Question about current IPA Brew

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Br0

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Hey guys,

I'm Currently brewing a rather strong IPA, and it has a great hop flavor, but it lacks a front/beginning malt flavor, or any beginning flavor at all. It has a middle and an end, but no start! I know its a bit late in the process (the fermentation ends tomorrow) but is there anything I can add to the secondary to help produce or possibly help pronounce the existing malt flavors? I want this to be a great beer (it already tastes good, just needs a little more zazz), so any help you guys can give would be awesome.

also thinking of throwing some smoked woodchips into the secondary to give it that charred barrel flavor. Thoughts?

Thanks. :mug:
 
There's nothing that I can think of that will help get you the malt flavor that you're looking for if your primary fermentation is almost over. I wouldn't worry too much about it yet as you still have some time for flavors to come through. Give it a couple of weeks in secondary then try it and see what you think.

You could certainly add smoked woodchips if you want. I would probably keep an IPA focused on hops. Will you be dry hopping this beer as well?
 
If you are not sure about the wood, split the batch and add it to one side.

My last IPA I added 1# Amber DME and 1# 60L crystal and while it is pretty dark, it has really nice body and sweetness that compliment the Amarillo Hops well. Although if fermentation is nearly over there is not a lot you can do for it now, just chalk it up to a learning experience.
 
Indeed I will be dryhopping, With light AAU hops, probably kent and something else, to keep the bitterness down, Its already very bitter, right where I like it. I simply want to add some hop flavor.

I was also considering What you suggested, Tenchiro, the splitting and whatnot. I intend to use something along the lines of a growler to test the "experimental" side of the batch with. the rest of it is being kegged.

So from what I've gleaned so far, and a lot faster than I expected, is that there are no adjuncts or extras I can add to the beer in-order to add a deeper body, correct?

Its not a big deal if thats the way it is, Like previously stated, It'll simply be chalked up as a learning experience.
 
malto dextrine will add some mouthfeel and make the beer seem "thicker" it will also add to head retention, the problem is that it does not add very much of that "Malty" flavor. So in short you can add malto dextrine, but it won't give you exactly what you are looking for.
 
Yeah I'm not planning on adding thickness to the beer, Its a bit heavy as is.

In a different direction, What is the best suggested way to filter the beer, in your opinion?
Simply taking a hydrometer test reveals a lot of particulates, of which are not yeast, but what I suspect to be residual malt and pellet hop particles.
I definitely don't have the huge multi-stage pumped filters that bigger microbrew groups have. any suggestions are definitely welcome.
 
I'm not a fan of filtering beer. You should look into fining the beer with gelatin. Also try dry hopping with 2 or 3 different varieties of hops, it adds complexity.

+1 on leaving it alone for a couple more weeks as it will continue to change.


Eastside
 
Indeed I will be dryhopping, With light AAU hops, probably kent and something else, to keep the bitterness down, Its already very bitter, right where I like it. I simply want to add some hop flavor.

Dry hopping only added hop flavor not bitterness.

In a different direction, What is the best suggested way to filter the beer, in your opinion?

Don't filter an IPA especially a dry hopped IPA. It will strip out all the hop flavor. IMO homebrewers don't need to turn beers over fast so filtering is pointless. Just let it sit and gravity will do its thing in time.

BTW - a strong malt profile isn't what most people try to get out of an IPA just enough to back up the hops also I try to thin my IPA's out as much as possible. I think your IPA will turn out fine....just give it time.
 
+1 on giving it TIME. The first couple of batches I made seemed "weak" or to not have a ton of flavor prior to bottling. Once they'd been in the bottle for a few weeks, they tasted WAY better. This happened with my first IPA as well. It just kind of tasted like hop water. It will improve, don't mess with it.
 
I know that a strong malt profile isn't what an IPA goes for, But this particular brew has nearly no malt flavor at all, which bugs me. its got a great hop bitterness, and the dryhopping will add some great flavors.

I do plan on adding multiple types of leaf hops, Eastside.

The only particular problem in this situation is that the beer is being force carbonated for a trip to the beach this weekend. so I am treating this particular Brew as a testbed for my co2 system and my brewing technique in general. Perfection isn't required, but the closer I get, the better.

Quick 'n' dirty isn't always terrible. This beer just has to be good, not amazing.
 
Sure.

8.5 lbs of DME
2lbs Pilsner grain
Steeped @ 150 for ~50 minutes

Boiled for ~100 minutes, adding hops slowly over time.
(2 oz Amarillo, ~.6oz simcoe, ~.40oz warrior, all pellet unfortunately.)
threw in some irish moss near the end.

ended up using Wyeast 1098.
The OG was 1.070, the last measured SG was 1.020. I was hoping to get it down around 1.010, but its slowed significantly. although it tastes a lot more alcoholic than the hydrometer leads me to believe.
Its definitely possible I took a reading that wasn't at 60f.

By the way I'd like to thank everyone for responding to this thread, you've helped a ton.
 
Actually, dry hopping contributes almost exclusively to aroma. There is no bitterness added to a beer when you dryhop it.
 
Sure.

8.5 lbs of DME
2lbs Pilsner grain
Steeped @ 150 for ~50 minutes

Boiled for ~100 minutes, adding hops slowly over time.
(2 oz Amarillo, ~.6oz simcoe, ~.40oz warrior, all pellet unfortunately.)
threw in some irish moss near the end.

ended up using Wyeast 1098.
The OG was 1.070, the last measured SG was 1.020. I was hoping to get it down around 1.010, but its slowed significantly. although it tastes a lot more alcoholic than the hydrometer leads me to believe.
Its definitely possible I took a reading that wasn't at 60f.

By the way I'd like to thank everyone for responding to this thread, you've helped a ton.

I thought Pilsner grain had to be mashed and not steeped?
 
Sure.

8.5 lbs of DME
2lbs Pilsner grain
Steeped @ 150 for ~50 minutes

Boiled for ~100 minutes, adding hops slowly over time.
(2 oz Amarillo, ~.6oz simcoe, ~.40oz warrior, all pellet unfortunately.)
threw in some irish moss near the end.

ended up using Wyeast 1098.
The OG was 1.070, the last measured SG was 1.020. I was hoping to get it down around 1.010, but its slowed significantly. although it tastes a lot more alcoholic than the hydrometer leads me to believe.
Its definitely possible I took a reading that wasn't at 60f.

By the way I'd like to thank everyone for responding to this thread, you've helped a ton.

Tasting a lot more alcoholic leads me to think of fusel alcohols, what was your fermentation temperture.
 
Tasting a lot more alcoholic leads me to think of fusel alcohols, what was your fermentation temperture.

around 70-75, I suspect.

What would fusel alcohols do to the brew? Is it now undrinkable?
 
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