never tried it late myself ( apparently gives citrus and black pepper flavours) bear in mind that as a new brewer, using multiple hops limits your ability to pick out their individual contributions in the finished beer. Personally, I love the combination of motueka, pacifica, NS...I have even added cascade and riwaka a couple of times in some pale ales and it hasn't been an overkill in my opinion. Perhaps halve the NS additions would be my advice...I'm sure the winery gooseberry flavours will still be there but not overpowering

[Scarrfie]

I downed a dry stout last night that wasn't all that nice a month ago but has finally come into itself. That was bittered with Pacific Jade and while a bit green when fresh now tastes amazing, one of my best beers. But my reference is to my use as a late addition which I tried in a pale ale earlier in the year. I have had the same nasty harsh bitterness that sits in the back of the mouth from Southern Cross as well. I am talking 10, 5 & FO additions. Smooths out if you give it 3 months, but that defeats the intent of a highly hopped beer IMO.

My reading on these forums and my limited use of NS is in complete agreement with you Des. 1:4 to 1:6 seems ample. Heck even at 1:6 to Mot and SC one beer has been assessed with sweaty socks. Lol. What about dry hopping for mmm... beer? I haven't tried NS there yet.

[Dyl]

thanks scarrfie and Des.

I love what NS brings but think you are right, its a full on hop. I'll tone it down a bit.

The late addition of P Jade is what i assumed is meant by Tuatara on their website regarding their AoPA:

"5.8% / 50IBU

Hopped With
Pacific Jade to bitter and flavour, loads of NZ Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, and Wai-iti."

interesting they use it to bitter and flavour.

Your right Des, after this brew I really need to do 1 hop brews to learn more about their characteristics...starting with a Citra!

[Adrian Woodhouse]

I'm keen to try to brew a fruity Saison for the Summer but not sure where to start. Does anyone have a good all grain recipe that they would like to share. Cheers

[Damon Colbert]

I have a table-strength saison, which I kept quite simple.

4kg  Weyermann Pilsner  66.7%

1kg  Wheat  16.7%

1kg  Vienna  16.7%

10g  Nelson Sauvin  50min

25g  Motueka  10min

25g  Motueka  5min

25g  Nelson Sauvin  5min

White labs 566 Belgian Saison

The Vienna was supposed to give that orange tinge characteristic of saison.  In the end mine was still pretty pale, almost like a wit.  The wheat gives it a nice head, and maintains a nice body even though this is supposed to be a relatively dry style.

The key to a good saison is definitely the yeast.  If you ferment it warm (over 25C, even up to 30C!) you will get the typical peppery-esters.  As long as you choose the right yeast, you shouldn't get any banana/clove esters.  Just don't be scared to keep it warm.

WLP 566 (Belgian Saison II) worked very nicely for me. Wyeast 3711 French Saison is also a popular strain, and is a huge attenuator (good choice if you want to do a high gravity saison).

WLP 565 Belgian Saison I (or Wyeast 3724) is notorious for crashing out before fermentation is finished, especially if temperatures fall below 20C or so.  So if you go this path, be confident you can keep it warm. 

You can even get a dry Saison yeast now, Belle Saison from Lallemand.  Haven't tried it myself, so couldn't really comment how good it is.

Hope this is of some help to you.  Good luck.

[Adrian Woodhouse]

Thanks for that really appreciate it. Will let you know how I get on.

[Robert McLeod]

I'm looking at an experimental brew using puha as a bittering / flavour / dry 'hop' addition. Does know if you get increased DMS like flavours when brewing with vegetables and if so how to avoid this? The spiky leaf variety is quite bitter and peppery .... it'll only be a small (10L) batch so I don't have to drink too much of it if it ends badly.

[Robert McLeod]

Thanks Ian.

[Crusader-Rob]

Using WYEAST 2565 soon, any recommendation for temps? Any recommendations for lagering or D-Rest etc.

Fermentation times  aswell.