Wort Caramelisation

[Bribie G]

Screwtop sent me a recipe for Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter that involves taking two litres of the sweet wort and boiling it down to 300ml and adding back into the boil. I'm boiling a super-TTL at the moment and thought why not caramelise some of the wort for this brew as an experiment, so I removed two litres of wort on bag-out, before any hops, and it's now down to about 500ml in the stockpot on the kitchen stove. :icon_drool2:

Sounds like a nice little tweak for a malty beer to give toffee overtones, does anyone know if this is practiced commercially by breweries? Do any members do this regularly themselves? As one example I know that Marston Pedigree is 100 percent Maris Otter but isn't a blonde beer so I wonder if that's how they get the colour? Loving the taste so far (snuck a half teaspoon just now and it's tasting like the wort that God makes). :icon_cheers:

 

[RobW]

Screwtop sent me a recipe for Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter that involves taking two litres of the sweet wort and boiling it down to 300ml and adding back into the boil. I'm boiling a super-TTL at the moment and thought why not caramelise some of the wort for this brew as an experiment, so I removed two litres of wort on bag-out, before any hops, and it's now down to about 500ml in the stockpot on the kitchen stove. :icon_drool2:

Sounds like a nice little tweak for a malty beer to give toffee overtones, does anyone know if this is practiced commercially by breweries? Do any members do this regularly themselves? As one example I know that Marston Pedigree is 100 percent Maris Otter but isn't a blonde beer so I wonder if that's how they get the colour? Loving the taste so far (snuck a half teaspoon just now and it's tasting like the wort that God makes). :icon_cheers:

Don't know about commercially but I reduced the first couple of litres in the kettle once and it did give a nice toffee note.
Trouble was doing it that way took way longer because it delayed the rest of the sparge. Another time I'd do it the way you did and reduce it in a pot while the boil was underway.

 

[cubbie]

I just brewed a Wee Heavy that was 98% Maris Otter and went with a 120min boil hoping to develop some wort caramelisation. I have not reached the bottling stage yet so not sure if I have achieved my aim yet. Will run it past the gob then. I got most of my colour from 2% roasted barley, but the long boil certainly made a difference.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Pretty sure that's how TTL capture their flavor profile, haven't tried it myself but i'm keen to give it a go.

Andrew

 

[BoilerBoy]

Its been disscussed many times this process and yes it does add something, I have taken 10L of first runnings from a 100% GP brew and boiled it down into a syrup a couple of times and then added back into the boil as normal and I like the results, but not near the malt character or colour of TTL.

Next time I will probably try adding some dark munich.

Cheers.
BB

 

[hazard]

I have read that Timothy Taylor adds caramel to his Land Lord to get the colour. This is the same stuff put in coke to give it colour. I have also read that Fuller's uses this trick, and if you look at a bottle of Newkie Brown I'm pretty sure that the ingredients include caramel.

So, no I don't think TTL caramelises the wort. However, without access to caramel I used this same technique myself on a TTL I have in the fermenter right now, though only used 1 litre. Smuto's TTL recipe includes choc malt (30g) to get the same colour effect, though I would expect the taste to be different.

hazard

 

[Kai]

I have read that Timothy Taylor adds caramel to his Land Lord to get the colour. This is the same stuff put in coke to give it colour. I have also read that Fuller's uses this trick, and if you look at a bottle of Newkie Brown I'm pretty sure that the ingredients include caramel.

I was going to say that when a brewery claims they use 100% Golden Promise or Maris Otter or whatever, I generally assume they mean 100% plus whatever else they put in...

 

[RetsamHsam]

I never thought to do it this way, the last few big beers I brewed included 3 hour boils.

I might give this a shot next time..

 

[Screwtop]

Bribie, the toffee flavour/aroma of the Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter purportedly comes from the yeast. However some UK breweries use Brewers Caramel, pretty similar to the caramel used by bakers and distillers. A simple way to imitate this is to caramelise some wort. try it, be a brave brewer. All you risk is making Bribies TTL clone :lol:

 

[3G]

Isnt Marris Otter a type of grain, they may get some marris otter kilned or made into crystal malt and choc malt

 

[RdeVjun]

Folks, I reckon there's some pretty strong hints here in Dr S' Landlord from the AHB Recipe db under our very nose, perhaps the master is lurking to enlighten the devoted followers? Mind you, its fairly obvious, there's first runnings being caramelised by someone.

Oh BTW, I am one of the devoted, and that's one of my top 3- visited pages as its my holy grail too (or rather 'holy grale' if it wasn't already taken), particularly if there's any 1469 to be had around here. [Sigh...]

 

[Bribie G]

Thanks RDE I missed that, actually I used some choc today as well as caramelising some runnings so it will turn out a bit darker. Also I gather that a lot of UK brewers who use 'brewers sugar' get it in various colours as well.

 

[RdeVjun]

Damn, damn, damn...!! Me and my big mouth... :lol:

 

[LLoyd]

Malt Praline anyone?
When you make praline, timing is everything. Take it off too soon it has no taste, too late and it's burnt and bitter...
I'm chasing a touch of burnt caramel flavour in an English IPA. This may just be the go.....

 

[Swinging Beef]

what the hell is praline?

 

[manticle]

Essentially caramelised nuts.

 

[Katherine]

It can have nutsin it but, praline is essentially caramal... think toffee! Beautiful on desserts such as sticky date pudding... looks like glass!

 

[manticle]

It can have nutsin it but, praline is essentially caramal... think toffee! Beautiful on desserts such as sticky date pudding... looks like glass!

If it doesn't have nuts in it it's called toffee or caramel. The presence of nuts make it something different (ie praline).

 

[Kai]

Isnt Marris Otter a type of grain, they may get some marris otter kilned or made into crystal malt and choc malt

A sterling point... 100% maris otter beer can have any type of specialty malt you desire in it, if it's specialty malt made from maris otter.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I made my own praline to add colour and alos unfermentable sugar to teh recent no-malt beer I made. Just add a pinch of citric acid to some sugar, add a little water and boil it till it colours.... dark = bitter and strong, light = sugary and sweet. I went for medium - it worked a treat and took all of 5 minutes to do a couple of hundred grams.

Brewers caramel is a pretty ubiquitous adjunct - all colour not much flavour. Usually made from acid hydrolysed starches - any colour you want, as can be brewers sugar adjuncts.

I'm with Kai ... 100% Marris Otter (or whatever) to me means that the malt they used was 100% that - and then whatever else they used on top. And 3G's point as well.

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