baby shower beer help

Beer Recipes
1

So I’m brewing two beers for a friends baby shower. One is Imperial chocolate peanut butter oatmeal stout, the second is “imperial” amber/red ginger rye beer. I was hoping to get some feed back on my recipe ideas.
First- the ginger rye. we are shooting for reddish color and hoping to get more ginger flavor (avoiding the heat). Thinking Irish red meets a roggenbeir with ginger/  I’m also hoping the late addition honey and candied ginger will provide a touch of sweetness to balance the heat.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Imperial ginger rye

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American Amber Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 6 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.060
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.083
Final Gravity: 1.022
ABV (standard): 8.01%
IBU (tinseth): 14.78
SRM (morey): 21.92

FERMENTABLES:
11 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (62.9%)
2.5 lb - American - Rye (14.3%)
20 oz - Honey - (late addition)  (7.1%)
20 oz - Honey (7.1%)
0.5 lb - United Kingdom - Chocolate (2.9%)
0.75 lb - United Kingdom - Crystal 45L (4.3%)
0.25 lb - American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (1.4%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 9.44
0.25 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.5, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 3.63
0.25 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.5, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 1.71

MASH GUIDELINES:

  1. Sparge, Temp: 155 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 19.5 qt
    Starting Mash Thickness: 1.3 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 oz - Fresh gigner (diced), Time: 15 min, Type: Spice, Use: Boil
1 oz - candied ginger, Time: 7200 min, Type: Spice, Use: Secondary
1 oz - fresh ginger (diced), Time: 60 min, Type: Spice, Use: Mash
1 tsp - Irish moss, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Wyeast - British Ale 1335
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 74.5%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 63 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 66 F

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Denver, Colorado, USA
Ca2: 32
Mg2: 9
Na: 0
Cl: 24
SO4: 21
HCO3: 0
Water Notes:

NOTES:
Use 2pkgs of yeast

Generated by Brewer’s Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2017-02-13 06:00 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2017-02-13 04:26 UTC

the second we are shooting a non-super sweet beer version of a Reese’s cup.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: oatmeal choc peanut butter

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Imperial Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 6 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.069
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.086
Final Gravity: 1.023
ABV (standard): 8.24%
IBU (tinseth): 42.01
SRM (morey): 33.26

FERMENTABLES:
6.5 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (31%)
6.5 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (31%)
2 lb - Belgian Candi Syrup - Clear (0L) (9.5%)
1 lb - Flaked Oats (4.8%)
1 lb - Rice Hulls (4.8%)
1.5 lb - United Kingdom - Amber (7.1%)
1 lb - United Kingdom - Golden Naked Oats (4.8%)
0.75 lb - American - Dark Chocolate (3.6%)
0.5 lb - American - Roasted Barley (2.4%)
0.25 lb - American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (1.2%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Brewer’s Gold, Type: Pellet, AA: 9, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 24.03
1 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 12.01
1 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 5.96

MASH GUIDELINES:

  1. Sparge, Temp: 155 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 22.8 qt
    Starting Mash Thickness: 1.3 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
8 oz - Cacoa powder, Time: 10 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Boil
6.8 oz - peanut butter powder, Time: 10 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Boil
8 oz - Cacoa chips , Time: 14400 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
6.8 oz - peanut butter powder, Time: 14400 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary

YEAST:
Wyeast - American Ale II 1272
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 74%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 60 - 72 F
Fermentation Temp: 65 F

NOTES:
2pkgs of yeast

Generated by Brewer’s Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2017-02-13 06:18 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2017-02-13 06:18 UTC

Any and all feedback is welcome

2

Very ambitious! Have you made these before? When I brew for an event, I go with the tried and true. The other thing is they seem to be pretty big beers for a baby shower. Call me an old fart, but I’m conjuring an image of young moms staggering and then passing out. :wink:

3

Regarding the amber ale:

From a cooking viewpoint, fresh ginger is your best bet for bright and citrusy ginger character.  I would forego the candied ginger due to the character loss and change that happens during the candying process; and the “candied” part is just sugar so if you want added sugar in your beer then simply add sugar.  Anyway, to avoid excessive change in the ginger character and avoid extracting too much from it (i.e. heat, earthiness, etc) I would add it at flameout and give it a 10-15 steep at ~170F.  I’ve done this method with success on witbiers; granted, I didn’t have to use as much as you probably will.  I only use 0.2oz of fresh ginger matchsticks, but you’d probably be looking closer to 0.4-0.6oz.

It seems like an awful lot of chocolate malt for an amber ale (imperial or not). I’d be concerned you’re going to step into “brown ale” territory with that amount in both color and flavor.  Assuming this is an american-influenced amber ale then I would remove all chocolate and sub in another 1-2 cara malts to deliver the color you desire, which should also have the effect of putting the beer back into the “amber ale” ballpark.  I would go with 0.5lb US C80L and 1.0lb UK C45L (and scrap the chocolate malt and carapils).

