This Recipe ok?

[ChristianAce]

Let me know how you think it will turn out.. or how to modify it
I am trying to make something sweeter, butterier, nuttier, smoother.. more of a candy beer.. if there was such a thing but still beery..


2lb Pale
1lb Crystal 60
1lb Chocolat

.5oz Crystal 60min
.5oz Styrian Goldings 20min


1 Cinnamon stick
1 oz Butterscotch (fresh made)
Vanilla ground
1 Clove
.5 lb Lactose
2-4oz MaltoDextrin

 

[ChristianAce]

BTW I was looking at just doing 3 gallons. In separate 1 gallon jugs

 

[jmo88]

This sounds really gross. No offense. I'd try to read a lot of successful recipes and convert all malts to percentages. This will give you an idea of acceptable amounts of specialty malts. You've got 25% crystal. I'd suggest staying under fifteen.

I love designing recipes, but I like to keep it simple with a new style and only change obe variable each time I brew it. Otherwise you won't know what you like and what you don't.

 

[ChristianAce]

Any suggestions on how to alter it? This is actually going to be my first brew.. and I just looked around and stole general guides and made what looked like a decent recipe...

Like I said I am looking for a heavier buttery taste.. buttery and nutty. buttery and nutty ahaha.
I would really appreciate it..

 

[devilishprune]

Are you talking about pale malt? or pale malt extract? 2 lbs of either one isn't going to give you very many fermentables (OG of about 1.030 in a 3 gallon batch). With that low of an OG, THAT MUCH crystal malt and half a pound of lactose, this is going to be sweeter than malta goya.

I would cut the crystal to about 1/2 lb, eliminate the lactose, and drop the chocolate to 4-6 oz (chocolate malt doesn't necessarily taste like a chocolate bar, FYI).

 

[ChristianAce]

OK. I really have no idea whatsoever.. none. I have never even brewed. Like I said I just looked at recipes and said hmm idk how does this sound. so you TELL me. I was going to use malts not extract. But again I have no idea. I am just looking for a desert type fun beer something along the lines of harry potter's butter beer.

 

[ChristianAce]

and by 'desert' I meant 'dessert'

 

[Goosta]

If you wanted to keep the same ingredients in the recipe I would alter the amounts to something like this.

2lb Pale -> 3 lb Pale DME
1lb Crystal 60 -> .5lb Crystal 60L
1lb Chocolat -> .25lb Chocolate

The hop schedule could work although Crystal typically isn't used for bittering purposes. Off the top of my head I can't recommend a good bittering hop that fits the style of beer you are after....(Willamette?) maybe someone else has brewed a beer similar to this.

The cinnamon stick would be ok but I have never used Butterscotch, ground vanilla or cloves in a brew before. I made a holiday ale last year with cinnamon (1/2 stick, crushed), nutmeg (1/2 tsp) and chocolate powder (1/2 tsp, unsweetened). The way I added them was those small amounts @ 5 min. I also soaked a mixture of the spices in some vodka and added it to taste before I bottled. I would recommend using very low amounts of spices initially since you can always add more later.

If you are set on using Lactose and Dextrin, those amounts are small enough that it will probably be alright. Just be careful that you don't end up with a cloying, sweet beer. Remember, you are getting a little sweetness from that Crystal Malt as well.

 

[Slider46]

If you have "no idea whatsoever" then perhaps you shouldn't be throwing a bunch of ingredients together without any idea as to how they are used. (unless you enjoy wasting the time and money)

I'm new to brewing too but I've spent hours looking a different recipes, converting amounts & weights, looking up different methods (steep vs mash) conditioning, etc. I may not be an expert but I have some idea as to how ingredients work together.

Your comment "I have no idea whatsoever" and "you TELL me" would be akin to asking a fighter pilot how to fly a jet just because you saw one on the Discovery channel and though it would be cool.


My opinion is with jmo88 on this one. Gross.

Just looking at the spices is a good example. Clove and Butterscotch? (Let alone the fact that butterscotch has fat in it and from what i've read so far, fat can turn nasty during brewing)

25% Crystal let alone 25% Chocolate malt?

I think you need to do some more research on recipes before demanding that we tell you if this hodge-podge of mismatched ingredients will be "good".


**Edit, not trying to be harsh, just being blunt and to-the-point.

 

[ChristianAce]

Slider- Thanks I kinda needed that. I guess I do need to do alot more research. :/ I will keep a keeping on. I guess I was looking more for adjustments. I knew it prob wasn't right and have seen some similar but tweaked em quite a bit.. shrug

Goosta- I was going to use the vanilla and a lil clove in the brew and then the butterscotch for a lil flavor at bottling.. shrug. But I definitely appreciate your input. It will probably really help. I will keep researching and see how I can do what I want. And Maybe I will leave out or knock down the lactose/dex

 

[jmo88]

Yes, research is what you need. I could give you a very long post answering many questions but at the point where you are now, it is best to keep searching this forum. Take butterscotch, for instance. Look up up diacetyl and how to achieve that in your beer through fermentation. The yeast are capable of producing butterscotch without actually adding any to the beer.