Recipe Question (experimental- mesquite beer)

Recipe Question (experimental- mesquite beer)
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I want to brew a 3 gallon batch this weekend with the goal of using mesquite chips in the secondary. I want a low ABV (so I might go ~4 gallons) but do not care about the color as much as something unique and refreshing.

I have:
3.3 lbs pilsner LME
1 lb dark malt DME

I need to get some yeast. What would you recommend for a crystal clear beer?
My question is should I hop this, bittering vs. aroma?
Should I stay away from the dark DME and pick up some light DME so that I have a cleaner palate to work with?
I would also consider adding some orange zest in the secondary.

Recommendations?

This sounds interesting. You need to strike a balance between the hops and the mesquite character, but you want a citrusy flavor. I'd think maybe some amarillo hops as they have a really nice orange citrus flavor. I also think keeping this beer on the lighter side of the color spectrum would be the way to go.

As for clearing the beer, you could always use some irish moss or add some plain gelatin to clear it.

Personally I think this combination would also be good in a wheat beer.

Good luck, I probably didn't help much, but I can taste your beer in my mind and it's good.

Summit hops have a tangerine-like flavor, if you can find them.

If you're looking for a very clear ale, try some Irish Moss and White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale yeast. It is one I use a lot and it really attenuates well and leaves a very clear beer. Also, let it sit in a secondary fermenter for a while in as cool a place as you can. Give it time in that secondary to really clear. Patience is key!

The chips don't do much. You can get a better flavor character by using the dried beans. Grind them with a coffee grinder or blender. You can add them to the wort. Light DME is the best.

Added Kingsford Mesquite Chips to an Irish Red Ale in the bottles... would never do that again. Not sure if that brand of chips is actually laden with lighter fluid (no indication of that kind of thing on the bag) but that is definitely the resultant flavoring. Added about 3/4in chip to each bottle, maybe that was just way way too much, but definitely overpowered any semblance of a good beer.

The other thing I might be concerned about is the super high level of tannins in the wood. Mesquite wood/bark is a primary source of tannic acid for industrial uses.