Brown Ale Recipe Critique

**CrookedTail** · 11-18-2011, 12:42 PM

Brown ales are one of my favorite styles. And yet I've never actually brewed one! I've been going back and forth on a PM recipe that I'm working on. I really want this to be a winner. Critiques on the following recipe would be greatly appreciated!

CT's Scaredy Cat American Brown Ale

Fermentables
3.15 lbs Light LME (late boil addition)
3 lbs Two Row Malt
2 lbs Munich Malt
1 lb Caramel 80L
.25 lbs Victory Malt
.25 lbs Chocolate Wheat Malt

Hops
.8 oz Northern Brewer @ 60 min
1 oz Willamette @ 10 min
1 oz Cascade @ 1 min

Yeast
US-05

OG: 1.055
IBU: 35
SRM: 20

**Pappers_** · 11-18-2011, 01:59 PM

Looks good to me. Should be a nice malty beer! I've never used chocolate wheat malt, am curious why you are using that instead of regular chocolate malt (barley)?

**CrookedTail** · 11-18-2011, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappers_

Looks good to me. Should be a nice malty beer! I've never used chocolate wheat malt, am curious why you are using that instead of regular chocolate malt (barley)?

I have it on hand already.

It's similar to chocolate malt, but huskless since it's made from wheat malt. It doesn't have the astringency that normal chocolate malt has, so it's a little smoother. Almost like dehusked carafa.

brewmaster12 · 11-19-2011, 12:56 AM

I really like a few ounces of special roast in my brown ales. Gives it just another layer of flavor

**CrookedTail** · 11-19-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewmaster12

I really like a few ounces of special roast in my brown ales. Gives it just another layer of flavor

I would probably sub the Special Roast for the Victory malt, no? They're supposed to be similar.

**Yooper** · 11-19-2011, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrookedTail

I would probably sub the Special Roast for the Victory malt, no? They're supposed to be similar.

Victory malt tastes warm, nutty and a bit toasty to me. I really like it, and used it in a stout yesterday. I think the recipe looks great as is! I do know one brewer on this forum that says special roast is the best ingredient ever and said that he puts it in "almost everything". I rarely use it though, so I'm no expert on that!

**CrookedTail** · 11-19-2011, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yooper

Victory malt tastes warm, nutty and a bit toasty to me. I really like it, and used it in a stout yesterday. I think the recipe looks great as is! I do know one brewer on this forum that says special roast is the best ingredient ever and said that he puts it in "almost everything". I rarely use it though, so I'm no expert on that!

I've never used Special Roast as well. But from what I've read about it, it is a more intense version of Victory/Biscuit malt.

Thanks for the comments. I think I'm going to go with the recipe in the OP. If it works I'll add it to the recipe database.

**Pappers_** · 11-19-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrookedTail

I have it on hand already.

I do that all the time! Today, I'm brewing a house pale ale, with Bravo, Ivanhoe, Centennial and Cascade hops. Found out I was short of the Cascades by about .25 oz, so used more Centennial. No harm, no foul.

**CrookedTail** · 11-19-2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappers_

I do that all the time! Today, I'm brewing a house pale ale, with Bravo, Ivanhoe, Centennial and Cascade hops. Found out I was short of the Cascades by about .25 oz, so used more Centennial. No harm, no foul.

There's nothing wrong with improvising with what you have on hand. You never know, the beer may turn out better with the substitute ingredients. It's happened to me before!

brewmaster12 · 11-20-2011, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrookedTail

I would probably sub the Special Roast for the Victory malt, no? They're supposed to be similar.

I use both in mine and it comes out malty, nutty, and just layered in intense flavor. I also add a pound of maple syrup to primary.