QuercusMax
Well-Known Member
I've brewed two Marzens in the last few months using a recipe that's roughly the following:
37% Vienna
30% Pils
14% Light Munich
14% Dark Munich
4% Caramunich
OG ~1.057, FG ~1.013
All the malts are Avangard except the caramunich. I've brewed this recipe in the past using Durst malts and won two medals, using WLP838 and WLP833. Both of those were rich and malty, but also nice and lager-crisp.
My last two batches I've done using WLP029 (Kolsch) and WLP820 (Oktoberfest/Marzen), using the Avangard malts, which I've been using a lot because a) they're the cheapest base malts I can get and b) the LHBS 10 minutes from my house actually carries them (unlike Durst).
The two recent batches both have a fruity flavor which I was initially blaming on the yeast, in the case of the Kolsch yeast. But I've used that exact same yeast in a Kolsch, Cream Ale, IPA, and cider, and while they all have a slight, delicate, pleasant apple/pear ester in the background, don't have this fruity character I get in the two recent batches (both using the Avangard Dark Munich).
I can't quite describe the fruity character precisely - it's not a "light fruit" like apple/pear, but not a rich dark raisin/plum - somewhere in between.
Has anyone else tried this malt? Am I crazy for thinking it's the malt?
37% Vienna
30% Pils
14% Light Munich
14% Dark Munich
4% Caramunich
OG ~1.057, FG ~1.013
All the malts are Avangard except the caramunich. I've brewed this recipe in the past using Durst malts and won two medals, using WLP838 and WLP833. Both of those were rich and malty, but also nice and lager-crisp.
My last two batches I've done using WLP029 (Kolsch) and WLP820 (Oktoberfest/Marzen), using the Avangard malts, which I've been using a lot because a) they're the cheapest base malts I can get and b) the LHBS 10 minutes from my house actually carries them (unlike Durst).
The two recent batches both have a fruity flavor which I was initially blaming on the yeast, in the case of the Kolsch yeast. But I've used that exact same yeast in a Kolsch, Cream Ale, IPA, and cider, and while they all have a slight, delicate, pleasant apple/pear ester in the background, don't have this fruity character I get in the two recent batches (both using the Avangard Dark Munich).
I can't quite describe the fruity character precisely - it's not a "light fruit" like apple/pear, but not a rich dark raisin/plum - somewhere in between.
Has anyone else tried this malt? Am I crazy for thinking it's the malt?