Balancing beer flavours

[roverfj1200]

Hi all.

I'm still new to this beer thing and I'm sure you can learn news things all the time.

So anyway was wondering if there is a easy to under stand way to balance a beers sweetness and bitterness. I have made a few darker beers using caramalt and crystal. These beers came out to sweet even with me lifting the bitterness to around 30 IBU.


Cheers.

 

[lukiferj]

Any recipe in particular? Are you brewing kit/extract/ag?

 

[Screwtop]

There is a sweetness/bitterness balance value formula which I have some documentation on and have used for years. Balance depends largely on a brewers experience as FG must be determined prior to brewing. After brewing the same recipe repeatedly using the same malt bill, yeast strain, fermentation regime etc on the same system, expected FG can be predicted with some reliability.

Ref here: http://klugscheisserbrauerei.wordpress.com/beer-balance/


Hope this helps,

Screwy

 

[chunckious]

Brewing software have a BU/GU ratio which tells the balance of hops V's malt.
When my beers were sweet will having adequate bitterness it was under attenuation of the yeast. Something to watch.

 

[rehab]

As above a full recipe and process could help people spot where the balance is lost. Nice reference by Screwy too cheers

 

[roverfj1200]

Any recipe in particular? Are you brewing kit/extract/ag?

AG .

 

[lukiferj]

Thanks for the link Screwy!

 

[MashPaddler]

BJPS style guide and beersmith software - the mobile version I use on the ipad uses the style guide as a basis for whether the brew is 'in-style', which helps get a sense of balance. These combined with a good brew book like 'How to Brew' by John Palmer, knowing mash temps for particular styles, as well as lagering times will make a big difference. Agree with chunkious, my sweet beers are usually underattenuation due to the yeast crapping out due to any of the following: temperature fluctuation, in particular cold spells will cause it to stall, not aerating the wort, weak starter, lack of yeast nutrient.

 

[roverfj1200]

Great link. I use Brew mate and it has a balance value but don't know how to use it. Most of my beers are PA I know my yeasts and grain mash ( OG and FG ) . I am playing with bits and pieces. Would be nice to have a bit more hit than miss when making up recipes.

Cheers

 

[MashPaddler]

Great link. I use Brew mate and it has a balance value but don't know how to use it. Most of my beers are PA I know my yeasts and grain mash ( OG and FG ) . I am playing with bits and pieces. Would be nice to have a bit more hit than miss when making up recipes.

Cheers

I used brewmate for a couple of years, but can't believe how much better beersmith is. For $10 or so it was money very well spent for me. Beersmith has a sliding gauge at the top of the recipe for ABV, IBU etc which make it easy to tinker with the recipe to get it within the guidelines.