I made a stout up the other week, its about 8% which is where I wanted it, just a fairly simple question. If I wanted a less sweet one, without losing any alcohol content, could I stir in say a few hundred grams of treacle after the initial kilo, adding new yeast with each addition? Would I need any yeast supplement? Would the addition of me stirring it in cause any possible infection, due to too much oxygen? (the latter of which I thought of additional yeast). If it does become infected, should I leave it in primary, taking note of the fact I only have the one, ir bottle it? Would the bottles preserve any imperfections until such a time I drink it, leaving me with food poisoning (or the equivalent)? Am I worrying too much? What if say I wanted a strong stout, alc about 15%. Could I add all the sugar straight off, and not worry, or would it poison the yeast, leaving it useless after about 10%? Also, would it be too sweet to drink, leaving me with a sweet white wine kinda taste? My mixtures are well aerated, usually have a few inches of froth on top, which I then sprinkle the (dry) yeast on top of. Would stirring the yeast through provide any additional benefits?
less sweet beer?
- Thread starter soberJim
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It's really hard to make a beer above 10%, and make it well. Getting it to bottle carb would be another issue.
Adding simple sugars would boost the ABV, true, but it would also produce a thinner drier finish, not really stout-like. A short answer to the question would be to have a less sweet beer, use less sweet malts (like crystal/caramel malt) and use more bittering hops.
Adding simple sugars would boost the ABV, true, but it would also produce a thinner drier finish, not really stout-like. A short answer to the question would be to have a less sweet beer, use less sweet malts (like crystal/caramel malt) and use more bittering hops.
I was thinking less refined sugars, molasses for example, without going to the more commonly known simple sugars.. I really don't want a watery one, simply for the fact I want something warming and filling, like a whiskey cross tree sap kinda thing.. just really don't know how to do so
I do actually have a stout I made around Christmas time which is very hoppy, seemingly fitting for an Australian Xmas with all the kangaroos about
but I want something in between, this last one was just far too sweet, although was very thick.. Like a boiling hot jam consistency. The one before this was more watery, with about a 5% abv and very bitter... So something in between would be champion! Although I guess I could do the same recipe as the sweet one, add the same hops as the Christmas one and be left with something magnificent. I think I just solved the problem! Well, partially anyway
I do actually have a stout I made around Christmas time which is very hoppy, seemingly fitting for an Australian Xmas with all the kangaroos about
but I want something in between, this last one was just far too sweet, although was very thick.. Like a boiling hot jam consistency. The one before this was more watery, with about a 5% abv and very bitter... So something in between would be champion! Although I guess I could do the same recipe as the sweet one, add the same hops as the Christmas one and be left with something magnificent. I think I just solved the problem! Well, partially anyway
tdogg
Well-Known Member
Like Yooper said, making a high ABV beer and making it taste good are tough. Are you brewing all grain or extract? If you are brewing all grain, mash at a low temp to dry the beer out. Also, pitch lots of yeast! I would use the American strain for a beer like this, and have a pack of champagne yeast on hand in case it gets stuck.
I would work your way up to this. try brewing a recipe for a stout thats around 10-11% ABV, and then try the big one. hop balance is important too. I brewed a stout that is about 9.5% ABV and about 85 IBU's and it's barely balanced.
I would work your way up to this. try brewing a recipe for a stout thats around 10-11% ABV, and then try the big one. hop balance is important too. I brewed a stout that is about 9.5% ABV and about 85 IBU's and it's barely balanced.
tdogg
Well-Known Member
Another possibility, take a "regular" stout, and mix a shot of decent blended whiskey into a pint. I do this once in a while, instant "barrel aging"!
It's extract, I figure let other people do the hard work .. I figured with this super sweet one just how important hops are actually. Also.. I really don't know what regular stout tastes like, I just like the dark bitterness of it. Never bought one in my life, probably why I'm slightly pedantic with the taste and texture I want. As I said though, I really dont know... But as for adding a splash of goodness, I think I could do that! That would add both a little strength plus bitterness, win-win situation I think. Should I keep to the guidelines and just add one kilogram of sugars, or go for what I did with the sweet one and use 1.5kg treacle/golden syrup (pancake syrup) combination I made? I would say a pint doesn't seem a lot, although with some of the steeped hops I used for a fruit salad recipe I know it really is heaps.
Actually, for curiosity sakes, could a beer be made up of pure whiskey instead of water? Have pondered this immensely, without having the wallet to match my inhibitions.
Actually, for curiosity sakes, could a beer be made up of pure whiskey instead of water? Have pondered this immensely, without having the wallet to match my inhibitions.
Or how about a beer or stout which has reached final gravity, could it be re-brewed into a master stock-type brew? "has your brew reached its final days?! Only to figure out it tastes like fermented socks?! why not try throwing it back through the fermenter? Twice as much alcohol in three times the length of time!!!" I really have no idea. If I ever came across a brew that tasted like fermented socks I'd probably keep it for ten years and see how it went. Still no good, that'll be my 40th birthday drinks, life doesn't start til ya forty right?! well it doesn't cost much for a few bottles anyway...
dinnerstick
Well-Known Member
are you on meth
I'd suggest picking up a copy of John Palmer's How to Brew or reading the online version at http://www.howtobrew.com/
It will give you a good understanding of how the whole brewing process works, including what's actually happening chemically when you produce beer.
It will give you a good understanding of how the whole brewing process works, including what's actually happening chemically when you produce beer.
Just pay attention to the recipes you've done and liked/not liked, and the total IBU's, OG and FG.
In particular look at the gravity to IBU ratio which gives you an idea of bitter vs. sweet in the final product.
70 IBU's at 1.006 is very different on the palate vs 70 IBU's at 1.016
In particular look at the gravity to IBU ratio which gives you an idea of bitter vs. sweet in the final product.
70 IBU's at 1.006 is very different on the palate vs 70 IBU's at 1.016
