Too much steeping grain...

I'm working on an original recipe for a Brown Ale(inspired by Pete's Wicked Ale) and I was wondering if 4 lbs(44%) of grain would be too much for steeping??

Thanks

BTW--here's the "in the works" recipe:

5 lbs Extra Light LME (55.6%)
2 lbs Crystal 40L (22.2%)
1 lb Chocolate Malt (11.1%)
1 lb Victory Malt (11.1%)
(steep at 155 for 30 minutes)


Hop Schedule

1 oz Brewer's Gold -- 60 minutes
.5 oz Fuggles -- 15 minutes

I'm no recipe expert but can definately say that you have too much crystal and chocolate malts. Going that route, your beer is probably going to very dark and stoutlike. Here are some google results for a [ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=petes+wicked+ale+clone"]Pete's clone[/ame], you'll see that the malts you use are not being used in such big amounts.

McKBrew said:

I'm no recipe expert but can definately say that you have too much crystal and chocolate malts. Going that route, your beer is probably going to very dark and stoutlike. Here are some google results for a Pete's clone, you'll see that the malts you use are not being used in such big amounts.

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Thanks. Honestly, that was where I was headed. I was looking at the recommended "max in batch" and my crystal and victory malt were too high so I had added the chocolate malt to get them within range. Guess I will just lower the crystal and victory and exclude the chocolate.

Thanks again.

Whoa, you have the same amount of victory and 75% more chocolate than my brown ale recipe!!! That's going to be a dark and roasty beer, definitely not like Pete's wicked...

Extract w/grains.
6# Light DME
1lb Victory
1lb Special Roast
1lb Crystal 60L
.25 Chocolate
1oz Cascade 6.3% AAU (@60)
.25oz Galena 13.4% AAU (@60) (Can use warrior, nugget or any high AA substitute depending on availability)
.5oz Fuggles 4% AAU (@20)
.5oz Fuggles 4%AAU (@5)


I found some great info on their website...a pdf that gives a lot of info on the development of the reciper. http://www.peteswicked.com/pdf/peteswicked.pdf

And from their faq

As an ongoing effort to satisfy its consumer�s evolving tastes, Pete�s Wicked Ale underwent a gradual refinement during 2000/early 2001. It is considerably more flavorful than ever before! We reduced the amount of our signature Brewer's Gold hops, eliminated the chocolate malt (less than 1% total malt blend) and added additional caramel malts in order to achieve a smoother, more full-bodied beer. The medium body, ruby brown ale has an initial malt sweetness that is perfectly balanced with its signature Brewer�s Gold hops, dispelling the myth that all dark beers are bitter.

Click to expand...

And this....Often you can find a great deal of info on a beer you want to clone, right from the brewerie's website...

WICKED ALE

SENSORY
STYLE: Brown Ale
COLOR: Ruby brown
AROMA: Roasted caramel, hop bouquet
BODY: Medium
TASTE: Surpisingly smooth. The initial malt sweetness is balanced with the hop, dispelling the myth that all dark beers are bitter


INGREDIENTS
MALTS: Pale and Caramel
HOPS: Cascade and Brewers Gold
BREWING SPECIFICATIONS
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 5.3%
CALORIE CONTENT: 174
CARBOHYDRATES: 17.7 G
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13.65 Degrees Plato
RDF: 60.1% W/W
IBU: 18

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Are you using any brewing software to create your recipes? It will help immensley. With those numbers and a little detective work, you can plug various amounts of malts and hops and stuff into a program, until the your recipe matches...Especially if they give the ABV, The IBU's and the SRM's (color) According to the chart in the pdf the beers is 36.3 deg lovibond.

Gravity 1.01379
Apparent Extract 3.52
Alcohol (%w/w) 3.93
Real Extract 5.35 (%w/w)
pH 4.18
Color 36.3
IBU 20
O.G. 12.92
RDf 60.3
Calories 173
VDK (ppm) 0.04
Sodium (Na)(ppm) 32

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I use Beersmith but I don't have it on my work computer so I'm just messing around with some ideas.

I've decided to leave the Victory @ 1lb but reduce my my Crystal and Chocolate Malt greatly.

Thanks for the Pete's info, Revvy. I didn't realize brewers would let out that much information on their beer.

MCH said:

I use Beersmith but I don't have it on my work computer so I'm just messing around with some ideas.

I've decided to leave the Victory @ 1lb but reduce my my Crystal and Chocolate Malt greatly.

Thanks for the Pete's info, Revvy. I didn't realize brewers would let out that much information on their beer.

Click to expand...

If you are going for a post 2001 pete's taste, then evidently they dropped the chocolate from their grainbill entirely.

Google's a great place. But by and large brewers are a prette affable lot. I have heard of stories on here of guys emailing the brewer directly asking for info to clone a beer and getting an email back with the original recipe already scaled to 5 gallon batches for them.

Revvy said:

If you are going for a post 2001 pete's taste, then evidently they dropped the chocolate from their grainbill entirely.

Google's a great place. But by and large brewers are a prette affable lot. I have heard of stories on here of guys emailing the brewer directly asking for info to clone a beer and getting an email back with the original recipe already scaled to 5 gallon batches for them.

Click to expand...

Wow.

I'm not necessarily wanting an exact clone of Pete's. I had just never had a Brown Ale beer and really enjoyed the flavor.

I was one of those guys that never realized that there was other beer out there aside from the BMC's of the world. I had tried Guiness when I was in college and really didn't enjoy it, so anytime someone mentioned a different type of beer, I always associated it with Guiness.

Needless to say, thanks to a neighbor and a Mr. Beer kit, my eyes have been opened.

Thanks again, guys.