Working on a birthday present for the better half. The request was "mostly chocolate and smoke, with raspberry in the background". Or something along those lines.
Trying for a largely roasty/chocolatey/smoky taste with a raspberry 'edge', if you will.
Mostly I'm trying to get a good solid roasty flavor and deep, dark color without getting too bitter or astringent. Tentative 5-gallon recipe:
Gold LME 6 lb
Dk Brown Sugar 8 oz
--
Chocolate 2 oz
Pale Chocolate 2 oz
Smoked 2 oz
Roasted Barley 4 oz
Carafa I 4 oz
Simpsons Black 4 oz
Crystal 120 4 oz
Flaked Oats 8 oz
--
UK Fuggles 2 oz (20 min)
--
WLP002 English Ale
--
Cacao Nibs 4 oz (secondary)
Raspberries 2 lb (secondary)
Are the Roasted Barley, Carafa I, and Simpsons Black Malt essentially the same thing taste-wise, or are they different enough to warrant using them all? From what I've read, they each contribute a different level of roast/bitterness/color, but are they appreciably different?
I thought the dark brown sugar would go well with the roast flavor, and that the molasses would maybe help compensate for some, if any, unintentional astringency.
I've been happy with Vintner's Harvest fruit puree in the past, so I'm using that for the raspberry.
There's not a lot of hops, neither are they boiled for very long since she's not a fan of hop bitterness -- tried to pick an earthy flavor that wasn't high in alphas.
English ale yeast to leave just a bit of sweetness after the fermenting is done; I may use a bit of lactose if the final product calls for it either in taste or body.
Suggestions, corrections, opinions and input appreciated.
Trying for a largely roasty/chocolatey/smoky taste with a raspberry 'edge', if you will.
Mostly I'm trying to get a good solid roasty flavor and deep, dark color without getting too bitter or astringent. Tentative 5-gallon recipe:
Gold LME 6 lb
Dk Brown Sugar 8 oz
--
Chocolate 2 oz
Pale Chocolate 2 oz
Smoked 2 oz
Roasted Barley 4 oz
Carafa I 4 oz
Simpsons Black 4 oz
Crystal 120 4 oz
Flaked Oats 8 oz
--
UK Fuggles 2 oz (20 min)
--
WLP002 English Ale
--
Cacao Nibs 4 oz (secondary)
Raspberries 2 lb (secondary)
Are the Roasted Barley, Carafa I, and Simpsons Black Malt essentially the same thing taste-wise, or are they different enough to warrant using them all? From what I've read, they each contribute a different level of roast/bitterness/color, but are they appreciably different?
I thought the dark brown sugar would go well with the roast flavor, and that the molasses would maybe help compensate for some, if any, unintentional astringency.
I've been happy with Vintner's Harvest fruit puree in the past, so I'm using that for the raspberry.
There's not a lot of hops, neither are they boiled for very long since she's not a fan of hop bitterness -- tried to pick an earthy flavor that wasn't high in alphas.
English ale yeast to leave just a bit of sweetness after the fermenting is done; I may use a bit of lactose if the final product calls for it either in taste or body.
Suggestions, corrections, opinions and input appreciated.
