Specialty Grain Percentages: Styles

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by TastyAdventure, Jan 25, 2014.

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  1. TastyAdventure

    TastyAdventure Initiate (0) Nov 13, 2012 Kentucky

    It would be wicked helpful if there was a list of all beer styles and the general percentage range of the grain bill that is specialty grains. When formulating recipes I struggle with this. I just made a "stout" that turned out more like a dry, smaller porter, or a dark mild brown. I blame not enough specialty grains. I have no idea but I was hoping maybe someone more experienced could provide at least a few styles?

    For example:
    I like to make my American Amber ales with about 10-15% of the grain bill being various specialty malts.

    What say you?
     
    #1 TastyAdventure, Jan 25, 2014
  2. Travisurfin247

    Travisurfin247 Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2010 South Carolina

    #2 Travisurfin247, Jan 25, 2014
    Ron26 likes this.
  3. wspscott

    wspscott Pooh-Bah (1,958) May 25, 2006 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    It sounds like you need to buy "Designing Great Beers". Amazon has it for $17, well worth the price.
     
    #3 wspscott, Jan 25, 2014
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  4. rocdoc1

    rocdoc1 Savant (1,215) Jan 13, 2006 New Mexico

    wspcott has the answer. Ray Daniels deconstructs award winning recipes and presents the ingredients graphically. With his excellent history and descriptions of each style Designing Great Beers is probably my favorite homebrewing book. He doesn't present any recipes, but he gives you the tools to make your own.
     
    #4 rocdoc1, Jan 25, 2014
  5. pweis909

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

    Brewing classic styles is the book I usually consult for this. While the book gives percentages for a specific recipe, you don't have to brew the recipe exactly, just use percentages as a guideline and experiment.
     
    #5 pweis909, Jan 25, 2014
    JoeSpartaNJ likes this.
  6. JoeSpartaNJ

    JoeSpartaNJ Zealot (691) Feb 5, 2008 New Jersey

    This is my go to guide. I haven't actually made any of the recipes in the book but have used them for a basis of comparison.
     
    #6 JoeSpartaNJ, Jan 25, 2014
  7. firstthenlast

    firstthenlast Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2013 Massachusetts

    a good start is bjcp style guidelines. They will give a list of some common ingredients. They also give you an appropriate go, fg and srm value. You can then go a site like brewers friend and then see how much of each grain you should use to get the right color and gravity using suggested ingredients.
     
    #7 firstthenlast, Jan 25, 2014
  8. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    That's the second time this book has come up today. :slight_smile:
     
    #8 inchrisin, Jan 26, 2014
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