Was thinking of brewing this as like an Oktoberfest/barleywine type brew. I was wondering if you guys think the grain would be too sweet/malty for a 5.5 gallon batch. 7 lbs pale ale malt 4 lbs Vienna 3 lbs Munich 1.5 lbs briess extra special malt Bittering hops will most likely be brewers gold with fuggles for flavor and aroma. I want it to be malty and toasty but but cloying.
I know I want it malty and toasty like an Oktoberfest, but its going to have a bit of an English hoppy bite with a dark fruit subtleness.
So is the goal an sort of imperial Oktoberfest? I'd consider C120 in place of the Extra Special - I think the prune/raisin in that might be a bit more up-front with 120. What's your planned mash temp and how high of a FG are you looking for?
Yeah, let's talk OG while we're at it. You're recipe is still hanging out in the Octoberfest area for the beer. Are you wanting something more fortified like a barley wine, or are you just wanting some of the characteristics of a barley wine?
As far as yeast, has anyone tried any Mangrove Jack Yeasts? They have one called Newcastle which states it is for English dark ales and ferments with dark fruit flavors. Haven't seen much from this company but the few reviews I have seen are all positive.
