Brown Ale recipe, thoughts please

Partial mash brown ale

5# 2 row
.25 # Crystal 80
.25 # Black Patent
.25 # Flaked Oats
.12 # Chocolate Malt

3 # Briess Extra Light DME @ 15 min

1 oz Cascade (7.75%) @ 60
1 oz Willamette (4.75) @ 15
1 oz Willamette (4.75) @ Flame Out

Safe ale S-04, rehydrate and pitch when cooled


So I have everything but the 2 row left over from another batch, I'd like to throw together something quick and easy. Any input on the grains? Is this maybe more a porter than a Brown?

Any input is much appreciated!

With the black patent, it's more of a porter than a brown ale.
What size batch is this? I'd like to see some more crystal if it's a 5 gallon batch.

i'd say more porter than brown with the black patent. IMO I would drop the black patent.

I will second more Crystal Malt if it's a 5 gallon batch (which is sounds like it would have to be).

I would use 1/2 lb at least, up to 1lb of Crystal malt for some body and sweetness and mash the grains around 154F.

I would probably lose the black patent and double the chocolate malt if you want to keep this a brown ale and not a porter.

Yooper said:

With the black patent, it's more of a porter than a brown ale.
What size batch is this? I'd like to see some more crystal if it's a 5 gallon batch.

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I agree...which is unusual since Yooper and I generally disagree on the amount of crystal malt to use. She likes to use more...I like to use less...but, I don't think there's enough there for a brown ale. And I would ditch the black malt as well.

Now, if you want to proceed with a porter, you've got a good start (though it might need more roasted grains)

I'm not opposed to calling this a porter . Also, it's a 5 gallon batch.

Thanks for the quick replies as well.

The Soft Underbelly said:

I'm not opposed to calling this a porter . Also, it's a 5 gallon batch.

Thanks for the quick replies as well.

Click to expand...

For a porter, I would probably increase the amount of black and chocolate malt - maybe 0.5 lbs of each? Or more likely 0.5 lbs of chocolate and keep the 0.25 lbs of black malt. Maybe others will chime in with suggestions too, but I do not think your current recipe will give you either the correct amount of roastiness nor color for a porter

In what seems like the fashion for threads like these, i took all the good advice offered up and just brewed the damned thing as is. Much too cold out to leave the house to pick up the stuff i didn't have. None the less, thanks everyone!

I wound up with a very malty / roasty tasting hydrometer sample. My intent was to bottle after 2/3 weeks in the primary but now im thinking a dry hopping or perhaps some lactose added in the secondary might balance this out a bit.

Or i might just bottle straight from the primary and see how this develops. Choices choices...

The beauty of homebrewing...you don't have to stick to a particular style! If you like a particular malt or ingredient then substitute!

Agreed, I'm pretty new to partial mash as well. Good to see what works, what doesn't. You can't learn if you don't f@ck up every now and again.