KavDaven
Well-Known Member
Arghh!!
I couldn't leave well enough alone. After a perfect brew session that hit the target OG of 1.068, I found myself staring at a 16oz bottle of blackstrap molasses in the pantry. Hmm, wouldn't that taste great in a stout, I thought.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was slowly pouring the molasses into my wort. I was fascinated with how thick and slow the pour was. I kept thinking, that's enough, stop it. But I couldn't, I finished off all 16oz. OG ended up at 1.074. I'm glad I did two 1.25L starters with a Wyeast NW Ale into each.
After pitching, doubt settled in like a close friend. Why the whole damn bottle?
Sure enough a quick search on HBT reveals that blackstrap is potent. More than 5oz will take over a beer, overwhelm the taste and conceal the original beer.
So, now what? I was thinking maybe brewing the same NB Big Honkin Stout and then blending both batches together to lessen the blackstrap flavor. If, after fermentation is complete on batch one, I rack into two carboys, I could fill them with a second batch. Is this a good idea? Would I need more yeast?
Of course, maybe I shouldn't do anything and see what happens.
I couldn't leave well enough alone. After a perfect brew session that hit the target OG of 1.068, I found myself staring at a 16oz bottle of blackstrap molasses in the pantry. Hmm, wouldn't that taste great in a stout, I thought.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was slowly pouring the molasses into my wort. I was fascinated with how thick and slow the pour was. I kept thinking, that's enough, stop it. But I couldn't, I finished off all 16oz. OG ended up at 1.074. I'm glad I did two 1.25L starters with a Wyeast NW Ale into each.
After pitching, doubt settled in like a close friend. Why the whole damn bottle?
Sure enough a quick search on HBT reveals that blackstrap is potent. More than 5oz will take over a beer, overwhelm the taste and conceal the original beer.
So, now what? I was thinking maybe brewing the same NB Big Honkin Stout and then blending both batches together to lessen the blackstrap flavor. If, after fermentation is complete on batch one, I rack into two carboys, I could fill them with a second batch. Is this a good idea? Would I need more yeast?
Of course, maybe I shouldn't do anything and see what happens.