I'm relatively new to brewing. The intro video from Northern Brewer says to leave any sludge in the bottom of the brew pot when pouring into the fermenter. However, after a few batches, I feel my beers are lacking some flavor. Should I really leave the sludge out of the fermenter? Wouldn't that help my flavor problem?
Sludge and extra flavor
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That sludge on the bottom of the brew pot is used up hops and some protein. It won't affect your beer either way, no flavors left in it to get out. I dump it all into the fermenter. What kind of beers have you made? Extract kits? What varieties.
There are way to increase or decrease most of what you perceive in beer. One of the easiest ways is to let them have time in the bottle. Just because you bottle them doesn't mean that everything just stops. If that isn't the answer, you can add hops for the aroma, different malts to increase body and flavor.
There are way to increase or decrease most of what you perceive in beer. One of the easiest ways is to let them have time in the bottle. Just because you bottle them doesn't mean that everything just stops. If that isn't the answer, you can add hops for the aroma, different malts to increase body and flavor.
I prefer clear beer. I leave as much of that junk behind as possible. My beers still have plenty of flavor.
You get flavor from your base malts (or extracts), steeping/specialty grains, hop additions, yeast selection and fermentation practices. You do not gain it from the crapola left in the bottom of your brew kettle.
You get flavor from your base malts (or extracts), steeping/specialty grains, hop additions, yeast selection and fermentation practices. You do not gain it from the crapola left in the bottom of your brew kettle.
ChiechiBrouw
Well-Known Member
It's a matter of personal preference. I dump everything but the hops into my primary and get very clear beer and the sludge does not have an effect on flavor.
Here are my observations on flavor, evolving from extract to mini-mash to AG over the years:
I realize that this statement is blasphemous to some, but I have never gotten what I would consider robust malt flavors from extract/kits. Even a mini-mash, in my hands, is a thousand times better. I also find that the choice of base malt has a huge impact on the flavor of the finished beer. The whole reason I ended up going AG is because my beers were, exactly as you describe, "lacking some flavor."
A clean fermentation (with the right yeast) and proper attenuation makes a huge difference, which is something that I underestimated in the beginning. For me that means making starters or using good quality, re-hydrated dried yeast and aerating properly.
To get hop flavors to play nice with the grains, you need to carbonate properly. You also need to adjust the level of carbonation to the recipe/style. It doesn't have to be exact, but there is a big difference in flavor between 1.5 and 3.0 volumes.
If you're trying to get a crisp, hop nose, try adding a truckload of hops right after switching off the burner (and cooling the wort rapidly). I have found that even 5 minute additions can step all over the body of the beer and dry-hopping just doesn't give the same crispness.
Don't underestimate the value of quality time in the secondary. A solid few weeks in the secondary allows time for the flavors to blend and for the subtleties of the grains to come out. (A couple of months in a bottle will accomplish same.) Of course, the time varies greatly by style.
Here are my observations on flavor, evolving from extract to mini-mash to AG over the years:
I realize that this statement is blasphemous to some, but I have never gotten what I would consider robust malt flavors from extract/kits. Even a mini-mash, in my hands, is a thousand times better. I also find that the choice of base malt has a huge impact on the flavor of the finished beer. The whole reason I ended up going AG is because my beers were, exactly as you describe, "lacking some flavor."
A clean fermentation (with the right yeast) and proper attenuation makes a huge difference, which is something that I underestimated in the beginning. For me that means making starters or using good quality, re-hydrated dried yeast and aerating properly.
To get hop flavors to play nice with the grains, you need to carbonate properly. You also need to adjust the level of carbonation to the recipe/style. It doesn't have to be exact, but there is a big difference in flavor between 1.5 and 3.0 volumes.
If you're trying to get a crisp, hop nose, try adding a truckload of hops right after switching off the burner (and cooling the wort rapidly). I have found that even 5 minute additions can step all over the body of the beer and dry-hopping just doesn't give the same crispness.
Don't underestimate the value of quality time in the secondary. A solid few weeks in the secondary allows time for the flavors to blend and for the subtleties of the grains to come out. (A couple of months in a bottle will accomplish same.) Of course, the time varies greatly by style.
For an IPA I am finding that my best results for hop flavor is not so much from late additions or even the dry hop, though these are important. It is the sludge. Pour in a good amount, say half, and ferment with that. It makes harvesting yeast a bit harder but the beer will be heavenly.
beertroll
Well-Known Member
Water makes a big difference too. My tap water runs through a softener and thus produces some pretty dull beer. As soon as I solved my water troubles, my beer immediately improved dramatically.
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