Challenge

Nosybear

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A few days ago I called in a recipe to my LHBS. It was supposed to be my Mamacita's Mexican Dunkel. Well, the 10-pound grain bill turned out to be 15 pounds - the guy at the shop mistakenly put 5 pounds (!) of Crystal in the mix. Here's what I have for grains:

3.5 lbs 6-row
2.5 lbs Munich Dark
2.5 lbs Crystal 10L
2.5 lbs Crystal 20L
1.5 lbs Flaked Corn
4 oz Carafa II

I'm wondering what I can make out of that grain bill! It's 12.75 pounds of grain. It will need to be very bitter to overcome all that crystal. Grain bill looks like it will make a kind of honey-toast flavor with a bit of chocolate from the Carafa.

Any recommendations?
 
Can you add some simple sugars to increase the gravity, thereby lowering the overall effect of the crystal? That's a LOT of crystal!
 
Can you add some simple sugars to increase the gravity, thereby lowering the overall effect of the crystal? That's a LOT of crystal!
Thought of that.... Not sure it would help. My thought is to try and offset the sweetness with bitterness (neutral hops like Magnum) and let the honey-treacle notes stay.
 
I'm with Ozarks that's too sweet for me:) cut it with two row and brew two batches maybe mix the yeast and hops between the two..good luck
 
You would be getting into 50 ibu to counter the sweetness. To much of both. I vote split it.
 
Split it seems to be the consensus. I tend to agree. I have a bunch of malt downstairs and a malt mill coming so when it gets here, I'll see what I can salvage from this. Two batches, it is. I'll go with a "mild" for one and may go an IPA route for the other. Will welcome any other suggestions but for now, thanks, guys! Good, well thought out suggestions.
 
Split it seems to be the consensus. I tend to agree. I have a bunch of malt downstairs and a malt mill coming so when it gets here, I'll see what I can salvage from this. Two batches, it is. I'll go with a "mild" for one and may go an IPA route for the other. Will welcome any other suggestions but for now, thanks, guys! Good, well thought out suggestions.

English IPA?
Help it out with water adjustments?
 
If it were me, i would probably split the batch and do a RIS and a BDSA. Sure, the corn isn't part of either of those, but in that small a dose and that big of a beer, it probably won't matter.

Both can handle a bit of sweetness to them and both can have a considerable amount of hop bitterness. Just a thought. Let us know what you end up brewing. I'd be very curious to see what the final product tastes like.
 

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