Adjust color/add to secondary?

[bonsai4tim]

1/9/2010 I brewed what I was hoping would be a medium color amber.

5 lb light LME
1 lb sugar
1 lb cara-pils (steeped)

60 min boil, 1 oz cascade (30 min) and 1/2 oz at flame out. No chill (cooled overnight to 57F)

OG was 1.053, checked tonight sg 1.014.

Much lighter in color than when it went into the ferm bucket. Was dark amber color, now looks very light/pale.

Any downside to adjusting this with specialty grains (steeped & boiled), cooled and added to secondary?

Taste right now is green and hoppy, as I would expect, but I was really intending this to be an amber or red.

thanks

tim

 

[jacefive]

Steeping more grains will add more sugar to the beer that will not be fermented away as much, because there is less yeast in your secondary, so it will make for a sweeter beer. Not sure the ratio as to how much you would add to affect color VS how much sweeter it will become... Could be an interesting experiment for flavor...

 

[Stormrider51]

I'd just leave that batch alone. Drink and enjoy it, then try again on the next one.

John

 

[Revvy]

It really is hard to judge the true color of your beer when it is in a bucket and you are looking down at it, or in your carboy. DOn't judge it til it's been bottle conditioned, chilled for a couple days, and is in your glass. You will be surprised how it will look.

There's really nothing you can do at this point, but ruin your beer by messing with it. This isn't going to be your only batch of beer you brew. You can always tweak the recipe next time, if you feel the color really matters.

But more than likely you won't really care when you sipping the fruits of your labor.

I have a clone of bell's amber ale, that is spot on on taste, but several srms lighter than the original....But so what?

It's the taste that matters...much more than the color.

Relax...don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[COLObrewer]

If you'd like to delve into the technical aspects of beer color, this site has lots o info;
http://www.beercolor.com/