Splitting a batch of Rye-Recipe critique

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by hopsandmalt, Sep 7, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. hopsandmalt

    hopsandmalt Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2006 Michigan

    I'm brewing a Short's Soft Parade semi-clone for my wife next weekend. My system is set up for 10 gallon batches but I really don't want 10 gallons of fruit beer.

    My plan is to brew 10 gallons of this American rye pale ale:

    23.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 54.76 %
    5.00 lb Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 11.90 %
    1.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 26.4 IBU
    1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 3.4 IBU
    1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops
    -

    For the soft parade clone I will add 3 lbs. of sugar (boiled with 1qt of water and cooled) to the primary fermenter to dry it out and boost the gravity.

    After primary fermentation, I plan on dry hop the lower gravity carboy to turn it into a basic rye pale ale. The other carboy will get racked onto 3 lbs of fresh strawberries, 2 lbs of raspberries, and 1 lb. of blueberries.

    What do you think people? My concern is that It wont be bitter enough for a Rye P.A. but too bitter for a fruit beer.
     
    #1 hopsandmalt, Sep 7, 2013
  2. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Mash 1 wort but do two separate boils. High hopped boil for rye-PA, low hopped boil for fruit beer.
     
    #2 pweis909, Sep 7, 2013
  3. hopsandmalt

    hopsandmalt Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2006 Michigan

    I thought about that but I think it will make for too long of a brew day. Do you think that as written, the recipe will be within the bitterness spec's for both beers?
     
    #3 hopsandmalt, Sep 7, 2013
  4. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm not familiar with the beers you are trying to clone, but in general I would be concerned about how this level of hopping integrates with a fruit beer. I haven't tasted a whole lot of commercial fruitbeers but the only hoppy one that stands out is DFH aprihop. That beer probably has more bittterness than yours, but it is not very sour. 6#s of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, on the other hand, might be expected to add sourness that I think would clash with hop bitterness. Although I think there could also be issues with hop aromatics and fruit aromatics, these are maybe not as big of a deal because you are not doing a lot of aroma hop in the kettle. Mind you, I've never had a fruit beer where I thought the fruits and the hop bitterness were clashing. My speculation is based off my recollection of Jamil Zainasheff's explanation for why his pineapple IPA was a drainpour.

    In the non-fruited beer, sure, the hop bitterness won't be at some mouth-numbing rye-PA level, but I think the added dry hops should give a pleasant overall hop perception. I think I would enjoy it more than the fruit beer.

    BTW, that 3lbs of sugar added to the wort for the fruitbeer seems like a lot, but as I said, I am not familiar with Shorts Soft Parade. Seems like it would be a hard drink, not a soft drink
     
    #4 pweis909, Sep 7, 2013
  5. michaeltrego

    michaeltrego Crusader (447) May 21, 2004 New Hampshire

    I have done something similar once, it added 30-45 min to my brew day. Prior to starting the main batch (adjusted down to 9 gallons instead of 10), make highly hopped mini 1 gallon batch on the stove. Maybe a pound of DME with .5 oz. of Columbus boiled for 30 min. You could also steep some rye malt in the pot while it's coming up to temp so it doesn't dilute the flavor of the final batch. Then at the end of your brew day, blend the 1 gallon with 4 gallons from the main batch.
     
    #5 michaeltrego, Sep 7, 2013
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.