Hoppy Brown

What do you guys think? Gonna brew this one up this weekend. I love browns but always wished they were a little more hoppy.

6 lb. Amber malt extract
1 lb. British crystal 50-60L
.5 lb. British chocolate
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 60 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 45 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 30 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 15 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (aroma)
wyeast 1028 or 1335
Irish Moss

Picked Cascade since I have a bunch left over.

Color: 75 HCU (~29 SRM)
Bitterness: 71 IBU
OG: 1.050 FG: 1.010
Alcohol: 5.1%

That certainly would be hoppy. I think I'd change to a light extract and throw in a smidge of black patent OR up the chocolate. Other than that, it looks interesting.

Beer: Hoppy Brown 2 Style: American Brown
Type: Extract w/grain Size: 5.5 gallons
Color: 103 HCU (~36 SRM)
Bitterness: 73 IBU
OG: 1.045 FG: 1.010
Alcohol: 4.6% v/v (3.6% w/w)
Water: Irish Moss

Grain: 1 lb. British crystal 50-60L
1 lb. British chocolate
Steep: Steep 30minutes @ 150f
Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.038 6.5 gallons
6 lb. Light malt extract
Irish moss last 15minutes
Malt dex 60 minuts

Hops: 1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 60 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 45 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 30 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 15 min.)
1 oz. Cascade (aroma)
Yeast: wyeast 1028 or 1335

Here it is with the light extract and 1lb of the chocolate

I actually think you're better off with the chocolate the way it is. A full pound will not only make it very (too?) dark, it'll throw off the flavor with too much roasted-malt character.

You do realize you're looking at about 78 IBU, right? That's really bitter. If that's what you're after, go for it. But that seems over the top to me. Combine the hops bitterness with roasted-malt bitterness, and you'll have a beer that'll need to age a loooooong time before it's drinkable (IMO). Me, I'd hop for about 45 IBU for the full boil, then add a raft of hops at flameout for flavor and aroma. That's what it sounds like you're after, and the way your recipe is written it's a brown bitterness bomb with a bit of hops flavor and aroma.

But hey, to each his own, right?

Bob

What temp are you mashing at? I would think a FG of 1.010 is a bit too dry for a brown, especially for 78 ibu's. You could up your malt bill a bit to get a SG of say 1.060 and then mash a little higher (154). Then shoot for a FG of like 1.014 - 1.016? Just a thought.

Eastside

I am a big fan of beers over 80 ibu's. My favorite brew at the moment is the Flying dog Gonzo and that comes in at 85 ibu's. And Gonzo is loaded with chocolate, black and 120L malts.

Then do what you like.

Personally, I can't abide flavor-bombs. Never understood the point of such overwhelming stuff - it's the beer equivalent of chomping on a habanero pepper. After half a glass of an 80IBU beer, I can't taste anything else the rest of the evening; my palate shuts down. That ruins the whole point of drinking beer. Frankly, the whole "bigger, faster, louder, MORE" thing is just too unsubtle and testosteroned. "Look at me! I can't taste anything less than Alpha King!" Like that's a badge of honor.

Edit: I'm not saying you, personally, do that! It's just been my experience that aficionados of flavor-bomb beers are fans not because those beers are necessarily good but because they're extreme; and we all know how marketable "X-treme" anything is. I hate to see otherwise discerning beer drinkers becoming sheeple and falling prey to marketing forces. If you genuinely appreciate flavor-bomb beers, that's another thing entirely.

Like I said, if you like 'em, brew 'em and drink 'em. And you needn't save one for me!

Bob

NQ3X said:

Then do what you like.

Personally, I can't abide flavor-bombs. Never understood the point of such overwhelming stuff - it's the beer equivalent of chomping on a habanero pepper. After half a glass of an 80IBU beer, I can't taste anything else the rest of the evening; my palate shuts down. That ruins the whole point of drinking beer. Frankly, the whole "bigger, faster, louder, MORE" thing is just too unsubtle and testosteroned. "Look at me! I can't taste anything less than Alpha King!" Like that's a badge of honor.

Edit: I'm not saying you, personally, do that! It's just been my experience that aficionados of flavor-bomb beers are fans not because those beers are necessarily good but because they're extreme; and we all know how marketable "X-treme" anything is. I hate to see otherwise discerning beer drinkers becoming sheeple and falling prey to marketing forces. If you genuinely appreciate flavor-bomb beers, that's another thing entirely.

Like I said, if you like 'em, brew 'em and drink 'em. And you needn't save one for me!

Bob

Click to expand...

I definitely acknowledge the trend you site, however, just because some like a bitter beer, doesn't mean they are sheep. I see you acknowledge that, but I'd just like to reinforce that some just prefer a strong bite. Personally, there are nights when I'd rather drink one hearty beer than three refined beers. I think its similar to stinky cheese. It would be silly to shout down the guy who likes Stilton by calling him trendy for eating a pungent cheese.

True enough, sir! There are those who follow trends, and those who do things because they like to. For example, I was an REM fan for most of a decade before the song "Losing My Religion" went #1 for the better part of a year. It really bit to be labelled a bandwagon jumper; some kids thought I went out and bought all those records because I wanted to look cool.

[sigh]

I just saw - and continue to see - too many trend-followers sustaining and inflating trends I'd rather watch die. Like this flavor-bomb trend: I mourn far too many excellent session beers which have been dropped from microbrewery portfolios because it makes more economic sense to brew a 10% ABV, 100 IBU nuclear-missile-in-a-bottle.

