Any suggestions before i brew this

[Infantryjared1]

I devolped this recipe flipping through books and in my mind sounds good. Going to be my first AG batch, ever. And since i devolped it, I am hoping for maybe some educated imput before i brew on Saturday. Im hoping for a nice caramel, toffee, kinda ginger bread spicy, easy drinker. Cheers!
Pale 2 row US toasted 8#
Caramel malt 60l 6 row 3#
Gladfield toffee malt 2#
Caramel pils BE .5#
Hops crystal 1ounce for 60 minute
Crystal .75 oz for 15
Tettnang 1oz for 5

 

[kh54s10]

Yyyyu need to give the recipe..

Right off I see 3 days primary at 65 - OK.
And 10 days secondary??? At three days you should be getting fermentation. At 10 -14 days fermentation should be done.

I would suggest that if you do a secondary (unnecessary) I wouldn't transfer until at least day 7 to 10.

You need to give the recipe and reason you want to do a secondary. That is a process that was common in the past that is considered unnecessary these days, Just do a primary for the same amount of time that was used for primary and secondary.

Boiling Time (Minutes): 120 for 15 /140 for 15/ 152 for 60 And I have no idea what this means. Boiling temperature is always 212F at sea level......

I assume you mean that to be mash temperature and time.. Do you have the ability to change mash temps? If not you should go 60 minutes at about 148-150 for a dry beer to 60 minutes at 156-158 for a sweeter, heavier beer.

It seems you are starting to grasp recipe designing. But I would say you need to study more. I would suggest starting with proven recipes and make small alterations to your taste. Progress from there.

 

[Infantryjared1]

My thinking was that with a pale malt it needed rest cycles at the lower temps before the 152 mash. I meant mash temp and times. Thanks for the imput! May have saved me a poor batch. Probably will go with a proven recipe but thought I'd put some feelers out. And I know the secondary isnt needed but I was thinking more for clarity, without using the irish moss. I'll be using a grainfather so yes, have the ability to adjust temps during mash.

 

[Infantryjared1]

Sorry, didnt realize the recipe didnt carry over

 

[Gnomebrewer]

There's nothing in your recipe to provide enzymes, so no conversion, no sugar, no alcohol.
If you toast the 2-row, you destroy the enzymes. That's an all specialty malt recipe!

 

[IslandLizard]

22% is a lot of caramel malt (C60)
==> Reduce to 10-12% max? For most Ambers, I like to see it split into using 2 Caramels, like C40 and C60 or C40, C60 and a tad of C80. Or thereabouts.

That Toffee Malt seems a lot too @ 15%
==> 4-7% seems more in line with the recipes on GladField's site.

What kind of yeast are you planning to use?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

That Toffee Malt seems a lot too @ 15%
==> 4-7% seems more in line with the recipes on GladField's site.

I've used toffee malt quite a lot (Gladfield malts are common over here). It's basically a very pale caramel/crystal malt (but isn't crystallised at all). So essentially the recipe is 37% caramel malt.

OP: I'd suggest you try a few tried and proven recipes before making your own. Get to know what each ingredient adds to a recipe. Try some SMaSH or other simple recipes. You talk about an easy drinker - to my tastes that would be 0 to 5%, maybe 10%, caramel malt. An all base malt recipe can be flavoursome and delicious - don't think it all relies on specialty malts.

 

[Infantryjared1]

22% is a lot of caramel malt (C60)
==> Reduce to 10-12% max? For most Ambers, I like to see it split into using 2 Caramels, like C40 and C60 or C40, C60 and a tad of C80. Or thereabouts.

That Toffee Malt seems a lot too @ 15%
==> 4-7% seems more in line with the recipes on GladField's site.

What kind of yeast are you planning to use?

Nottingham

 

[Infantryjared1]

Thanks everyone for your imput

 

[IslandLizard]

If you toast the 2-row, you destroy the enzymes.

This is probably the single most important comment!

Even with 37+% crystal/specialty malts, together with a diastatic (base) malt you'll make beer. Toast the diastatic malt, well, it's toast!

 

[ProblemChild]

Just curious. Asking things this way mostly to help you answer your own questions....almost rhetorical really. Some are answered above in the OP, but bear with me...

