Cubslover
Well-Known Member
Any updates on this?
S'More Beer?
- Thread starter Ksosh
- Start date
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GreatWetNorth
Well-Known Member
I didn't end up doing my brew because I've stopped brewing for a little bit while I save up money and construct and new brewing rig, but I still think the Caramelized dextrose/corn sugar is worth a shot for the marshmallow flavour.
well first off i have to add that about 10 days before i bottled i was in sur la table and found both cocoa nibs and vanilla bean paste. needless to say i bought it
added about 1oz nibs and 2 tbsp vanilla paste. FG on bottling day was 1.010 = ~8%abv. approx age 2.5 months.
now how's the beer? well, let's take one out and try. i have a cold so this may not be the best time to give tasting notes but i've gotta do it since the request was made. i believe this is the third one i've opened. the first was uncarbonated, overly vanilla and too sweet; green and unbalanced. the second one had mellowing sweetness with definite notes of graham crackers, some roasty chocolate intermingled with a punch of vanilla.
the third one, oh, the third one. the head is apparent at first, perhaps 1/4", then dissipates. it's immediately chocolate on the nose with roastiness which i really didn't want, but is there. taste, it's delicious! the flavor is a chocolaty nuttiness, most likely some byproduct of the cocoa nibs. choco all the way. the vanilla is barely reminiscent but not making much of an appearance due to the overwhelming chocolate. it is still sweet which i think is the vanilla trying to shine but overall it's well balanced by the bitter choco/roasty and sweetness. the graham cracker is there on the after notes but that could just be the biscuit malt and my imagination? the body is somewhat thin considering all the crap and adjuncts i threw in there which i thought would be unfermentable. it does still need some time since it's a big(ish) beer and just has a lot going on. i think in a few weeks>months it will get better & better! i'm gonna have to buy an aphrodite in a few months to compare with! i'm curious how it will be as it warms...
ps: if anyone has access to Short's Brewery S'more and wants to set up a trade i'd be greatly in your debt!!
added about 1oz nibs and 2 tbsp vanilla paste. FG on bottling day was 1.010 = ~8%abv. approx age 2.5 months.now how's the beer? well, let's take one out and try. i have a cold so this may not be the best time to give tasting notes but i've gotta do it since the request was made
. i believe this is the third one i've opened. the first was uncarbonated, overly vanilla and too sweet; green and unbalanced. the second one had mellowing sweetness with definite notes of graham crackers, some roasty chocolate intermingled with a punch of vanilla. the third one, oh, the third one. the head is apparent at first, perhaps 1/4", then dissipates. it's immediately chocolate on the nose with roastiness which i really didn't want, but is there. taste, it's delicious! the flavor is a chocolaty nuttiness, most likely some byproduct of the cocoa nibs. choco all the way. the vanilla is barely reminiscent but not making much of an appearance due to the overwhelming chocolate. it is still sweet which i think is the vanilla trying to shine but overall it's well balanced by the bitter choco/roasty and sweetness. the graham cracker is there on the after notes but that could just be the biscuit malt and my imagination? the body is somewhat thin considering all the crap and adjuncts i threw in there which i thought would be unfermentable. it does still need some time since it's a big(ish) beer and just has a lot going on. i think in a few weeks>months it will get better & better! i'm gonna have to buy an aphrodite in a few months to compare with! i'm curious how it will be as it warms...
ps: if anyone has access to Short's Brewery S'more and wants to set up a trade i'd be greatly in your debt!!
Cascadegan
Well-Known Member
I think I might pop a mini marshmallow into a bottle of porter just to see what happens, I predict a nasty white sludge on top of the beer... but ya never know
I'm probably going to try one of these experimental stout in my up coming batches. Before running across this post my thought was to add the graham cracker to the mash instead of the boil or secondary. The reason I was thinking this would be goods is because it would cut back on the beer loss from crap in the fermenter and graham crackers are mostly starch, so my thought is that it would need to be converted in the mash.
The fear I have in doing this is that the graham taste won't be in the final product.
Does anyone think this would be a good approach?
The fear I have in doing this is that the graham taste won't be in the final product.
