My molasses experiment went deliciously right!

El_Exorcisto · 01-20-2012, 11:47 PM

I wanted to brew up a brown ale with molasses for some reason, no idea exactly why. I thought the oakey quality cited for WL013 would mesh well with it, and used northern brewers for their woody quality as well. I was trying for something you could get at a Fleet Street pub back in the mid 1800s. Here's the recipe:

8 lbs CMC Munich
1 lb Flaked Wheat
1 lb Flaked Oat
1 lb 60* Crystal
1 cup Molasses at high krausen

0.5 oz NB 9.6% at 60
0.5 oz NB 9.6% at 20

Mashed at 148 for 90 minutes, double batch sparged
Fermented at room temp, just finished up today (day 6)

OG 1.052 pre-mollases, FG 1.012 for 5.5% ABV

I tasted my wrap-up hydrometer sample and was really impressed. It's all munich up front with a barrel aged dark rummy flavor in the middle. The finish is dry but not thin, with just enough bitterness to balance the malt. I'm really happy with how the 013 performed, and equally happy with the rummy notes that the molasses brought.

Now I have a cake of yeast that I need to plan on how to use. Suggestions?

Dynachrome · 02-08-2012, 02:43 AM

I have it in my head that my dad used to put a little molasses in his home brew.

I may have to try this.

Keep us posted on how it is after a few weeks please.

El_Exorcisto · 02-08-2012, 05:11 AM

I'm enjoying one right now, and it has changed a lot. The ester profile has definitely become more English, but the rummy notes from the molasses are still there in a big way. Definitely a page of the notebook worth keeping around.

Dynachrome · 02-11-2012, 06:03 PM

...hey, how about a picture?

Tx,
Bill

sm0key · 02-12-2012, 01:31 AM

I just made what would have been a SMaSH with the exception of adding 12 fl oz of mollasses to 2 gallon/4 lbs MO/EKG batch.

I think it may be the tastiest beer i've ever made!

Dynachrome · 02-12-2012, 02:58 AM

Hi Sm0key.

I'm in Central WI. There a few members here from the UP and some from the mit too.

amcclai7 · 02-12-2012, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Exorcisto

I wanted to brew up a brown ale with molasses for some reason, no idea exactly why. I thought the oakey quality cited for WL013 would mesh well with it, and used northern brewers for their woody quality as well. I was trying for something you could get at a Fleet Street pub back in the mid 1800s. Here's the recipe:

8 lbs CMC Munich
1 lb Flaked Wheat
1 lb Flaked Oat
1 lb 60* Crystal
1 cup Molasses at high krausen

0.5 oz NB 9.6% at 60
0.5 oz NB 9.6% at 20

Mashed at 148 for 90 minutes, double batch sparged
Fermented at room temp, just finished up today (day 6)

OG 1.052 pre-mollases, FG 1.012 for 5.5% ABV

I tasted my wrap-up hydrometer sample and was really impressed. It's all munich up front with a barrel aged dark rummy flavor in the middle. The finish is dry but not thin, with just enough bitterness to balance the malt. I'm really happy with how the 013 performed, and equally happy with the rummy notes that the molasses brought.

Now I have a cake of yeast that I need to plan on how to use. Suggestions?

How and when, exactly, did you add the molasses?

amcclai7 · 02-12-2012, 03:05 AM

nm, I just looked up what high krausen means.

Sounds damn tasty. Any particular kind of molasses?

lgilmore · 02-12-2012, 06:03 AM

I've been spliting molasses with my carbing sugars (dk brwn sugar). For me, this gives that dark molasses finish and is very tasty.

I may try what you've done next time.

Dynachrome · 02-12-2012, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amcclai7

How and when, exactly, did you add the molasses?

Yeah, I have this mental image of molasses in January.

Do you thin it down somehow?