This is going to be terrible right?

[Pivot]

Ok I know im setting myse3lf up to get ripped to shreds here because its pretty stupid, but I am just wondering what you guys think this beer is going to be like

ok i had a bunch of extra ingredients lying around so I threw together a brown ale. the ingredients I used...

1.5 lbs crystal 10L
3 lbs brown malt
3 lbs pale malt extract
1 oz chocolate malt
1.5 oz fuggles 60 minute
0.5 oz fuggles 10 minute
11g sachet nottingham

Ok so heres my stupid problem. the brown malt was not crushed. I did my best to crush it by hand, which was haaard, and then got incredibly lazy and just decided to try and use it not crushed properly.....

My original gravity was only 1.028 when it was finished so I just dumped in enough dextrose to bring it up to 1.042 to try and at least salvage it.

It spent a week and a half in the primary and will sit for like another 4 weeks in the secondary.

How terrible is this thing going to be....

 

[Cheeto]

There is nothing wrong with a "kitchen sink" brew.
I do them from time to time to clear out my old stock.

It may not taste great, But you made Beer !

I would not be surprised if it ended up very "thin"
Remember that dry hopping can do alot to cover up odd flavors

-Jason

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

My only concern would be the amount of crystal malt you used. Some people like a lot though.

I don't think I'd have a problem with a 1.028 gravity beer. I think sometimes, people get hung up on gravity too much. They think....if it's low, it sucks. Not true. I've had some excellent beers that were only around 1.030. They're great session beers that you can drink a bunch of without having to worry about being drunk.

I bet some of the best beers around were made on accident. I never like to put down my beers until I've tried them...you just never know.

 

[Pivot]

well maybe 1.028 wouldnt have been too bad if thats what you were aiming for i guess, but I just figured the 3 pounds of brown malt didnt do anything at all.

if I were to dry hop it how much hops should I use? Ive never dry hopped before. and If I did do I just drop the hops straight into the secondary and oput the airlock back on?

 

[wildwest450]

It may not taste great, But you made Beer !

The most over used, and imo, foolish statement made on this site.

I invest a crap load of time and money in my beer, and take great pride in it. I would never be satisfied with just making beer. If this were the case, why not just mash 10 lbs of 2 row and open ferment it on the bathroom floor? Tada I made beer.

To the op, I hope it turns out better than "just" beer.

 

[Pivot]

If dry hopping can help to cover any off flavours, does anybody have any ideas as to how much hops I should add to my secondary?

 

[Dubcut]

man thats a great avatar.

 

[jackson_d]

If dry hopping can help to cover any off flavours, does anybody have any ideas as to how much hops I should add to my secondary?

hmm i dunno, i dont do 'brown ales'...

have you got anymore EKG? how bout some fuggles? even saaz are kind of spicy and interesting as a dryhop.. amarillo or cascade would add lots of flavor but might be a little 'off' for a brown ale...

prob just an ounce of whatever you got for at least 4-9 days.. yes just throw them into secondary or even primary, just make sure you cold crash for at least 24 hours, and then rack off the top....

 

[Pivot]

Ok Ive never dry hopped before. so if youdry hop youhave to cold crash? Im not set up for cold crashing.

 

[jackson_d]

Ok Ive never dry hopped before. so if youdry hop youhave to cold crash? Im not set up for cold crashing.

oh you dont have to, it would just help the hops settle to the bottom of the fermenter. can you fit the primary into you fridge? its cold outside, can you leave the primary on the back porch/deck for an evening when you know its not going to drop below freezing? otherwise you can just rack into the bottling bucket or the keg without cold crashing. you are prob just going to end up with a little more sediment/trub.. put some panty hose or cheesecloth over the end of the siphon..... sanitize first of course...

it really is that easy though, just throw in an extra ounce for 4-9 days, then bottle or keg as usual. if you have the time or the means, cool the primary for 24 hours before you go into the bottle or keg, this will help the hops fall to the bottom. you can siphon off the top with little or no sediment/trub

 

[david_42]

Discounting the brown malt completely, your main flavors will be from the LME with a little extra sweetness from the C10L. The addition of the dextrose will dry it out, so you've probably got a good session ale. Something on the order of a Special Bitter.

Just for future reference, most Brown Malts have no enzymes and need base malt for conversion. There are exceptions.

 

[MilwaukeeBrewGuy]

The most over used, and imo, foolish statement made on this site.

