make a beer darker while fermenting

I all, new here

I brewed an american octoberfest last week and took a sample, it came out really light and I would like it more copper color....is it possible to steep some 60L crystal in a quart or so of water...chill and add this to the fermenter to get a darker color?

I think this is more something you would be looking for : http://morebeer.com/view_product/11337//Sinamar_-_All-Natural_Liquid_Malt_Color_1_oz

If you add steeped crystal malt its going to contribute some flavor to your beer as well. As far as I know, sinamar has only a little flavor contribution.

If it were me, I would just let it ride and then next time add more color to it during the brewing process.

I don't mind the flavor contribution as I already have some C60 in there

so in theory will this work?

Yes. What is your recipe and how much c60 are you thinking of adding?

it was roughly

10 pounds pilsner
5 of vienna
4 of dark munich

1 pound C60

was thinking of another 1/2 pound

Batch size? 10 gallon?

I think that usually oktoberfests have more caramel malt than that anyway, so another .5 lb should be okay.

yes 10 gallons

If you viewed a sample in a narrow graduated cylinder or just looked at it in your siphon hose, remember that it will look darker in a pint glass.

You're probably aware of this, but just in case.....

infection said:

I don't mind the flavor contribution as I already have some C60 in there

so in theory will this work?

Click to expand...

It will not work unless you steep the crystal, then boil the wort you get from it. Otherwise, because grain is full of lactobacillus, your steeping liquid will be full of lacto & it will sour your nice beer that you've got right now. Boiling would kill off the lacto. So if you boil it, maybe you could do this.

On the other hand, I would never do this. The boil changes lots of things in the beer. To have sugars, proteins, tannins, etc. that haven't gone through a full boil is going to change the flavor of your beer, probably in undesirable ways. Why risk all the work you've done on it so far? It may be slightly lighter than you wanted, but I bet it still tastes good.

As others have mentioned, the only color adjustment that I would feel safe about is Sinnamar.

I didn't even think of the lacto thing. mkling is totally right there.

Just use sinamar.

thanks all....i think I'll just leave it as is....or I will be dealing with my username

infection said:

I all, new here

I brewed an american octoberfest last week and took a sample, it came out really light and I would like it more copper color....is it possible to steep some 60L crystal in a quart or so of water...chill and add this to the fermenter to get a darker color?

Click to expand...

Maybe try using some Maltoferm?