Does anyone think this would be a good approach?
long overdue update!! fwiw this beer turned out okay. nothing spectacular as it was still PM, but i'm tasting one after quite a bit of age and it's got everything i wanted out of it. sure it took a long time to come into its prime, but overall it's very pleasing. the chocolaty roastiness is smooth and compliments this otherwise sweet beer. no head retention at all. no hop bitterness, very sweet. cocoa nibs def prevalent. not enough vanilla to be anywhere as good as the aphrodite (dieu du ciel). the graham crackers didn't do squat - graham flour might have done better.
i think bottom line is, the right lightly roasty stout recipe with a little vanilla & chocolate can be great. i have graham cracker extract that is amazing and would have been way better, and there would have been far less lost due to solids settling out (see prior pic^). cocoa nibs are probably the best thing you can do to add some roasty chocolate flavors; watch out though, too much and it gets a whee bit nutty.
i think bottom line is, the right lightly roasty stout recipe with a little vanilla & chocolate can be great. i have graham cracker extract that is amazing and would have been way better, and there would have been far less lost due to solids settling out (see prior pic^). cocoa nibs are probably the best thing you can do to add some roasty chocolate flavors; watch out though, too much and it gets a whee bit nutty.
kingof14ers
Member
I've been thinking about this quite a bit. What about graham cracker, biscuit malt, etc in the mash.....love the carmelized dextrose idea as a mini wort then adding water and lactose as a short boil say 30 minutes then let it sit for 2 hours to allow the "marshmallow flavor ingredients time to really meld together) timing it so that at the end of the wait, it's then introduced maybe 20 minutes before flame out on the main boil.
On the chocolate do the cocoa nibs and lightly ground cocoa bean (lightly roasted) in the form of several dry hop stages (like 2 or 3)?
Who says we have to TASTE all 3 S'mores components, as long as all 3 are EXPERIENCED. I think the 3 components would be really tough to balance as far as the flavor and not have a sludgy mess. I don't like vanilla so vanilla beans or vanilla extract is out for me, but make 2 about the flavor and 1 within a strong aroma.
On the chocolate do the cocoa nibs and lightly ground cocoa bean (lightly roasted) in the form of several dry hop stages (like 2 or 3)?
Who says we have to TASTE all 3 S'mores components, as long as all 3 are EXPERIENCED. I think the 3 components would be really tough to balance as far as the flavor and not have a sludgy mess. I don't like vanilla so vanilla beans or vanilla extract is out for me, but make 2 about the flavor and 1 within a strong aroma.
I believe Short's actually uses graham cracker in theirs. I'm guessing that they mash it?
kingof14ers
Member
That's what I intend to do. Make 2 differnt beers then blend them. Main batch has some chocolate syrup with LOW fat, high sugar, and NO high fructose corn syrup, mash to emphasize the graham cracker component. A separate small batch to blend my 2 ingredients for the marshmallow (dextrose and lactose). Then upon blending the 2 during a combined secondary do multiple dry hop stages to include cocoa nips and coarsely ground cocoa beans with the 3rd stage to include another spice, but very llight.
My thought is to have the main batch (5 gallons) focus of graham cracker with a SMALL bit of chocolate influence but have the cracker/biscuit take over. The small batch 1.5 gallons focus on blending that dextrose & lactose, before finally having the cocoa AROMA compliment everything else thus far.
On the mash I'm looking at Maris Otter, Biscuit, crystal, and Victory malts with very light amounts of chocolate, flaked barley, cara-pils, and debittered black. I'll be doing Northern Brewer for bittering, Fuggles for flavoring (with .5oz aromatic) for a slight earthy profile just to keep a malt bomb in check. The goal is a malty beer but only a little residual sweetness. Hopefully the 3 components won't fight each other using this menthod. Looking to brew next month.
My thought is to have the main batch (5 gallons) focus of graham cracker with a SMALL bit of chocolate influence but have the cracker/biscuit take over. The small batch 1.5 gallons focus on blending that dextrose & lactose, before finally having the cocoa AROMA compliment everything else thus far.
On the mash I'm looking at Maris Otter, Biscuit, crystal, and Victory malts with very light amounts of chocolate, flaked barley, cara-pils, and debittered black. I'll be doing Northern Brewer for bittering, Fuggles for flavoring (with .5oz aromatic) for a slight earthy profile just to keep a malt bomb in check. The goal is a malty beer but only a little residual sweetness. Hopefully the 3 components won't fight each other using this menthod. Looking to brew next month.
I know this thread is old, but no point in starting a new one.
