Too much flavor

[cbren723]

So I am new to brewing (only four batches ). This time I created my own recipe, based off help from Beersmith software. i was wondering if a beer can ever have too much flavor or if i am putting too much flavor into my recipe? Should I use some ingredients that wont have too much effect on the flavor I am going for?

My current recipe for a scotch ale (90 min boil):

1. Steep using- 1.5 lb roasted barley, .5 lb chocalte malt, .5 lb smoked malt, .5lb victory

2.
-2 lb amber extract @ 90 min
- 1 oz Williamette Hops for a first wort hop @80 min
- 2 lb amber extract for a late extract addition @40 min
- 6 lb pale otter pale malt extract for another late additon @ 30 min
- .3 lb brown sugar @ 20 min
- kent goldings uk hops @ (flame out)


If anyone has any suggestions let me know. I think I am getting a little fancy and into the flavor descriptions I have read online.

 

[Gixxer]

I did not look at your recipe, however, if you are trying to stay true to a style then you need to be concerned with exactly what goes in your recipe and process. If you do not care about keeping to style then brew that recipe and make changes so it tastes good to you. Remember, some folks started homebrewing so they can get more flavor cause commercial beers are missing something to them.

 

[Yooper]

With 1.5 pounds of roasted barley, you are making a stout and not a Scottish ale.

Are you doing a 90 minute boil to partially caramelize the wort? If you are, then I'd add the extract at the beginning, and boil it down and then add more water later. If you're not hoping to caramelize the wort, then adding the extract at the end of the boil and only boiling for 60 minutes is good. I don't know why there is an 80 minute hop addition. It won't hurt, if you're boiling for 90 minutes anyway, but it's most customary to boil bittering hops for 60 minutes. It's not common at all to do a 90 minute boil, particularly on extract batches.

 

[bottlebomber]

That's a lot of dark roasted grain even for a stout. For my Scottish ales I am using 2-4 ounces of roasted barley.

 

[terrapinj]

Designing Great Beers is a great book to help with recipe creation and understanding of styles, ingredients etc.

reading up on the BJCP guidelines will give you a lot of guidance as well
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style09.php

depending on the smoked malt you are using 1/2lb could be quite overpowering as well - you'd likely only taste that and the roasted barley.

most scottish ales don't actually use smoked malt, the perception of the smoke flavor is derived from the yeast

 

[david_42]

That much roasted barley will give you a beer that tastes like coffee that is several days old and has been reheated repeatedly.

 

[Glynn]

Designing Great Beers is a great book to help with recipe creation and understanding of styles, ingredients etc.

reading up on the BJCP guidelines will give you a lot of guidance as well
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style09.php

depending on the smoked malt you are using 1/2lb could be quite overpowering as well - you'd likely only taste that and the roasted barley.

most scottish ales don't actually use smoked malt, the perception of the smoke flavor is derived from the yeast

Do your self a favor and listen to this guy. get the book

 

[BigRob]

In lieu of the book I found the recipes section of HBT is a great place to get an idea of how to create a recipe. I picked up Designing Great Beers for 5$ at a thrift store and personally didn't find it that useful.

 

[cbren723]

Looks like I read some wrong stuff. Ill have to change my recipe around a bit. Thanks.

 

[cbren723]

So i changed the recipe: i am looking for a heavy roasted flavor.
Steep: 8 oz roasted barley, 3.2 oz Victory, 2.4 oz chocalte malt

Boil for 60 min:
- 4 lb amber at 60 min
- 1 oz Williamette hops at 50 min (doin to increase IBU)
- 6 lb NB maris otter ( im guessing its a sort of pale extract) at 30 min (im adding it in then becasue I read the late addition gives it a smoother taste)
- 3.2 oz brown sugar at 15 min
- Kent Goldings at flame out


1. does this look more like scotch ale recipe?
2 any suggestions or add ins that might improve the quality of my beer?
3. Am i using too much brown sugar?

 

[Yooper]

So i changed the recipe: i am looking for a heavy roasted flavor.
Steep: 8 oz roasted barley, 3.2 oz Victory, 2.4 oz chocalte malt

Boil for 60 min:
- 4 lb amber at 60 min
- 1 oz Williamette hops at 50 min (doin to increase IBU)
- 6 lb NB maris otter ( im guessing its a sort of pale extract) at 30 min (im adding it in then becasue I read the late addition gives it a smoother taste)
- 3.2 oz brown sugar at 15 min
- Kent Goldings at flame out


1. does this look more like scotch ale recipe?
2 any suggestions or add ins that might improve the quality of my beer?
3. Am i using too much brown sugar?

1. No. Scottish ales aren't roasty.
2. Leave out the brown sugar; use light extract instead of amber extract; add the maris otter extract closer to the end of the boil- flame out would be ideal; add the hops at 60 minutes, not 50 minutes; and decide if you want a stout or a Scottish ale because a Scottish ale is sweet and not hoppy, while a stout is roasty and not hoppy.
3. I think any is too much, as it tastes weird once the sugar ferments out. Like molasses but not sweet. Three ounces is pretty negligible though. So you can leave it or take it out, and you probably won't notice it either way.

 

[cbren723]

Alright. Thanks for the clarification, help, and suggestions. This website is awesome.