Understanding the malt and hop profile

[acuenca]

I want to learn more about malt and hop profiles so that I can start designing recipes, better or at all, really... I know that SMaSHs are one way... What would y'all recommend? How did you guys go about tinkering with these combinations? Random? Thanks in advance.

 

[gcdowd]

I would invest in some literature. "How to Brew" by John Palmer is a great one. I know there are some more that people will suggest as well.

 

[burninmules]

Trial and error. I am finding that the more and more I brew, the more I can differentiate between the different malts and hops I use. I am also learning how much difference three degrees in mash temp can make.

 

[acuenca]

Thanks for the response... I should mention that I've read the Papazian and Palmer books... I guess I feel like my palate guides me when I cook and it's hard to glean from just seeing descriptions or looking at recipes...taste baby! Maybe silly but the ability to think taste or 'sight read' recipes is not or not yet in my repertoire. I know some are really adept at it... not me.

 

[Yooper]

I never do anything randomly! I'm one of the crazy obsessive people so I give a recipe a lot of thought before trying it.

With a SMaSH, I put together things that just sound good. Like Maris Otter malt and amarillo hops- I love them both so did them together. I also am wild about Vienna malt, and so I did a double decoction lager with Vienna malt and hallertauer hops (not so simple, really, but tasted great!).

One thing that really helps with making SMaSH beers and other simple recipes is that you can really see what a certain hop or certain malt brings to the recipe so in the future creating recipes is simpler.

If you like the description of a hop variety, try it in a SMaSH! Or if you opened a package of hops and loved the aroma- that will work great in a SMaSH!

I found out the hard way that I don't like citra as the hop in the flavor/aroma!

I'm an excellent cook, so I thought brewing would be easy. And it has come pretty easily in some ways. But it took a LONG time for me to be able to write recipes confidently, as it does take some experience to know what each grain tastes like and how much is too much in any given style. I guess that's also like cooking- I love oregano, but would use a teaspoon in spaghetti sauce, not 1/2 pound. The same experience will be needed in brewing- if you love aromatic malt, trust me- 4 ounces is better than a pound in most cases!

 

[ArcaneXor]

Certain beer styles are associated with certain key ingredients, e.g. Munich malt in an Oktoberfest, wheat malt in a Hefeweizen or Kristallweizen, Pilsner malt in a Pils.

Drinking a lot and brewing a lot, and going to the local shop to smell the hops and chew the grain, are all excellent ways to build your ingredient knowledge.

 

[acuenca]

Thanks y'all... Great suggestions! I'll take them all. ArcaneXor, are you sure you're not just trying to get me to spend more hard earned cash at Hoggetowne?? I keed... Seriously, I'll be in shortly!!

 

[ArcaneXor]

No charge for chewing the grains

 

[unionrdr]

I do the same thing with extracts. You can also get Munich & vienna in extract now too,3 or 6lb jugs. Anyway,I'll take a pre-hopped (bittering only) cooper's can to use as a base. Their OS (Original Series) is bittering only,so they work well as a base. Like the APA/IPA base recipe I came up with. It uses The Australian Cooper's OS Draught can,with Munton's (English) plain light DME (3lb bag) for the malt base. Then,the APA used 1oz each of US Perle & Czech Saaz as the hops (both can be had in US or Euro varieties). The IPA used 2oz each of Columbus,Nugget,& Cascade,all US varieties.
They both have that rich amber orange color,with a light toasty malt flavor. Or you can buy the separate plain LME jugs of various malts,& do your own bittering. I'm gunna start experimenting with that soon. But you can see that it works for extract brewing too,with what's available now.