I am also interested in doing a S'mores-flavor ale. I'm thinking I'll do a chocolate stout, add some actual chocolate for flavor (probably just hershey's milk chocolate, keepin it real), but I'm not quite sure what to do about the marshmallow flavor.
I think the problem is, when you eat a smore, you aren't really tasting the "vanilla flavor of the marshmallow" as much as "the flavor of the burnt, crispy marshmallow shell (plus the melted chocolate)". So I'm thinking I might put a layer of mini-marshmallows on a pan, broil them til they're burnt looking, and then figure out how to dissolve them in my beer.
I guess the whole dissolving-in-wort thing is the problem I'm most worried about. If you boil marshmallows, do they dissolve? And will they end up in a layer on the bottom of my primary, like that guy's picture previously in this thread?
I just started fermenting a Blue Moon clone, so this will be my next beer in a few weeks. I'll let you guys know how it works out and what I decide to do.
I am also interested in doing a S'mores-flavor ale. I'm thinking I'll do a chocolate stout, add some actual chocolate for flavor (probably just hershey's milk chocolate, keepin it real), but I'm not quite sure what to do about the marshmallow flavor.
I think the problem is, when you eat a smore, you aren't really tasting the "vanilla flavor of the marshmallow" as much as "the flavor of the burnt, crispy marshmallow shell (plus the melted chocolate)". So I'm thinking I might put a layer of mini-marshmallows on a pan, broil them til they're burnt looking, and then figure out how to dissolve them in my beer.
I guess the whole dissolving-in-wort thing is the problem I'm most worried about. If you boil marshmallows, do they dissolve? And will they end up in a layer on the bottom of my primary, like that guy's picture previously in this thread?
I just started fermenting a Blue Moon clone, so this will be my next beer in a few weeks. I'll let you guys know how it works out and what I decide to do.
kingof14ers
Member
I did my S'mores porter about 8 months ago. With ramped up biscuit and victory malt and 1 box of graham crackers in the mash. I then did a mini batch with dextrose, lactose, and a marshmallow concoction boil where the marshmallow concotion was made separately by soaking quartered marshmallows gooey side down into vodka for 29 hours, and once combined with the dextrose and lactose, my thought was the vodka would evaporate out, but leave the vodka flavoring. It was then combinedwith the main batch in secondary
Verdict for this first experiment: a DRINKABLE chocolate porter, but the graham was not enough and the marshmallow was overpowered. So...
Going to try the same this fall only really ramp up the graham in the mash (talking 3 boxes instead of one), but I may do it in it's own separate mash and just strain the cr@p out of it, tuck it into a growler to be added to the kegged main batch so any flavored woun't be modified by fermentation. May do the same with marshmallow and slowly add both to a 4gallon filled keg until I get each balanced. The chocolate I think most would agree is easy.
Stay tuned. I'll post back in a few months.
Verdict for this first experiment: a DRINKABLE chocolate porter, but the graham was not enough and the marshmallow was overpowered. So...
Going to try the same this fall only really ramp up the graham in the mash (talking 3 boxes instead of one), but I may do it in it's own separate mash and just strain the cr@p out of it, tuck it into a growler to be added to the kegged main batch so any flavored woun't be modified by fermentation. May do the same with marshmallow and slowly add both to a 4gallon filled keg until I get each balanced. The chocolate I think most would agree is easy.
Stay tuned. I'll post back in a few months.
firerescue10312
New Member
A local brewery near me just made a Smore's stout using real chocolate and marshmallows, not sure on the graham cracker though?. They made up their own marshmallow fluff and added everything to the boil, now that I look back I think they made their own graham crackers too however even though the beer was phenomanal it lacked the graham cracker taste, and the masrhmallow was over powered one that most def needs to tweaked by the next time they make it. They are aging half of it in bourbon barrels hopefully that brings out more flavors of marshmallow. The fact that the brewery made this beer has encouraged me to try my own Smores Stout so instead of trying to find subistutes for marshmallow I will be making my own fluff, but mashing with wheat and adding cinnamon and honey to my boil for a graham craker taste (or so I hope) and of course using either Belgian or Swiss bakers chocolate in the boil.
