Granola Bar Braggot

[Mill Rat]

Gonna give this a try in two weeks. Criticism is welcome, plus any help on a couple of questions.

Granola Bar Braggot

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
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26-B Other Mead, Braggot

Grain/Extract/Sugar
-------------------

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.2 2.00 lbs. Oat Malt America 30.00 3
34.3 4.50 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 37.00 2
7.6 1.00 lbs. Rye Malt Deutschland 30.00 4
22.9 3.00 lbs. North Aurora Honey North Aurora, 35.00 0
10.5 1.38 lbs. Wheat Malt America 38.00 2
3.8 0.50 lbs. Honey Malt Canada 30.00 18
3.8 0.50 lbs. Biscuit Malt Belgium 35.00 22
1.9 0.25 lbs. Molasses Generic 36.00 80

Potential represented as Points per pound per gallon.

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Northern Brewer A Whole 8.50 25.5 60 min.

Yeast
-----
WYeast 2308 Munich Lager (Slurry from previous)

Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 9.88
Water Qts: 10.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.06 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 150 Time: 30
Mash-out Rest Temp : 170 Time: 5
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 60

Now for the questions:

I'm planning to add fenugreek for maple flavor. Does anyone have guidance on amt of fenugreek per 5-gallon batch?

Also looking to produce a nutty flavor - any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[corkybstewart]

Maybe a couple of pounds of Grape Nuts or wild rice for the nutty flavor. I've never tried either of them but I have seen recipes using them.

[OntheLoose]

I use Victory to try and get a nutty flavor.

[vance71975]

just an idea for that nutty flavor, try adding 1 cup finely chopped Almonds either in the last 10 mins of the boil or to secondary. Just a though, hmmmm maybe ill do an almond stout!

[beerking]

Doesn't seem like much honey for a braggot. General rule of thumb is that a braggot should get more than 50% of its fermentables from the honey. Otherwise, it is a honey beer (not that that is a bad thing).

[Mill Rat]

Good ideas, all. Might have to bump the honey a bit to meet the standards of the ministry of arbitrary rules if I want to put this in comps. Vance, be careful, a goalie might be telling you what the oil in those almonds will do to the finished product...

[Mikegobrew]

Vance, be careful, a goalie might be telling you what the oil in those almonds will do to the finished product...

Now that's the second reference tonight that if I didn't "know" you guys I wouldn't have understood. I love this site.

[beerking]

Might have to bump the honey a bit to meet the standards of the ministry of arbitrary rules if I want to put this in comps.

MR, I think you already know this about me, but for those that may not.
Style GUIDELINES serve 2 primary purposes, IMHO:
1. To categorize the beer properly for entry into competitions. Yes, there are competitions that use no guidelines, but they are very few, and rather unique. By stating a style, the judge has some idea what to compare the entered beer to. If you enter a pils, and I am judging it to the "standards" of an IPA, we got problems.
2. To give the consumer some idea of what is in the bottle before he buys or opens it. There are times when I want a Kolsch, and there are times I want a barleywine. These are not interchangeable.

All that being said, I greatly enjoy trying unique beers, and find those that go "outside the box" to be a lot of fun. Hopefully, in the case of commercial beer, the label will give me some idea of what to expect. If not, chances of my buying the beer are much lower...depending on the brewery. There are a few breweries that I will buy anything they bottle (Lost Abbey, Russian River, Stone, Victory,...) at least once. But if some brewery I have not tried before, or one I have only had a few beers from, puts out a "Pineapple Upsidedown Cake Fresh Hopped Wild Ale" I probably won't touch it until I have heard something more about the brewery or the beer.
(Hmmm, I just noticed that the first 2 breweries I mentioned, and to a lesser extent Stone, are somewhat renowned for out-of-the-box beers....they also happen to be 2 of my favorite breweries).

Bottom line: Styles GUIDELINES (not RULES) serve their purpose, but are not all inclusive.

[markaberrant]

You also have to take the "ingredients" and "stats" section of the guidelines with a grain of salt. If you follow them, you will likely end up with a beer that falls into that category. But in my experience, I can brew a beer that doesn't completely follow these rules, and it will still score very well in that category. The judges don't see your recipe or your stats, they can only judge using their senses. If it tastes like a braggot, it's a braggot.

[beerking]

I agree completely. The ingredients references are mostly good suggestions (although a few are damn near required. Any Bo Pils without Saaz will probably not do well...if the judge knows his stuff).
case in point: I am aware of an American commercial Okto that uses Special B in the mash. Tastes pretty damn good, too!

[Mill Rat]

All those different categories allows a comp to give out a hell of lot more awards, too, which is about the best way for the comp to get free publicity. Not that I mind, it means I've got more ribbons to hang on the kegerator!

[vance71975]

Vance, be careful, a goalie might be telling you what the oil in those almonds will do to the finished product...

Well i hope he does cause ya, i already made it so where is wortchillergoal hiding anyway?