Mid strength recipes

[TomC12]

Hi I am new to this forum but have been brewing for 3 years (still green). I have settled on two brews I like but want to refine this so am hoping some of the experienced brewers may have some suggestions. I have used the Lawn mower lager recipe that works as the alcohol level is fine and the taste is quite good. Recently I have used the same for the Draught and the extra bitterness is even better. My question is rather than use the extra water to the 25 litre mark can I drop the BE 1 level to 500g and reduce the water to 23litres and have a little more flavour and still have the alcohol level similar??

I have also recently started to bulk prime using 180g of dextrose. Would I improve the taste by using something else?

I just want to keep it simple as its works and I don't have lots of time to try adding extras at later stages.

 

Thanks in advance Tom[roll]

[Hairy]

Welcome to the forum Tom!

 

A quick summary of the two brews using the Brewcraft calculator:

 

25 litres + 1kg BE1 = OG 1039 and ABV 4.1%

 

23 litres + 500g BE1 = OG 1034 and ABV 3.7%

 

These will be similar tasting beers but one will have less alcohol and slightly less body. If that is what you are aiming for than that is fine.

 

But I woud prefer:

 

23 litres + 500g light dry malt = OG 1034 and ABV 3.8%

 

It is still an easy brew to make. Also check out the recipe section; there are a heap of other mid-strengths there (link below).

 

Mid-Strength Recipes

[TomC12]

Thanks for the quick reply. What will the LDME add flavour wise? I did try with the Mexican Cerveza but was not impressed with the taste as it seemed bland.

[Hairy]

Thanks for the quick reply. What will the LDME add flavour wise? I did try with the Mexican Cerveza but was not impressed with the taste as it seemed bland.

The blandness woud have been from the Cerveza not the LDM [biggrin]

 

The LDM will give the beer a more maltier flavour. It won't completely ferment out and will leave a slight residual sweetness there plus a little body in the beer.

 

The BE1 has dextrose which will ferment out and leave no flavour, and also Maltodextrin which won't ferment out and gives the beer some body.

 

For me it is a personal preference. I don't particularly like BE1 but since you have been using for a while then you obviously do.

 

Try doing one batch with 500g BE1 and the next with 500g LDM; see which one you like better.