Matthew's Bratwurst Brown Ale

FatDuc · 02-12-2008, 12:32 AM

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Nottingham
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.013
IBU: 52.6
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 19.9
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 21 @ 68ºF

Matt's House Ale II, AG
Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines
10C-American Ale-American Brown Ale

Min OG: 1.045 SG Max OG: 1.060 SG
Min FG: 1.010 SG Max FG: 1.016 SG
Min IBU: 20 IBU Max IBU: 40+ IBU
Min Color: 18.0 SRM Max Color: 35.0 SRM

Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 6.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.50 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.50 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.00 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG Expected OG: 1.054 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG Apparent Attenuation: 74.9 %
Expected ABV: 5.4 % Expected ABW: 4.2 %
Expected IBU (using Rager): 52.6 IBU Expected Color: 19.9 SRM
Mash Efficiency: 70.0 % Approx Color:
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins

Fermentation Temperature: 70 degF

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
US 6-Row Malt 10lb 0oz 76.9 % In Mash/Steeped
US Victory Malt 1lb 0oz 7.7 % In Mash/Steeped
Belgian Aromatic Malt 1lb 0oz 7.7 % In Mash/Steeped
US Chocolate Malt 8.0 oz 3.8 % In Mash/Steeped
German CaraMunich II 8.0 oz 3.8 % In Mash/Steeped

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
German Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.9 3.0 oz Loose Whole Hops 60 Min From End
German Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.9 1.0 oz Loose Whole Hops 5 Min From End

Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When
Irish Moss 0.2 oz In Boil

Yeast
Danstar-Nottingham

Water Profile
Target Profile: No Water Profile Chosen
Mash pH: 5.3
pH Adjusted with: Unadjusted

Total Calcium (ppm): 0 Total Magnesium (ppm): 0
Total Sodium (ppm): 0 Total Sulfate (ppm): 0
Total Chloride(ppm): 0 Total Bicarbonate (ppm): 0

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (67C/152F)

Step Type Temperature Duration
Rest at 153 degF 60

Recipe Notes

Sorry about any confusing directions here. I'll be updating this as I get to actually try it. I just did this recipe as my first AG on 08 FEB 2008, and It smelled fantastic!

My goal on this recipe was to mix the Hallertauer hops that I like with a malty brew and the American Brown Ale category seemed like the best fit. My fermentation room was about 68ºF, but my bucket temps hit 74º during the peak of action.

My mash came in pre-boil at 1.049, which was high, but my post boil was low, at only 1.050, but I actually added water following a little bit of too aggressive boiling. I had to ad about 1.5 qts to get back to 5.5 gallons into the primary. I may not have mixed it in too well, so my OG might have been off there. Pics to follow as this get a formal review.

FatDuc · 04-20-2008, 04:04 AM

I've been avoiding commenting on this recipe to date because I really wanted to make sure it came out well.

It did.

The basis for this recipe was from Jamil's Dirty Water Brown, in his book Brewing Classic Styles. I was trying to stick with his, and the style's, guidelines, yet I wanted malty without using Crystal.

I was also a little premature to post this recipe in the database, as it was unbrewed/tested at the time. I can honestly say I feel it belongs here now.

A good friend of mine, who's also a AG homebrewer veteran of many years, was given a few of these. He has been given a few of my beers since my first brew, and he's pulled no punches when assessing my brews. He knows that honesty when tasting is one of the biggest aids in helping a brewer perfect his craft. My Scotch Ale extract kit that was well received by everyone, he didn't care for it, and pointed out the faults that I still taste to this day. My Cali Common he nailed for the extract twang, but still gave me high marks for what I agreed to be my best kit beer, and he did enjoy it.

I got my friend's feedback on this one secondhand. In what has got to be the biggest compliment I've ever gotten on my beer, he told a coworker, "No one who's been brewing for less than 6 months should be able to make beer that good." His wife said it was as good as his.

Cons on the first batch: That much whole leaf hallertauer was a waste. It not only soaked up far too much wort, I really should have used a less expensive higher AA hop for bittering. My next batch of this will get different hops for bittering, but I like German aroma hops in this, and I'll be researching a little more for just the right combo there.

I also bought a 50# bag of 2row, so that's going to be the base of the next batch. I hope I don't lose anything in that switch.

FatDuc · 09-27-2008, 03:32 PM

So I thought the first batch was a bit too dark. I'm dropping the chocolate to 6 oz. now. I'm also using 8% Hallertau pellets this time.

Targets
Gravity Before Boil: 1.047 SG (12.1 Brix)

Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.50 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.50 US gals

Total Water Required: 8.54 US gals
Original Gravity: 1.055 SG (13.9 Brix)
Final Gravity: 1.013 SG (7.8 Brix)

Volume After Boil: 6.00 US gals
Water Added To Dilute: 0.00 US gals
Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.00 US gals

Preparation
If using a yeast starter prepare one a couple of days in advance.

If necessary crush the grains.

Heat 3.99 US gals of water to 165 degF.

Mashing
Dough in the following fermentable ingredients.

10lb 0oz of US 2-Row Malt
10lb 0oz of "new batch" added to inventory 26 Feb 2008

1lb 0oz of US Victory Malt
1lb 0oz of "existing stock" added to inventory 26 Feb 2008

1lb 0oz of Belgian Aromatic Malt
1lb 0oz of "existing stock" added to inventory 26 Feb 2008

8.00 oz of German CaraMunich II
8.00 oz of "existing stock" added to inventory 26 Feb 2008

6.00 oz of UK Chocolate Malt 350l
6.00 oz of "new batch" added to inventory 26 Feb 2008

Mash pH should be 5.3.

Allow the temperature to stabilize at 153 degF. Allow to rest at this temperature for 60 minutes.

Add 1.05 US gals of water at 153 degF, mix and run off.

Add a further 3.50 US gals of water at 153 degF and mix.

Run off to collect a total of 7.00 US gals of wort.

Boiling
Bring the wort to the boil.

Add the following hops at the times given.

0.75 oz of German Hallertauer Mittlefruh (60 Min From End)
0.75 oz of "new batch" (alpha 8.0%) added to inventory 23 Sep 2008

0.50 oz of German Hallertauer Mittlefruh (5 Min From End)
0.50 oz of "new batch" (alpha 8.0%) added to inventory 23 Sep 2008

Also add the following during the boil.

0.20 oz of Irish Moss
0.20 oz of "existing stock" added to inventory 26 Feb 2008

Boil the wort for a total of 60 minutes.

Chill the wort to the appropriate pitching temperature and rack the wort to your fermenter.

Fermentation
The desired volume at pitching is 5.50 US gals.

Pitch 1 pack(s) of Danstar-Nottingham and ferment at 70 degF.

If using a secondary, transfer when appropriate.

Racking And Packaging
If using a secondary, the beer should be matured for 3 weeks before racking into either bottles or keg.

If not using a secondary, the beer should be racked directly into bottles or keg and matured for 3 weeks.

Carbonate to 2.5 volumes using 6.7 g/l (0.8 oz/gal) of sugar.