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

Author Topic: pastry beer that isnt a stout basic guidelines?  (Read 254 times)

Offline fredthecat

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1934
pastry beer that isnt a stout basic guidelines?
« on: March 04, 2024, 09:40:38 am »
i finally had an idea for a pastry style beer involving almond extract. any thougjts on making a cakey beer, 3ven a stout if thats what youre used to??

im starting from near zero on this

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7797
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: pastry beer that isnt a stout basic guidelines?
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2024, 11:53:26 am »
I don't have much to add other than you probably can use any malty style as a base. Brown Ale, Märzen, Dunkel and Old Ale come to mind if you want to choose a non-stout as a base. Dunkelweizen might be ok, but you'd probably want a yeast that you know well so you can control the phenolic/ester balance.
Eric B.

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

Offline fredthecat

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1934
Re: pastry beer that isnt a stout basic guidelines?
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2024, 02:22:22 pm »
I don't have much to add other than you probably can use any malty style as a base. Brown Ale, Märzen, Dunkel and Old Ale come to mind if you want to choose a non-stout as a base. Dunkelweizen might be ok, but you'd probably want a yeast that you know well so you can control the phenolic/ester balance.

thinking it through, yes - maerzen came to mind, using vienna and a bit of munich, but then sort of capping off that raw dough/grain with

victory malt, crystal, flaked barley, small roasted.

i have
38% vienna
30% 2row
8% flaked barley
8% munich II
7% victory
7% crystal 40
2% brown malt

aiming for very sweet, like certainly a "dessert" beer. using a maltotriose negative yeast like WLP002 -
1.084 down to 1.028

but i want to use this as a base to add almond extract and see how that goes. i really love the taste of almond, marzipan and especially almond extract.

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7797
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: pastry beer that isnt a stout basic guidelines?
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2024, 08:04:20 am »
I don't have much to add other than you probably can use any malty style as a base. Brown Ale, Märzen, Dunkel and Old Ale come to mind if you want to choose a non-stout as a base. Dunkelweizen might be ok, but you'd probably want a yeast that you know well so you can control the phenolic/ester balance.

thinking it through, yes - maerzen came to mind, using vienna and a bit of munich, but then sort of capping off that raw dough/grain with

victory malt, crystal, flaked barley, small roasted.

i have
38% vienna
30% 2row
8% flaked barley
8% munich II
7% victory
7% crystal 40
2% brown malt

aiming for very sweet, like certainly a "dessert" beer. using a maltotriose negative yeast like WLP002 -
1.084 down to 1.028

but i want to use this as a base to add almond extract and see how that goes. i really love the taste of almond, marzipan and especially almond extract.
Yeah, almond extract has a very distinct cherry-like flavor that I can see working well here. Keep us posted how it turns out!

edit - I also think WLP002 has the perfect ester profile to accentuate this
Eric B.

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

Offline fredthecat

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1934
Re: pastry beer that isnt a stout basic guidelines?
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2024, 03:57:25 pm »
I don't have much to add other than you probably can use any malty style as a base. Brown Ale, Märzen, Dunkel and Old Ale come to mind if you want to choose a non-stout as a base. Dunkelweizen might be ok, but you'd probably want a yeast that you know well so you can control the phenolic/ester balance.

thinking it through, yes - maerzen came to mind, using vienna and a bit of munich, but then sort of capping off that raw dough/grain with

victory malt, crystal, flaked barley, small roasted.

i have
38% vienna
30% 2row
8% flaked barley
8% munich II
7% victory
7% crystal 40
2% brown malt

aiming for very sweet, like certainly a "dessert" beer. using a maltotriose negative yeast like WLP002 -
1.084 down to 1.028

but i want to use this as a base to add almond extract and see how that goes. i really love the taste of almond, marzipan and especially almond extract.
Yeah, almond extract has a very distinct cherry-like flavor that I can see working well here. Keep us posted how it turns out!

edit - I also think WLP002 has the perfect ester profile to accentuate this

i was looking up the almond extract flavour molecule - benzaldehyde - and it has no negative health concerns. im thinking of just going ahead with an almond extract i enjoy, ive been using a basic one with marzipan/almond flour pastries for years of course. and thats the kind of taste im looking for.

cherry flavour is probably out there and if i could get a small amount i could imagine that accentuating this. or even using that liqueur made from apricot pits tht people mistake for almond-liqueuer. amaretto

the pdf below discusses raw almond vs roasted almond. and i think i wont complicate this by soaking real and/or toasted almonds in ethanol to extract flavour.


https://mitchell.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk916/files/inline-files/Understanding%20the%20Chemistry%20of%20Almond%20Flavor.pdf

i want a marzipan pastry beer