Been out of the ALL GRAIN game for a while. What do you think to this recipe?

[Ashley]

Hi boys and girls,

It's been over 2 years since I was brewing and a couple of weeks ago I made some AG beer. I don't think it'll be great but as a reminder for the processes it has helped a lot.

I have spent some time today coming up with some ideas for a recipe and I am looking at using more hops than I have ever used before. I'm also using a malt I have never used before too... Victory Malt.

I want a malty full bodied beer with notes of caramel and biscuit. I am an English hops junky too but want to make it hoppy to balance with the sweetness but not overly happy. I hate IPA style beers and I'm very much a classic English bitter fan.

I have an unopened vacuum pack of fuggles but the alpha content has come off. I think it was low from memory at about 3.7%.

I have bought some goldings at 4.4% and have some EKG at 5.2%

Beersmith shows me I'm getting the colour right for my ideal beer.



Here's what I have so far.

4500g maris otter
200g Victory Malt
160g Caramalt
500g crystal malt (152 ebc)
100g black malt

90 minute mash.

90 minute boil.

90 mins 30g fuggles
60 mins 25g goldings
30 mins 10g fuggles
20 mins 10g EKG
10 mins 10g fuggles
5 mins 15g goldings

Beersmith says I'm looking at about 33 IBU'S. Approx abv 5.3%. Colour 36.7 ebc

Am I using too many speciality malts? It's more than I have used before.

Am I using too many hops? Will it be too bitter? I have never added hops at so many different stages before...

Sorry if I'm asking basic questions. I'm very rusty... thanks in advance for you advice.

 

[Slid]

Hi boys and girls,

It's been over 2 years since I was brewing and a couple of weeks ago I made some AG beer. I don't think it'll be great but as a reminder for the processes it has helped a lot.

I have spent some time today coming up with some ideas for a recipe and I am looking at using more hops than I have ever used before. I'm also using a malt I have never used before too... Victory Malt.

I want a malty full bodied beer with notes of caramel and biscuit. I am an English hops junky too but want to make it hoppy to balance with the sweetness but not overly happy. I hate IPA style beers and I'm very much a classic English bitter fan.

I have an unopened vacuum pack of fuggles but the alpha content has come off. I think it was low from memory at about 3.7%.

I have bought some goldings at 4.4% and have some EKG at 5.2%

Beersmith shows me I'm getting the colour right for my ideal beer.



Here's what I have so far.

4500g maris otter
200g Victory Malt
160g Caramalt
500g crystal malt (152 ebc)
100g black malt

90 minute mash.

90 minute boil.

90 mins 30g fuggles
60 mins 25g goldings
30 mins 10g fuggles
20 mins 10g EKG
10 mins 10g fuggles
5 mins 15g goldings

Beersmith says I'm looking at about 33 IBU'S. Approx abv 5.3%. Colour 36.7 ebc

Am I using too many speciality malts? It's more than I have used before.

Am I using too many hops? Will it be too bitter? I have never added hops at so many different stages before...

Sorry if I'm asking basic questions. I'm very rusty... thanks in advance for you advice.

Just put all this into the Brew Mate software that suffices for me.

My only observation is that the last Fuggles I bought are over 6% Alpha and this would push the IBU's to over 45. This might be a bit much?

Maybe try the Fuggles in at more like 5% and then knock down the 90m addition to give you a "safer" looking IBU?

 

[johnnyboy1965]

JMHO....Too many specialist malts, you just arent going to taste any difference.
Keep It Simple

 

[Ashley]

Just put all this into the Brew Mate software that suffices for me.

My only observation is that the last Fuggles I bought are over 6% Alpha and this would push the IBU's to over 45. This might be a bit much?

Maybe try the Fuggles in at more like 5% and then knock down the 90m addition to give you a "safer" looking IBU?

Ah. I only have Beersmith. Is brew mate free?

Those fuggles are over 2 years old in the pack and I'm pretty sure they were really low alpha content. Probably better to be safe than sorry...

 

[Ashley]

JMHO....Too many specialist malts, you just arent going to taste any difference.
Keep It Simple

Would you say ditch the Caramalt and reduce the crystal malt?

