Steeping grains with extract

So I have read hundreds of recipes, and read three books.

Here's what bothers me:
Many recipes use 6+ pounds of extract.

Now almost every modern recipe starts with Light Extract. And many of these recipes that have an OG of 1.040 - 1.060 include steeping grains of between 0.5 to 2 pounds. The majority of recipes call for roughly 1 pound of steeping grains.

This is where my common sense bugs me.

Are you telling me that the difference between a blonde ale and a black stout is simply in that 1 pound of steeping grains? The other 6+ pounds of extract are all identical? The 1 pound of steeping makes that much difference. Sure it affects color, but can you really get a huge change in taste?

But then I see other recipes that call for Dark LME, eg Midwests porter. Now that makes sence to me because lots of dark grains were used to make the extract.

However "Brewing Classic Styles", and most of you, start every extract recipe with Light or Xtra Light.

Even if those steeping grains actually produced enough malts to equal an entire pound of extract (which they certainly do not), you would still only have 1/7 of your malts not being "light".

Comments?

Ster said:

Are you telling me that the difference between a blonde ale and a black stout is simply in that 1 pound of steeping grains? The other 6+ pounds of extract are all identical? The 1 pound of steeping makes that much difference. Sure it affects color, but can you really get a huge change in taste?

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yes

Lets look at this from an AG point of view so that we can contrast with extract.

8 lbs of two row (this is the same as light or of pale extract)
.75 chocolate malt
1 lb crystal 40

Congrats. You have a Brown Ale with 1.75 lbs of specialty malts. Add a little roasted barley and you have a stout.

Bottom line is that AG brews use the same amount of specialty grains as extract. Light or pale extract is the same thing as two row, which is the base malt in most american ales.

Pretty amazing that the difference between the palest blonde ale and the darkest, roastiest stout or porter comes down to just 10% or 15% of the grain bill, but, there it is.

You now know for a fact what you always suspected but could never quite prove -- your MGD-swilling friends who "don't like dark beer" because "it fills them up" and "it has more calories" are full it.

Yeast, fermentation temperatures, and hops/schedule also play a large role in flavor. You can use the same grains and hops in two 5g batches, ferment them at the same temps with two different yeasts, and you'll get two completely different-tasting beers.

I have never thought of the grist between the various styles were so similar before but it is true. However, what Vernois said is what makes them so different and it's what makes brewing beer so awesome. I've even had 1 10 gal batch, fermented in two different carboys, in the same environment, with the same yeast come out differently.

bobeer said:

I've even had 1 10 gal batch, fermented in two different carboys, in the same environment, with the same yeast come out differently.

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Being that it was at the same time and same chamber, we can't even blame it on environment or planetary alignment.

Gotta be...



Do you remember specifically what differences you noted between the two batches?

Yes, you can make any style beer with a light extract and steeping grains. The light (or extra light, or pilsen) extracts are generally just base malt with some cara-pils. Any all-grain recipe is going to have a base malt as a very large percentage of the grain bill, to which you add specialty grains just like you would do in an extract batch.

The dark extracts are also made mostly of base malt, except the maltster added the specialty grains in with the wort when they made the extract to get the color and flavor. Also, most of those darker extracts don't actually tell you the kinds or amounts of specialty grains used. By choosing the use a light extract, you gain more control over your recipe.

Hops play a big part. The blackest stout is very bitter but has no hops flavor or aroma. A blonde might have bitterness, flavor, and aroma. Or it might be less bitter but have huge aroma. That's all from the hops.

Or there are ambers, reds, or pales that are almost the same beer except for the hops and how they're used.

Yes you are right that for the most part a lot of styles vary by small amounts of specialty grains. Hops and yeast do play a pretty big role in the flavor profile also though.

Or you can go the other way with partial mash,for example. I use 4-6 pounds of crushed grains (base,crystal,pale,etc) & use that for the hop additions. Being some 50% of the fermentables,it works well. then add 3 or 3.3lbs of DME or LME at flame out to get the OG I want. & that's usually plain light extract.

Veronis said:

Being that it was at the same time and same chamber, we can't even blame it on environment or planetary alignment.

Gotta be...

Do you remember specifically what differences you noted between the two batches?

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lol love the pic!

One of the batches was totally clear and lighter in color. The other one was a bit cloudy and darker. The darker one finished at about 1.012 while the clear one finished about 1.009. The lighter beer also didn't ferment as hard as the darker one. I also believe the clear batch fermented out quicker as well.