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Can anyone tell me what malt gives beer plum, raisin flavour like in doggie style?

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Elysium

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Feb 18, 2013
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I am wondering how to get that plum, raisiny taste in my beer that Flying Dog's Doggie Style has? I have tried 1 lb of 45L crystal malt in a 6 gallon IPA, but it wasnt even close to that taste.

Is it medium crystal malt or special B? I really dont know. Any thoughts on this?
 
Yeah, Crystal 45L would provide more of a caramel/toffee flavor. Crystal 120L (or darker), Special B, and I think dark Belgian Candi sugar can get the flavor you're looking for.
 
Definitely Special B -- a mistake I've made more than once.


Hey. Tell me a bit more about these "mistakes". I am interested.

On brewtoad a recipe maker states that his recipe follows the instructions of someone he contacted at flying dog's. Here is the recipe: http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/flying-dog-doggie-style-classic-pale-ale-clone

He says it is onyl 3% 120L caramel malt that they use in it.
What do you think? Is it totally misleading?
The special B malt seems to be more of a stronger malt for bocks and porters. I might be wrong about this though...never tried it.
 
I made a brown ale just recently that called for a half pound of crystal 150. I don't know if it is within "style", but it definitely gave it a raisiny flavor. One I really liked.
 
Hey. Tell me a bit more about these "mistakes". I am interested.

The first time I used Special B, almost 20 years ago, I added a pound to a brown ale -- probably 8 - 10% of the grain bill -- and it came out like prune juice.

With a more recent brown ale I was more restrained -- about 2% of the grain bill -- but it still came out more raisiny than I wanted.

I think used in the right proportion in the correct styles -- old ales, barley wines, Belgian dubbles, maybe some kinds of porter and stout -- Special B can be a very good choice. But it's strong stuff, and you need to tread carefully.

He says it is onyl 3% 120L caramel malt that they use in it.
What do you think? Is it totally misleading?
The special B malt seems to be more of a stronger malt for bocks and porters. I might be wrong about this though...never tried it.

I haven't had Doggie Style in a long time, and don't remember how raisiny it is. I wouldn't think 3% of 120L crystal would make a beer all that raisiny, but 2-3% Special B definitely would.

I might use a little Special B in a sweeter-style of porter, but definitely not a bock -- it's the wrong kind of maltiness for that.
 
This is the taste I have actually been looking to create myself. I get it from Sculpin IPA. Every clone I have made tastes nothing like it. I wonder if what I'm getting out east is a more oxidized taste. The irony is, I like it. I get the same taste from Union Jack and founders centennial.
 

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