I just had 160g of Caramalt left over...

 

[Slid]

Ah. I only have Beersmith. Is brew mate free?

Those fuggles are over 2 years old in the pack and I'm pretty sure they were really low alpha content. Probably better to be safe than sorry...

Brew Mate was free for sure when I first started using it. A more appropriate description may be "near obsolete" or "in need of upgrade", but I am used to it. :whistle: It certainly is not contradicting your Beersmith number, for sure, so I am sure they are valid, bar perhaps the Fuggles AA%?

The only thing that won't fade with 2 YO hops is their bittering, so I advise caution.

 

[Ashley]

Brew Mate was free for sure when I first started using it. A more appropriate description may be "near obsolete" or "in need of upgrade", but I am used to it. :whistle: It certainly is not contradicting your Beersmith number, for sure, so I am sure they are valid, bar perhaps the Fuggles AA%?

The only thing that won't fade with 2 YO hops is their bittering, so I advise caution.

Good call. I'll reduce the 90 minute addition! If I go to 20g I come down to 28.9 IBU

Wow that was quick! I find Beersmith I royal pain in the backside at times...

The problem is I deleted the app a year ago and can't remember log in details (even if I created one) so can't see the recipes or IBU'S from previous brews.

Bugger.

 

[Ashley]

I have amended to:

4800g maris otter
200g Victory Malt
200g crystal malt (152 ebc)
100g black malt

90 minute mash.

90 minute boil.

90 mins 20g fuggles
60 mins 25g goldings
30 mins 10g fuggles
20 mins 10g EKG
10 mins 10g fuggles
5 mins 15g goldings

IBU now 29.1
Ebc now 30.8
Abv 5.2%

 

[MyQul]

I'd take out the victory malt too (where did you get it by the way). victory malt will add nutty biscuityness but you'll get that from the MO. If your going for a bitter I'd simplify the hop shedule too. Just one bittering addition (you've essentially got two with a 90min addition and a 60min addition) and a 10 min addition. Possibly a 1 min additon too. Bitters are malt and yeast driven not really hop driven. It look like your making a American Amber ale with English hops there rather than a bitter

I notice from your sig your mostly into Bitters/English ales. If this is a style you think you will continue to mostly make it's WELL worth investing in a proper English Ale yeast strain. Either buy one or culture it up from a bottle cultured commercial beer. At the moment there are no dried English yeast that compare to liquid. I used the Fullers strain for a bitter for the first time recently and I dont think there any way I'd be able to make a beer that tastes the same using dried yeast

 

[AlanManley]

I'd take out the victory malt too (where did you get it by the way). victory malt will add nutty biscuityness but you'll get that from the MO. If your going for a bitter I'd simplify the hop shedule too. Just one bittering addition (you've essentially got two with a 90min addition and a 60min addition) and a 10 min addition. Possibly a 1 min additon too. Bitters are malt and yeast driven not really hop driven. It look like your making a American Amber ale with English hops there rather than a bitter

Slightly off topic but you can get victory malts from the home brew shop in Hawley, Surrey. They do online ordering. 😎🖒

 

[MyQul]

Slightly off topic but you can get victory malts from the home brew shop in Hawley, Surrey. They do online ordering. 😎�'

Cool thanks. As I like making both bitters/english style ales and Lager style ales I buy lager malt as my base malt then add other malts to it to try to make it more marris otter like. I've been using biscuit malt but have read victory would be better

 

[Ashley]

I'd take out the victory malt too (where did you get it by the way). victory malt will add nutty biscuityness but you'll get that from the MO. If your going for a bitter I'd simplify the hop shedule too. Just one bittering addition (you've essentially got two with a 90min addition and a 60min addition) and a 10 min addition. Possibly a 1 min additon too. Bitters are malt and yeast driven not really hop driven. It look like your making a American Amber ale with English hops there rather than a bitter

I notice from your sig your mostly into Bitters/English ales. If this is a style you think you will continue to mostly make it's WELL worth investing in a proper English Ale yeast strain. Either buy one or culture it up from a bottle cultured commercial beer. At the moment there are no dried English yeast that compare to liquid. I used the Fullers strain for a bitter for the first time recently and I dont think there any way I'd be able to make a beer that tastes the same using dried yeast

Ah ok. I thought I would try and use up the old fuggles. I will revisit the hops additions. I know that in previous brews I used around 80g of hops buy I do use very low alpha hops wherever possible.

