Spitballing a recipe...

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bwarbiany
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Spitballing a recipe...

Post by bwarbiany »

I realized today that I now have a 7.4% IPA, an 8.2% saison, and a 11%+ barleywine as my only homebrew. So I need to brew something relatively low in alcohol for the summer. I have a bunch of pilsner and 2-row on hand, a bunch of Magnum & Saaz, and about 4 oz of EKG (as well as 0.75# leftover black patent from a red ale a few months ago). I can buy any specialty grains I need, but for the most part want to find ways to use up some of these hops.

I don't really have a style in mind, but I think this might be kind of a red ale of sorts. I'm thinking the honey malt will provide a solidly sweet backbone to offset 0.5# of black patent, and outside of that should be a relatively balanced beer overall (a tad on the hoppy side for 4.3% ABV, but that's by design).

What do you guys think? Style guidelines aside, do you think this will taste good?

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 50.00 %
7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 41.18 %
1.00 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 5.88 %
0.50 lb Black (Patent) Malt (600.0 SRM) Grain 2.94 %
1.75 oz Magnum [10.00 %] (60 min) Hops 31.8 IBU
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
2 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.044 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Color: 16.7 SRM
Bitterness: 31.8 IBU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 4.37 %

Mash at 152 deg.
Brad
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brahn
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Re: Spitballing a recipe...

Post by brahn »

I've never used honey malt, so I'm not really sure what to expect there, but otherwise I think it looks tasty. It doesn't look too hoppy to me. :happybeer:
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jward
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Re: Spitballing a recipe...

Post by jward »

I would expect it to taste fine. I think you'll be pushing more into brown then a red.
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bwarbiany
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Re: Spitballing a recipe...

Post by bwarbiany »

My biggest concern is the honey malt; I've never used it before. It's supposed to lend an intensely-sweet character to the beer, and many say it lends an actual [unfermented] honey flavor.

Part of me thinks 2lb of honey malt might even be acceptable. But I don't want to overdo it and be stuck with something cloyingly sweet.

Has anyone actually used honey malt?
Brad
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jward
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Re: Spitballing a recipe...

Post by jward »

I have use honey malt and don't recall it providing anymore sweetness then any other crystal grain. Derrin uses it in his bee's butt recipe (pretty much a bragget) to round out the honey notes.
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backyard brewer
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Re: Spitballing a recipe...

Post by backyard brewer »

Yeah, it adds back some of the honey notes stripped out in fermentation. I use it sparingly, 2 pounds would be way to much, maybe 1/2 pound.
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bwarbiany
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Re: Spitballing a recipe...

Post by bwarbiany »

backyard brewer wrote:Yeah, it adds back some of the honey notes stripped out in fermentation. I use it sparingly, 2 pounds would be way to much, maybe 1/2 pound.
When you say 2# is too much and 1/2# is appropriate, you're referring to a 5 gallon or a 10 gallon batch? Just want to understand if you're suggesting 1# in 10 gallons is too much...
Brad
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