I invest a crap load of time and money in my beer, and take great pride in it. I would never be satisfied with just making beer. If this were the case, why not just mash 10 lbs of 2 row and open ferment it on the bathroom floor? Tada I made beer.

To the op, I hope it turns out better than "just" beer.

It sounds like he is brewing it for his University buddies and we all know that to them it is indeed "just beer". Heck, he can probably even make some profit off of it.

 

[Pivot]

aha well yeah, when Im not around most of them have a bottle of Colt 45 in each hand.\

although one of those buddies is actually the guy who got me into rehab after watching me buy a case of Budweiser. Took me over to the import section and started forcing craft beer down my throat. haha

 

[kanzimonson]

Without adding the dextrose, that probably would have been a nice english mild. If you're like I was in college and drinking natty light, busch light, or satan help you The Beast, it's about the same amount of alcohol. But oh well.

As we say in my bakery when something goes wrong, "Who knows, maybe it'll be the best we ever did have." Then you get smacked for your mistake.

 

[cheezydemon3]

The most over used, and imo, foolish statement made on this site.

I invest a crap load of time and money in my beer, and take great pride in it. I would never be satisfied with just making beer. If this were the case, why not just mash 10 lbs of 2 row and open ferment it on the bathroom floor? Tada I made beer.

To the op, I hope it turns out better than "just" beer.

Good for you!

Not everyone has to be like you, and obviously the OP isn't.

I am fastidious on some recipes, and lax on others.

And exactly how can a factual statement be foolish?

 

[Pivot]

Good for you!

Not everyone has to be like you, and obviously the OP isn't.

I am fastidious on some recipes, and lax on others.

And exactly how can a factual statement be foolish?

Excuse me? what exactly is that supposed to mean?
I did one thing without much thought to what i was doing. But who are you to tell me I obviously dont give a crap about my final product? The basic message I was trying to convey in my original post was that I figured this was going to taste awful and was worried about it.

This all coming from the guy responsible for the poorly recieved secret pumpkin seed recipe hype that ended in massive dissapointment. thanks for contributing cheezy

 

[conpewter]

I wouldn't have high hopes for that one. I agree that without the sugar it may have been a nice mild (never know), but it's hard to tell if you will end up too dry from all the sugar or not. Will be an interesting test for ya though.

 

[Ksosh]

Just for future reference, most Brown Malts have no enzymes and need base malt for conversion. There are exceptions.

I was thinking the same thing. Your brown malt basically added a little color and (maybe) flavor, depending on how good the crush was, but likely no or very little actual OG.

Next time I'd use less brown malt, make sure it's crushed (hell, even a coffee bean crusher might work in a pinch), and throw in at least some 2-row or other base grain to help convert the specialty malts sugars into a higher OG. It pays to keep a bag of 2-row around precisely for those 'kitchen sink' recipes!

As for the current brew, I hope it's good enough to drink. It probably will be, and I'll +1 for dry hopping. No idea how much to use, though, as I don't dry hop (yet).

Good luck!


*edit*

This all coming from the guy responsible for the poorly recieved secret pumpkin seed recipe hype that ended in massive dissapointment. thanks for contributing cheezy

Zing!

 

[wildwest450]

Good for you!

Not everyone has to be like you, and obviously the OP isn't.

I am fastidious on some recipes, and lax on others.

And exactly how can a factual statement be foolish?

Only foolish in the sense that it is used to excuse every problem someone has with their beer. I can't help being a beer Nazi, that's how I was born.

 

[Pivot]

Without adding the dextrose, that probably would have been a nice english mild. If you're like I was in college and drinking natty light, busch light, or satan help you The Beast, it's about the same amount of alcohol. But oh well.

As we say in my bakery when something goes wrong, "Who knows, maybe it'll be the best we ever did have." Then you get smacked for your mistake.

Its strange to me that you guys have beer in the states that has an abv that low. Lowest thing ive ever seen in Canada is generally %4 unless Ive missed something.

 

[wildwest450]

Its strange to me that you guys have beer in the states that has an abv that low. Lowest thing ive ever seen in Canada is generally %4 unless Ive missed something.

Almost all of our macro brews are around 4% or lower.

 

[Pivot]

Generally our macros are 5%, and then the light macros are all 4%

 

[Pivot]

its cold outside, can you leave the primary on the back porch/deck for an evening when you know its not going to drop below freezing?

Im all the ways up here in New Brunswick, Canada, so I wont be seeing an evening like that for another 3 months at least haha