Winter Warmer

[MrSpaz]

So I am doing a kit from my local homebrew store. Here is what it has:

6lbs LME
0.5 Roasted Barley
2 lb corn sugar
2 oz challenger hops - 60 mins
Munton's Gold Yeast

I was also planning on a partial mash. Maybe 2-3 lbs of 2 row and 0.5 of chocolate malt. What are your thoughts on that? I was hoping to get a little better, more complex taste and a darker color for this batch.

Also, the plan was to do the partial mash, bring to a boil, add hops, then 10 mins left add all of LME. My extract batches so far aren't bad but I still get that weird after taste I don't like. Still working out the kinks...

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks for the time and help!

 

[RonPopeil]

the roasted barley should give you plenty of depth and roast. the chocolate would help but could also turn you on the bitter side. a small amount of biscuit could help fill this in. I would consider some dark wheat or oats.

 

[MrSpaz]

What about stepping up the roasted barley to 1 lb and no chocolate malt? Or would you still suggest 0.5 of roasted barley and 0.5 biscuit of some sort?

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[solbes]

Hmm, 1 lb of Roasted Barley would make you a stout. 0.5 lb of RB and 0.5 lb of chocolate would be a little lighter, but still pretty roasty for a winter warmer. Maybe add 2-4 oz of chocolate and it will still be darker as you are looking for.

Also 2 lbs of corn sugar will really dry this out, which may or may not be what you want. Adding 2-3 lbs of 2 row will make this a big beer indeed, but would be nice. Make sure you pitch enough yeast or it will be a spring warmer by the time it's ready. Maybe 2 packets of dry yeast are in order.

 

[MrSpaz]

Thanks for the insight. Maybe I'll keep 0.5 roasted malt and a few oz of chocolate malt to darken it and add some flavor. Also, I was thinking the same thing with the corn sugar. I don't know enough about it to know what to do but maybe I'll only use half of it.

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[solbes]

Sounds like good changes, 1 lb of corn sugar will still dry it a little, but will also boost the ABV nicely. Adding the barley from the partial mash will counter. 2-3 lbs of Maris Otter instead of 2-row will add a little bit of extra malt and bready flavors. Maybe worth the added $2-3 to you, if not no biggie.

 

[MrSpaz]

Should I play it safe and go two packets of yeast?

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[solbes]

If it's over 1.060 OG I go with 2 packets of yeast. You'd probably be okay up to 1.070, but dry yeast is pretty cheap. Less byproducts to clean up with more yeast cells initially.

 

[MrSpaz]

Gotcha. Would you suggest I pitch the same type of yeast? It comes with muntons gold so either I can get another of those are mix and match with safale 05 or something. Or just buy two 05.

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[solbes]

Yes I would probably get 2 of the same kind. Also your Muntons yeast may only be 6 grams, whereas most other dry yeast sachets are 11 grams.

 

[MrSpaz]

Have you or anyone else reading ever used Muntons Gild Yeast before? I never have and was seeing who else has. Might post that in the yeast section but figured I'd try here first.

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[solbes]

I have gotten it a few times as a "free" throw in yeast in kits. I must admit I have not fermented any batches with it, but I have used it as a bottle carbing yeast for high gravity ales and to carbonate my lambic brews that have sat around for a year or longer. Works well for that, but I am just sprinkling a little into each bottle.