[wamille]

My spouse wants me to try and make a beer that tastes like a Starbucks Caramel Machiato.  Pleasing her tends to make my existence a good bit more tolerable.  That said, any suggestions on how I might make such a beer?  I came up with this, but I don't know what a caramel machiato tastes like:

10 lbs 2-row
5 lbs Munich
2 lbs Crystal 80L
1 lb Honey Malt
1 lb Pale Chocolate
2 lbs Lactose
.5 oz Magnum 60 minutes
Mash Temp 156
3 smack packs Wyeast Scottish Ale Yeast

Any ideas/suggestions are quite welcome.

[phillamb168]

Where's the black patent? That might give you some of those coffee notes.

[wamille]

How about Crystal 120L... I understand it has a roasty taste.  I'm not sure there's any black patent. in my storage container.  My spouse told me that the Caramel Machiato isn't only a caramel taste and that it has co  ee notes.

[phillamb168]

How about Crystal 120L... I understand it has a roasty taste.  I'm not sure there's any black patent. in my storage container.  My spouse told me that the Caramel Machiato isn't only a caramel taste and that it has co  ee notes.

Not sure if 120L will give enough to shine through. You could certainly roast it a bit more in a hot pan or something to try to squeeze a bit out of it. Another thing you should think about is a bit of lactose, up to a pound, to try to give it some more sweetness/milkiness.

[wamille]

I was going to add 2 lbs Lactose to this recipe.  I really wanna make it caramelly (? spelling) and sweet.  I might be able to scrounge some black patent... about 2 oz or so.

[phillamb168]

I was going to add 2 lbs Lactose to this recipe.  I really wanna make it caramelly (? spelling) and sweet.  I might be able to scrounge some black patent... about 2 oz or so.

If that's all you need, I can totally post you some chocolate malt from france, two letters max weight 100 g each, that's about 6 ounces.

[bluesman]

I would add some freshly brewed expresso to the keg after primary ferment to lend a fresh coffee flavor to the beer.

[Delo]

For what its worth, the base of the Starbucks caramel machiatto is vanilla syrup. The caramel syrup is put on top of the foam. My wife also loves them and I make them at home for her. You may want to add vanilla beans.

I made a vanilla sweet stout that I added espresso when bottling.   It was probably my favorite espresso stout, not that it tasted like a caramel machiatto.

Edit: Brain cramp

[jmcamerlengo]

I read somewhere that in Southern Tier's creme brulee stout(which is freaking phenomenal and has an insane carmel flavor) they take table sugar and carmelize it in a pan turning it into a brown caramel sauce then add it to the boil for the last couple minutes.  Give it a shot, it really lends that caramel sweetness and flavor you're probably looking for.

I'd also cold brew some starbucks coffee with a fresh vanilla bean or 2 split in half and add that to the secondary.

[wamille]

Wow... great ideas guys.  I do ha e black patent by the way.  I appreciate the o  er to send me some though.  I like the idea about heating table sugar to make a caramel sauce and just happen to ha e one  anilla bean a ter making the Bad Santa recipe out o  Zymurgy.  And just might do the cold brewing o some Starbucks as well to add to the secondary.  Thanks  or the ideas and suggestions.

[Hokerer]

Wow... great ideas guys.  I do ha e black patent by the way.  I appreciate the o  er to send me some though.  I like the idea about heating table sugar to make a caramel sauce and just happen to ha e one  anilla bean a ter making the Bad Santa recipe out o  Zymurgy.  And just might do the cold brewing o some Starbucks as well to add to the secondary.  Thanks  or the ideas and suggestions.

Something stuck with your ' v ' and ' f ' keys?

[wamille]

You are  ery obser ant... haha.  My youngest seems to enjoy messing with my computer.  One key went a couple months ago... made writing  un,  antastic, and  reedom di  icult.  Then the other key went a  ew weeks ago.  It is helping me stretch my word usage though.

[phillamb168]

You are  ery obser ant... haha.  My youngest seems to enjoy messing with my computer.  One key went a couple months ago... made writing  un,  antastic, and  reedom di  icult.  Then the other key went a  ew weeks ago.  It is helping me stretch my word usage though.

Pop off some of the number keys (or the function keys) and use those as replacements - they're often the same size.

[Pinski]

I thought about this post as I made my contribution to dinner last week, a bourbon carmel sauce that I love with pie/vanilla ice cream/finger.  In fact it made me decide to add it to a caucasion ala 'the dude'.  Mmmm, Pinski abides. 
The sauce is definitely going to make its way into the boilpot of an upcoming porter.

[jamminbrew]

You are  ery obser ant... haha.  My youngest seems to enjoy messing with my computer.  One key went a couple months ago... made writing  un,  antastic, and  reedom di  icult.  Then the other key went a  ew weeks ago.  It is helping me stretch my word usage though.

I used to prank my coworkers by switching the n and m keys around...