Gonna Do a Sparkling Ale

[brada7]

Hey Brewers, got myself the Sparkling Ale kit and as soon as my stout is finished, its "goin down". Have read many comments online that a lot have found it a bit sweet. Wanting to avoid this, should I take out some malt from the recommended recipe? Will that throw the bitterness out of whack?

[Guest]

If your worried about it being a bit sweet then you could boil up some hops or dry hop with 25 grams of whatever hop you like to add some more flaour and bitterness. I guess you will just have to experiment to see what you like best.

[brada7]

Thanks Sir Jimmy, I was gonna dry hop some hops anyway but was concerned that by cutting back on malt it might go the other way and make it too bitter. I would prefer to nail it first up rather than expensive experimenting[biggrin] .

[brada7]

Is wheat malt more fermentable than light malt therefore less residual sweetness?

[Guest]

To me wheat beer is more dry tasting maby thats why paul suggested the small amount to counter the sweetness. Also wheat malt gives more head retention than barly.

[Guest]

Thanks Sir Jimmy' date=' I was gonna dry hop some hops anyway but was concerned that by cutting back on malt it might go the other way and make it too bitter. I would prefer to nail it first up rather than expensive experimenting[biggrin'] .

Dry hopping will not bitter your brew. If you need to make it more bitter you can either cut back on the volume of water you add to the FV or boil some hops or use less malt.

[brada7]

Thanks Bill, I do understand that dry hopping won't impart bitterness. What I am trying to do is avoid a bit of the sweetness that quite a few have found with the recommended recipe.

If I cut back on the malt to avoid this would this not make it more bitter and out of balance. The suggestion to use wheat malt makes a bit of sense if it is not as cloying as regular malt.