American Brown ale, please critique

[Queequeg]

Brewer: Queequeg
Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 30.00 l
Post Boil Volume: 25.00 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 21.75 l
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 41.1 EBC
Estimated IBU: 30.0 IBUs
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.50 kg Pale Ale, Finest Maris Otter (Simpsons) Grain 1 80.1 %
0.50 kg Cararye (Weyermann) (175.0 EBC) Grain 2 8.9 %
0.50 kg Crystal Light - 45L (Crisp) (88.7 EBC) Grain 3 8.9 %
0.12 kg Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (925.9 EB Grain 4 2.1 %
10.00 g Warrior [19.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 21.5 IBUs
14.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 6.9 IBUs
28.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 1.0 m Hop 7 1.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Denny's Favorite (Wyeast Labs #1450) [12 Yeast 8 -


----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 16.16 l of water at 74.1 C 68.0 C 45 min

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Est FG 1.013

So this my intention is to exploit the cararye flavor. For those who have never used or tasted it, it isn't sweet at all, nothing like crystal or carmel malts. It much more like a milder brown malt, but spicy and bready without the assertive coffee/roast character, its quite complex. I can only think it is similar to Briess Special roast, though I haven't tasted that, though comments from others that have used both on previous homebrewtalk threads indicate that it is a stronger malt though otherwise similar. First time I tasted it I thoughr brown ale, and I have wanted to use it since.

I am keeping the grain bill simple, with equal parts cararye and british crystal 45L. The caraspecial is to add color without significant flavor.

To me Citra, plays every well with amber and victory type malts, as well as medium crystal, so it was an obvious choice here.

I might swap out Denny's Favorite for Gigayeast Vermont as it sort of my house strain for american styles.

I don't make browns every often so interested to here input from those folks that make them often.

 

[JohnSand]

I use Simpson's Rye Crystal in an ESB, and like it very much.

 

[Queequeg]

I have never used Simpsons crystal rye but from what I have read this is more like an actual crystal malt and not like a toasted malt. Did you try any of the raw grain?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Looks delicious. I'm interested to see how it turns out.

 

[JohnSand]

I have never used Simpsons crystal rye but from what I have read this is more like an actual crystal malt and not like a toasted malt. Did you try any of the raw grain?

I don't remember. I've heard crystal rye described as having licorice flavor, but I don't get that. I use it 1:10 with base malt and get all the color and flavor I want.

 

[Queequeg]

In the end I dropped the carafa special III and kept it as an amber. Tastes pretty much like marmalade on toast.

Edit: I also put a Lb of munich II in it as well, just to use it up