Cinnamon doughnut ale - recipe advice

[big78sam]

Im thinking of trying a more out there brew. Going for cinnamin doughnut in a glass. At this stage thinking of 70% vienna as a base for sweetness, 30% munich for breadiness. Saaz for some spiciness to 25IBUs. Neutral yeast like us05. 3 cinnamon sticks in secondary. Seems that broken up sticks is the way to go from the research I've done. Mash low at 65 so it doesn't end up too cloying.

I'm debating either a drinkable 4.5% or more of a winter warmer at 6 or 7%, leaning to the latter at this stage.

Any thoughts on this? Anyone "dry spiced" cinnamon in secondary? Is saaz the wrong type of spiciness (more white pepper than cinnamon)? Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[dblunn]

I have no useful advice other than to recommend radical brewing by Randy Mosher as a starting point for research. But I am interested on how it turns out.
Dave

 

[manticle]

Hard to pick exactly what hop is best but saaz for me is fresh grass. Something like spalter* may work better, maybe with a touch of hall mitt (lemony) or styrian (mandarin, apricot, vanilla).

Neither hall or styrian is particularly cinnamon donut but those flavours could balance well with it. Otherwise all spalter.

*spalt spalter or spalter select.

 

[madpierre06]

Drawn from elsewhere spource.....cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, brown sugar. Not sure of quantities and timing etc, but would be fun to try and work it out.

 

[droid]

sounds good - you could do a lower abv and then re-use the cake for a bigger abv version

Wells Banana Bread Beer might be worth researching - it's really nice.

I'd avoid anything that would impart flavour profiles you don't want obviously, some beers don't need much in the IBU range, I'd use magnum early and nothing later

neutral hops and yeast, ale malt and some biscuit, lower IBU and mash a bit higher if the grain bill is dry - cinamon in the whirlpool, that's the direction I'd venture in

 

[Mardoo]

Crystal hops have a cinnamonyness if used very late after knockout and as a dry hop.

Some sort of roasted or biscuit malt for the toastiness of the outside of the donut would be good. Probably more a biscuit, or "super-biscuit" like Briess Special Roast (which I haven't used much so caveat emptor). You could always drop an email to Dermott at Beerco for an opinion on which Gladfield malt could add that. Well toasted, rolled oats might do it.

I myself would start with pilsner and Vienna for the doughy/bready bit. Oh, and wheat of course. Actually I've heard torrified Wheat can give a nutty, toastiness above 10% of the grain bill. I have yet to try it

 

[damoninja]

Add 3doz krispy kremes to mash

 

[timmi9191]

Its got to have a cinnamon donut in there somewhere. perhaps a couple into the whirlpool.

 

[big78sam]

Thanks for the advice all. I will go no late hops, just a neutral bittering hop.

I dismissed white sugar but brown sugar could be the go. I have used brown sugar in a toucan stout when i first started kit and kilo and it did leave some nice residual sweetness.

 

[mondestrunken]

November 2016 BYO magazine had a winter/spiced/"holiday" beer special. There was a gingerbread beer recipe as well as spiced (cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg etc.) ale in there (I'm planning to make this one next up). Maybe if you can get your hands on that it might be helpful for some extra ideas.

Personally I would go strong and slightly sweet like a scotch ale for something like this.

 

[Judanero]

Some other options to throw in the mix, I'd bitter with POR (FWH or 60 min) to ~ 25 ibu to get some of the woody/earthy I get from cinnamon.

5% or so lactose addition to get some residual sweetness

I'd go the stronger/ winter warmer option personally, cinnamon doughnut is not a flavour I think I'd be wanting to have pint after pint of on a hot summers day.

I've used a single cinnamon stick in a winter ale (wanted to use a light hand for my first time) but it didn't really show up in the final beer- or was over powered by the other malty flavours.. I never brewed the recipe again but had the intention of soaking some sticks in vodka and then adding at the end of fermentation for the next time (sorry not much a help with that).

I'd add that when I've used vodka to soak cacao nibs, vanilla beans, or roasted hazelnuts, the flavour really does come out and you only need a very small amount added to the priming bucket/ fermentor/ keg... the benefit if adding to a keg is you can add a little at a time until you get the desired amount of flavour.

 

[mr_wibble]

November 2016 BYO magazine had a winter/spiced/"holiday" beer special. There was a gingerbread beer recipe as well as spiced (cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg etc.) ale in there (I'm planning to make this one next up). Maybe if you can get your hands on that it might be helpful for some extra ideas.

Every year I make an xmas beer with a friend. This year we made the gingerbread recipe from BYO magazine, it smelled really good in the kettle.
I tasted a bit at bottling, it was OK, but IMHO spiced beers really need some time.

I have a few bottles left of our 2014 Christmoose Ale ( http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/171-chrismoose-ale/ ), after 2 years it's really now something special. I wasn't so keen on it after only a few months.

 

[droid]

Hi, while this may not be your cup of tea, it's an easy way to enjoy trying out flavor additions, I see there is a cinnamon scroll flavor essence amongst other things:

https://bakingpleasures.com.au/c18/Cake-Flavourings-Essences-Extracts#pg=3