Banana Bread Beer Options

[vantuckeybrew]

So I have a thought of a banana bread beer for january. I haven't put it into beer tools or anything yet I jsut wanted some basic advice.I
m looking for a bready, malty, biscuit like profile with a banana finish. I'm thinking something like this

5lbs extra light dry extract
1lb Belgian Biscuit malt
1lb Belgian aromatic malt

.5 oz chinook 60min
.5 oz chinook 1 min

WLP 300 Hefeweisen yeast

Any thoughts on how to develop these flavors further. I'm also not sure on the hop profile, but I want to keep the IBUS somewhere below 15 or so.

[YeastWrangler72]

So I have a thought of a banana bread beer for january. I haven't put it into beer tools or anything yet I jsut wanted some basic advice.I
m looking for a bready, malty, biscuit like profile with a banana finish. I'm thinking something like this

5lbs extra light dry extract
1lb Belgian Biscuit malt
1lb Belgian aromatic malt

.5 oz chinook 60min
.5 oz chinook 1 min

WLP 300 Hefeweisen yeast

Any thoughts on how to develop these flavors further. I'm also not sure on the hop profile, but I want to keep the IBUS somewhere below 15 or so.

Really neat idea - very cool. My knowledge is limited - but I just had to give you props!
Adding any (sweet) spices? Clove? Cinnamon?

[vantuckeybrew]

The WLP300 gives some clove flavor during higher fermentation temps, so I figured it would be enough. Some cinnamon or extra clove might be nice in it though, its not a bad idea

[Dave F]

The WLP300 gives some clove flavor during higher fermentation temps, so I figured it would be enough. Some cinnamon or extra clove might be nice in it though, its not a bad idea

Be careful...with real cloves a little really goes a long way! The esters you'd get from a Belgian yeast might be enough in themselves for the clove realm...
What about some molasses or dark brown sugar in there?

[BardsBrew]

You have to tell how this comes out, it sounds real good. (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/goodidea.gif)

[vantuckeybrew]

Some molassass might be real good, I'll have to think that over, I'll probably be brewing around the end of december for this one. I'll let you know.

[DavidS]

The WLP360 gives off much better banana notes. I think it is the warmer temps that give it. Be careful with the citrusy hops. They may overpower. I think for what your are trying to achieve, magnum or other clean hop with just a bittering addition would be best.

[kozydogg]

The WLP360 gives off much better banana notes. I think it is the warmer temps that give it. Be careful with the citrusy hops. They may overpower. I think for what your are trying to achieve, magnum or other clean hop with just a bittering addition would be best.

360? Did you mean 380?

[vantuckeybrew]

white labs lists the WL380 as having minimal banana notes, with strong phenols and clove. The WL300 is listed as providing the strongest banana notes. I was hoping for some feedback on hop schedule. I wasn't sure about the chinooks, but they are what I have around. Magnum is a little high on the AA for what I'm looking for, but would one of the noble hops give a better clean flavor?

[DavidS]

Sorry I meant the 380. My notes seem to indicate the 380 as a better banana flavor. I will have to go back and try the 300 again.

Perle or Hallertauer may be a good alternative.

[TAPPER]

Have you considered maybe replacing some biscuit/aromatic with crystal malt in the 80 - 120 range to pull out some caramel/raisin/date/bread crust notes? Perhaps a backbone of munich/vienna vs. the light DME?

Split the batch on WLP300 and 380 and see which you like best. I'd keep fermentation temps around 62 - 64. Should give a nice clove/banana balance.

Really this kind of sounds like you're trying to make a sort of "twisted" dunkelweizen by using some specialty malts to give you the sweeter baked bread profile.

I'd also shoot for a higher starting gravity, say in the 1.060 - 70 range. Those yeasts won't attenuate too far and hopefully leave you in the 1.016 - 1.020 range which should lend a banana bread like sweetness.

Hmmm...maybe even caramelize a bit of the wort. Get all your sugars into a couple gallons or so of water and boil for maybe 30ish minutes.

Sounds like fun.

[Bierliebhaber]

Tettnanger and/or Saaz hops will provide some spice and sweetness while keeping your AA quite low.

[vantuckeybrew]

So I've tweaked the recipe a little bit for this thing and wanted to get some feedback. I'm trying to get the FG to 1.020 and this comes in at 1.018.

5 lbs DME
3lbs biscuit
2 lb aromatic
1lb Crystal 80

.5oz Tetnanger 60min
.5 Tetnagner 15min

I also may tweak this into an AG recipe with Marris Otter if I get money for my equipment for Christmas. Am I using too many specialty grains in this thing, I'm not sure if it is too much Biscuit, I may back that off to 2 lbs, but I want a strong flavor of bread in this beer.

[vantuckeybrew]

OK so I'm brewing this this weekend and made some final adjustments with the help from my LHBS. I'm adding in 1lb dark brown sugar and 1lb victory and cutting back the biscuit and aromatic to 1lb a piece. I going to ferment on the warm side around 70 F to enhance the banana phenolics. I will let you know how it turns out

[Highlander]

I'd keep the ferment temps low. You don't say what yeast you ended up with, but they will give you those profiles at low temps. At high temps, it may be more than you really want especially if it is a really active ferment and the wort temp rises a lot.

I might try it myself; replace the hops with Vangard, and use the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis yeast since I have that active right now.