Can I fix my beer?

[Evets]

Hey folks,
Three weeks ago I brewed a Red Ale kit, but just could not leave well enough alone. I just had to mess with the recipe, and added an extra1 Lb DME and 1.5 Lb of honey. Well it sure is strong enough, but the flavor and mouth-feel seem to be lacking, somewhat. I plan to bottle this on Sat. Is there anything I can add at this point, to help it, or is it is what it is? Also, I'm thinking about priming with DME instead of corn sugar. How much should I use, and will that amount be good for priming all my beers, in the future?

 

[brackbrew]

Mouthfeel will often change with carbonation. If you plan to use DME to prime, you'll probably want to use 1 to 1.25 cups.

Good luck.

BREW ON

 

[Darth Konvel]

I believe the amounts for priming are around 3/4 cup of corn suger, or 1 and 1/4 cup of DME. Someone else please feel free to chime in on this as I'm not 100% on that.

As far as the results of your brew, I'd wait until it's properly carbonated before passing any sort of final judgement. You might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[cweston]

My guess is that your beer will definitely br on the malty/sweet side. If that's what you like, you'll be happy.

The ratio of hops bitterness to malt (or other) sugars is what largely defines a beer style. By significantly increasing one without increasing the other, the change the character of the beer.

 

[Evets]

Thanx guys, The beer doesn't taste bad, just a little thin, maybe. Or maybe "dry" would be a better word. All that honey, I guess. I just thought maybe there was some additive that would make it a little "chewier", maybe. Or maybe it'll be OK once it's carbed. I reckon that'll be the way to go if there's no more Ideas.

 

[david_42]

I'd have to agree, too much malt & residual sugar for the bittering. Plus an ABV that is higher than the design can support. You could add a little hop tea or maltodextrin to boost the mouthfeel, but I'd just bottle it and let it carbonate. On the other end of the spectrum is Widmer's W'06 NW Red, which is a fairly nice IPA. They pushed the hops too far for the style.

 

[BrewstersMillions]

CCould someone plase define "mouthfeel" for me?

 

[Somerville]

"The physical perception of beer in the mouth and on the tongue and palate; referes mainly to body fullness and carbonic content." -Dummies Guide to Homebrewing

When I think of mouthfeel, it means whether it's thick as it sloshes around in my mouth or if it feels watery/thin.

 

[BrewstersMillions]

Ahhh....

Thats kida what I thought.... was not sure though.

Like I have said, I am still in learning mode and if all goes well I will be so untill I die!