adding flavour.

[abi]

i know i can ues other fermentables like black treacle at the beginnig of a brew but somepeople reckon if its more of the flavour your after then do it when you are racking the beer, my question is if i wanted to add a bit of flavour would i mix it into the fv2 straight from the tin or should i boil it with some water let it cool and add to fv2? also how much to a 5 gallon batch, how long should i leave it in the fvs and would i still prime with sugar when i bottle? sorry for the barrage of questions.

 

[RobWalker]

I've used honey and golden syrup and tend to add it to the hot wort just after the boil, that way you're not reducing the flavour out and retain plenty of the aroma - im usually quite confident that kills the nasties too, which I would recommend doing. In the case of an extract kit you're probably best to pour it in with the kit and pour boiling water over it, as per instructions, which should remove any potential threats.

At what stage you ferment your other fermentables won't particularly affect the flavour so feel free to do it in the main brew as far as I know. I find that sugars like this tend to add an aftertaste more than anything. Last brew with simple sugars used 2 jars of honey, just be aware that it will thin your beer out slightly so don't go mad. A pot of anything is probably a good rule of thumb in 5 gal...

 

[artiums_enteri]

It depends on what your desired result is. For instance: when I brew a fruit beer, especially for competition or a contract that is to be sold, it is inappropriate to really taste that fruit. The idea is to taste the complexity of the beer, but get a nice aroma or hint if whatever adjunct I've added. I typically use fruit extracts because they are easier to deal with and some fruit beers I make are out of season for the desired fruit. In this case I add 3 oz of said extract to the fermenter just prior to running off into a keg. This mixes the extract into the beer, but doesn't give the drinker the affect of drinking a punch or fruit candy with a hint of beer to it.

I recently made a smoked porter which I wanted smoke aroma and just a hint of smoke in the background for complexity. I smoked 2 pounds of 2 row in the smoke pit over hickory, and mashed it with the rest of my grains. Some adjuncts like those that go into wheat beers are added right at flame out or 1 minute before. It all depends on what you want to achieve. Just remember you are making beer, not a fruity punch that has a slight resemblance to beer.


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