too much smoke flavor

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bferullo

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I did my first PM for a vanilla stout. I came out with too much of a smoked flavor. Are there any tricks to off set this? I don't really like smoked flavor beers. Now I have 5 gallons :)

I thought about getting some "real" vanilla extract and starting to add in at bottling. Thoughts?
 
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 4.08 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 36.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 44.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 % (I KNOW THIS MAY NOT BE, but that's BEERSMITH's)
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
1 lbs 14.1 oz Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 23.78 %
4 lbs 6.4 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 55.66 %
10.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 7.91 %
10.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 7.91 %
6.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.74 %
1.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 23.5 IBU
1.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 21.1 IBU
2.00 items Vanilla Bean (Secondary 14.0 days) Misc
Wyest 1084 Irish Ale Yeast

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 6.03 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 10.30 qt of water at 161.6 F 153.0 F
15 min Sparge Add 8.30 qt of water at 181.5 F 165.0 F
 
Too much roasted barley...I have nothing in my library to counter it except to blend with a lighter beer.

You could mix it with a (lightly hopped) pale ale and call it a Vanilla Black & Tan...;)

that actually doesn't sound like a bd idea. Perhaps a half batch and blend them. I am intrigued.
 
10 oz roasted barley + 10 oz black patent = bigtime burnt notes in your beer.

Lose the black patent completely and cut the roasted barley down to 8 oz or less. There's not much you can do now except learn from the experience.
 
My tongue started crying just reading that! Yeah, having 20 oz of black and roasted in 5 gallons is way too much. Hey, it's a learning experience!
 
Black patent malt's real easy to overdo. I can't remember the last time I used it, actually. Chocolate malt's a nice roasted grain that's not quite so harsh, if you're looking for something other than just roasted barley to use in a dark beer like this. To really let the vanilla shine, you'll want to be a little subdued on the dark-roast anyway.
 
Funny thing is I posted the recipie and most people said it looked good. Ah well. Experience and all I guess. I do Love a good stout. this one is drinkable, but far from "good".

If I can find a good easy and quick...since I am already annoyed as is, BASS clone I will blend to a black and tan
 
SO....i guess the excitement of my first PM (one step closer to AG, when I get the next house.....) I tasted too early and wrote off the batch. I did a cold brew coffee last night and was going to add it tonight, but before I started adding it I tasted the beer and the smokiness definitely diminished big time. Now its just an undertone. Now my problem is the vanilla flavor. I bought my beans at an organic food store, and perhaps they weren't as fresh as i thought. i used two beans with the scrape and dump method. I don't seem to have much vanilla flavor. 2 beans seemed to be the average in recipies. Any advice for adding vanilla before bottling? I have seen anyhwhere from 1 oz to 4 oz when i searched the forums.
 
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