IPA-ish project: what do we think?

[J A]

The long boil and the cane sugar might account for the darker than expected coloring, I guess.

Cane sugar not so much, but malt extracts will go dark when you boil a while. I've always experienced that color predictions are off in the calculator when using extracts, especially LME. The cane sugar can be added at the end of the boil but either way it'll thin the body of the beer. Still, depending on your OG and IBUs you'll have a nice beer out of that.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I agree, I always experience darker brews especially since I boil for 90 minutes and more rapidly than normal

 

[AsharaDayne]

malt extracts will go dark when you boil a while.

Is it done to boil with just a part of the extract? That would go towards a lighter overall coloring.

 

[J A]

Is it done to boil with just a part of the extract? That would go towards a lighter overall coloring.

Yeah..."late addition" extract brewing can help with the color problem. It causes it's own set of issues like the potential for beer flavor that seems unsettled compared to all-grain or even full-boil extract. A little more aging is usually all that's needed to overcome the slight "twanginess" that sometimes shows up. That odd "concentrated' flavor profile is usually more of a problem with hopped extracts which have to be added at the very end of the boil.

 

[AsharaDayne]

"late addition"

OK, I'll be trying that.
I'm sticking with dry extract, and stuck with partial boils, so this looks like a good option. Especially since I'm still going for rather highly hopped beers.

 

[J A]

I just opened a bottle of an amber I made last summer using steeped grain/ late addition extract. It's been pretty good from the beginning was quite good after aging for a while. Great mouthfeel and rich malty/caramel flavor from the Munich extract and toasty, roasty, dark fruit notes from the steeping grains. It's possible to make some nice beers that way. Wheat beers always seem to work nicely, too.