Feedback and thoughts on Recipe/taste

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
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dshar
Steady Drinker
Posts: 93
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 5:45 pm
Location: Landan tawn

Feedback and thoughts on Recipe/taste

Post by dshar » Thu Oct 05, 2017 7:12 pm

Hi all,
Just wanted to know what people thought on the recipe below, a clone of Harvey's best:
Brewed this back in March and it's a nice brew, bitterness is spot on, colour, clarity all perfect.
Only thing is that is has quite a distinctive/strong malt flavour.

I'm thinking the dark crystal must have been a bit too much?
Can anyone confirm have similar experience?
What would be a max level to use?
Will it mellow with time?
Any suggestions to change the recipe?

Bit of a shame since otherwise it's all good...
Cheers

-3.5kg m otter
280g dark crystal (7%)
200g maize
150g flaked barley

Mashed at 68c overnight (dropped to 55c)

26g Progress 60mins
26g bramling x 60mins
15g fuggles 15mins
15g ekg 15mins

Windsor yeast

Simonh82

Re: Feedback and thoughts on Recipe/taste

Post by Simonh82 » Fri Oct 06, 2017 8:20 am

I can't speak to the recipe but it does look like a fairly big wack of dark crystal.

One thing that I think would make a big difference is the choice of yeast. Harvey's is a very yeast driven beer. You can get the primary Harvey's strain from Brew Labs as their Sussex 1 strain. Apparently the Harvey's yeast is actually a dual strain with a second Debaromyces strain which acts similarly to Brett.

I'm using the primary strain in a beer at the moment and I tried a little sample yesterday. Despite piling in the hops in this beer, it was the yeast that was the most prominent feature of the beer by far.

dshar
Steady Drinker
Posts: 93
Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 5:45 pm
Location: Landan tawn

Re: Feedback and thoughts on Recipe/taste

Post by dshar » Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:24 pm

Thanks for the tips Simon, guess it was a rookie error but I didn't think there was much difference between dark crystal and the regular sort. Will try half and half of each next time up to 7% with the Sussex yeast you mention, should be good since apart from the strong roasted taste, it's a lovely brew...
Cheers
S

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