Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Too much caramunich, doh!  (Read 8589 times)

Offline mpietropaoli

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 258
Too much caramunich, doh!
« on: September 27, 2012, 09:45:11 am »
Making Jamil's standard saison today:

10.5# pilsner
.75# wheat malt
.75# munich
1# table sugar

it is supposed to have 2oz of caramunich, but instead I measured, milled, and then MIXED with the rest of the grain .75 LBS (12oz) of caramunich. Yes, six times the recipe (but still under 6% of the total grain bill; 5.4% of total fermentables).

I know caramunich will add body, caramel, and sweetness (the latter very NOT appropriate for the style), HOWEVER, here is the catch:

I am planning on doing a secondary fermentation with this beer with 3-4lbs of fresh cranberries for our brewing guild Christmas party. Would this sweetness help to balance out the tartness/sourness of the cranberries, or will it simply just be too much? The good thing is, I have kind of written off hitting my color completely, as I've read around the interwebs that cranberries will add a brownish color to the beer anyway.

Could I/shouldni kick up the table sugar or add a half lb of honey to further dry?  I was planning on doing 90 minute mash at 147 anyway.
Bubblin': helles
Flowin': IIPA, Doppelbock, Flanders
Sittin': More Flanders, Braison,
Thinkin': wit, more helles

Offline rjharper

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 646
    • Angry Scotsman Brewing
Re: Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2012, 10:02:10 am »
An extra 10oz of any grain into 5 gallons will only add a couple of gravity points at most, and once it's fermented out, even if it leaves behind unfermentables, you should only be looking at an extra .001. I'd say RDWHAHB, maybe mash a little lower/longer but out should be fine. I wouldn't add anymore sugar.

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7788
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2012, 10:24:30 am »
I don't think 6% CaraMunich will add too much sweetness. It may not finish out quite as dry as a typical saison, but I don't think it will end up out of style. I wouldn't bother with the added sugar. Just RDWHAHB.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline mpietropaoli

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 258
Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2012, 11:05:08 pm »
This thing is bubbling more than any other brew I've done (51st!)...hoping it will be nice and dry before I secondary with the cranberries!
Bubblin': helles
Flowin': IIPA, Doppelbock, Flanders
Sittin': More Flanders, Braison,
Thinkin': wit, more helles

Offline violaleebrews

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 59
  • "the bottle was dusty, but the liquor was clean"
Re: Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2012, 10:06:15 am »
I imagine it'll complement the cranberries really nice.  Got a friend who made an ABA with a pound of caramunich which dominated the beer.  I'm hoping the second bottle will be nice next year.  But I think the cranberries will be a really nice touch.  How much are you planning to use?

Offline mpietropaoli

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 258
Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2012, 06:22:41 am »
Was thinking about as much as 5#, then if they ferment out, supplement it with cran extract
Bubblin': helles
Flowin': IIPA, Doppelbock, Flanders
Sittin': More Flanders, Braison,
Thinkin': wit, more helles

Offline mpietropaoli

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 258
Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2012, 06:24:07 am »
Turned out pretty tasty tho after 10 days, ramping temp slowly up to 80.  Will prob finish right around 1.010
Bubblin': helles
Flowin': IIPA, Doppelbock, Flanders
Sittin': More Flanders, Braison,
Thinkin': wit, more helles

Offline mpietropaoli

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 258
Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2012, 07:32:04 pm »
Wow.  Tried a sample after being on the cranberries for 5 days.  Wow.  Excellent.
Bubblin': helles
Flowin': IIPA, Doppelbock, Flanders
Sittin': More Flanders, Braison,
Thinkin': wit, more helles

Offline The Professor

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 863
  • "In the next life, you're on your own"
Re: Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2012, 08:37:51 pm »
I don't think 6% CaraMunich will add too much sweetness. It may not finish out quite as dry as a typical saison, but I don't think it will end up out of style. I wouldn't bother with the added sugar. Just RDWHAHB.

Relax, indeed!
Besides, unless you're competition bound, it doesn't matter a whit if it's "to style" or not. 
It sounds like it turned out to be a tasty beer and that's all that matters...what you taste is far more important than any arbitrary "style" rules. 
Every style after all is,  and always has been, open to interpretation.
AL
New Brunswick, NJ
[499.6, 101.2] Apparent Rennerian
Homebrewer since July 1971

Offline mpietropaoli

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 258
Re: Too much caramunich, doh!
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2012, 12:38:05 pm »
I may actually enter this.  Excellent saisony/orange/corainder nose, nice tartness from the pureed cranberries.  Was thinking i may need to add extract as well, but I don't think so.  Gorgeous color too.
Bubblin': helles
Flowin': IIPA, Doppelbock, Flanders
Sittin': More Flanders, Braison,
Thinkin': wit, more helles