There are nights in my life when I want a snifter full of barleywine and that's it. But those nights are so few and far between it's not even worth mentioning; most nights, I want at least three Imperial pints of something that's worth drinking. If that's something with enough alpha-acids in to strip the enamel off my teeth, I feel ripped off, because I can't taste anything after the first half-pint; I might as well drink tea. So give me Bitter, give me Mild; give me something sessionable that makes me want to drink more, not less.

But not everyone is me, alas. I do not begrudge people's tastes. Well, not much, anyway.

Bob

Hey Bob

I like the points you make on trends and the people whom follow them. I look at the beer I make, is the beer I enjoy and the beer my friends enjoy. Most of my friends and family do not like the flavor bombs. I have maybe 1 or 2 who enjoy them every so often. Myself on the other hand, I love tripel, barleys, quads and beers over 80ibu's. I can't say I jumped on the bandwagon to follow a trend though. One day I happed to try a Victory Hopdevil(back in the day when all I drank was Yuegling Lager and thought it was the best beer out there) and thought this beer has a great taste. And I went on from there. I also like my mild beers and sessions beers as well. Depends on my mood that day. But for me after a long stressful day at the office and then coming home and being handed the crying baby hoping bedtime comes soon for her so that I can enjoy 1 strong beer to melt away the days ups and downs. But Bob you are right in saying each there own. Everyone has different tastes. And thats the greatest thing about brewing your own beer. You can craft what you like. It doesn't have to be something to win the hearts of hundreds. Just your own. and DWRHHB

I have decided to try to go all grain with this beer. I decided to tone back the hops a little bit. Planning on taking the beer with me for my birthday bash next month. What do you guys think:

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Bips Brewing
Boil Size: 6.41 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 20.2 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 15.5 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (3 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.28 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.55 oz Burton Water Salts (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs London Ale (Wyeast Labs #1028) Yeast-Ale

Est Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.95 %
Bitterness: 38.2 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 20.2 SRM

Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
Sparge Water: 2.99 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Single Infusion, Medium Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 3.13 gal of water at 169.3 F 154.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 1.75 gal of water at 198.2 F 168.0 F

Thinking about brewing a hoppy brown shortly. Here is what I came up with, similiar to the one above.

7lbs Amber LME
1lb Crystal 55
5oz Chocolate

1oz Summit @ 60
2oz Amarillo @ 5
2oz Summit @ 0

1oz Amarillo and 1oz Simcoe dry hops

From Beer Calculus:
58.3 IBU
23 SRM

1.057/1.014

Any thoughts or suggestions? Looking for something with a really hoppy nose and flavor.

anyone? maybe do a 10 or 15 minute addition as well and subtract from the late additions a bit?

This is my latest brew. Not quite a brown, but not very pale either.

10 gal batch

19 Lbs. Pale malt
5 Lbs. Crystal 50 L


Nugget ~12% home grown

1.5 oz 60 min
1.5 oz 30 min
1.8 oz 15 min
2 oz 2 min

~74 IBU

Just finished fermenting, OG 1.064 FG 1.011, 6.8% ABV

Seems really good and a bit darker than the usual IPA and a little lighter than a Brown at 15.6 SRM

If you want a hoppy American Brown Ale you should brew Janet's Brown. It is a widely-regarded recipe that has won many contests. I have brewed it twice and it is a rich, malty brown ale with great hop complexity.

There are a few different variations, but here is the classic one that I have brewed:

atch Size (Gal): 6.00 Wort Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 16.00
Anticipated OG: 1.066 Plato: 16.20
Anticipated SRM: 19.3
Anticipated IBU: 63.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
75.0 12.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
7.8 1.25 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
7.8 1.25 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40
6.3 1.00 lbs. Wheat Malt America 1.038 2
3.1 0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 19.0 First Wort Hops
1.25 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 30.8 60 min.
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 6.6 15 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade Pellet 6.00 6.8 10 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.0 0 min.
2.00 oz. Centennial Pellet 9.00 0.0 Dry Hop

Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast

Mash Schedule
-------------
Saccharification Rest Temp : 154 Time: 45
Mash-out Rest Temp : 165 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 10


Mine have been in the primary for 14-17 days, with the last 7 for the dry hop. It is good at 4 weeks and perfect at 8 weeks.

Eric

I have considered it. The recipe does look solid...Anyone wanna help convert it to a partial mash?

mixmasterob said:

I have considered it. The recipe does look solid...Anyone wanna help convert it to a partial mash?

Click to expand...

What volume is your boil?

Eric

I think (for the original poster) it'll be best using the revised recipe at 38 IBU's rather than the 78 IBU's, and if it was me I'd still tone down the bitterness a bit more. 38 IBU's was what my 1.066 winter warmer brought to the table, and it was perfectly balanced. Unless I'm mistaken, 1.050 OG and 38 IBU's should bring you to about where Sam Adams boston lager is in terms of bitter vs sweet, so if you like the balance of that beer than you'll be close. Sam Adams tastes harsh to my tastebuds, but tons of other people love it.

However you brew it, all I know for sure is that you should definately dry hop with at least 1oz of cascade. Cascade is an amazing hop for dry hopping, it'd be a shame to miss this opportunity.