DRAGGER

Recipes 

Is it possible to balance between malt/hops to have a beer that is too smooth? I made a brew that is shockingly smooth on both accounts. It is a partial mash I hit my 1.052 OG on the nose. It fermented down to 1.008. The recipe is below. Did I do something right or wrong I AM CORNFUSED..... Please post your comments..... And I will enjoy it non the less.....

DRAGGER.....

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 59.74 %
0.50 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 5.97 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.97 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 5.97 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.97 %
0.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 5.97 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 5.97 %
0.25 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 2.99 %
0.12 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.43 %
0.75 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 10.7 IBU
0.75 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (20 min) Hops 4.8 IBU
0.33 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (10 min) Hops 1.3 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 20.0 min) Misc
5.00 gal Los Angeles, CA (West) Water
1 Pkgs Belgian Abbey II (Wyeast Labs #1762) Yeast-Ale

__________________
Primary 1: EMPTY
Seconday 1: EMPTY
Primary 2: EMPTY
Secondary 2: EMPTY


Keg 1: Hopped to HELL Ale (last time for this until hop $ drop)
Keg 2: Irish Red Ale
Keg 3: Gnome Root Beer
Keg 4: Fat Tire Clone (Attempt)
Keg 5: First All Grain Amber Ale (to be official named once tasted)
Keg 6: EMPTY
Next Brew: Cream Ale.....

maltMonkey

Recipes 

My entire goal with homebrewing is to brew extremely well-balanced beers that I really enjoy drinking...so by my standards and with what you're reporting you did excellent!

Just out of curiosity, what style were you going for (if any)....brown ale?

doubleb

Recipes 

To my knowledge (which isn't much) that grain/hop bill doesn't seem over abundant in any of the ingrediants. Your PM may have made the beer maltier or dryer depending on your mash temp (higher = maltier), but it seems like a dryer beer as it fermented down to 1.008.

I'll second the notion of balanced beer being a good thing. I doubt there's such thing as too smooth. Everyone has their tastes.

__________________
Next:
Primary:Hoppiness
Secondary:
Kegged:Brown Ale
Bottled:

DRAGGER

Recipes 

I was shooting for an American Amber Ale. It was my Fat Tire Clone Attempt......It has a very nice amber color. I have had it kegged and on gas for about 3 weeks. This one turned out not bitter not malty but really neutral.... Thanks for the reply.....

DRAGGER.....

__________________
Primary 1: EMPTY
Seconday 1: EMPTY
Primary 2: EMPTY
Secondary 2: EMPTY


Keg 1: Hopped to HELL Ale (last time for this until hop $ drop)
Keg 2: Irish Red Ale
Keg 3: Gnome Root Beer
Keg 4: Fat Tire Clone (Attempt)
Keg 5: First All Grain Amber Ale (to be official named once tasted)
Keg 6: EMPTY
Next Brew: Cream Ale.....

maltMonkey

Recipes 

Ahh....didn't read the proportions well enough. I saw some chocolate malt in there with some English hops and I had brown ale on the brain anyways.

landhoney

Recipes 

If I had a nickel for everytime I've sent a beer back because it was too smooth.......

__________________
"Did you ever kick a woman in the midsection while she was wearing a whalebone corset? I nearly broke my great toe. I never had such a painful experience." -Egbert Souse(W.C.Fields)

david_42

Recipes 

Session beers tend to be very well balanced. Since it's kegged, you can always dry hop it a bit down the road.

__________________
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BREW N QUE

Recipes 

I don't think it's possible to have a beer that's too smooth. It looks like you have a lot of different grains in the same proportion. Personally I like beers where I can taste the specific grains. Maybe what your finding is that there are too many flavors blending together. But if you enjoy It thats all that matters.

DRAGGER

Recipes 

Your right I may have not used the proper terminology with using too smooth. It is beer it is smooth but there realy isnt anything that stands out..... I think that next time I will drop a few of those grains out. Add more base to keep the gravity around the same.... I am thinking that it may change a little if I leave it in the keg for a while and let it age..... I have kegged my first all grain and will let it rest and age for a while too as I have 4 full kegs now..... Working on brewing an all grain Cream Ale (Something like Little Kings) next week....


DRAGGER.....

__________________
Primary 1: EMPTY
Seconday 1: EMPTY
Primary 2: EMPTY
Secondary 2: EMPTY


Keg 1: Hopped to HELL Ale (last time for this until hop $ drop)
Keg 2: Irish Red Ale
Keg 3: Gnome Root Beer
Keg 4: Fat Tire Clone (Attempt)
Keg 5: First All Grain Amber Ale (to be official named once tasted)
Keg 6: EMPTY
Next Brew: Cream Ale.....

Spyk'd

Recipes 

You've made a Belgian Pale Ale or Abbey Ale, which are both EXTREMELY well balanced (think Chimay) and that yeast strain and the use of Willamette and Fuggles makes a good balance and keeps it in style. There are a few grains you could cut out, like you mentioned and I think you'll have a truly "requested" beer.


I use Willamette in my Abbey Ale and it's VERY balanced, so that no one ingredient stands out over another, which once again is true to that style and desired.


Keep up the good work!

__________________
Primary:
Bleach
Secondary:
American Red
Keg Conditioning:
Gruit
On Tap:
ESB
Bottled:
Nada...
On Deck:
Porter, Belgian Abbey Ale