AG Brown Ale, looking for some ideas

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BrokenDog

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I recently did an AG Brown Ale in a 2 1/2G test batch and it turned out pretty good but I was wondering if anyone wanted to provide some other ideas that might make it even better. My ingredients are as follows:
(Remember this is a half batch so I would basicly be doubling everything but the yeast.)

5lbs Maris Otter Pale Malt (UK)
1/4lb Faucett English Dark Crystal Malt
1/4lb Briiess US Chocolate Malt
1oz Fuggle pellet hops
11g Windsor Dry Yeast
1oz Irish Moss

Mashed at 156F for 90 min at 1.25 qt per lb

1/2 hops for 60min
1/4 hops at 10min
1oz Irish Moss 10 min
1/4 hops dry hopped

This was mostly a full boil but I underestimated my boil volume and had to top off with 1/2g, (now I have a 34qt pot so a 5G boil won't be a problem)
My OG was 1.064 and FG was 1.023, I did a two week primary with no secondary. This time I will probably do at least another week or two in my secondary, as the first batch was more of an experiment as my first AG batch.

A few considerations, I would like a bit more hoppyness like the Dogfish Indian Brown, wouldn't mind more chocolate flavor undertones and, am planning on doing liquid yeast this time around. Thanks for everyones thoughts in advance.
 
I just came up with an India Brwon Ale recipe that I'm gonna brew this weekend. Lemme pull it up and post it for you in a sec...
 
You could add 12oz. of carabrown.
Bump your Fuggle up .5 oz.
The 90 min mash is probably not needed.
WLP 060 for your yeast, but I actually like the Windsor.
Just MHO
Good luck
Bull
 
Bitter Brown Ale
Batch size 5.2 gallons
Boil size 6.3 gallons
Boil time 60 minutes
Grain weight 10.87 pounds
Efficiency 70%

Original gravity 1.053
Final gravity 1.014
Alcohol (by volume) 5.2%
Bitterness (IBU) 71
Color (SRM) 20.9°L
Yeast Wyeast 1272 American Ale II

Grains/Extracts/Sugars
10.87 pounds
Pale Ale
38ppg, 3°L 8.5 pounds
78.2%
Crystal 60L
34ppg, 60°L 1.5 pounds
13.8%
CaraPils
33ppg, 1.5°L 0.5 pounds
4.6%
Chocolate
29ppg, 350°L 0.37 pounds
3.4%

Hops
5 ounces
Glacier hops
5%, Pellet 4 ounces
Warrior hops
16%, Pellet 1 ounce


Mash
60 minutes, 7.9 gallons
Strike
Target 154°F 3.5 gallons
167°F
60 minutes (+0)
Sparge
Target 168°F 4.4 gallons
174°F

Boil
60 minutes, 6.3 gallons
Warrior hops
16%, Pellet 1 ounce
60 minutes (+0)
Glacier hops
5%, Pellet 1 ounce
30 minutes (+30)
Glacier hops
5%, Pellet 1 ounce
15 minutes (+45)
Wort chiller 15 minutes (+45)


Ferment

7 days @ 60-72°F
Glacier hops
5%, Pellet 2 ounces
14 days (+0)
 
With that hop schedule, I think I may call that a dark IPA. Still sounds good as I'm bitter to the core.
I have an IPA on tap now that is at 97.7 IBU:)
 
With that hop schedule, I think I may call that a dark IPA. Still sounds good as I'm bitter to the core.
I have an IPA on tap now that is at 97.7 IBU:)

You know? I was thinking about bringing the chocolate up a bit, and maybe dropping the 60L a tad for more of that type malty backing. Also thinking of maybe dropping the bittering addition 1/4 Oz.

Who knows?? ;)
 
Could try replacing the Maris Otter with Golden Promise! I did a Bitters with GP and was amazed at the outcome. Really thick malty "biscuity" flavor. I'm gonna try it with a bunch of my other English style ales.
 
Yesterday I brewed the recipe for the DFH India Brown that was posted here.
5.5 gal batch
12lbs. 2 row
.75 lbs Amber malt (I used biscuit malt)
.5 lbs Crystal 60
.5 Chocolate Malt
.13 lb Roasted barley (2oz)
.5 ibs Dark Brown Sugar (10 min left in boil)
1 oz warrior 15% (60)
1 oz Vangaurd (20)
1 oz Vangaurd flameout
I used Hallertauer because I have a pound of them and beersmith said it was a good sub for vangaurd
Wyeast 1187 Ringwood ale 1800ml starter.

mash at 154 for 60. Estimated OG 1.067. I got 1.075. It is chugging along nicely downstairs!
 
I just made a brown ale that came out pretty good: I added Victory and Munich malt and it gave it a nice, biscuity, nutty flavor. I'll have to post the recipe -I also used a combo of Tetnanger and Hallertau hops.
 
I am brewing this up tonight, I have no idea how it is going to turn out. I know it is a lot of specialty grains, but I think it's going to workout well. I am hopping mine with centennial and chinook in an IPA type of fashion.

