How do I get the best sweetness from crystal malt without using lactose?

[oddcopter]

I am going to brew a pecan pie porter and I want it to be sweet. I don't want to use lactose. I am thinking about either:

1. Steeping some 80L crystal separate from my mash, then boiling/reducing it to a syrup and later adding it to my boil.

2. Mashing the crystal with my entire grain bill, mostly marris otter, then removing a gallon and reducing it to a syrup to be added back to my boil.

3. Just addding a large percentage of 80L to my mash.

Any recommendations are appreciated!

 

[oddcopter]

Leaning towards 1.

 

[SanPancho]

Have you looked at invert syrups? Takes a bit of time, but easy to do. Similar idea.

 

[oddcopter]

Have you looked at invert syrups? Takes a bit of time, but easy to do. Similar idea.

I thought about adding some Lyle's dark treacle. Not sure what will give me the pecan pie sweetness and not ferment away. For the pecan flavor I'm going to use roasted pecans in the mash and only bittering hops at about 20 ibus. Marris otter base with some carapils to hopefully counteract the pecan oils.

 

[flars]

I thought about adding some Lyle's dark treacle. Not sure what will give me the pecan pie sweetness and not ferment away. For the pecan flavor I'm going to use roasted pecans in the mash and only bittering hops at about 20 ibus. Marris otter base with some carapils to hopefully counteract the pecan oils.

Treacle is molasses. The darker it is the more bitter it will be. I wouldn't recommend using even a little if you want pecan pie sweetness.

 

[SanPancho]

Cant remember the name but theres a brewery who makes a similar beer. Has a youtube video. Might be worth looking up.

 

[FunkedOut]

I’ve never steeped any grains separately than the grain bill, but I don’t think it’s going to change the sweetness any. If there’s anything it would affect is efficiency, especially if the grain bill is high enough to get you a high gravity.

Boiling and reducing a small portion is also something I’ve never done. This one does seem to me that it will affect the flavor, but not sweetness. Sure, the OG will go up as a result of the reduction, but I wouldn’t think the FG would be affected. I’m thinking the high heat at the end of the reduction has a chance at affecting the wort flavors though.

Adding more crystal will affect the flavor for sure.
Not sure it has much of an impact on FG.

I’d say your best bets at ending up with a sweeter beer are to:
1) raise your mash temp up to 158*F (or desired)
2) use a lower attenuating yeast

Select your grain bill to adjust flavor.

Lactose does a good job of raising FG, but doesn’t add much sweetness.

 

[oddcopter]

I’ve never steeped any grains separately than the grain bill, but I don’t think it’s going to change the sweetness any. If there’s anything it would affect is efficiency, especially if the grain bill is high enough to get you a high gravity.

Boiling and reducing a small portion is also something I’ve never done. This one does seem to me that it will affect the flavor, but not sweetness. Sure, the OG will go up as a result of the reduction, but I wouldn’t think the FG would be affected. I’m thinking the high heat at the end of the reduction has a chance at affecting the wort flavors though.

Adding more crystal will affect the flavor for sure.
Not sure it has much of an impact on FG.

I’d say your best bets at ending up with a sweeter beer are to:
1) raise your mash temp up to 158*F (or desired)
2) use a lower attenuating yeast

Select your grain bill to adjust flavor.

Lactose does a good job of raising FG, but doesn’t add much sweetness.

Thanks, yeah, I will definitely mash high and was planning on S-04 since I have a package.

 

[EtchyLives]

Another way is to do a separate mini mash with just the crystal with a higher temperature (156-158°) and add that wort in at the boil.