What I want is a beer with an O.G. of about 1.045. It should be red/copper, malty with medium body, relatively low hop bitterness (say 18/22 IBU) and low to no hop flavor or aroma. Basicly a malty, easy drinker which could serve as a session type beer. My first shot at the grist is:
79% Marris Otter
9% Crystal Malt (UK variety about 60 L)
11% Munich Malt
1% Roast Barley
Mash would be single infusion at about 152F.
Hops would be Fuggles or other UK variety, bittering charge only and go for about 20 IBU.
Ferment at 68 F with White Labs 02 (Fullers yeast).
I think this beer would be really good if I could get some toffee flavors in the background so I propose to boil down some of the first runnings. I am hoping that the combination of the diacetyl from the yeast choice along with the carmalized sugars from the boiled wort will give me a buttery/toffee flavor which will not only taste good but make the beer drink bigger than it really is. The other parameter I would like to achieve would be to make the beer really smooth. My initial thought would be to add maybe a little flaked oats or barley but I am open to suggestions. By the way, I added the roast barley to try and dry out the finish plus add the red tint the style requires.
Anyway, if anybody has any good ideas (or thinks some of my ideas are a little off) please let me know. Hopefully I can come up with a really good session beer and hopefully learn a few thinks in the bargin. Thanks for the help.
