bottleopener
Well-Known Member
Greetings,
I've decided to make my next 2 batches around the idea of homemade black and tans. The first part of this equation is pretty obvious: a stout. I'll probably make a simple dry stout.
The second part of the equation is where I'm in uncharted territories.
From poking around, I understand that an English style ale is the "traditional" way to do a black and tan. This seems like the most natural choice, but I'm also looking into brewing with spice infusion. I've heard that a Ginger Ale goes quite well in a black and tan. As I understand it, "dry gingering" a bitter in the 2ndary will reach the desired effect. This seems to be the best bet. If anyone has any experience with this combination, input would be much appreciated. Tips with regard to selecting complimentary hops across two different brews get you bonus points.
Technical stuff:
In order to get the distinct layers of color, the beers will need to have different densities. The stout, being on top, will need to be less dense, and thus have a smaller FG. Does anyone know what sort of a difference in FG I will need between the two brews to create a stable "layered" effect of a black and tan? I assume that I'll need an appreciable difference in density for the effect to remain, but the question is how much?
I've never designed two beers to go with one another, and particularly not in the same glass. Either way, this sounds like a fun project.
Cheers,
-bottleopener
I've decided to make my next 2 batches around the idea of homemade black and tans. The first part of this equation is pretty obvious: a stout. I'll probably make a simple dry stout.
The second part of the equation is where I'm in uncharted territories.
From poking around, I understand that an English style ale is the "traditional" way to do a black and tan. This seems like the most natural choice, but I'm also looking into brewing with spice infusion. I've heard that a Ginger Ale goes quite well in a black and tan. As I understand it, "dry gingering" a bitter in the 2ndary will reach the desired effect. This seems to be the best bet. If anyone has any experience with this combination, input would be much appreciated. Tips with regard to selecting complimentary hops across two different brews get you bonus points.
Technical stuff:
In order to get the distinct layers of color, the beers will need to have different densities. The stout, being on top, will need to be less dense, and thus have a smaller FG. Does anyone know what sort of a difference in FG I will need between the two brews to create a stable "layered" effect of a black and tan? I assume that I'll need an appreciable difference in density for the effect to remain, but the question is how much?
I've never designed two beers to go with one another, and particularly not in the same glass. Either way, this sounds like a fun project.
Cheers,
-bottleopener
