to please the ol' lady

[JNOYES88]

My girlfriend doesnt particularly care for the variety of different beer styles that I enjoy. So im considering doing a light ale or a cream ale, but also want it to still be a unique crowd pleaser. I've not seen anything on adding candy flavoring like butterscotch candy extract or toffee candy extract flavoring. Has anyone tried this? If so, what were the results and how did you go about adding it? Did anyone add it to the boil or just in the secondary? THANKS EVERYONE

 

[maffewl]

Though I've never used it on a light or cream ale, usually I add the flavoring at kegging or bottling. I typically take a 12 ounce sample as I'm racking and add the flavoring in small doses until I get what I'm looking for. Then scale the amount up to the same ratio for the full batch. I would be concerned adding flavoring to such a light tasting beer though. It may, and probably will, become too dominant to the point of overbearing. Just remember that a little goes a long way.

 

[JNOYES88]

is there any problem just adding food and candy flavorings?

 

[dfc]

I've never done candy flavoring to a cream ale, but I've done fruit flavoring...

Here's a strawberry cream ale I did that most people seemed to like.

5lbs light DME
.5lb 20L crystal malt
.5lb 40L crystal malt
.5lb flaked barley
.25lb dextrine
2oz crystal hops

60 min boil w/ 1oz hop addition at 60 minutes and 1oz hop addition at 15 minutes. Let ferment out and get 4 lbs of frozen strawberries (usually in a bag in the frozen food aisle of grocery store). I steeped my strawberries in a gallon of water for 30 minutes at what I believe was 145°F. This however still gave me pectin haze. If I make this beer again I'll let the strawberries soak in vodka in the freezer for a day or so before adding to secondary. If you go this route just make sure you strain the vodka out. It will make some tasty strawberry vodka though. Add the soaked strawberries to secondary and rack your beer on top. Bottle after a week and there you go!

BTW, the strawberries will turn gray. Don't freak out by this. When the sugar ferments out the color goes with it. Your beer will be fine.

 

[JNOYES88]

youre a godsend. she was just sayin she cant wait for spring strawberrys. well played sir, well played

 

[JNOYES88]

while youre at it, any idea what hops they use in hop slam by bells brewery in MI

 

[broadbill]

youre a godsend. she was just sayin she cant wait for spring strawberrys. well played sir, well played

It means she is in the mood to eat spring strawberry's, not necessarily that she wants a strawberry flavored beer. Has she specifically said that she wants some sort of flavored beer???

 

[ronclark]

There are Belgian dark candi sugars, yeasts, and specialty grains that can bring out a toffee flavor as well. However, other flavors will be blended as well.

 

[kpr121]

while youre at it, any idea what hops they use in hop slam by bells brewery in MI

Lol I love this post. "Yeah honey, I am finally making you the stupid cream strawberry blonde foo-foo beer you want. Now let me go to the LHBS so I can pick up a lb of Simcoe so I can make me double trouble super imperial IIPA with 130 IBUs that you wont want to smell let alone drink. Here have a Genesee to tide you over". :rockin:

BTW if you search "hopslam" I think there are a few clone recipes floating around. Most I have seen have chinook, centennial, citra, simcoe and/or cascade in them.

 

[kosmokramer]

i just brewed my swmbo a chai tea cream ale today, when we were at more beer they had it on tap and ran out right when we went to sample....so i said yes dear, whateveer you want... but if im gonna brew this for you i need a refrectometer and a beergun so it can come out just right

 

[JNOYES88]

broadbill, ya she did say she wanted a flavored beer. toffee, butterscotch, or maybe strawberrys, any recommendations on the other two?

 

[broadbill]

broadbill, ya she did say she wanted a flavored beer. toffee, butterscotch, or maybe strawberrys, any recommendations on the other two?

What flavored beers does she typically drink?

 

[JNOYES88]

what do you mean flavor? lol. shee drinks bud light and woodchuck. i need to mold her into someone that actually has taste

 

[tommybjr]

You can't go wrong with a simple honey wheat.

 

[broadbill]

what do you mean flavor? lol. shee drinks bud light and woodchuck.

Why bother with the fruit beers if its not something she has ever tried and liked. Beer isn't cough medicine...adding fruit flavor doesn't make it more appealing necessarily.

i need to mold her into someone that actually has taste

Ya, let me know how that goes for you....

 

[JNOYES88]

Why bother with the fruit beers if its not something she has ever tried and liked. Beer isn't cough medicine...adding fruit flavor doesn't make it more appealing necessarily.




Ya, let me know how that goes for you....

lol ill try, i might be dead

 

[Pilotpip]

I brewed a cream ale from Midwest to make a peaches and cream recipe for this summer. When bottling we took 12 of them and mixed different amounts of peach and vanilla extract. We found one both of us liked, and will up it to 5 gallons. I'm looking forward to this one for the summer. It will go down smooth on those 95 degree days.

When I brewed, I used half the hops as suggested by others on midwest's site. Good beer for the bmc crowd as is. I also had an oz of cascade to dry hop my IPA that I bought at the same time

 

[timmy7649]

I brewed a cream ale from Midwest to make a peaches and cream recipe for this summer. When bottling we took 12 of them and mixed different amounts of peach and vanilla extract. We found one both of us liked, and will up it to 5 gallons. I'm looking forward to this one for the summer. It will go down smooth on those 95 degree days.

When I brewed, I used half the hops as suggested by others on midwest's site. Good beer for the bmc crowd as is. I also had an oz of cascade to dry hop my IPA that I bought at the same time

How much peach and vanilla extract did you use?

 

[Pilotpip]

Don't recall exactly. It's in my notes. I think it was a tsp of each In a 12oz bottle that was the winner.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I've read that molasses/black treacle can add a "toffee-like" or a "butterscotch-like" flavour to beer. I've also read that molasses is what gives Old Peculiar it's "peculiarness."
Regards, GF.

 

[JNOYES88]

is there any problem with adding candy flavor extracts that would harm the fermentation?

 

[sweetcell]

i don't see why they would... but specifically, what kind of extract do you want to add? who are the extracts made by?

 

[JNOYES88]

strawberry or any other number of extracts they have, maybe a toffee, or butterscotch one

natural flavors
http://www.naturesflavors.com/index...aking-ice-cream-beverages-coffee-tea.html?p=1

butterscotch
http://www.naturesflavors.com/index.php/butterscotch-flavor-concentrate-1080.html

toffee
http://www.naturesflavors.com/index.php/english-toffee-flavor-concentrate.html

 

[JNOYES88]

butterscotch

http://www.naturesflavors.com/index.php/butterscotch-flavor-concentrate-1080.html

 

[sweetcell]

don't see why any of those would cause a problem, but i'm not experienced in extract additions. anyone else?

 

[broadbill]

I'm no expert either, but I'm under the impression you add the extracts post-fermentation and before packaging.

The preferred way to do it is take a known volume of beer (e.g. 12 oz) and add a known volume of extract. Do a taste test and adjust amout of extract to taste. Once you know the ratio of extract to beer, use that ratio to calculate the amount of extract needed for the whole batch. Add LESS extract than what you calculated, and pull another sample and taste. Add more if you think it needs it. It is easier to add more, very difficult to remove it.

 

[JNOYES88]

thats the info i was looking for guys, thanks

 

[MT8911]

DFC, how many pounds of strawberries did you use?

 

[oakbarn]

Forget beer for her. "Would you like a glass of whine?" is the best choice.