I usually don't release any of my recipes but in this case what the hell. (Partial Mash)
Grain Bill
3.5lbs Chocolate Malt
1.5lbs Coffee Malt
1lb Black Patent
1lb Cara-Crystal 60
1lb Roasted Barley
1lb Flaked Wheat
Extract
6.6lbs Dark LME
Hops
2oz Columbus 60min
Special
1lb Milk Sugar 15min
0.5lbs Honey 60min
5lbs Marshmallow Fluff (Home made) 10min
4.5lbs Chocolate either in last 15 minutes of boil or in secondary undecided
1tsp Cinnamon 5min
Yeast
Super High Gravity Ale Yeast (WLP099) with Starter
Est O.G 1.104 Est F.G 1.016 Pot ABV: 11.61%
This is a very big beer and until I brew it I can give an actual Gravity reading, giving the fact the program I use (brewersfriend) does not calculate the sugars in the cocoa, marshmallow or cinnamon. The brewery by me who made the orignal smores stout had an ABV of 18% when he brewed a small bacth his big release bacth came in at 11.5 so if any indications point out I may fall into that 18% range.
I usually don't release any of my recipes but in this case what the hell. (Partial Mash)
Grain Bill
3.5lbs Chocolate Malt
1.5lbs Coffee Malt
1lb Black Patent
1lb Cara-Crystal 60
1lb Roasted Barley
1lb Flaked Wheat
Extract
6.6lbs Dark LME
Hops
2oz Columbus 60min
Special
1lb Milk Sugar 15min
0.5lbs Honey 60min
5lbs Marshmallow Fluff (Home made) 10min
4.5lbs Chocolate either in last 15 minutes of boil or in secondary undecided
1tsp Cinnamon 5min
Yeast
Super High Gravity Ale Yeast (WLP099) with Starter
Est O.G 1.104 Est F.G 1.016 Pot ABV: 11.61%
This is a very big beer and until I brew it I can give an actual Gravity reading, giving the fact the program I use (brewersfriend) does not calculate the sugars in the cocoa, marshmallow or cinnamon. The brewery by me who made the orignal smores stout had an ABV of 18% when he brewed a small bacth his big release bacth came in at 11.5 so if any indications point out I may fall into that 18% range.
antihero414
Member
I must confess that my friends and I were each talking about individually brewing the 3 parts to a s'more beer. I was talking about wanting to brew a toasted marshmallow brown ale, and my other brewing friends stated that they were wanting to make a chocolate beer in the vein of Young's Double Chocolate Stout anyways... so we then acquired our 3rd brew friend to try a honey graham cracker ale. We figure each one would be tasty alone, but together... together they could change the world. I've brewed the brown ale without any idea of how to incorporate marshmallows so far, but am leaning toward the burnt honey idea, only instead of using honey to get the marshmallow taste I would use actual toasted marshmallows (or toasted fluff, homemade or not), boiled down with water to create the syrup. I have been thinking of adding this liquefied 'mallow water to my secondary, or using it as a primer. Any thoughts on that? Otherwise, there are marshmallow extracts, and even a toasted marshmallow syrup for sale out there: http://www.torani.com/products/toasted-marshmallow-syrup#/products/toasted-marshmallow-syrup
any thoughts of how that can be utilized?
any thoughts of how that can be utilized?
rented_mule73
Active Member
I have secured some Smirnoff Marshmellow Vodka in wich I will soak my vanilla beans (2) and add capella graham cracker extract and a tiny touch of cinamon.... The stout I made is Chocolaty enough !! Also adding 4 oz or so of lactose.... see you in 5 weeks....
jessup said:
Mind sharing what brand you use?
rented_mule73
Active Member
Capella is what Southern Tier uses in the Pumking.... I use it for my Pumpkin Ale and the Smores Stout ......
rented_mule73 said:
I've read that too, and tried it. Personally, I don't think that is the brand they use. My pumpkin beer with Capella graham cracker weren't even in the ballpark. You had better luck?
te-wa
Well-Known Member
i made one using: for the marshmallow, caramelized about 1 cup of dark corn syrup; and a bag of teddy grahams, (cinnamon flavor) in the secondary.
id like to do it again, but def. cold crash to rid any of the cracker crumbs left behind (which wasnt much)
id like to do it again, but def. cold crash to rid any of the cracker crumbs left behind (which wasnt much)
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
Wow what a neat, age-spanning thread!
My wife and I made some microwaved (yeah I know - we were lazy) S'mores the other night... We have a 5-month old - leave us alone...
