American India Brown Ale

So I came up with an idea last night for an American India Brown Ale. Basically, an American brown ale with an OG of 1.070, 70 IBU's (using American hops), and SRM of 30-36. Here is a recipe I tossed together in Promash:

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American 2-row: 11.5 lbs
Chocolate Malt: 1.00 lbs
Crystal 60L: 1.00 lbs

Hop Schedule (all calculations are estimates):
Warrior, 0.75 ounces, 60 minutes (approximately 15-16 AAU)
Cascade, 0.5 ounces, 40 minutes (approximately 3 AAU)
Cascade, 1.00 ounces, 20 minutes (approximately 6 AAU)
Cascade, 0.75 ounces, 5 minutes (approximately 4.5 AAU)
Cascade, 0.5 ounces, dry hop 2+ weeks
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Please give me your feedback. This needs to have a great complex malt background. I am thinking of replacing just a half pound or so of the 2-row with Rauch malt. I want the hops to be there, but not completely overpowering on the taste. BU:GU should be right around 1.0.

I've never made an IPA or a brown ale from scratch before. I will also probably make a "small" version with the second runnings, so I've dialed my efficiency in at 75, when I usually get 78-80.

Sounds very similar to DFH's India Nut Brown. If you subscribe to BYO they had a clone recipe in it that might be a good reference for you. I brewed it and really enjoyed it, but I'm not a 'brown ale hater' to begin with.

Your recipe is very similar...you might consider adding 8oz or so of brown sugar.

I searched BYO's site but that recipe isn't available online. Would it be too much trouble to find the article and post the grain/hop bill?

mpetty said:

I searched BYO's site but that recipe isn't available online. Would it be too much trouble to find the article and post the grain/hop bill?

Click to expand...

No prob, but it might be tonight or tomorrow as I don't have it hear with me, unless someone else has access to it.

you need more malt variety to get a complex malt background to compliment those hops. otherwise youre just making a dark IPA. victory, special roast, biscuit, aromatic, a very little bit of black roasted barley, some crtystal 60L would all be good additions. so pick a few and start adding. i would not go with rauch malt though. save it for a amber or porter with not so much hops.

i have the DFH IBA recipe that someone gave me off of here (BG i think), i will pm it to you casue i think i can just forward it and won't have to write it all down.

got it covered BeeGee.

let me know if you get that mpetty.

Yes, I got it.

I think I'll go ahead and throw in an ounce or two of moravian black.

did you get the moravian black off austin homebrew supply? they have it on sale for 80 cents a lb. i bought a couple pounds of it and am using some in my next nut brown and oatmeal stout. still have quite a bit left over though, not totally sure what to do with it as i'm about ready to start some lighter beers for the spring after the nut brown and oat stout.