Looking to get the most molasses possible

If you want to keep the sweetness from the molasses, that will work. And as long as you keg and don't bottle (not even growler fills/gift bottles from the keg), you won't have to worry about bottle bombs.

But you don't have to add it to a secondary. You can add it right to the keg.

 

George Washington was a big fan of molasses. The following is his recipe:

"To Make Small Beer, take a large Siffer [Sifter] full of Bran Hops to your Taste. -- Boil these 3 hours then strain out 30 Gall[ons] into a cooler put in 3 Gall[ons] Molasses while the Beer is Scalding hot or rather draw the Melasses into the cooler & St[r]ain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm then put in a quart of Yeast if the Weather is very Cold cover it over with a Blank[et] & let it Work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask -- leave the bung open till it is almost don[e] Working -- Bottle it the day of the week it was Brewed."

So for a 5 gallon batch, you will need a half gallon of molasses to replicate the molassesness of George Washington's beer.

 

Yes, it does.

 

also yes, as much as half a cup of molasses will definitely be noticed. Half a gallon, yes a shitload, but i think you're mixing your amounts, remember, half a metric shit ton equals 4 crap loads, or one Oprah

 

I used a lb of sugar cane in a belgian and everybody was asking how I got the mollasses flavor into iit. Came out awesome

 

A pound at the end of the boil should add a ton of flavor. You could also use it as the priming sugar to get a little extra punch.

 

i remember using molasses many years ago. back when the TNCJOHB was by far and away the only source of info. that long ago.

while i have no great insight, molasses taught me that moderation is a virtue. so, whatever you think is enough, use half. and not like hops. more is not better with molasses in my experience.
damn it that stuff is potent.

let us know your results, because i think molasses has a a place in beer if done right and i don't really know who is doing it right. maybe you.
Cheers.

 

I'd be most worried about gumming up a dip tube. You might have a hard time diluting molasses into room temp or cold beer.

 

Are you using regular molasses or blackstrap? Blackstrap only with insane moderation, IMO not at all, but some like it.

 

Blackstrap is some potent stuff. Just be careful and maybe blend a small batch first.

 

Most molasses has a strong sulfur component (even if it is advertised as unsulfured). Treacle, on the other hand is much smoother and mo betta, IMHO (especially in something a little lighter and less roasty like a brown ale)