13 pounds two row
4 oz biscuit
4 oz special roast
4 oz Simpsons medium crystal C50
4 oz Simpsons dark crystal C75
4 oz Simpsons Extra Dark Crystal C150
4 oz Crisp Chocolate
4 oz Crisp Pale Chocolate
4 oz Caramel 40
 
Several folks have brewed my brown and really like it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/old-bog-road-brown-ale-pm-extract-w-grain-61591/

Weverman's had a brand new brown malt that has potential, CARABROWN® MALT

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Pressroom/Newsletter.htm#one

The pdf
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/PDFs/Briess_PISB_Carabrown.pdf

I actually used a half pound in a ginger orange marmalade Begian wit I brewed, keeping it around 5% of the grain bill, to get an orange color out of it. I'm excited about it.

The owner of the homebrewshop who ordered it, said he took the other half pound home and used it in a brown.

Looking forward to working it into my brown ale.
 
From the recipe, it looks like you (speaking to OP) are going for more of a English-y brown, so I submit my nut brown recipe, which is coming up on my "to brew" list again soon. It's sorta my attempt at the Sam Smith's Nut Brown, one of my fav brown ales.

5.5 Gallon Batch, 75% efficiency

9# marris otter
5oz English Crystal 55L
4oz Brown Malt
3oz UK chocolate malt

1oz EKGs@FWH
.5oz EKGs@60
.5oz Fuggles@30

Mash at 155 for 60 mins
WLP037 (Sam Smith Strain)

If you can't find 037 (might not be in season) WLP005 is my choice for brown ales, but pretty much any other english strain would work great.
 
I'm working on a brown ale recipe now, just trying to get the flavors to balance right. I've been using 2 row pale malt, but I think I'm going to give maris otter a try.

One thing I definitely like in the recipe is taking a small amount (2-4oz) of pale malt and roasting it the night before to make biscuit malt. It gives the beer a good, fresh biscuit flavor to the brown ale that balances nicely with the chocolate malt. May be something to think about.
 
I'm working on a brown ale recipe now, just trying to get the flavors to balance right. I've been using 2 row pale malt, but I think I'm going to give maris otter a try.

One thing I definitely like in the recipe is taking a small amount (2-4oz) of pale malt and roasting it the night before to make biscuit malt. It gives the beer a good, fresh biscuit flavor to the brown ale that balances nicely with the chocolate malt. May be something to think about.

That's an interesting idea, I might try that. What do you do, about 10-15 minutes at 350 on a cookie sheet?
 
One thing I definitely like in the recipe is taking a small amount (2-4oz) of pale malt and roasting it the night before to make biscuit malt. It gives the beer a good, fresh biscuit flavor to the brown ale that balances nicely with the chocolate malt. May be something to think about.


Humm... How much/long do you have to roast this? I like the idea....
 
I use these two sites for reference:

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Methods/Sanders/roasting.shtml

http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/08/home-roasting-your-malts/

There's a lot of threads on here talking about different processes and more info on making crystal malts, which is a little more complex.

For true biscuit malt you want to roast at 300F for an hour, stirring every 15-30 minutes. You can get a little less color and biscuit taste my roasting for less time, so if you don't want to add more grain but still get a little toasty flavor you can roast a few ounces of base grain for 15-20 minutes. If you want actual biscuit malt, I'd do no more than 1/4 lb but I know some people use up to a pound of victory or biscuit, so it's definitely your call on how much biscuit flavor you want. However, you probably shouldn't use more than 15% in your grain bill.

I've roasted milled grain, so if you don't have a mill you can still roast. I wouldn't advise trying to do anything that requires wetting the grain unless you can do it before you mill your grains.
 
So I decided that instead of making some big changes to my recipe, I would do a few small things and see how that worked out. This is the plan tonight:
-4oz of Otter roasted at 350 for 30 mins
-mash for 60 min instead of 90
-1oz fuggles 60 min
-.5oz fuggles 20 min
-.5oz fuggles dry hop
- No Irish moss

These are pretty small changes but I am happy with the beer right now, just tried another and it has gotten even better, maybe just needed a bit more time. I figure, why not try to prefect a good thing instead of reinvent the wheel.
 
^ +1 irish moss

The .5 oz added @ 20 min won't give you much in the way of bittering which is something I thought you were trying to achieve.

The roasted barley sounds like a nice addition, but as stated in my earlier post, the Carabrown would be easier and a nice addition. This is only offered from Briess for a few months.

I guess I'm going to have to brew a brown now that I'm thinking about it. :ban:

So many different yummy brew styles and too many busy weekends!:mad:

Brew often,

Bull
 
^ +1 irish moss

The .5 oz added @ 20 min won't give you much in the way of bittering which is something I thought you were trying to achieve.

The roasted barley sounds like a nice addition, but as stated in my earlier post, the Carabrown would be easier and a nice addition. This is only offered from Briess for a few months.

I guess I'm going to have to brew a brown now that I'm thinking about it. :ban:

So many different yummy brew styles and too many busy weekends!:mad:

Brew often,

Bull

I'm listening to the basic brewing potcast atm and they have been talking about if irish moss really does anything. They asked for test batches with and without. While I won't be submitting one, I figured I would do my own since everything is about the same to see what the results are.
 
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