help me make this beer better

[Tazzster]

Hey guys!

I brewed this up a while ago...

9 lbs Maris Otter
1 lb Flaked Oats
1 lb English Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb English Roasted Barley
0.5 lb English Dark Crystal

1 oz Fuggles - 60 min
1 oz Fuggles - 30 min

Wyeast 1318 London Ale III

I am really enjoying it. It starts out with a good amount of maltiness and ends with a good toasted flavor.

If I could tweak it a little I would bring back the maltiness just a bit and go with and even stronger toasted flavor at the end. However, I'm not really sure how to get there. I am guessing that increasing the specialty grains would give me more finishing flavor.

And how do I ramp down the maltiness? I don't think I want to just over power it with hops. Would changing the yeast help?

And if you guys have any other ideas I am not thinking about, that would be great.

And one more thing, if you can explain why you change what, that would be great as well, as I still trying to figure out how this all works.

Thanks!

 

[Tazzster]

shameless bumping in hopes of a response...

 

[CorporateHippie]

The "maltiness" I am not exact on however, I have achieved good "toasted flavor" by taking the flaked oats and baking them for a good amount of time before the mash. Check out Palmer's article here....

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter20-4.html

 

[BrotherBock]

I can guess at the style, Porter or Stout? But can you clarify what syle, if any, you're trying to make?

 

[RmikeVT]

You want to decrease Maltiness and Ramp up Toast Flavor, huh. Could you please provide your mash temp and Vitals (OG, FG, IBU's, ABV) -- also what style of beer is this? It looks like a porter/stout

You don't have a lot in there that is contributing to a "malty" beer. I would get rid of the dark crystal to reduce the maltiness and substitute in one of the following: victory/biscuit/special b to get more toastiness. You might need to add more choc/roasted barley to get the color back.

I would also considering dropping your mash temp (I don't know what it is) and using a higher attenuating ale strain. Maybe S-05/WLP001/1056 or WLP013/wyeast equivalent to perserve the english characteristic.

You might want to bump up your bittering hop addition to add balance to the beer, although you might not need to with the above suggestions.

Hey guys!

I brewed this up a while ago...

9 lbs Maris Otter
1 lb Flaked Oats
1 lb English Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb English Roasted Barley
0.5 lb English Dark Crystal

1 oz Fuggles - 60 min
1 oz Fuggles - 30 min

Wyeast 1318 London Ale III

I am really enjoying it. It starts out with a good amount of maltiness and ends with a good toasted flavor.

If I could tweak it a little I would bring back the maltiness just a bit and go with and even stronger toasted flavor at the end. However, I'm not really sure how to get there. I am guessing that increasing the specialty grains would give me more finishing flavor.

And how do I ramp down the maltiness? I don't think I want to just over power it with hops. Would changing the yeast help?

And if you guys have any other ideas I am not thinking about, that would be great.

And one more thing, if you can explain why you change what, that would be great as well, as I still trying to figure out how this all works.

Thanks!

 

[TopherM]

The maltiness comes pretty much straight from the Maris Otter. Perceived "maltiness" is typically complex sugars that yeast can't eat, like the "caramel" that comes from the lightly kilned Maris Otter.

Back off the Maris Otter a bit, and the other specialty malts that do contribute toasted and roasted flavors in their existing proportion will shine through more. I'd start with 8 lbs of Maris Otter instead of 9 and leave everything else exactly the same.

It's more about proportion and balance than anything, and if you want to get the beer exactly right, the easiest way is to change one variable at a time in an educated way to perfect the recipe instead of trying to change multiple variables. If you change multiple variables, and the beer still isn't right, you can't identify exactly what to change the next time.

Hope that makes sense! Good luck!

 

[Beezer94]

Without knowing exactly what your considering "maltiness" it is hard to give a definitive suggestion.

The Maris Otter could be bringing a large part of the 'toasted' flavor. Chocolate malt brings some dark coffee and dark chocolate notes. The roasted barley gives a little burnt toast, little-ashy, classic dry stout flavor. The dark crystal will add a little sweet perception, some raisin and prune.

In my mind cutting the dark crystal to 0.25lb or removing completely would temper the "maltiness" without taking any of the roast or toast away.

Like CorporateHippie said, toasting the oats could add some more toast complexity.

 

[Tazzster]

I can guess at the style, Porter or Stout? But can you clarify what syle, if any, you're trying to make?

Its an oatmeal stout.

 

[Tazzster]

You want to decrease Maltiness and Ramp up Toast Flavor, huh. Could you please provide your mash temp and Vitals (OG, FG, IBU's, ABV) -- also what style of beer is this? It looks like a porter/stout.

Stout
1.060 OG
1.016 FG
22 IBU
5.7% ABV

I would also considering dropping your mash temp (I don't know what it is) and using a higher attenuating ale strain. Maybe S-05/WLP001/1056 or WLP013/wyeast equivalent to perserve the english characteristic.

I try to mash at 154, but to be totally honest with the thermometer I am using and my current setup... I have a hard time getting it right on. I'm hoping Santa will send a few goodies my way this year so I can upgrade my setup - digital thermometer with probe at least ... are you hearing me Santa?

Can you explain what the low mash temp does? And how low are we talking?

 

[Tazzster]

Without knowing exactly what your considering "maltiness" it is hard to give a definitive suggestion.

Good point. I'm so new at this, I am not sure if it is maltiness that I am perceiving. I will try to explain further....

When you first drink the beer there is a 'sharp' flavor at the beginning. It reminds me a little bit of the sharpness that you would get with a red wine, but not the same flavor. As that flavor settles it is replaced with the toasted/chocolate flavor, that I am accustomed to in dark beers. The thing at the end I am shooting for is to have that toasted/chocolate flavor last longer.