Anyways, the ONLY stout that I've ever gotten my wife to raise her eyebrows on was Southern Tier's Creme Brulee. We were sitting on the couch, munching our s'mores, when it hit me... "Let's brew a S'mores Stout together!!!" I've been trying to get her into my hobby just a little bit...
The recipe I already started is pretty similar to what I'm seeing here - biscuit and honey malts with a Maris Otter base for the graham cracker, chocolate malt and some cocoa powder for the chocolate, and a whole lot of ?????????'s for the Marshmallow...
It seems like everyone has "overpowered" their Marshmallow, which I read to mean you can't taste it over all the other ingredients. For this reason I've ordered some Capella graham cracker AND marshmallow flavorings to try. I also like the Marshmallow Vodka (you can simply buy this stuff now) idea, and I also like using a carmelized sugar with vanilla and maybe some lactose to "simulate" the flavor.
I'm actually thinking now about making a 3-gallon batch, and separating the three gallons into small carboys with different additions for the marshmallow. That'll be my variable, while the chocolate and graham cracker base wort will be the constant.
As always, Homebrew Talk remains the absolute best source for developing recipes and learning new techniques!
My wife and I made some microwaved (yeah I know - we were lazy) S'mores the other night... We have a 5-month old - leave us alone...
Anyways, the ONLY stout that I've ever gotten my wife to raise her eyebrows on was Southern Tier's Creme Brulee. We were sitting on the couch, munching our s'mores, when it hit me... "Let's brew a S'mores Stout together!!!" I've been trying to get her into my hobby just a little bit...
The recipe I already started is pretty similar to what I'm seeing here - biscuit and honey malts with a Maris Otter base for the graham cracker, chocolate malt and some cocoa powder for the chocolate, and a whole lot of ?????????'s for the Marshmallow...
It seems like everyone has "overpowered" their Marshmallow, which I read to mean you can't taste it over all the other ingredients. For this reason I've ordered some Capella graham cracker AND marshmallow flavorings to try. I also like the Marshmallow Vodka (you can simply buy this stuff now) idea, and I also like using a carmelized sugar with vanilla and maybe some lactose to "simulate" the flavor.
I'm actually thinking now about making a 3-gallon batch, and separating the three gallons into small carboys with different additions for the marshmallow. That'll be my variable, while the chocolate and graham cracker base wort will be the constant.
As always, Homebrew Talk remains the absolute best source for developing recipes and learning new techniques!
Great idea with the 1gal marshmallow variables. Looking forward to updates.
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
Yeah we discussed it last night - I'm thinking one will have the Capella "flavor drops," the other will have a simple combo of lactose sugar and vanilla bean, and the third perhaps a store-bought marshmallow vodka.
Thought you would be interested in these pics from a lhbs brewing class. The pics are dated may 14 so too early for results.
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
I kinda wanted to throw this out here - I just received my Capella "Flavor Drops" and, using a favorite milk stout of mine, added some drops to try and get a sense for how much I'd need in my final recipe. I poured some three-ounce glasses and added 3 drops of each flavor (graham cracker and marshmallow) to each glass.
These things taste AWFUL. Absolutely dreadful. They have an excellent aroma - certainly smell like the real thing, but when added to the beer, they have this acrid taste to them, and leave a horrid aftertaste as well. On top of all that, they threw off my taste buds for quite some time afterwards. The last three-ounce glass of beer wasn't flavored, and yet still all I could taste were the remnants of the flavor drops.
I'll give them one more chance - I'll try a different beer next time - but I'd use extreme caution with these things...
These things taste AWFUL. Absolutely dreadful. They have an excellent aroma - certainly smell like the real thing, but when added to the beer, they have this acrid taste to them, and leave a horrid aftertaste as well. On top of all that, they threw off my taste buds for quite some time afterwards. The last three-ounce glass of beer wasn't flavored, and yet still all I could taste were the remnants of the flavor drops.
I'll give them one more chance - I'll try a different beer next time - but I'd use extreme caution with these things...
Johnnyhitch1
Well-Known Member
I agree, somewhat.
I believe they state on the website to use 1 drop per 8oz glass, more or less to taste. You used ~7 drops in 8oz. so dial it back a little and try again.
Ive had great outcomes with graham and the orange cream but others have been horrible like you said, even with the recommended dose
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure the bottles I have read "Use 1 drop per 1 oz of liquid." I'll double check. I tried using 1 drop in a three-ounce sample, but my taste buds were already hosed...
