Saint Aardvark
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone -- a little while ago I brewed a sorta-SMaSH that turned out really well. Just one week after bottling, it was lovely: smooth mouthfeel, dry, low bitterness without being too malty, and no green flavour at all. It came across as a creamy taste...almost like a cream soda, but without the vanilla flavour. What's really amazing to me is that it was about 7.2% ABV, but you'd never know it; no high-alcohol flavour comes through at all.
The beer has been about six weeks in the bottle now, and it has changed considerably. The bitterness of the hops has come through a lot more; they're now the dominant flavour of the beer. It's still very good, but I really loved the original flavour.
The beer has been stored in a dark locker in the parking garage where I live; temperature is a pretty constant 18-20C (64 - 68F).
I realize that homebrew will probably always change as it ages. But is there any way I can keep this kind of flavour? Are there any changes to the recipe I can make to capture and keep this flavour? What about storage?
Here's the recipe; the batch size is 1 gallon.
The beer has been about six weeks in the bottle now, and it has changed considerably. The bitterness of the hops has come through a lot more; they're now the dominant flavour of the beer. It's still very good, but I really loved the original flavour.
The beer has been stored in a dark locker in the parking garage where I live; temperature is a pretty constant 18-20C (64 - 68F).
I realize that homebrew will probably always change as it ages. But is there any way I can keep this kind of flavour? Are there any changes to the recipe I can make to capture and keep this flavour? What about storage?
Here's the recipe; the batch size is 1 gallon.
- 1.5 lb Gambrinus ESB
- 0.25 lb palm sugar
- 0.5 oz Willamette @ 60 (5%)
- 0.25 oz Willamette @ 5 mins (5%)
- Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)
- OG: 1.075
- FG: 1.007