As mentioned above, I would also leave out the carapils.  Your beer has enough malt quantity and cara malts that you should not be lacking in body, mouthfeel, or head retention properties.

As for the stout:

I would personally use either plain table sugar instead of the clear candi syrup, or make my own invert or clear syrup.  If you were using a colored candi syrup then I’d stick with it, but being the “clear” variety I would save the cost.  This is primarily a cost viewpoint.  As for using table sugar or clear candi syrup in this imperial stout, I wouldn’t - I would go all malt; I’d be concerned that the extra degrees of attenuation would make the finished beer too fuel-like, solventy, alcoholic, hot, etc.

You should not need any rice hulls for this recipe since you’ll have a nice, thick malt grainbed.  However, if you strongly believe you’ll want to use them then you should consider them for your amber ale as well since it’s probably more problematic with more adjunct as well as it being rye, which tends to be more thick, viscous, snot-like :smiley:

Again, the carapils I’d swap out for more base or other cara malt.  In fact, you have no cara malts at all in this recipe.  You might consider using some to bring up the sweet side of the beer a little bit.

I’ve never used cacao or peanut butter in beers so I can’t be of any help with that.

This is all opinion, of course, and only how I would approach these recipes if I was brewing them.  If you changed nothing, you’d still make beer that people would drink and enjoy.

BTW, don’t let the expecting mother have more that a few sips of each style :wink: (it’s not good for the baby :D)

4

thank for the suggestions. After having a conversation with my friends on their desired timeline we have made the following changes.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: ginger rye

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Irish Red Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 6 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.041
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.017
ABV (standard): 6.22%
IBU (tinseth): 22.54
SRM (morey): 9.33

FERMENTABLES:
9 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (66.7%)
1 lb - German - Rye (7.4%)
30 oz - Honey - (late addition)  (13.9%)
10 oz - Honey (4.6%)
0.25 lb - United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate (1.9%)
0.5 lb - German - CaraRed (3.7%)
0.25 lb - American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (1.9%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.8, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 13.36
0.25 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.8, Use: Boil for 40 min, IBU: 5.86
0.25 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.8, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 3.32

MASH GUIDELINES:

  1. Sparge, Temp: 155 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 19.5 qt
    Starting Mash Thickness: 1.3 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 oz - Fresh gigner (diced), Time: 15 min, Type: Spice, Use: Boil
1 oz - fresh ginger (diced), Time: 60 min, Type: Spice, Use: Mash
1 tsp - Irish moss, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Wyeast - British Ale 1335
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 74.5%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 63 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 66 F

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Denver, Colorado, USA
Ca2: 32
Mg2: 9
Na: 0
Cl: 24
SO4: 21
HCO3: 0
Water Notes:

NOTES:
Use 2pkgs of yeast

Generated by Brewer’s Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2017-02-14 00:03 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2017-02-14 00:02 UTC

for the stout

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: oatmeal choc peanut butter

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Oatmeal Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 6 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.048
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.016
ABV (standard): 5.71%
IBU (tinseth): 36.29
SRM (morey): 33.02

FERMENTABLES:
5 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (35.1%)
1 lb - United Kingdom - Amber (7%)
1 lb - Flaked Oats (7%)
0.5 lb - United Kingdom - Golden Naked Oats (3.5%)
0.5 lb - American - Chocolate (3.5%)
0.25 lb - American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (1.8%)
0.5 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 120L (3.5%)
5 lb - Colorado pale malt (35.1%)
0.5 lb - Stout roasted barley (3.5%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Brewer’s Gold, Type: Pellet, AA: 9, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 29.07
1 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 7.21

MASH GUIDELINES:

  1. Sparge, Temp: 155 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 22.8 qt
    Starting Mash Thickness: 1.3 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
8 oz - Cacoa powder, Time: 10 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Boil
6.8 oz - peanut butter powder, Time: 10 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Boil
8 oz - Cacoa chips , Time: 14400 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
6.8 oz - peanut butter powder, Time: 14400 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary

YEAST:
Wyeast - American Ale II 1272
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 74%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 60 - 72 F
Fermentation Temp: 65 F

NOTES:
2pkgs of yeast

Generated by Brewer’s Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2017-02-14 00:13 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2017-02-14 00:13 UTC

my store had 2pkgs of the American ale yeast and 1 pkg of the British ale yeast. Looking at the expected gravities would it make sense to split one the American ale yeast pkgs, so each batch would have the, 1.5pkgs? My concern would be that the flavors of the British ale yeast would be lost? Also with the changes in the mal t beer to the Irish red, the predicted SRM looks like it will be a touch for golden than red. Will a decoction increase the the red color? Should i go back to the store and buy like 1lb  more carared/ or other grain/ or just roll with it?