Yep. I tried the Capella graham cracker in the Pumpking clone. The thread on here at one point felt strongly that was the key for Pumking. No way Jose. Haven't tried the marshmallow, but if its on par with the graham cracker, I bet your assessment is spot on.
kingof14ers
Member
Viper- Don't feel bad. I tried a lemon extract for an IPA and it tasted nasty as well. Natural organic lemonade worked far better. Will try the corn syrup approach mentioned earlier in this thread next month.
I started a thread a month or so ago asking what brands of extract people had good luck with. Never got much traction. Would be nice to know some success stories.
For s'mores, I've had good luck with cocoa nibs after fermentation ended, I put graham cracker crumbs in my pumpkin ale mash, and I wonder how melting marshmallow fluff in hot water then adding to secondary would do?
For s'mores, I've had good luck with cocoa nibs after fermentation ended, I put graham cracker crumbs in my pumpkin ale mash, and I wonder how melting marshmallow fluff in hot water then adding to secondary would do?
northernltz
Active Member
My, my, you are all such brave beer gods....... I am not sure I could even pull off such an endeavor. But I am really thinking heavily about trying. It seems as I read through this thread, that aside from the use of extracts or fluff, the base has to still be a quality well tested cream or even a vanilla cream ale. So I ask, who has a solid vanilla cream ale to use as a base for this. I tend to like the sweeter taste beers and so I have tried to stray from the "chocolate stouts" as much as I could. Can this be done with a light hop taste and little bitterness?
Hail to all you beer gods!!! :cross:
Kurt
Hail to all you beer gods!!! :cross:
Kurt
northernltz said:
Interesting how people envision things differently. I always saw a porter for this if I ever did it.
I'm not a fan of s'mores at all, but if I were to try this I agree it would need a porter or dry stout as the base. Anything else would end up sickly sweet or cloying.
Please sir, May I have S'more?
Sorry, random label thought.
Sorry, random label thought.
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
I too have been trying to decide on a label idea... Especially since my wife wants to help me on this one!
sfrisby, to answer one question of yours, I had a lot of success with an extract from Olive Nation (Google it) - I used their hazelnut extract in a coffee stout and it was marvelous. I even went pretty heavy on it - 3 ounces for just 2.5 gallons.
One of my local brewing-club buddies (one of those serious "Hey I've spent $25,000+ on this hobby" types of folk!) said he uses products from Nature's Flavors (also easily Googleable) but I haven't tried anything from there yet.
I personally don't see this working as a porter, but I also have had very few porters that I enjoyed. I think that with the right balance - one that might take a few experiments to achieve - this would work well as a vanilla cream stout or oatmeal stout style.
In fact, I think "balance" really will be the biggest challenge with this beer, as there are a lot of flavored irons in the fire... Chocolate (and all the good and bad ways to ge this flavor alone), graham cracker, marshmallow-or-vanilla-or-caramelized-sugar, to smoke or not to smoke... Lots of ways for this to go badly.
And all the more reason for 1-gallon batch experimentation!
I want to try a Citra IPA next (because who hasn't?) and then this is next.
EDIT - I've browsed the Nature's Flavors website and they have both Marshmallow and Graham Cracker Extracts and Concentrates. Prices are on par with the Olive Nation site above - $11 for 2oz's, ~$15 for 4oz, and on upwards.
How about this for the marshmallows. Just saw on tv that you can soak marshmallows in vodka overnight and the marshmallows will dissolve, thus infusing its flavor into the vodka. Use that to soak the cocoa nibs to sanitize and add after fermentation. Hmmmm....
they also sell marshmallow flavored vodka (shudders)...
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
They also sell S'mores flavored Vodka... We have a bottle at home... My wife got wrecked on it a few weeks ago and in her words, "It's all yours now"...
SpeedYellow
Well-Known Member
Yep, I tried the Capella's graham cracker in my Pumking clone, and as I posted in that thread, by the time you add enough extract that you can taste it, you can also taste that nasty metallic / chemical taste.
Perhaps it could help to add the extract BEFORE fermentation, who knows.
Perhaps it could help to add the extract BEFORE fermentation, who knows.