I have noticed tonight that the Fuggles pack is very much not as vacuumed as it probably was when I bought it. Might just go down the goldings and ekg route although I have a bit of fuggles (recent purchase) in the freezer that I can use.

I bought victory from the home brew shop online. I was just looking at some different grains in Beersmith as inspiration and I liked the name so Googled it and I liked the biscuit notes sound of it. It's also just shy of 50 ebc's.

This beer recipe is nowhere near ready yet but it's happening on Saturday so need to pull my finger out.

As it's my 10th AG brew I fancied doing something a bit experimental and special.

I know it sounds corny bit my best ever brew was elson revenge. It was delicious. I used safale 04 in that and have used it since. I got put off a few years ago by people saying the white lab smack packs were good but often the pack failed and thought it was an expensive yeast to buy to just not work... have they improved that situation?

 

[Robin54]

I would take out the Victory (Nelson would be proud) and put all your Golgings in at the end (10mins)

 

[Robin54]

Cool thanks. As I like making both bitters/english style ales and Lager style ales I buy lager malt as my base malt then add other malts to it to try to make it more marris otter like. I've been using biscuit malt but have read victory would be better

In that case just buy MO...its cheap as chips::-o

 

[Ashley]

I would take out the Victory (Nelson would be proud) and put all your Golgings in at the end (10mins)

I have already bought it... it arrives tomorrow.

Is it not worth throwing in the 200g? Will it ruin the beer?

So keep my other hop additions as is but throw all the goldings in at 10 minutes?

 

[Robin54]

I have already bought it... it arrives tomorrow.

Is it not worth throwing in the 200g? Will it ruin the beer?

So keep my other hop additions as is but throw all the goldings in at 10 minutes?

I'm sorry but can't help you.. I have enough problems sorting out my own actions

 

[Ashley]

I'm sorry but can't help you.. I have enough problems sorting out my own actions

Well I appreciate the input at least

 

[YeastFace]

I don't think the grain bill is necessarily too complex. I think stronger bitters can stand up to more robust flavours. My last ESB had three types of crystal and some amber (which isn't a million miles away from Victory) and it tasted lovely.

Saying that, I'd probably reduce the Victory addition, perhaps by half. I still think it'll have enough character to be a worthwile addition without overpowering.

 

[Ajhutch]

I'm planning a bitter with a somewhat similar grain bill, mainly made up of my leftover bits and bobs, including victory malt. I'm going for a simpler hop schedule to bring the malt flavours to the forefront. I'm using wilko ale yeast which is highly attenuative, as there is a lot of speciality malt in there I'd be slightly concerned about fermentation finishing quite sweet otherwise. That's my only concern with it but let's see. Happy to do a bottle swap when we are done if you want.

 

[Ashley]

I don't think the grain bill is necessary too complex. I think stronger bitters can stand up to my robust flavours. My last ESB had three types of bitter and some amber (which isn't a million miles away from Victory) and it tasted lovely.

Saying that, I'd probably reduce the Victory addition, perhaps by half. I still think it'll have enough character to be a worthwile addition without overpowering.

You see now I'm at a quandary. I have bought 500g of 152 ebc crystal and 500g of victory. I'm looking at the colour of adding all of the Crystal and I love residual sweetness as long as there is a happy aftertaste.

I'm in two minds whether I should have posted it on here or not but I really want this beer to be unique and special.

I don't think I will use those old fuggles. I'll revisit the hops. I prefer goldings to fuggles anyway but I do like a mix of them. The beer was inspired by using the old fuggles but I miss the satisfaction of that "Elson's Revenge" and I haven't truly enjoyed a beer like I did that one since I ran out.

I also want something different and knowing that no brewery will be using a recipe like this makes it more appealing to me.

Aaaarrrrrggghhhh I don't know what to do 😭