Janet's Brown Ale

Gonna be brewing Janet's brown ale tomorrow, but unfortunately I have NO chocolate malt! Recipe calls for:

12 lb 2-row
1.25 lb cara
1.25 lb crystal 60
1 lb wheat
.5 lb chocolate

My buddy hooked me up with some black malt, so my question is: Can I substitute the black malt for the chocolate, maybe a smaller amount? I know it's a lot roastier, but I have nothing else to use. Not too much experience in "customizing" recipes, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Do you have a lhbs by you? I'd really get some chocolate. A little black might be ok, but even in a porter you don't usually go much over 4 oz or so. Maybe 2oz would be good, but I suggest trying to get some kind of chocolate, or brown malt. I guess you could also roast some of your own base malt...I don't have any experience with that, but maybe it's a good alternative for you in this situation.

That last is actually pretty good advice. Take a pound of your 2-row and toast it in your oven at ~300F. Check it periodically; when the white, starchy endosperm turns parchment or slightly darker, and tastes nutty, remove it. You'll want to turn it gently several times during the baking to prevent uneven heating and scorching.

Use this and no more than 4 oz of Black Malt for color.

One further thing: That's a TON of caramel/crystal malt. What is "cara"? Carapils? If so, I'd delete it and sub in base malt. Carapils is a crutch the mashing brewer does not require.

Cheers,

Bob

IMHO as someone who has brewed this recipe at lest 6 times, it needs the chocolate. There is a definate chocolate note to the beer.

I just ordered ingredients for this myself. It's supposed to be crystal 40 and yes, it's carapils/dextrine. If you want to try this very well reviewed and award winning recipe published in Brewing Classic Styles, brew it as written. If you make up your own thing it will end up as something else.

elproducto said:

IMHO as someone who has brewed this recipe at lest 6 times, it needs the chocolate. There is a definate chocolate note to the beer.

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So toasting the base malt will NOT work? no chocolate notes from toasting?

Wish I had chocolate, but can't get it by tomorrow. Just trying to come up with something.

How about adding some cocoa powder to the mash maybe, or the boil?

Bob said:

One further thing: That's a TON of caramel/crystal malt. What is "cara"? Carapils? If so, I'd delete it and sub in base malt. Carapils is a crutch the mashing brewer does not require.

Cheers,

Bob

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I had the same exact thought when I brewed it. Low and behold tho' it produces and awesome beer. The hop character is so aggressive that it balances out. I entered into competitions and was told to even add more crystal for the style...

Oh. Gotcha. I'm not familiar with the recipe, so I didn't know.

Cheers!

Bob

MoronBrothersBrewery said:

So toasting the base malt will NOT work? no chocolate notes from toasting?

Wish I had chocolate, but can't get it by tomorrow. Just trying to come up with something.

How about adding some cocoa powder to the mash maybe, or the boil?

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Stop. Re-read the description of the ingredient.

[waits]

Now you know that it's called "Chocolate malt" not because of flavor, but because Chocolate malt is approximately the same color as chocolate candy. There is NO flavor similarity between Chocolate Malt and chocolate candy. NONE. If there is, there's something wrong with it.



Chocolate malt provides deep ruby/garnet color, as well as roasted, nutty flavors, not unlike dark-roasted coffee.

Bob

Bob said:

Stop. Re-read the description of the ingredient.

[waits]

Now you know that it's called "Chocolate malt" not because of flavor, but because Chocolate malt is approximately the same color as chocolate candy. There is NO flavor similarity between Chocolate Malt and chocolate candy. NONE. If there is, there's something wrong with it.



Chocolate malt provides deep ruby/garnet color, as well as roasted, nutty flavors, not unlike dark-roasted coffee.

Bob

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From Breiss' website, describing chocolate malt

" The rich roasted coffee, cocoa flavor is very complementary when used in higher percentages in Porters, Stouts, Brown Ales, and other dark beers."

I think the fact that the manufacturer lists cocoa flavor as attributed to this malt lends itself to support the previous poster's point of view. Chocolate flavor is clearly obtained using chocolate malt.

Depends on what kind of chocolate you have in mind. Hershey's? Not by a long shot. A very dark, bitter, low sugar non-milk chocolate that's closer to coffee? Sure, you could argue that.

Look, when people say "chocolate" they generally don't mean the latter, they mean the former. Forgive me for trying to spare someone making the mistake of thinking he could substitute cocoa powder for chocolate malt.

Cordially,

Bob

I think he was also trying to imply that you wouldn't necessarily use chocolate/cocoa as a substitute for chocolate malt and that he may still want to consider just toasting some 2-row to get more in line with a typical "chocolate malt" characteristic. I'm sure either way it will make a great beer.

Substitutions are fine, but if you really want to brew Janet's Brown the way Tasty designed it, do yourself a favor and brew the recipe as is.

elproducto said:

Substitutions are fine, but if you really want to brew Janet's Brown the way Tasty designed it, do yourself a favor and brew the recipe as is.

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Agreed, I've heard nothing but good things about this recipe.

Oh rest assured it's fantastic. So great that I've brewed it at least 6 times.. probably my favorite recipe.

JBA blew me away. I was not expecting it to be as great as it was with all the hype that surrounds it. It is one of those beers that I brew as is without messing with any ingredients.
It is the only Brown Ale I have ever tasted, that had any taste.

What amazes me, is how drinkable it is right away. Even at 3 weeks it's so drinkable.

It's also really tolerant to mistakes. I've missed the OG by as much as .006 and it turns out great.

chapa said:

I think he was also trying to imply that you wouldn't necessarily use chocolate/cocoa as a substitute for chocolate malt and that he may still want to consider just toasting some 2-row to get more in line with a typical "chocolate malt" characteristic. I'm sure either way it will make a great beer.

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That's exactly what I meant. Thank you!

No worries, I found chocolate malt. Crisis averted! Thanks to all who helped.

Woohoo! You'll be happy you did! Enjoy!

elproducto said:

What amazes me, is how drinkable it is right away. Even at 3 weeks it's so drinkable.

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100% agreed. I rarely order--let alone make--super hoppy beers and I couldn't help going back to the kegerator repeatedly just three weeks after I brewed it.