Loss of flavor (spice proportions)

[gmacbeer]

So I brewed what I called an "Apple Pie Larger" for thanksgiving
I used fresh apples and some cinnamon and nutmeg for flavoring.

It tasted fine going from the brew kettle to the primary. Still fine going primary to the secondary. Then something went off the rails. The final product is overwhelmingly apple scented / flavored. Everything else is as I expected. Color, clarity and carbonation are all where I wanted them to be.. but the underlying spices were gone. Vanished.

Last night I took a pint glass, coated the bottom with cinnamon, then poured the beer - i's the only way I can get back the spice notes I was trying to achieve.

Do I simply need to dump some cinnamon into the secondary next time? More importantly, why would the flavor had vanished? (It was still present when I racked from the primary to the secondary) Could the spices have possibly settled out to the bottom of the secondary?

 

[jalc6927]

Spices are difficult to use, check online or read John Palmers book he has great advice there about spices

 

[nrjones89]

There is no need to do a secondary. Yes, it's likely that your spices settled to the bottom of the fermentor. An overwhelming apple scent could be due to overproduction of esters. Your best bet would probably be to use whole cinnamon sticks.

 

[gmacbeer]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Pappers_]

Another option is to make a tincture of the spices you are using - like soaking cinnamon stick in vodka for a week - and adding the tincture when you bottle/keg. This way, you can add the exact amount you want, to your taste.

 

[myndflyte]

Another option is to make a tincture of the spices you are using - like soaking cinnamon stick in vodka for a week - and adding the tincture when you bottle/keg. This way, you can add the exact amount you want, to your taste.

Was just going to suggest this. Gives you way more control over the amount of spice you want.

 

[gmacbeer]

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. For what it's worth my current creation is a chocolate cherry milk stout. It's in the primary as we speak. I'm was going to add the cherry and a 2nd infusion of chocolate into the secondary - but perhaps I'll try a tincture for the coco powder addition right before I bottle.