stixobutta
Well-Known Member
So this was the recipe that came with my deluxe bottling beer kit from MB. This was my first crack at extract/partial mash brewing.
Partial Mash with 3 gallons of filtered water-
Recipe was 12oz Crystal malt steeped to 170deg for 1/2 hour. 6lbs LME and .5oz cascade for 1 hour. 1oz cascade for last 1 minute of boil.
I added the last ounce of cascade about 5 minutes before the end because I had a feeling I wanted more hop aroma than the recipe intended.
Cooled via the swirl and immersion method, siphoned off the trub into two gallons of filtered water. Target SG 1.038 - 1.043... I got 1.042 (at the calibrated temperature) I pitched the yeast (Nottingham dry yeast) and gave the carboy a good couple of swirls to mix and aerate. Covered and kept at an average temp of 65 degrees for 3 weeks.
Fermentation kicked off within 12 hours and was more or less fast and furious and had visually died down within 36hours.
Took consecutive gravity readings in the last few days before bottling and got an FG of 1.009, I think target was supposed around 1.01.
I racked with 4oz corn sugar to 4.5 gallons in 22oz bottles. Waited 2.5 weeks at 65degrees before my friends bugged me so much I had to crack one open just to shut them up. I tossed one bottle in the fridge and waited just long enough to cool it and had my first taste.
I wasn't expecting a real complex beer and I didn't get one. At this point it has very little hop aroma or bitterness. It's most notable flavor is almost mead like with honey notes. The level of carbonation was pretty good but could be more, maybe due to the 65degree storage (Its sweater country up here in Maine). There wasn't a lot of head but it didnt disappear too fast either. I wanted to keep in the bottles at least another week but couldn't hold out any longer. I also realize that the beer will mature to some degree if left in the fridge for at least a week so the quick cool and pour probably didn't do it any good.
Overall I attribute the mostly honey flavor to the LME. I took the pot off the coils to add the extract and I stirred very frequently. The color of the brew was darker than it was supposed to be so I guess that means I should have stirred more as I suspect the honey notes are from caramelized LME. The beer isn't bad but it's not the plain Ale I was expecting either or at least yet... The damn thing smelt like a hop deamon while it fermented but now there is very little hop flavor and only some aroma. I wish I had put in a lot more bittering and aroma hops.
Has anyone else done this recipe and had similar results? Or am I just experiencing the generic LME flavor in my beer for the first time. If that's the case I can predict a swift move to all grain brewing in the near future
Summary:
3 gals filtered water
12oz crystal malt steeping grains
6 lbs light ale malt extract from MB.com
.5oz cascade for 1hr
1oz cascade for 5min
Nottingham dry yeast pack
2 gals filtered water
SG 1.042
3 weeks in primary @ 65deg
FG 1.009
2.5 weeks in 22oz bottles @ 65deg
Semi sweet malt honey flavor with very mild hop aroma.
Partial Mash with 3 gallons of filtered water-
Recipe was 12oz Crystal malt steeped to 170deg for 1/2 hour. 6lbs LME and .5oz cascade for 1 hour. 1oz cascade for last 1 minute of boil.
I added the last ounce of cascade about 5 minutes before the end because I had a feeling I wanted more hop aroma than the recipe intended.
Cooled via the swirl and immersion method, siphoned off the trub into two gallons of filtered water. Target SG 1.038 - 1.043... I got 1.042 (at the calibrated temperature) I pitched the yeast (Nottingham dry yeast) and gave the carboy a good couple of swirls to mix and aerate. Covered and kept at an average temp of 65 degrees for 3 weeks.
Fermentation kicked off within 12 hours and was more or less fast and furious and had visually died down within 36hours.
Took consecutive gravity readings in the last few days before bottling and got an FG of 1.009, I think target was supposed around 1.01.
I racked with 4oz corn sugar to 4.5 gallons in 22oz bottles. Waited 2.5 weeks at 65degrees before my friends bugged me so much I had to crack one open just to shut them up. I tossed one bottle in the fridge and waited just long enough to cool it and had my first taste.
I wasn't expecting a real complex beer and I didn't get one. At this point it has very little hop aroma or bitterness. It's most notable flavor is almost mead like with honey notes. The level of carbonation was pretty good but could be more, maybe due to the 65degree storage (Its sweater country up here in Maine). There wasn't a lot of head but it didnt disappear too fast either. I wanted to keep in the bottles at least another week but couldn't hold out any longer. I also realize that the beer will mature to some degree if left in the fridge for at least a week so the quick cool and pour probably didn't do it any good.
Overall I attribute the mostly honey flavor to the LME. I took the pot off the coils to add the extract and I stirred very frequently. The color of the brew was darker than it was supposed to be so I guess that means I should have stirred more as I suspect the honey notes are from caramelized LME. The beer isn't bad but it's not the plain Ale I was expecting either or at least yet... The damn thing smelt like a hop deamon while it fermented but now there is very little hop flavor and only some aroma. I wish I had put in a lot more bittering and aroma hops.
Has anyone else done this recipe and had similar results? Or am I just experiencing the generic LME flavor in my beer for the first time. If that's the case I can predict a swift move to all grain brewing in the near future
Summary:
3 gals filtered water
12oz crystal malt steeping grains
6 lbs light ale malt extract from MB.com
.5oz cascade for 1hr
1oz cascade for 5min
Nottingham dry yeast pack
2 gals filtered water
SG 1.042
3 weeks in primary @ 65deg
FG 1.009
2.5 weeks in 22oz bottles @ 65deg
Semi sweet malt honey flavor with very mild hop aroma.
