For every beer that I have ever made containing crystal/ caramel malt, I seem to dislike the flavor. Maybe I’m using too much or I’m just sensitive to it. Might be too rich for my taste. I’m attaching my grain bill. Not sure what I’m disliking in this beer.
Hard to tell since we don’t have a whole view of the recipe. The C20 is only about 4.5% so I dint think that’s over the top. However with the supporting grains your at about 22%. And to me, melanoidin malt is super strong. So C20 and melanoidin malt is almost 8%. Getting a little high for me unless there is a supporting cause with the hop additions.
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5 ounces citra total. 1 oz 60 mins 1 ounce 15 mins 1 ounce 5 mins 1 ounce at 1 minute and 1 ounce dry hop for 6 days. They are 13 percent hops so pretty heavy.
I made a cream ale last year and accidentally added a lb of crystal 60 when I didn’t even have it calculated into the recipe and I got a similar flavor. That’s what makes me think I dont like it
Either way @loopie_beer I sent this beer into a bjcp competition under the ipa category so we will see what the notes have to say. Could just be my palate isnt very tuned.
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Me do use it in small amounts
It is a busy grain bill… Ever try just crystal and pale? Sneezles61
I’ve been trying out new IPA recipes for this very same reason.
ttps://forum.northernbrewer.com/t/ipa-grain-bill/27058
I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t really need C malt in my IPAs at all. I think there’s a place for it but adding it to other sweet malts like Vienna and the melanoidin you used seems to put it over my tolerance threshold.
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1968 is an ESB yeast and probably would add to the sweetness of the final product. And if you mashed at a high temp, even more so.
Hadn’t noticed it was 1968 until you mentioned it. I’m not a huge fan of that yeast. Used it a few times for ESBs and felt they were overly sweet.
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Maybe it is the yeast. First time using it. I actually used imperial a09 pub but I think it’s the same strain. Finished around 1.015
Yea I don’t think it ever got below that for me and maybe not that low a couple times. I’ve been using WLP002 English Ale yeast for my ESBs recently and like it much better.
89% MO and 11% c40 mashed at 152F 5.4 pH kettle adjusted to 5.2, 2oz EKG at 60 and 10. I didn’t hate it even with that much crystal. Mostly brew the ESB for friends though. The english ale yeast gets it to .011/.012 consistently.
So if I think about it I don’t mind the c malt all that much in the english and irish beers I brew. I sort of expect a residual sweetness in them but I think the 1968 accentuated that for me and maybe was a bit fruity for me. It’s IPAs that I began to question whether it was the c malt throwing the flavor that disagreed with me.
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Yeh I can understand the disagreeance. Like I said, I put a pound into a cream ale and it was terrible and tastes similar to this ipa. (The flavor I dislike that is) I am thinking about going on a german only brewing style for a few months and see how that goes. Just made a berliner weisse last weekend and cant wait to try that.
Funny that the ESB style is VERY balanced. Not hoppy, not sweet. BALANCED.
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Ok so after getting a little more carbonated, this beer is actually starting to taste pretty good. Maybe I was just jumping the gun. It was only a week in the bottle when I first tried it so maybe a little too green. I’m curious to get my results from the competition and I’ll post them on here when they arrive.
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So after another week and some carbonation, I have to sit here like a dog, with its tail between its legs. This beer is starting to be really incredible. Might have jumped the gun on judging it without letting it become ready. Might have been that slimy mouthfeel before it fully carbonated. Sorry all. Try the recipe!!!
Crystal is good malt… In higher percentages with the darker types… I’ll get some raisin off notes if it’s been aging… Sneezles61
Yeh @sneezles61 I think my pallet is just not very refined yet and I need to do some more smash brewing to get a feel for ingredients.
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Great way to get to know what you like, especially in regards to hops and base grains. Then take the ones you like and slowly add small percentages of one c malt per batch to get a feel for the difference in taste, body, color, etc. It can be along process and requires patience but there’s always beer as a reward for your efforts.
I did smach beers with just 2 row and lots of different hops years ago. Enjoyed every single one…they were light colored and light bodied but full of flavor and aroma.
Got me thinking about doing a smash with a few different base malts in regards to my quest for a new IPA recipe…MO, GP yet to try for IPA, already tried 6 row…negative…too…dare I say it…“grainy”
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You dont like golden promise? I’m looking to perfect a czech pilsner.
