Molasses

[Wayne (Captain Yobbo)]

Now I am getting in preparation for St Patricks day I am making the toucan stout and another stout that I am wanting to work out myself my only question is this I want to use molasses in the non toucan recipe. I have a 550g Jar of Blue Label Blackstrap molasses I want to know what would be the maximum amount I should use as I have never used it before and am curious about it. I have heard it gives the beer a nice alcohol sort of rum kick notes to it. I have used dark brown sugar before which gives stouts a nice alcohol kick and that has a little bit of molasses in it. So what would be my best advice as to start at I am thinking maybe 250 - 300g as blackstrap molasses is 50% fermentable so will leave a noticeable taste. I do intend to use A coopers stout kit and also 1kg of LDM and 300g sugar plus some steeped oats for this particular recipe and possibly some crystal malt 250g. Cheers

[Guest]

Sounds Massive Wayno!

 

I'd be very careful with your first use of pure molasses.

 

Besides the molasses, have you brewed that recipe before?

 

If not, you will not know to a point exactly where some of your flavours are coming from.

 

I think it's a very interesting question you pose. I've used honey in brews numerous times & it ferments out in exactly the same way, leaving the residual flavour behind after the yeast has chomped away the sugar content of its make-up.

 

I found 375gms of Honey to be a good level that leaves a nice undertone flavour through the brew. However, you are brewing a heavy roasted malt flavoured beer.

 

If it were me first time at bat looking at the brew you are planning using the molasses, I'd throw 375gms at that darker brew, given my liking for that same amount of honey in a lighter style brew.

 

My 2 cents.

 

Good luck with it Wayno! [biggrin]

 

Anthony.

[Wayne (Captain Yobbo)]

Hi Beer

 

I brewed a similar recipe last year used 500g of dark brown sugar 1kg of LDM. This time I am going for a heavy duty thick stout adding a bit of crystal malt and using steeped oats for better body and mouth feel. So I have varied the recipe but no doubt it will be good. This type of molasses is blackstrap and by what I read its 50% fermentable so that is why I am a bit cautious about it. There is a light molasses which is 90% fermentable which wouldn't leave as much flavour as this kind but I am sort of aiming for a russian imperial stout. I have used honey once and was great honey is I think from memory 95% fermentable so doesn't leave as much flavour I might have to experiment but I also want a great beer ready for St Patricks day I think I have about 30 0 40 g left of fuggles in the freezer and was thinking of throwing that in at a 15 min boil not as much as I would normally use but give it a little bit of hop finish. Maybe 250 - 300g max of molasses would be ideal I had trouble sourcing the molasses read about it being used in stouts and porters a fair bit so thought id give it a go. Now if I like the results I know where to get it and its quite cheap. However was reading another page someone did state it gives the beer a burnt sugar character but I think they may of possibly burnt it in their boil. Also have read to not boil it for more than a minute so a lot of factors we will see. Hopefully someone has used it before and might be able to give me a bit more idea.

 

Cheers Wayne