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
Quick update:
My wife and I brewed this beer last night. Grain bill was a simple as I could make it: Maris Otter for base, some flaked oats, some chocolate malt (still currently cold steeping) - I'll pasteurize and add tonight, a pinch of honey malt, a pinch of biscuit malt, a pinch of carafa to darken it up, and some smoked malt. I wanted to use Northdown hops but lo and behold I forgot to buy any, so I threw in some Kent Goldings.
Batch size was 1.5 gallons
Here's the important bits:
In with the mash I added a half-pound of graham crackers. I ran them through my mill which did a prety good job pulverizing them. I added an extra .2 qts of mash water to compensate for absorbtion. I also estimated the graham crackers to have a potential of approximately 1.02 based on my efficiency out of the mash (literally 110 percent verses my usual 85-88.) Wort going into the boil had an impressive graham cracker and chocolate flavor, which was truly bizarre as there was no chocolate yet...
At 10 minutes remaining in the boil, I added Irish Moss (a standard,) 2 ounces of Lactose, a small cinnamon stick, half of a vanilla bean - split down the middle, half a pound of marshmallow fluff - estimated at about 1.032 potential, and molasses (only 1.7 ounces). The marshmallow completely dissolved (I wasn't expecting this, honestly.)
Soon after I got worried - as I was cooling the wort, there was a STRONG aroma, which I at first believed to be from the vanilla bean. It wasn't pleasant. Upon tasting, that same flavor permeated through, but after a few sips from my sample, I realized it was the Molasses I was tasting and smelling. This gives me some hope, as I suspect most of this flavor will get "eaten," and most of the aroma will fade during primary fermentation... ...I hope. Up until that addition, the aroma of graham crackers and chocolate was absolutely amazing from this wort.
I'll add the cold-steeped chocolate malt tonight - I should have started it Saturday so I could have added it to the end of the boil last night. No biggee.
I'm fermenting with WLP005 - British Ale Yeast. It's already actively bubbling.
A few things - this wort is SWEEEEEET - unfortunately I screwed up and didn't consider the sugar contributions from the graham crackers and marshmallow until after the boil - my OG went from a target of 1.059 to 1.076 - ABV is estimated at 8.0%. As a result, I don't think I'm going to have enough bitterness to balance. I MIGHT consider diluting with a hop tea, but I'll need to add some more carafa or something to keep it from getting too light (a s'mores beer just wouldn't look good as an amber ale!) But we'll see - I'll wait until primary is complete and then take some samples. Plus I can add more vanilla and/or graham cracker if I feel it's needed.
Stay tuned, and I'll update with progress, pics, and even labeled bottles once I get there!
My wife and I brewed this beer last night. Grain bill was a simple as I could make it: Maris Otter for base, some flaked oats, some chocolate malt (still currently cold steeping) - I'll pasteurize and add tonight, a pinch of honey malt, a pinch of biscuit malt, a pinch of carafa to darken it up, and some smoked malt. I wanted to use Northdown hops but lo and behold I forgot to buy any, so I threw in some Kent Goldings.
Batch size was 1.5 gallons
Here's the important bits:
In with the mash I added a half-pound of graham crackers. I ran them through my mill which did a prety good job pulverizing them. I added an extra .2 qts of mash water to compensate for absorbtion. I also estimated the graham crackers to have a potential of approximately 1.02 based on my efficiency out of the mash (literally 110 percent verses my usual 85-88.) Wort going into the boil had an impressive graham cracker and chocolate flavor, which was truly bizarre as there was no chocolate yet...
At 10 minutes remaining in the boil, I added Irish Moss (a standard,) 2 ounces of Lactose, a small cinnamon stick, half of a vanilla bean - split down the middle, half a pound of marshmallow fluff - estimated at about 1.032 potential, and molasses (only 1.7 ounces). The marshmallow completely dissolved (I wasn't expecting this, honestly.)
Soon after I got worried - as I was cooling the wort, there was a STRONG aroma, which I at first believed to be from the vanilla bean. It wasn't pleasant. Upon tasting, that same flavor permeated through, but after a few sips from my sample, I realized it was the Molasses I was tasting and smelling. This gives me some hope, as I suspect most of this flavor will get "eaten," and most of the aroma will fade during primary fermentation... ...I hope. Up until that addition, the aroma of graham crackers and chocolate was absolutely amazing from this wort.
I'll add the cold-steeped chocolate malt tonight - I should have started it Saturday so I could have added it to the end of the boil last night. No biggee.
I'm fermenting with WLP005 - British Ale Yeast. It's already actively bubbling.
