Flavor per Pound of Base Grain

What grain has the biggest impact on flavor? Vienna? Munich? Pilsner?

I'm working on a low-cal recipe. My first version turned out pretty good, it's very drinkable, but I'm trying to cut it even more.

My original recipe:

5.5 gallons
4.0 lb Pilsner Malt
1.0 Vienna Malt
0.5 lb Caramel 90 L
0.5 lb flaked oats
0.25 lb carapils
1.25 oz Cascade (4.6% AA) @ 60
0.5 oz Cascade (4.6% AA) @ 15
WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch yeast

I mashed at 158 for 60 min, then batch sparged. Did a 90-minute boil. Fermented at 65. Had an OG of 1.036, FG of 1.008.

This is my modification plan, cutting about a pound of grain out of the recipe:

5.5 gallons
4.0 lb "high flavor" malt
0.5 lb Crystal 120 L
0.5 lb flaked oats
0.25 lb carapils
1.25 oz Cascade (4.6% AA) @ 60
0.5 oz Cascade (4.6% AA) @ 15
WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch yeast

Mash at 158 for 60 min, batch sparge. 90-minute boil. Ferment at 65. OG: 1.023, FG: 1.006 (I used Vienna for the gravity calculations).

Grain suggestions?

I am just going to answer your question and leave any other comments to others.

Munich / Vienna - both has different flavors but in my opinion equally flavorful
Maris Otter - would be another option for flavorful base grain.

I do not know of any neutrally flavored grain, although some are much more subtle than others. It depends on what you want the flavor to be. I think you have a nice recipe, there, and you can put about anything you want in there and adjust your hops accordingly. Like BW said, it's not so much about how much flavor the different base malts have as to what flavor they have.

Likewise, crystal malts have different flavors, too. That half-pound of 120L you have in there will not make the same beer as if you used a pound of 60L or three pounds of 20L.


TL

I liked the pilsner with vienna accent in the original recipe, and I don't have much of a problem replicating the same percentages, with a reduced grain bill, but I'm looking to experiment...if I can make something tastier, I'm all for that. I recently had a vienna lager that I also enjoyed, so I can see the difference between those two grains. I've also brewed with maris otter, and for this recipe, I think it's too mild to carry with such a light grain bill.

I'm not really sure why I switched the caramel 90 for crystal 120. In fact, I'm thinking I might like to keep that constant and just swap the base grain(s).

The high mash temp worked great for keeping the beer from feeling thin, and it developed a nice head. I figured the carapils and flaked oats were working for the same effect, so I cut the carapils, since I have flaked oats in the freezer. I have no objection to buying more carapils and dropping the oats, though.

I've never brewed with munich except as a minor supplement, so I'm not sure how that would work out, since I'm not familiar with its flavor. I'm sure it isn't objectionable, but I'm trying to avoid subtle.

I could also swap the hops to Tett to make a nice noble brew. My original recipe that i worked out called for tett, but I got 2 lb of cascade right before I brewed, and was itching to give them a go.

So far in my brewing experience of about 2 years, I've been all over the map hitting different styles looking to keep trying new things. I realize this brew will not be to any style, but I need a low calorie session beer...two 350 calorie pints a night for 2 years is not doing my waistline any favors...I'd like them to be the treat, so to speak, rather than the norm.

them gravities sure are low, is this beer for children?

hopsalot said:

them gravities sure are low, is this beer for children?

Click to expand...

yeah, I know. I need to cut my calorie intake pretty substantially...but I don't want to cut by the pint.

I would maybe suggest an extra lap around the block. that helped me allot once I started drinking heavily

Just make beer you like and take 3 extra laps around the block.

I still don't know what you mean by "tastier," although I think I know what you mean by not being subtle. I tell you, my Argentine Gold is a flavorful beer, although with plenty of subtle character. While it is not mild, the subtleties keep it interesting. Frankly, I find that the case with any beer I enjoy.

Hell, I've been drinking some heavy-duty stuff all night long, and I'm enjoying an AG right now. It's almost nothing but Pilsner, pale malt, and hops, and it's a staple beer around here now. Check it out.

However, I don't think I would cut a pound of grain from the recipe. At this point, I would rather spend an extra few minutes each day than cut a pound of grain from a batch. At some point, and typically at much any point, you have to earn what you eat and drink.


TL

I think the grain bill looks good and any of the mentioned variations would work nicely. I would make "1" addition and maybe "1" slight modification but this is me. If your going for any additional bitter units in your 15 minute Cascade addition I'd add a lesser addition earlier or add additional to the 60min addition to achieve the same bitter units. Now for the ohhh so sweet aroma. Use a .5-.75 addition of Mt. Hood at flame out solely for aroma. Mt. Hood works beautifully as a last addition hop to add just a bit of complexity to what looks like an already pretty nice brew.

I just made an out-of-style blonde with the same 1.036-1.009 gravities. It's not quite ready yet but my goal was the same. I think I might do my next belgian wit as a lower gravity also. I'm getting FAT!