Dirty Habit

[Buzz]

I'm going to try this recipe on Friday. It's one I've made up in Beersmith but if anyone feels I've got the balance wrong please let me know before I get stuck in and ruin it. I've tried to aim it around something like an Abbot Ale with help from the Real Ale Almanac, hence the name, Dirty Habit.

4kg Marris Otter
200g Amber Malt
200g Crystal Malt
453g Golden Syrup
500g Dememera Sugar
Mash: 90min @ 68deg

Boil: 90min
25g Challenger (7.5%) 90 mins
20g Northdown (6.0%) 90 mins
10g Target (8%) 15 mins
Whirlifloc 10 mins

Danstar Windsor 1 pkt
Aiming for 23L @ 1055og
32 IBU

I'm going to give Windsor yeast another go to try and get some residual sweetness.

[steve_flack]

That does seem quite a lot of sugars to me in a bitter. I realise some breweries do use a lot of sugar (Marstons Pedigree for example) but that just seems a lot for an Abbot clone.

[Buzz]

Do you think maybe drop the syrup and increase the malt?

[steve_flack]

Well the sugars will dry out the beer so, if you want a beer with residual sweetness, you would be better off reducing the amount of simple sugars in the beer.

[Buzz]

Well the sugars will dry out the beer so, if you want a beer with residual sweetness, you would be better off reducing the amount of simple sugars in the beer.

Thanks Steve. I went back into Beersmith and removed the Syrup and upped the pale malt to 4.6kg. The software indicates my target OG should be around 1055 which I'd be happy with.

This would be with the dememera sugar remaining at 500g. Interestingly the software says this sugar; 'Adds slight sweetness and smooth character'. Do you think the reference to the sweetness is incorrect?

[steve_flack]

Demerara would probably add a caramel sweetness but it's worth remembering that it's still mostly sucrose and highly fermentable. It will still dry out the beer.

[Buzz]

Okay, I've amended the fermentables as follows;
5kg Marris Otter
200g Amber Malt
200g Crystal Malt
300g Dememera Sugar (I wanted to use this and, as it turns out, we only have 300g in the cupboard so that's what I'll use).

I've not used Amber Malt before - is 200g enough to get some of that biscuit flavour I've read about on here?

[Jrevillug]

I can see the label now...

Nuns with dirty clothing.

[Stonechat]

Hi Buzz, in response to your question on the amber malt, I would say increase it.I used 450g in the Marc Ollosson recipe for Hunky Dory and 560g in the Graham Wheeler recipe for Mitchell's Conqueror. If you want that biscuity flavour to compliment the hops you're putting in more amber is needed. Go for it

[Buzz]

Thanks for that SC, I'll probably up it a little bit then. I am using Crystal too so don't want to get the ratio wrong between the pal and specialty malts.

I might lower the Crystal to 150g and up the Amber to 350g so I'm using a total of 500g to the 5kg of pale malt.