A few things - this wort is SWEEEEEET - unfortunately I screwed up and didn't consider the sugar contributions from the graham crackers and marshmallow until after the boil - my OG went from a target of 1.059 to 1.076 - ABV is estimated at 8.0%. As a result, I don't think I'm going to have enough bitterness to balance. I MIGHT consider diluting with a hop tea, but I'll need to add some more carafa or something to keep it from getting too light (a s'mores beer just wouldn't look good as an amber ale!) But we'll see - I'll wait until primary is complete and then take some samples. Plus I can add more vanilla and/or graham cracker if I feel it's needed.
Stay tuned, and I'll update with progress, pics, and even labeled bottles once I get there!
ViperMan
Well-Known Member
A quick update:
I finally bottled this beer last night. I put the Cocoa Nibs and half a vanilla bean in about 10 days ago.
I was surprised to see that my FG had only fallen to about 1.027 despite Beersmith's estimate of 1.014. But then again with the Marshmallow Fluff and Graham Crackers adding who-knows-what to the wort, I guess I can't be too surprised by this...
My first observation from the sample was a VERY strong aroma of alcohol. This is surprising since I've only hit about 6.5% ABV. I'm worried about it because my "Chocolate Grapevine" beer, which employed cocoa nibs and raisins had this very same aroma... ...and it was a very, very unpleasant beer. In fact, this makes me wonder as I type this - is it the cocoa nibs I'm using?!? Hmmm....
Anyways, as you sip however, the graham cracker magically shows itself to your nose, and it's wonderful. It's not as present on the tongue however - I think a 50% increase of the ingredient would really do the trick. The marshmallow - and the extra vanilla bean - really just didn't make it to the party. There's an ever-so-slight hint of vanilla, but I truly have to wonder if it's placebo. I know it should be there, so I'm telling myself that it is... I'm actually tempted to just leave out the marshmallow altogether - it's providing nothing but extra alcohol which isn't needed - and doubling or even tripling the vanilla bean. That, or trying the carmelized sugar idea from a few pages back, though it seems like a lot of effort...
The beer itself tasted pretty good. Plenty of chocolate flavor, nice and sweet, no offensive flavors left from the molasses. Is it "S'MORES"? That has yet to be seen... But I like the direction it's going in.
I'll check back in a few weeks when I crack open a conditioned bottle.
I finally bottled this beer last night. I put the Cocoa Nibs and half a vanilla bean in about 10 days ago.
I was surprised to see that my FG had only fallen to about 1.027 despite Beersmith's estimate of 1.014. But then again with the Marshmallow Fluff and Graham Crackers adding who-knows-what to the wort, I guess I can't be too surprised by this...
My first observation from the sample was a VERY strong aroma of alcohol. This is surprising since I've only hit about 6.5% ABV. I'm worried about it because my "Chocolate Grapevine" beer, which employed cocoa nibs and raisins had this very same aroma... ...and it was a very, very unpleasant beer. In fact, this makes me wonder as I type this - is it the cocoa nibs I'm using?!? Hmmm....
Anyways, as you sip however, the graham cracker magically shows itself to your nose, and it's wonderful. It's not as present on the tongue however - I think a 50% increase of the ingredient would really do the trick. The marshmallow - and the extra vanilla bean - really just didn't make it to the party. There's an ever-so-slight hint of vanilla, but I truly have to wonder if it's placebo. I know it should be there, so I'm telling myself that it is... I'm actually tempted to just leave out the marshmallow altogether - it's providing nothing but extra alcohol which isn't needed - and doubling or even tripling the vanilla bean. That, or trying the carmelized sugar idea from a few pages back, though it seems like a lot of effort...
The beer itself tasted pretty good. Plenty of chocolate flavor, nice and sweet, no offensive flavors left from the molasses. Is it "S'MORES"? That has yet to be seen... But I like the direction it's going in.
I'll check back in a few weeks when I crack open a conditioned bottle.
chriswilkes33
Well-Known Member
How is it coming? I am thinking of trying marshmallow root for the marshmallow flavor. Chocolate stout base and Im going to go with your method and even 50% more graham cracker as that is a pretty key flavor in the smore. Marshmallows are really just vanilla anyway. Not sure how much flavor would be left after fermenting vanilla sugar. Maybe just more vanilla beans and skipping the marshmallow fluff or root altogether.
