Roasted Barley

[jward]

Roasted barley and the benefits of time.... Do you age your beers with roasted barley in the grist?

I have been noticing that my red ale once it hits about 2 months old has that malty, roasty balance that I'm looking for. One of Jamil's stout recipes that I have brewed said one of the keys is letting it age 45 days. Are your stouts, porters, reds and others better with a little age? Do you age them by design?

[BrewMasterBrad]

Roasted barley has a pretty hard edge to its flavor. It does mellow nicely if aged properly. I have found that my beers that contain roasted barley, even if fined with gelatin, end up with quite a bit of black sediment in the finished keg. I think that it takes time for the finer roasted barley bits to settle out of solution and this may contribute to the mellowing flavor with age.

[brahn]

I haven't noticed this any more with roasted barley than in beers without. Certainly a RIS is better with some age on it, but I'm not sure that's due to giving the roasted barley time to mellow.

I brew a very simple dry stout recipe of 90% base (2-Row or MO) and 10% roast barley with a 1:1 BU:GU ratio from a 60 minute addition and I can't say I've noticed it being any better after it's aged. However, this beer should have a pronounced roast character so maybe that's not what you're talking about.

In beers like a red where I'm using something like 1-2% roast barley I can't say I've ever really noticed much roast character. Mostly what I've found I get in that case is color. What percentage RB are you using in your red?

[jward]

The JZ stout recipe is the only one I recall emphasizing some age. I have had some bottles of stout I set aside for quite a while. Later I entered them as a robust porter because the roastyness had reduced. I think that was an oat stout, and the malt may show through more then on a dry stout.

I am only using 2-4 oz. into 25.5lbs of grain. I keep meaning to try a Carafa, Special B or other dehusked or reduced acrid malt.

[brahn]

I've got a bunch of dehusked carafa iii, I bought a pound but only need maybe 6 oz or so. I'd be happy to bring you some if you want to try it.

[oc eric]

I do alot of Browns, Porters, and Stouts and they *always* taste better (the roastiness edge softens) after one month. Some people like the hard roast so I serve it from mature to prime, until it is gone. I like to enjoy the beer at the different stages. That way I get 2 or more beers out of every batch.

[bwarbiany]

John,

Do you use any fining agents? If not, it's a worthwhile experiment... I've found that it helps the "aging" occur immediately, to the extent (as Brad N. points out) that aging is largely the reduction of flavor-affecting sediments.

[jward]

I haven't used fining agents yet but did recently acquire some gelatin from ABP based on previous comments from you and the other Brad. I also have interest in trying yeast other then US05, but that's a different thread.

Brent, I'll re-inventory my grain and see if I have Carafa III. If not I would like to try a few ounces.