What style are you trying for?
What ABV are you shooting for?
What flavor profile/characteristics do you want?
What are you using as a base malt and does it have the appropriate Diastic power to not only convert itself, but the specialty grains (if any)?
What percentage of that style should be base malt?
What percentage should be specialty grains? What are they and are they appropriate for style?
What is the appropriate body level for this (dry, med body, full body) find that mash temp ans stick to it.

This sequence should help you frame in the base for your brew. Granted, one does not always have to stick to style, but it is highly recommended if you are just starting to put together your own recipes.

In general, most all grain you will purchase will not need any type of step mashing. This is good as it simplifies your brew day and takes out changes to have problems.

.....

 

[TechFanMD]

ESPECIALLY for the first all grain I echo the comment above regarding a tried and true recipe. You're going to come out of this with a lot of questions and second guessing yourself.....at least with a tried and true recipe you can more easily figure out if it was the recipe or if it is something you did.

 

[IslandLizard]

+1^ and ^^

 

[Infantryjared1]

Thanks again. I will stick to a known recipe. You all have definitely been helpful. Cheers

 

[IslandLizard]

What if i used pale malt, instead of the roasted pale.

Pale malt is good, it's diastatic, a base malt.

Now you say 'roasted pale.' Are you referring to what you called 'toasted' before, in your original post?

Toasting and roasting are related, but with very different purpose and outcome.

Pale 2 row US toasted 8#

This is quoted from your original recipe.
I still wonder what that is. Is that Pale malt you would be 'toasting' yourself?
If so, why?

Base (diastatic) malts are the engine of the mash, they convert starches into sugars. Heat applied to diastatic (base) malt denatures those enzymes, rendering it useless for conversion.

 

[Infantryjared1]

Yes, i meant toasted. Sorry about the confusion. And the decision for toasted would have been strictly for flavor

 

[ProblemChild]

Not sure of the style you are after, but this could work as an ESB. It seems to encapsulate what you wanted from the flavors

Maris Otter 10 lbs
Victory malt - .5 lb
Caramel malt 60l .25 lb
Gladfield toffee malt .4lb
Crystal 80L .3 lb

EKG - 1 oz @ 60
EKG - .5 oz @ 20
Fuggle - 1 oz @ 2

s-04 yeast

It is a bit complex for an ESB, but it incorporated the toasty/biscuit element from the victory malt and the toffee malt that you wanted.

I kept the crystal just over 8% which is appropriate and the color should be quite nice.

The flavors that you shot for seemed to lean toward an ESB so this should be in the ballpark

 

[IslandLizard]

Yes, i meant toasted. Sorry about the confusion. And the decision for toasted would have been strictly for flavor

The usually subtle grain flavor and aroma from the base malt(s) can yield many good beers themselves.

If bolder and different flavors and aroma are wanted you can choose to add one or more other malts and grains from a large variety of caramel/crystal, specialty, toasted, and roasted malts, (unmalted) adjuncts such as (raw) flaked grain, sugars, syrups, fruit, flavorings, spices, herbs, wood, etc.

Hops can be anywhere from merely subtle to overtaking, while yeast/fermentation alters many flavor and aroma compounds, and contributing a bunch of their own.

So you always need an amount of base malts to convert grain starches into (fermentable) sugars.
To brew a good beer you also need to provide a certain balance, harmony (or juxtaposition) among flavors, aromas, mouthfeel, sensation, and for good measure, color.

Although there are (almost) infinite ways to create good, exciting, intriguing, satisfying beers, there are many, many more ways to create something that's anywhere between not so good and totally undrinkable.

 

[IslandLizard]

The flavors that you shot for seemed to lean toward an ESB so this should be in the ballpark

Strange enough, I interpreted the OP's recipe as aiming at a (Caramel) Amber or a 'Toasty Amber.'

 

[ProblemChild]

I got something akin to that, but thought the flavors could be done with a restrained crystal and the toffee idea seemed to go well in an ESB

EDIT: as long as the toffee is restricted appropriately

 

[Infantryjared1]

Strange enough, I interpreted the OP's recipe as aiming at a (Caramel) Amber or a 'Toasty Amber.'

Yes, was shooting for an amber

 

[Infantryjared1]

Decided to go with Palmer's Red nectar ale from the how to brew book, and then play with that formula after a few batches