What Will Chocolate Do To This ?

[jaytee]

Hi Guys, wouldn't mind some advice on this.

I've brewed the Grain & Grapes Bitter recipe a couple of times and really enjoy it

But there's nothing like tinkering with recipes and I wondered what it would be like if I swapped the crystal and chocolate quantities.
So it would be 350gm chocolate and 50gm crystal

Original recipe
3000g Light Malt Extract
350g Crystal Malted Grain
50g Chocolate Malt
500g Demerara sugar
90gm Wheat DME

Would I end up with more of a brown ale or porter ?

If I'm changing styles here, are the demerara and wheat still appropriate
Or, are the quantities of chocolate and crystal out of balance ?

Comments, suggestions or advice welcome

TIA - Jaytee

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Yes, more of a brown porter. To make it more interesting, try using 50g roast barley in place of the crystal (and not just because I am not a big fan of crystal)

Wheat malt or malt extract is useful in any brew, aids head retention no end!

Sugar, hmmmm, not a big fan of sugar in smallish beers like the above. Sugar of course dries the beer out a tad which can be a good thing with some extracts, but 250g will be more than enough IMO.

Jovial Monk

 

[tdh]

Go ahead, swap them, I'd up the crystal (I assume it's about 140EBC) to a max of 250g (=approx. 5%). 50g of crystal is BA, use at least 150g.

tdh

 

[jaytee]

Guys, I decided against the chocolate swap, decided it was going too dark for what I enjoy drinking at the moment.

Used 160gm (4%) Amber in a mini mash instead of the chocolate

Brewed Sunday and smelling good.

Now wondering now what 35 EBC Caramalt will do in the same proportion (with a tad more wheat)

3000g Light Malt Extract
350g Crystal Malted Grain
160g Caramalt
500g Demerara sugar
100gm Wheat DME


Maybe at 35 EBC, 4% is too low to be of much impact ?

Or, is the caramalt best as a replacement for the crystal and go back to the 50gm (or more?) chocolate or Roast Barley
I've used Roast Barley in place of the chocolate before (and quite pleased with it too)

Any suggestions or thoughts ?

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Who made the caramalt? Thos Fawcett? It is just a color of crystal, and crystal can easily be overdone. Try using just 160g caramalt.

Jovial Monk

 

[jaytee]

JM, not sure the source (suspect Bairds) , only sure of the EBC @35.

Sounds like you're suggesting substituting for the crystal, but at lesser qty of 160gm - is that right ?

From what I read, suggestion is that the caramalt is a lighter smoother flavour and lighter colour than the crystal but adds more body.

Wondered if using with the crystal might just give a bitter style beer more body and tone down the crystal taste - or will I just get too sweet ?

Or if I use in place of the crystal (I thought using more, not less), along with the Roast Barley or Chocolate as usual and avoid the crystal cloy ?

Or maybe I end up with a lighter beer, maybe a draught ?