Ideas to improve/salvage latest brew

So I had a kit laying around (nut brown ale) for awhile that I planned to brew this weekend. Got everything set up and going and was shocked to find the specialty grains full of bugs! Needless to say I threw the grain away, but maybe I should have just gone ahead. Extra protein? The grains were sealed in a plastic bag so I suspect the bugs came from the homebrew shop?

Anyways, looking for ideas to add flavor to this brew. Here's what's in my alcoholic water so far - 6lbs sparkling amber DME, 1oz Northern Brewer 60min, 1oz East Kent Golding 15min, Safale US-05.

I was thinking about adding something to the primary fermentation since there's not a whole lot going on flavor wise. Any suggestions? I guess at the very least I'll have something on par with bud light...

Do you like cider? You can make a Graf?

I would not have used the grains. It's also worth a call to wherever you bought from.
Did you already brew without the grains? If so, options are more limited. If not, you could either use a different yeast to add some character, maybe 1968? Or, go get some more grains.

I'd brew what you have. Seriously - even if it is minimal ingredients, it will produce something far more flavorful than Bud Light. That late addition of EKGs especially will produce great flavors.

Hoosierbrewer said:

Do you like cider? You can make a Graf?

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Thanks for the suggestion, may give that a shot.

I would not have used the grains. It's also worth a call to wherever you bought from.
Did you already brew without the grains? If so, options are more limited. If not, you could either use a different yeast to add some character, maybe 1968? Or, go get some more grains.

Click to expand...

Good idea on calling, the kit was a gift so minimal investment on my part. I did already brew without the grains. Unfortunately the only local homebrew shop closed so I'm somewhat limited on getting supplies quick. I could order some online though and have them early next week.

I'd brew what you have. Seriously - even if it is minimal ingredients, it will produce something far more flavorful than Bud Light. That late addition of EKGs especially will produce great flavors.

Click to expand...

Good point, and the easiest solution! I'm definitely brewing what I have, and it seems it may not be worthwhile to try and add anything.

I'm drinking a beer I brewed using only Briess Amber LME for the malt and it turned out great. Briess makes the extract with Caramel 60 and Munich so it has a decent depth of flavor. The malt reminds me a lot of what most breweries would call a "red ale" up here around Portland, OR.

I brewed 2.5 gallons and used the following recipe, double everything to scale to 5 gallons:

3.7lb Amber LME
0.33oz Fuggle (5.1%) & Cascade (9%) [1:1] @ 60 min
0.33oz Fuggle (5.1%) & Cascade (9%) [1:1] @ 25 min
0.33oz Fuggle (5.1%) & Cascade (9%) [1:1] @ Flameout
2oz dextrose @ 5 min

Pitched with Saffale T58, Fermented @ ~64F range: 62-66F

Saffale T-58 is a Belgian yeast which adds a lot of character to the beer (mainly clove & pepper) but the malt is still strong enough to stand up to it. I think the amber extract only malt base would taste really good with almost any combination of hops and yeast you could think of.

Make a ginger ale. Boil up a pound of sliced fresh root for 20 minutes and cool or boil 3/8 cup or so of dried, cool and add. Wouldn't hurt to add a lb of sugar. Dry hop with a C hop.