Experimental recipe, gone wrong?

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wdoyle1980

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i was inbetween a KIT brew and had a bunch of materials to spare, i guess. I decided to try to put together my first completely experimental recipe. I AM A "N00b", please be advised. Here we go:


3.3 lbs (1 can) of Munton's Light Malt Extract (liquid)
3 lbs of Canadian Honey Malt
1/2 lbs pitted and cooked black cherries
1/2 lbs rolled oats
1 oz Cascade hops
1 Whirlfloc (irishmoss) tablet


(It's 3am and this is gonna kinda be a quick-version of the recipe)
Boiled the crushed Canadian Honey for 60 minutes, added the oats for the last 45 minutes, the cascade hops for 45 minutes, the cherries for the last 10, and whirlfloc for the last 15 (skimming the crud from the top). pour in 5gal carboy, top off to 5gal w/ airlock and blowoff.

it bubbled like a sonofa... for about 3-4 days. i let it sit for about 7-10 in a airconditioned bathroom
(75*F-80*F). I siphoned to another 5gal carboy and let sit for another 1.5-2 weeks. I added about another 1/2 oz of the cascade hops as a dry hop and let sit for another week (this i think was the BAD IDEA). :eek:

after that week of dry hopping, i racked it to a soda keg and compressed w/ CO2.

The low-acid Cascade hops left an EXTREMELY flowery flavor that's, well, wicked overpowing.

Is there anything i can do to MELLOW THIS OUT? should i mix up some Krauzen or something to ADD to the 4.75 or so gallons that i have in the keg to create a new hybrid?? then let that settle on for a couple of weeks till the hops flavor mellows out? or should i add a more bitter hops, like galena to balance out the FLOWERY taste/smell. :confused:

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd hate to have to just PITCH this attempt. I am waiting to try BYO magazine's MountainBrew (using Mountain Dew as a malt/sugar base...lol) Post back in this thread or email me at [email protected] No flames, please.
 
Did you use pellet hops or flower hops for the dry hopping? I'm not sure that the flavor your experiencing came from the hops, but if it is, I'd say to let it age as the flavor will mellow some and should blend with the other flavors better.
 
I had an immensely hoppy pale really mellow out nicely while sitting in the secondary--both the nose and flavor. Maybe time will help yours out as well? Good luck.
 
wdoyle1980 said:
... wicked overpowing...

Are you from Boston? ;)

What kind of yeast did you use? 75-80oF might have been too high for it.

I agree with gaelone - time may mellow it. I've had that happen before to ales that were a little harsh after just two weeks in the bottle. After sitting another 2-3 weeks, they were tasty.
 
I used dried, whole-flower, cascade hops. I used about an oz to oz-and-a-half in the secondary. when i went to keg it, i noticed the very flowery smell/taste. id hope that letting it mellow out in the keg will let it balance the flavors.

I'm in desperate need of a large refridgeration device. My family's from just outside Boston, but I was born and raised in FL. FL = 75-80* ROOM TEMP; in a DARK BATHROOM w/ the door closed = 71*-75*. there really isn't a place i can put it for a nice 65*f (except for that 1 week in OCT and maybe 2 weeks in dec and jan *laugh*). anyone have a cheap kegerator to sell or plans to make a good one -- let me know....
 
Honestly 70-75F is absolutely fine trust me. Red wine actually seems to prefer hotter temperatures but with beer I think you have to aim down at the lower end of the scale.
 
Give it time; it should mellow a bit. My IPA had a crazy floral taste till it sat in bottles for about two months.

One other thing, I would avoid dry hopping a fruit beer in the future. ;)

Just for curiosity, why did you add the cherries to the boil?

How’s the cherry flavor of the beer?
 
Why did i decide to use cherries? well, i liked the sound of an oatmeal brew and i LOVE cherries and oatmeal. *laugh*. I really just threw the recipe together with ingredients that i HAD in the kitchen, using % of materials in others' posted results. The cherry flavor is pretty subtle: only about a 1/2 lb for the 5gallons. it actually tastes more OATY from the large amount of rolled oats. Most articles i've read STRONGLY urge not to use more than 20% of the grains as oats.... so i kinda pushed that envelope. :)


i've still got about 10# of 2-row malt, about 3# of peat smoked malt, a 3.3lb can of light malt Extrct., 1-2 oz of galena hop pellets, and about 1/2 oz of cascade hop flowers. looking for something nice to brew up.

I'm actually gonna start BYO magazine's MountainBrew (the one w/ Mountain Dew as the malt base...lol) supposedly it's a good recipe -- cheap , yes; GHETTO? hell yes.... but i can't help but tinker. i gotta put the $100 in kegging equipment to good use or the little woman's gonna tan my hide....

- - - Doyle, out.
 
wdoyle1980 said:
I'm actually gonna start BYO magazine's MountainBrew (the one w/ Mountain Dew as the malt base...lol) supposedly it's a good recipe -- cheap , yes; GHETTO? hell yes.... but i can't help but tinker.


I want to try that someday too. I love Dew. :cool:
 
wdoyle1980 said:
I'm actually gonna start BYO magazine's MountainBrew (the one w/ Mountain Dew as the malt base...lol) supposedly it's a good recipe -- cheap , yes; GHETTO?QUOTE]

A guy I know at one of our BrewCrew club meetings let me sample his version of Mountian Brew. I think he used cascade hops. It sounded like it would taste sick, but actually tasted pretty nice. He said one of his next brews might be Dr. Pepper Porter, or Code Red Rye!!! Funny stuff.
 
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