Of Color: Help me find out what I did

[mrweenis]

So, we brewed the Norther Brewer Cream Ale extract kit....Bottled earlier this week. We used a few clear bottles this time and noticed...It sure is a lot darker than it was advertised to be. My mom and dad tried some while I was at work last night (?! ) and told me it was much heavier and substantial than they were expecting (it's advertised as a summer "lawnmower beer")

Now, I expect the beer to mellow out while conditioning, but what did we do to make it so dark? I'm trying a bottle tonight, and while I'm sure it'll be good, I thought it would be nice to know what factors into the color of the beer.

Anyway. Thanks.

 

[chumprock]

When was the extract added? Caramelization is the most likely cause.

Search around for "Late extract addition" for more details.

 

[mrweenis]

It was added right when we got the wort to a boil after removing the bag of grains, so I don't think it was late, unless that term means something else. I'll do a search. Thanks!

 

[chumprock]

Yep. With lighter beers using extract you want to add a majority of the DME late in the boil to reduce caramelization and preserve color.

I did the same thing a year ago with my cream ale, and just ended up calling it a pale..

 

[mrweenis]

Alright. Thanks for the help!

 

[Greyhound]

I'm guessing you did a partial boil. I made a partial boil extract Cream Ale, which came out a little dark for the style (but tastes great, BTW); I later did a FULL boil Centennial Blonde, which came out more like the color I was expecting. I know, two different recipes, but the full boil does make a difference.

Next time I do a partial boil on a light colored beer, I'll definitely follow chumprock's advice and add half the extract in the last 5-10 minutes.

 

[SteveM]

It was added right when we got the wort to a boil after removing the bag of grains, so I don't think it was late, unless that term means something else. I'll do a search. Thanks!

This could be another cause of the beer being darker than expected. Steeping grains (if this is what you are describing) should come out when the water temperature hits about 160F. If they stay in for warmer temps your beer will darken.

 

[mrweenis]

This could be another cause of the beer being darker than expected. Steeping grains (if this is what you are describing) should come out when the water temperature hits about 160F. If they stay in for warmer temps your beer will darken.

Yep, we took out the grains right before we hit 160.