Criticize/help my first recipe

[cmeb22]

Extract
Cranberry orange cinnamon stout

OG : 1.065
FG : 1.015
Target abv : 6.5
Ibu : 32.6

Steep at 70 degrees celcius for 30 mins:
- 1.5 pounds crystal 120
- 1 pound chocolate malt
- .5 pound black barley

Add to boil kettle

Bring to boil and add 9.5 pounds of pale liquid extract and 2oz of brewers gold hops.

Irish moss 1/2 tsp - 10 mins.
.75 orange peel - 5 mins
Cinnamon stick - 5 mins

Yeast - irish dry stout

Add 3.5oz cranberry extract at bottling.

Any advice would help as I'm trying out my first creations. 5 gallon batch btw.

 

[skunkfunk]

Nooo. Don't add cinnamon in the boil! Add AFTER fermentation. I've not tried it but by all accounts you get weird **** when the active yeast and the cinnamon team up.

 

[JKaranka]

Cinnamon, cranberry AND orange peel? Isn't that a bit crowded? The grist looks ok if not a bit sweet (I'd halve the crystal and it would still be sweet). The best way to add the cinnamon would be like dry hopping. Keep it in some brandy or give it a bit of a boil and add after the fermentation subdues.

Brewer's Gold are great hops, though, I'd add one ounce around the 20m mark.

 

[cmeb22]

Cinnamon, cranberry AND orange peel? Isn't that a bit crowded? The grist looks ok if not a bit sweet (I'd halve the crystal and it would still be sweet). The best way to add the cinnamon would be like dry hopping. Keep it in some brandy or give it a bit of a boil and add after the fermentation subdues.

Brewer's Gold are great hops, though, I'd add one ounce around the 20m mark.

I may drop the cinnamon or use just a little bit in the secondary. Your right, it was busy. If I halved the crystal and maybe added some roasted barley would that help unsweeten it?

 

[JKaranka]

I'd drop the cranberry more than anything else. Is black barley the same as roast? (I've not seen it here in the UK.) You could add a bit more of that and chocolate, or add some roast barley, or regular patent malt. Or brown malt if you have it!

 

[cmeb22]

I'd drop the cranberry more than anything else. Is black barley the same as roast? (I've not seen it here in the UK.) You could add a bit more of that and chocolate, or add some roast barley, or regular patent malt. Or brown malt if you have it!

About the same characteristics. i added more roasted and dropped some of the crystal. As for the cinnamon and orange. For a 5 gallon batch, what would be a good amount of each to use?

 

[JKaranka]

With cinnamon I've added two sticks for about five days and that has been noticeable. Not sure about the orange, I'd assume the peelings of one plump orange. Depends how subtle you want to be, but I often ask myself, is this a beer I will be able to drink five gallons of? The one thing to remember to avoid is actual orange juice, I've had some rank stuff from microbreweries with fermented orange juice...

 

[Chefflahertycec]

JKaranka , skunkfunk, Why would you not add cinnamon to the boil? Just curious.. I just did a Great Lakes Christmas clone which called for cinnamon (stick) and fresh ginger additions at beginning of boil. Turned out to be one of the best beers I've done to date. My experience as a chef would tell me that oils in cinnamon (in stick form) are not water soluble and would benefit from being in the boil for at least 5 - 10 min to release. I have also added ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice to boil at 5 min in a pumpkin ale I brewed as well with great results.

 

[skunkfunk]

JKaranka , skunkfunk, Why would you not add cinnamon to the boil? Just curious.. I just did a Great Lakes Christmas clone which called for cinnamon (stick) and fresh ginger additions at beginning of boil. Turned out to be one of the best beers I've done to date. My experience as a chef would tell me that oils in cinnamon (in stick form) are not water soluble and would benefit from being in the boil for at least 5 - 10 min to release. I have also added ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice to boil at 5 min in a pumpkin ale I brewed as well with great results.

Only secondhand knowledge about adding it in the boil. I've avoided it due to advice given by other brewers who had some weird crap happen. As best they can figure the yeast and the cinnamon just don't get along in such a great way during fermentation.

Sounds like it is time for an experiment. Do a few split boils!

 

[JKaranka]

Half a stick at the end of the boil instead of two in the FV probably is right!

 

[m00ps]

I think 1 lb chocolate and 0.5 lb roasted barley might be a bit too roasty depending on your tastes. I've made good black colored stouts with just 1 lb chocolate (as long as its not pale). The 1.5 lb crystal is also like 3x what I'd put in, but it all depends on taste. But I would recommend scaling ti back because your beer will already be sweet tasting from the cinnamon cranberry and orange. Plus, doesnt that liquid extract you have already contain some crystal malts in its composition?

70C=158F
I'd also lower this a bit. I've never mashed above 155, even for imperial stouts. I think if you combine this high mash temp with the high amount of specialty malts, you'll end up with a beer thats just too big and unpleasant to drink...

 

[cmeb22]

I think 1 lb chocolate and 0.5 lb roasted barley might be a bit too roasty depending on your tastes. I've made good black colored stouts with just 1 lb chocolate (as long as its not pale). The 1.5 lb crystal is also like 3x what I'd put in, but it all depends on taste. But I would recommend scaling ti back because your beer will already be sweet tasting from the cinnamon cranberry and orange. Plus, doesnt that liquid extract you have already contain some crystal malts in its composition?

70C=158F
I'd also lower this a bit. I've never mashed above 155, even for imperial stouts. I think if you combine this high mash temp with the high amount of specialty malts, you'll end up with a beer thats just too big and unpleasant to drink...

Thanks for the advice. I've started to think:

- .5 pound crystal
- .5 pound chocolate
- 1.5 pound roasted
- extract

I don't know. I'm not great with my grains yet.

 

[JKaranka]

It really depends how you like it. You can go fairly sweet with a pound of each chocolate and crystal, fairly dry with a pound and half of black, you could have it fairly balanced with a pound of black and half a pound each of chocolate and crystal.

There's nothing wrong with any of the potential options, it mainly depends on how you like it. One of the best stout recipes that I've followed had about 3/4 of a pound of each chocolate malt and brown malt, and 1/3 of a pound of dark invert syrup. It was brilliant, very very drinkable, with a good smooth gentle roast, a barely perceptible fruitiness and a dry finish. (It was a brown stout, though, slightly darker than a coke.)

 

[m00ps]

I think i'd do 0.5 lb crystal, 1.0 lb chocolate and 0.5 roasted barley. I personally never go too far above 1/2 lb with roasted barley as it can get out of hand pretty quick. Plus, I feel like too much roast will clash with your other flavors you are trying to achieve

 

[BrotherBock]

Thanks for the advice. I've started to think:

- .5 pound crystal
- .5 pound chocolate
- 1.5 pound roasted
- extract

I don't know. I'm not great with my grains yet.

That looks better. Some people here have been telling you to be wary of the roasted barley. I personally love a real roasty stout and had 2.5 pounds in my last Imperial Stout. For imperial's I go for about 15% (maybe even a little higher) of my grain bill as roasted grains (i.e. chocolate and roast barley). For a standard stout like yours I'd aim closer to 10%. Really any combination of chocolate and roasted barley at that percentage should work. Just depends which flavor you want to come out more. Coffee/roast or chocolate?