help with grain

discokid2k · 01-08-2011, 05:18 PM

Hi all,
I am building my own recipes(extract only for now) but I feel I dont know enough about the grain process. I know that adding grain affects color, flavor, gives appropriate chemicals while steeping, body, ect. What I would like to know is how does one learn what grains give off certain flavors. I have studied my recipes that I have used and cant seem to find any kind of pattern. I know the styles that I like, any belgian, most german, apa's, and ipa's, brown ales. These seem to contain the general characteristics that I prefer, each obviously having their own traits that we all know.
Where would one go to learn more about how to combine grains, for color/flavor/body? Is there a good book on this that anyone has read? A thread on ingredients that I may have missed? I appreciate any advice offered...
I have brewed (to give insight into preference) 2 belgian specialty ales, belgian golden strong, blond ale, texas ale, firemans 4 copy, american amber ale, german altbier, belgian half wit, texas kolsch, texas blonde, apa, two hefe's, a bavarian and paulaner copy. Clearly I am in love with the belgian/german induced beers. Any ideas?

dcp27 · 01-08-2011, 05:34 PM

have you seen this yet? http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/ingredient-guides-redux-107308/

ILuvIPA · 01-09-2011, 03:05 PM

+1 on the above link. Also see if your library has a copy of Ray Daniels "Designing Great Beers."

Understand that recipe formulation is kind of like learning/mastering french cooking. Not something you can take on and master in a weekend. You'll do a lot of trial and error. That said, it's a great journey and the freedom from kits is really cool!

Also recommend you pick a single style and focus your recipe experiments there. (Given your likes, maybe Vienna/Marzen/Oktoberfest?) You can certainly brew outside the style for variety but I'm suggesting use a proven recipe for that. Learning recipe development across multiple styles would be overwhelming and too frustrating. There is sooo much variety within each style you won't be bored. Just my 2c. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

**birvine** · 01-09-2011, 03:48 PM

Hey - what a great bunch of links. Thanks.

B

headfullahops · 01-09-2011, 04:07 PM

You should check out The Brewing Network website, specifically "The Jamil Show/Can You Brew It" podcast. They do their best to clone commercial brews, which is fine, but that will give you a reference point for what the ingredients taste like in a finished example. They also discuss how and why they selected the ingredients they used based on what character they expect it to produce in the finished beerm

"Brew Strong" is another great podcast on The Brewing Network". It focuses more on ingredients and techniques for all-grain brewing, but I've used some of them to revise my recipes and process up to partial-mash.

discokid2k · 01-09-2011, 10:18 PM

awesome. lots of info to digest. since it is trial and error, has anyone ever created something that was undrinkable? there are so many different combinations to try, even when trying to stick to a particular style.
I have tried a few of my own but they all seem to be lacking something so I want to understand. trial and error, at least its fun trying them all.

discokid2k · 01-09-2011, 10:19 PM

Thanks for all the advice, forgot that part!