Crystal to the limit

[Tony]

HI all
I'm planning a brew to use up some of the stuff I have lying around. I have no wish to use all the hops... 528 IBU is a shade high even for me! (Yes, I ran it through BeerSmith just to see ) But.. I do have a bit of crystal malt in stock.

What's the highest % you have pushed crystal? I'm not a massive fan of using crystal but it seems a shame to waste it!

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[Brewmarc]

I saw a recipe only last week that used about 1.5kg of crystal :hmm: I remember thinking thats rather a lot :wha: :hmm: see if I can find it.
By the way SNPA still fermenting in the primary day 8

 

[Aleman]

I've used crystal to 25% in a beer of 1.058 . . . damn fine beer too

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild (Yes a Mild!!)

5.00Kg Pale Malt
1.65Kg Crystal Malt

Bitter to 30IBU using

41g Fuggles
35g Goldings

And finish with 20g Goldings last 15 minutes

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Was it sweet Aleman? :hmm:

 

[Aleman]

Not excessively so . . . but full of body

 

[Tony]

Batch Size: 23.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated IBU: 80.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes


4 kg Pale Malt
1 kg Crystal Malt
20gm Nelson Sauvin [11.30 %] (75 min)
100gm Fuggles [4.50 %] (50 min)
30gm Goldings, East Kent [4.60 %] (30 min)
5gm Cascade [7.60 %] (Aroma)
20gm Goldings, East Kent [4.60 %](Aroma)
10gm First Gold (Aroma)
1 tsp Irish Moss
SafAle English Ale S-04

Interesting that as this is pretty much what I've come up with, I thought I may be able to balance out any sweetness with the high(ish) IBU.

What are your thoughts?
:

 

[Brewmarc]

80.6 IBU :hmm: Just my thoughts :wha: But lighter beers will have greater bitterness perception than darker ones I brewed a Pilsner Lager with an IBU of 35 that tasted a lot more bitter than a stout of IBU 45. again just my thoughts but maybe your IBU in this recipe will upset the ballence.

 

[Tony]

Yep.. I know :P

I made a pale about 6 months ago with just over 70 IBU and I WANTED MORE DAMMITTT!!!!!


heh heh .. like a kid in a hop shop

 

[snail59]

IBU 80.6 Are you and Rick related. :rofl:

 

[unclepumble]

MY Advice
Suck It And See,

If you don't experiment you wont know what you like its not like you are buying the stuff especially to do it is it.


UP

 

[ash]

I've used crystal to 25% in a beer of 1.058 . . . damn fine beer too

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild (Yes a Mild!!)

5.00Kg Pale Malt
1.65Kg Crystal Malt

Bitter to 30IBU using

41g Fuggles
35g Goldings

And finish with 20g Goldings last 15 minutes

I tried one of these at a beer festival once-very nice pint.

 

[Alestar]

What's the attentuation like on Safale 04? If you're not overkeen on the sweetness (rather than the taste) of the beer you get from using crystal in the past (using this yeast?), is there a more attenuative alternative yeast you could swap in perhaps to get a drier result? Just thinking out loud... :hmm:

 

[Tony]

Suck It And See,

Is that another favourite quote from that John Holmes film UP?
:shock:

Alestar, S04 has pretty good attenuation - but the real reason I'm using it is I have it in stock. All I have to pay for in this brew is the pale! The First Gold is my own bumper harvest this year .. have to slot the poor little buggers in there somewhere!
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