How do I get a strong Caramel flavour in my brown ale
Moderator: slothrob
How do I get a strong Caramel flavour in my brown ale
A friend of mine recently took me to a DuClaw brewery and tried their beer, Euphoria. I originally thought it was a bit sweet, but I've had it a few times since then and it's grown on me. I was looking for a way to get the caramel flavour in my brown ale. I've tried different crystal malts, yeasts, and even caramels in the secondary, but no luck. Does anyone have any advice, tips????
Crystal Malt
You should be able to get a nice caramel flavor from some of the darker crystal malts like, 90L, 120L or 200L.
It also depends on the amount your using too. I normally use a pound to a pound and a half in most of my darker beers. They always have a good caramel flavor to them. You could even use more if you like.
Another thing you might try is molasses or treacle. I brew frequently with those and they add a nice caramel-like flavor, but it's different. A half a pound will produce a noticeable flavor without overpowering the malts.
Hope that helps.
It also depends on the amount your using too. I normally use a pound to a pound and a half in most of my darker beers. They always have a good caramel flavor to them. You could even use more if you like.
Another thing you might try is molasses or treacle. I brew frequently with those and they add a nice caramel-like flavor, but it's different. A half a pound will produce a noticeable flavor without overpowering the malts.
Hope that helps.
Caramel Flavor
This will depend on how much sweetness you really want to drink. Lower caramel/crystal malts in high quantity provide very good caramel flavor. The higher caramel "L" you go, say 120 and up the more it will resemble stoned fruit than actual simple sweetness. Extra Special is a great grain to use, but it can have a raisiny flavor good for really dark beers and some Belgians. But I wouldn't call it caramel in its flavor. If you want a light color with sweet flavor, try Caramel 10, Honey Malt, or Victory with up to a pound -at least 6 ounces though.
Keg 1: Rye stout
Keg 2: Irish honey red
Keg 2: Irish honey red
caramel flavor
Another technique is to boil down some of the first runnings till it gets thick and starts to darken from carmelization. Then add this back to the main wort. I usually do this in a separate pot, so as not to lengthen the total boil time. Kettle carmelization adds a slightly different flavor than caramel malts.
Stan
Stan