Rick- Great tips! Thanks - I'll give it a shot. So far, the list is: Carapils - Body Wheat - Head retention Rausch - "familiar", defining character Special B - Body, Color, Lace, Malt accentuation Anybody got any other "trick" ingredients? - Al ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Oftel To: alboyce(a)bigfoot.com Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 9:13 AM Subject: Re: Fw: "Trick" Ingredients Al, That's why they are called trick ingredients!!! Don't have any good recommendations but I like to stretch the rausch very thin so you almost can't notice it maybe 0.5-2%. The "B" gets a little heavier dose maybe 2-3% unless you are making a red or dark. Then I boost the B to about 4% (never over 8%!). The beech adds an interesting "familiar" flavor that seems to help define the malt, hops, yeast and water character. Possibly it acts like that Chinese MSG but I am not a food chemist. I like the term "help define" because you usually don't want to notice it but would like it to be present in the background. Try a small addition sometime. The "B" is a body builder, color booster, malt accented, and lace creator but it only helps promote those characters. Used as the only specialty grain, it quickly becomes overpowering. I would suggest a interesting experiment. Make a small batch and use 80% Pills, 10%B and 10% Rauch. You will quickly understand the character these grains add. Rick- OK, Rausch for smoke I understand. But what "character" does Special B provide, and how much do you recommend, say, for 5 gallons? Thanks! - Al ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Oftel" <Rick.Oftel(a)toro.com> To: <mba(a)thebarn.com>; <allan.boyce(a)usbank.com> Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 8:12 AM Subject: Re: "Trick" Ingredients