caramel flavor comes from?

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ricksam

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Greetings fellow anti-teetotalers,

I recently very much enjoyed an IIPA that had a really nice, and pronounced, caramel finish to offset the hops and I am curious as to where this flavor comes from...is it a grain? The yeasties? Caramel syrup addition? I suppose I could threaten the brewmaster at the pub that either he tells me or else....
 
Thanks Yooper! I was also curious that if you tasted your brew prior to bottling and decided you wanted a little caramel taste, is it possible to condition with caramel syrup instead of sugar? I am guessing just like you might with maple syrup?
 
Thanks Yooper! I was also curious that if you tasted your brew prior to bottling and decided you wanted a little caramel taste, is it possible to condition with caramel syrup instead of sugar? I am guessing just like you might with maple syrup?

I don't know. I would think some of those syrup flavors have preservatives that might interfere with the yeast and bottle carbonation. Or they might have sugar in them, and cause bottle bombs.
 
Ooooh...hadn't thought of that...the preservatives thing....good point.
 
In addition to caramel malts, you get some caramel flavor from the boil, particularly a long one, although that's more melanoidin/maillard reactions than actual caramelization. Although if you boil under the right conditions you can get some caramelization.
 
Ok, so as an extract brewer, can I, or do I get a large amount of caramel flavor from these grains during the steeping process? Or is the flavor more heavily imparted from the all-grain brewing process?
 
Ok, so as an extract brewer, can I, or do I get a large amount of caramel flavor from these grains during the steeping process? Or is the flavor more heavily imparted from the all-grain brewing process?

You can use crystal/caramel malts in the steep, and some beers (like American amber) will use up to 15% of those types of malts.
 
Say if I altered an extract kit by steeping more grains than what it calls for, like doubling the crystal malt, would I then need to alter the hop amounts to account for this addition?
 
Say if I altered an extract kit by steeping more grains than what it calls for, like doubling the crystal malt, would I then need to alter the hop amounts to account for this addition?

It would depend on your goals for the beer. If you wanted a sweeter beer and not offset it with bitterness, then more crystal would work nicely. But it really depends on the recipe as a whole.
 
As far as priming with caramel, amber candi syrup could be used for that. It's pricy, but it should be sterile and unlike caramelized table sugar it is close to 100% fermentable.
 
As far as choosing caramel malts, the caramel 40 to caramel 60 range will give you the flavor you're looking for. Kettle caramelization may also get you there.
 
Please explain "kettle caramelization"

another way of saying what Qhrumphf said
"In addition to caramel malts, you get some caramel flavor from the boil, particularly a long one, although that's more melanoidin/maillard reactions than actual caramelization. Although if you boil under the right conditions you can get some caramelization."

in the boil KETTLE
 
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