Looking for input on american brown ale recipe

motorneuron said:

There are a few different varieties of English brown, which vary in final sweetness and gravity and a number of other more subtle ways. It is true that the modern version of American brown ale tends to be hoppier (that's what makes anything American, right?). But brown ale is a bit of a loose style.

In any event, if you're not entering it into a competition, it doesn't matter how you go about it as long as you get something delicious. For those purposes, I tend to think that the somewhat richer flavor of English grain is a great choice for a brown ale. It depends what you want to play up, though. If you really want to get malty, consider using some Munich (or other moderate-kiln grain like aromatic or Victory) for part of the base malt. Remember, if all you do to make a brown ale instead of an amber or an APA is add a little chocolate, you'll basically just get a dark amber or APA but with a little bit of a toasted note.

So putting all of that together, I think the first thing you want to do here is decide what kind of beer you want:
*clean (American yeast) or estery (British) fermentation?
*residual sweetness (keep this crystal, maybe British yeast, and mash high) or drier (reduce the crystal, use American yeast)?
*rich malty profile (focus a little bit of darker base malt, such as Munich or amber) or grainier one with some toast (reduce the crystal, add some biscuit)?
*hoppy, and if so, more about flavor or aroma?

But hey. That recipe you have there looks like it'll work. Just a question of what you want!

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Hjandersen said:

For an american brown ale I'd add hops with even more american character - ala. chinook, simcoe, colombus.. I wouldn't want it to end up a "brown american pale ale.."

Mikkellers Jackie Brown is by far the best example I've tasted of an American Brown Ale..

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