Beer Blending

[HoyaSaxa]

I know that commercial breweries do this a lot but I'm wondering about it on a small scale.

I've got a strong porter that just missed it's attenuation target by a few points (shooting for a 1.018-9, ended up around 1.023. It is a strong, drinkable porter, but it's a bit on the malty-sweet side... just a bit to much for most folks to enjoy (I don't mind it that much, but it's not a session beer, lets just leave it at that).

What could I blend with this to cut the maltiness a bit while still retaining the general characteristics of the brew (smoky, chocolate overtones)?

Am I crazy to even think about this? I'm thinking like a dry american amber ale or something I could pick up and blend in?

Tell me I'm crazy...

 

[cheezydemon3]

Not crazy.

I wouldn't worry about fixing attenuation, but if the beer is too sweet....

I am thinking 10 lbs 2 row
8 oz black patent
8 oz roasted
8 oz chocolate

1 oz fuggles 45 min

WL irish ale yeast........OR

Cool and pitch onto your current beer (if you have a big enough fermenter, or split it into 2). Pleny of yeast already in there. O2 would ferment out in the new primary fermentation.

 

[Revvy]

There's a great podcast on it from BasicBrewing radio, with one of our own members (Oldsock.)

December 4, 2008 - Beer Blending Experiment
Michael Tonsmeire, The Mad Fermentationist, leads James, Steve, and Andy through an exercise of blending beers together to create better ones.
http://media.libsyn.com/media/basicbrewing/bbr12-04-08blending.mp3

 

[Simps]

I think this is the best use for shiner bock I have ever heard of.

 

[indigi]

You could pull a sample and just water it down some, cool, and taste. I know plenty of people who will make a flavorful Helles or Pilsner then add some water to make a nice lawnmower/baseball/golfing beer. I know "watered-down" has a bad connotation, but in some cases it's just what the doctor ordered.

 

[r2eng]

hmmm... I wouldn't add water, as it will only make a watery sweet beer. You are not really fixing the problem, just making it watery.

I would be more inclined to brew a dry porter (mash low), add a nice big starter, and ferment dry. Then blend based on taste after it's done fermenting.

 

[wyzazz]

I'd brew the same recipe with a slightly smaller grain bill, then walk away with 10 gallons of a very drinkable porter!

 

[HoyaSaxa]

Thanks for the suggestions. If I had the space to just let it sit around, I would brew up a dry porter and blend. Problem is, I've got more two batches ready to keg and I need the space. I'd like to just make it a bit more palatable for my non-home brew buddies so I can just get through it.

It is the easy way out, I know, but I'm thinking a sixer of something dry will clean in up enough for me. Any suggestions on a cheaper dry ale to blend it with?

 

[Bottenbrew]

Is it already in the keg then? If not just pitch some neutral yeast to knock it down a little.

 

[orangehero]

You could add beano/amylase and rouse or re-pitch the yeast?

 

[HoyaSaxa]

So I started cutting the Porter with about 15% of my American Honey Wheat and it is dramatically better. I've gotten numerous compliments over the last couple days on the blend (they didn't know it was blended). So much so that my wife, who rarely drinks beer, actually asked me to fill a growler so she could take it to her girls night out last night!

I know the honey wheat/porter is an odd combination, but it is the only think I've got on tap that is a bit lighter in body and dry. The honey wheat was a bit of a thin brew anyway, so I'm actually solving two problems with the combo!

 

[Brewdouche-RuBrew]

You could add beano/amylase and rouse or re-pitch the yeast?

BE careful with that...

Superalphagalactofuktinase the active emzyme will convert ALL the suger.