BackAlleyBrewingCo
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I brewed a Scotch Ale in late July, OG 1.084, to be ready for Christmas. I fermented with a slurry of Bell's house yeast that I had kept from a prior batch. It had been in the fridge for a couple of months so I was a little worried about how it would perform, but it hadn't ever let me down before. I kegged in late August, FG was 1.026 - higher than I expected but not by a lot. The beer tasted like rocket fuel, but it was very young and I expected it to improve with age. Tasting it today the beer has mellowed like I hoped and has good flavor, but it's sweeter than I'd like. Bitterness was low to begin with - 21 IBUs, so not hitting my target of 1.020 has really had a significant effect.
I'm trying to come up with ways to balance the beer without ruining it. I was thinking of adding spices or other ingredients to convert it to a Christmas Ale or other style. I have on hand: cinnamon sticks, ginger root, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla beans, cocoa nibs and coffee beans. Would any of these ingredients help to balance out the sweetness? I was also thinking about carbing higher than usual and serving it cold, which I think will help mask the sweetness.
What do you all think?
Thanks,
Dave
I brewed a Scotch Ale in late July, OG 1.084, to be ready for Christmas. I fermented with a slurry of Bell's house yeast that I had kept from a prior batch. It had been in the fridge for a couple of months so I was a little worried about how it would perform, but it hadn't ever let me down before. I kegged in late August, FG was 1.026 - higher than I expected but not by a lot. The beer tasted like rocket fuel, but it was very young and I expected it to improve with age. Tasting it today the beer has mellowed like I hoped and has good flavor, but it's sweeter than I'd like. Bitterness was low to begin with - 21 IBUs, so not hitting my target of 1.020 has really had a significant effect.
I'm trying to come up with ways to balance the beer without ruining it. I was thinking of adding spices or other ingredients to convert it to a Christmas Ale or other style. I have on hand: cinnamon sticks, ginger root, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla beans, cocoa nibs and coffee beans. Would any of these ingredients help to balance out the sweetness? I was also thinking about carbing higher than usual and serving it cold, which I think will help mask the sweetness.
What do you all think?
Thanks,
Dave