Sensory Analysis Question

[Holt]

What's they best way to learn about the flavors of malt and hops. Short of brewing a million different beers to determine the effect of 1 specific ingredient, I would really like to learn what flavors I really like to help with recipe formulation.

I've heard the BN crew talk about making malt/hop tea and using seltzer water...what's the correct method of performing this kind of analysis at home. Specific volumes and weights would be appreciated--as well as first-hand experience with this kind of taste testing.

[ajdelange]

What's they best way to learn about the flavors of malt and hops. Short of brewing a million different beers to determine the effect of 1 specific ingredient, I would really like to learn what flavors I really like to help with recipe formulation.

That's the best way. Second best is to join a brewing club where tastings are part of every meeting. In my club we do this informally with people standing next to their kegs or wandering around with bottle or growler in hand. You taste the beer and ask the guy what was in it. As flavors synnergize and change dramatically as a consequence of mashing, boiling, and fermentation you can't really map the flavor of a Munich II malt tea into what it tastes like when blended with a ceratain amouint of Munich I and some Pilsn malt... though some things will shine through into finished beer. Ultimately, the only way to understand this is to brew it with x % Munich II and then with y % Munich II and compare the finished product. You will then have an idea as to how much a certain change in the amount of Munich II changes the "raisin" notes in the finished beer. This is, of course, how professional brewers tweak their recipes.

[Holt]

What's they best way to learn about the flavors of malt and hops. Short of brewing a million different beers to determine the effect of 1 specific ingredient, I would really like to learn what flavors I really like to help with recipe formulation.

That's the best way. Second best is to join a brewing club where tastings are part of every meeting.

I have been attending club meetings, and I don't think I am learning much about individual ingredient characteristics through this experience. It seems like most beers I taste there lean towards having the fermentation profile flavors up front which makes it difficult to understand ingredient character.

I was just thinking that if I used the tea method, I would be able to pick out certain flavors in home-brewed or commercial examples that I like--then have a better understanding come recipe formulation time.

Has anyone had experience with making grain/hop teas, and what was your process for making and serving?