Whats your fave Brown Ale

I'm looking to brew a good American Brown ale to serve at my wedding. Any suggestions? I own Brewing Classic Styles and have heard Janet's Brown is great. Just looking for some suggestions from those of you who have brewed this style a few times. I do all grain 5.5 gallon batches.

If you love hops and your guest do as well you cannot fail with Janets Brown. One of my all time favorite recipes.

American brown is such a broad category, so its hard to make a reccomendation. Are you thinking you want it more malt forward or more hop forward? I have one fermenting now with 9 lbs 2 row, .75 lb aromatic, .75 lb crystal 60, .5 lb chocolate and .25 pound roasted barley. Hopped with fuggles, cascade, and wilamette.

Brew a few small batches and see what you like best. Good luck!

Moose Drool and AHS's Evil Brown are 2 really good browns.

A4J said:

Moose Drool and AHS's Evil Brown are 2 really good browns.

Click to expand...

i agree with the moose drool suggestion. there is a clone recipe called caribou slobber

I agree with the Moose Drool suggestion if you are looking for a malty brown. Good beer.

I really like a heavily hopped version but I'm thinking for mass appeal I should go balanced or slightly malt forward. I've had moose drool and like it. It's a little sweet for me if I were brewing to my tastes solely but I know lots of folks like it. Thanks for the suggestions!

Moose Drool seemed to have a very bold/malty flavor to me. I really like New Glarus Fat Squirrel Brown Ale. I feel it is a little more subtle.

If mass appeal is your goal is your goal I don't think moose drool is the right choice. It might be a little too malty and toasty for some.

Maybe try something real simple. Half a pound of a mid color crystal. Quarter pound of chocolate and just enough black malt, or even better carafa special, to get you the right color. Low IBUs and little or no late hops.

This was the first recipe I got an award for....

#125 Noti Brown

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 8.00 Wort Size (Gal): 8.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 19.60
Anticipated OG: 1.064 Plato: 15.67
Anticipated SRM: 23.3
Anticipated IBU: 50.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 79 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 1.50 Gallons Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 10.25 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.050 SG 12.38 Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
73.5 14.40 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
10.2 2.00 lbs. Crystal 55L Great Britian 1.034 55
12.2 2.40 lbs. Munich Malt(light) America 1.033 10
4.1 0.80 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.40 oz. Willamette Whole 4.80 15.6 90 min.
0.80 oz. Willamette Whole 4.80 7.7 45 min.
0.40 oz. Galena Whole 14.50 11.6 45 min.
1.20 oz. Willamette Whole 4.80 9.6 30 min.
1.20 oz. Willamette Whole 4.80 6.2 15 min.
0.40 oz. Chinook Whole 13.00 0.0 0 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1056 Amercan Ale/Chico


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Name:

Total Grain Lbs: 19.60
Total Water Qts: 24.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 6.13 - Before Additional Infusions

Tun Thermal Mass: 0.00
Grain Temp: 67.00 F


Step Rest Start Stop Heat Infuse Infuse Infuse
Step Name Time Time Temp Temp Type Temp Amount Ratio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sacc 0 60 152 152 Infuse 165 24.50 1.25


Total Water Qts: 24.50 - After Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 6.13 - After Additional Infusions
Total Mash Volume Gal: 7.69 - After Additional Infusions

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
All infusion amounts are in Quarts.
All infusion ratios are Quarts/Lbs.

This is a wide open category. I'm a big fan of Goose Island Nut Brown and Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan... but there are so many good ones.

Lost Coast Downtown Brown is the best Brown Ale I've had. It leans a little to the malty side but is well balanced and has a lot of Character. Not sure if it makes it out to TX, but if you find it give it a try and then see if you can find a clone.

I think clone brews or beer captured had a Brooklyn Brown recipe. That's a good beer.

bell0347 said:

I'm looking to brew a good American Brown ale to serve at my wedding. Any suggestions? I own Brewing Classic Styles and have heard Janet's Brown is great. Just looking for some suggestions from those of you who have brewed this style a few times. I do all grain 5.5 gallon batches.

Click to expand...

My favorite brown ale is Surly Bender. It is great it it's other forms as well, ie Coffee Bender and Moe's. Northern Brewer sells a bunch of Surly beer kits now, as well.

Cigar City's Maduro is also pretty solid.