Too many types of grain??

[panfishrfun]

I am trying to come up with my next brew. I am looking at my recipe, and there are a lot of grains. I'm trying to impart different flavors into the beer. I know there is a standard % scale of what you need to use, I can't find it anywhere, but I was wondering if there is a point where too many flavors cancel eachother out and create bad off flavors, or should I just go with it and see what happens?

FWIW


% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
76.6 9.00 lbs. Pale Ale Malt (2-row) Australia 1.037 2
8.5 1.00 lbs. Crystal 80L 1.033 80
8.5 1.00 lbs. Victory Malt America 1.034 25
4.3 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
2.1 0.25 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450

Any insight would be appreciated
Thanks

 

[BigEd]

I am trying to come up with my next brew. I am looking at my recipe, and there are a lot of grains. I'm trying to impart different flavors into the beer.

What particular flavors are you looking for? Once that question is answered you can more realistically assemble the ingredients to make it happen.

I know there is a standard % scale of what you need to use, I can't find it anywhere, but I was wondering if there is a point where too many flavors cancel eachother out and create bad off flavors, or should I just go with it and see what happens?

There is no "standard % scale" that I'm aware of but you are right in assuming that adding too many different things to the recipe list will start to cause some confusion among the flavors of the ingredients.

When in doubt, simplify. Don't just "throw something in". Think about what you want and then determine what will achieve that end. You can think of beer recipes to be somewhat analogous to food cooking recipes. If you're making beef stew you have a very high percentage of the main ingredient, beef, and then small percentages of specialty ingredients to achieve various flavor, color and texture accents. So lots of beef, some aromatics like onion & garlic, good broth for flavor support, potatoes, carrots, etc as supporting players and maybe a shot of wine or brandy for a little boost to everything.

Beer is no different. The pale malt (or base malt of choice to fit the style) will make up the biggest percentage of the recipe, anywhere from 70-100% in most cases. For color adjustment and subtle sweet background flavors 3-10% crystal malt if desired, 1-10% roasted malts for color and/or flavor, 3-15% other specialty malts like dextrin malt or the Victory in your recipe for other texture or flavor tweaks, 5-25% adjuncts (corn, wheat, barley, oats, sugar(s), etc) for style, color, flavor, texture, whatever. Choosing the percentages and individual ingredients is learned from studying, experience and trial & error. Buy a good book like Ray Daniel's recipe book, look at lots of recipes and try to determine which are good and why, try some different ingredients from time to time to see if they create the flavors you want. There's no magic formula but the more you put into it (effort that is) the more you will ultimately get out of it.

FWIW


% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
76.6 9.00 lbs. Pale Ale Malt (2-row) Australia 1.037 2
8.5 1.00 lbs. Crystal 80L 1.033 80
8.5 1.00 lbs. Victory Malt America 1.034 25
4.3 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
2.1 0.25 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450

Any insight would be appreciated
Thanks

You have no hops or yeast listed here but from a quick look it would appear to be in the brown ale category.

 

[panfishrfun]

I was looking for sweet, nutty, caramel flavors with maybe a hint of coffee from the roasted barley, since my question was about the grain bill I only posted that, but here's the rest of the recipe, if you're interested. It's an American Brown style on the upper end of the IBU's (I love hops). I guess that brings up another question, is there a way to know if the IBU's will overwhelm the maltiness of the beer, or just trial and error. I know it will be a hoppy beer, but will the malts still have a flavor profile with that high of IBU's

Ale Madness

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

10-C American Ale, American Brown Ale

Min OG: 1.045 Max OG: 1.060
Min IBU: 20 Max IBU: 48
Min Clr: 18 Max Clr: 35 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.75
Anticipated OG: 1.058 Plato: 14.22
Anticipated SRM: 19.9
Anticipated IBU: 49.4
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.47 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.049 SG 12.17 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
76.6 9.00 lbs. Pale Ale Malt (2-row) Australia 1.037 2
8.5 1.00 lbs. Crystal 80L 1.033 80
8.5 1.00 lbs. Victory Malt America 1.034 25
4.3 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
2.1 0.25 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 10.40 44.8 60 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Pellet 7.00 2.5 5 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.60 2.0 5 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Pellet 7.00 0.0 Dry Hop
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.60 0.0 Dry Hop
0.50 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 10.40 0.0 Dry Hop


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.05 Unit(s)Whirlfloc Tablet Fining 15 Min.(boil)
0.05 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP001 California Ale


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 11.75
Water Qts: 14.18 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 3.55 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.21 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 15


Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.49 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[david_42]

Certainly not too complex. You might consider adding 4 oz of pale chocolate, if you can find it. It will add to the nuttiness.

 

[GRBC]

I regularly make a brown ale that is inspired by a local craft brew and target 1.060 with 24 IBUs. Mine has a 60 minute and 30 minute hop addition, so no significant hop flavor or aroma. Just enough hop character and bitterness to balance the roasted and caramel malts. You might try your recipe and then consider if you got too much bitterness.

That also seems like a lot of Victory to me, but there is only one way to find out. Brew it and let us know what you think!

 

[RmikeVT]

That beer looks awesome. I am brewing a beer very similar except pale chocolate (200 srm) and split the 80 into 40 and 120 for about 1.5lbs.

It is an amber

 

[panfishrfun]

thanks for the feedback, I think I'll give it a go. I'll pass on the pale chocolate since I do have a pound of victory. Hopefully it's full bodied and full of hops and a great beer, I'll check back in a while and let you know (hopefully I remember )

 

[panfishrfun]

This beer is really good! The hops don't come out too much, but I think that's from the complexity of the malt bill. It came out between an amber and a brown (if that's possible), I can't really tell which category it would fall under by looking at it (SRM 19) It is a nicely balanced beer, that I would recommend, and have had many complements on. Hoppy Brewing!!