Don't be scared to share your brews, it's good to get constructive feedback. Someone might be able to pinpoint a flavour that will make you think " bingo , I know what caused that".
I tend to make new recipes too, but you can still apply what you've learned.
Points to consider when making a new recipe or even trying an existing one;
1. The Grain Bill
This is where your beer gets all of its malt based flavours. So selecting the right malts and in the correct quantities is important. The main points to consider;
What malt flavours in particular, if any, characterise the style that I am trying to make?
What are the common proportions of base malt, speciality malt and adjuncts?
Will chosen speciality malts add unfermentable or harder to ferment sugars? If so how will this alter my final gravity and yeast selection?
Will any of the grains/ adjuncts in the grist contribute to haze? How can I combat this?
2.The Mash
This is where you are getting all of your fermentable's and many qualities of the beer are determined, like mouthfeel, body, flavour, astringency and even appearance etc.
What mash schedule would suit the target style? Am I aiming for a light, medium or full body?
Are any additional rests necessary for under-modified grains or un-malted grain?
Is my mash going to be the appropriate pH? (see water treatment)
3.Hops
We all love hops and whilst just chucking them in at an interval that you saw in another recipe may seem like a good idea, it really is worth considering how they work.
What IBU:OG ratio is common for the style?
Are the hop additions arranged in a way that will produce a style appropriate flavour?
Are the hop flavours appropriate for the style?
You've swapped Saaz for Sterling, but do you wich addition times produce which flavours? Dry hopping with one hop may produce delightful notes, notes which can only be achieved by a late boil addition of a similar hop. You may swap out that dry hop and end up with unsuitable grassy notes.Not all hops are created equal.
4.Yeast Strain
Yeast is so often overlooked as a primary contributor to flavour. If your water is the canvas, the malt and hops are your paint, then yeast is the artist that brings it all together.
Is the yeast strain suitable fro the target style?
Does the yeast emphasise or mute hop or malt flavours?
What is the attenuation range of the strain and how will this work with my prospective final gravity and grain bill?
What flavour profile does it produce? Estery,Phenolic,Clean,Balanced?
What are its operating temperatures? Can I maintain them?
Is it flocculant or is it going to take an age to settle out?
5.Fermentation Temperature
You've chosen your strain and your good to go? Not quite.
Do you know what temperatures produce which flavours with this particualr strain?
Typical ale yeasts tend to get fruity as they get warmer. Belgian strains range from clove like flavours on the cooler side, to banana as they get warmer( as well as other fruits).Which is appropriate for your chosen style?
6. Yeast Pitching Rate
Yep, its all about the yeast right now. This adds another degree of control over flavours.So if you have a particulary fruity strain, but want to rain in the fruityness a little try pitching 1.5 times your normal amount. Coupling this with fermentation temperature control gives you access to a much bigger set of flavours.Tactically underpitching (by a little) will give you more ester production.
Always research how your chosen strain responds to these variables and try to work within the limits of the yeast.
7.Fermentation Timescale
Different styles and original gravities should be aged accordingly. In general lower OG beer matures faster and needs less primary time and less conditioning. Lagers are another story all together. Know when your beer is at its best.
Is the style best enjoyed young or well aged?
Do I have a lot of hop flavour and aroma, or other delicate flavours that will fade with age?
Maturing/conditioning times vary based on volumes, larger volumes mature more quickly. Which is partly why commercial breweries have such a fast turnaround.
Is my timescale suitable for my system? There's no point conditioning for weeks on end if you are able to manage a good clean fermentation.
8.Water
It's one of those things that seems like witchcraft until you start learning how to apply it. @strange-steve has put together a really helpful guide to water.If you're struggling, head over there and take a look.
Is my water chlorinated?
What are the ion concentrations? How will this affect bitterness and malt sweetness?
Is my water profile suitable for the style?
What is my residual alkilinity? Am I going to need to adjust mash pH?
Water adjustment isn't necessarily essential and you can compensate to some degree. If you have higher sulphate, you could reduce your hop additions to compensate. The opposite would then be true for water with a higher proportion of chloride to sulphate.
If your residual alkilinity is really high, you might be better off only brewing darker beer styles. If it's low, then lighter beer like Pilsner may be more appropriate, if you are unwilling to adjust mash pH that is.
9.Carbonation
For me, this makes or breaks a style.If you're about to tuck into a bitter and it's like champagne then you know that it's not going to taste right. Likewise, if you open up a wheat beer and you're greeted with a dull hiss, then it's not going to taste or feel right in your mouth. Carbonation drops might be convenient, but are very limiting. Never underestimate how much of a difference the correct level of carbonation can make.
Check what the volumes of CO2 should be in your target style.
If you're improvising or creating a new style then consider how the carbonation will affect the mouthfeel of your beer. Are you going for refreshing? smooth? slight tingle? champagne like?
10. Notes
Probably what most would consider to be the boring bit, but it's a vital part of the learning process. You wouldn't trun up to a class without a notebook and then expect to be able to remember everything that you did, so why try doing this with you precious beer. Don't waste the opportunity to learn, after all you're paying for it. It's really helpful for identifying problems in your process, especially if you are having a persistent issue.
Take notes at every point in the process, recipe forumaltion, brewday, fermentation, racking, bottling and tastings.
Make rough notes first and tidy them up for future reference.
Record Everything!
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Even after all that, something may still slip and throw a spanner in the works.
It's only in my last two or three brews that I've started looking in this sort of depth to be honest.I hope this helps.Ive learned that there is a fair amount to consider when designing a new recipe and just making beer in general. Some may think I'm a bit OTT, but that's the way I work.
Just to complicate matters further, some people make amazing beer without giving half of these points a thought.
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