1st brown ale...looking for recipe feedback

Hello All,

I'm working on a Brown Ale, my first of this style. I was torn between the Northern English variety w/ its classic toffee notes and the American version, with it's slightly more aggressive hops. Looking for some critiques on my recipe. Hoping to brew this weekend.

7 lbs, 8 oz Pale Malt (2 row, UK)
1lb, 8 oz Brown Malt (UK)
1lb Crystal -60L
8oz Chocolate Malt
4oz Biscuit Malt

.75oz Willamette @ 30 min
.50oz Willamette @ FWH
.50oz Centennial @ 60 min

Wyeast British Ale II (#1335)

Mash 60 min @ 152, Batch Sparge @ 168

Like I said, this is my first attempt at this style, so all feedback/suggestions - most appreciated.

 

I ran your recipe through Beer Smith, assuming you have about a 70% mash efficiency, and end up with 5 gallons of beer. It seems like you are perfectly within the style guideline. I love your grain bill. The only thing I would change is gravity - I like higher gravity (but then, I don't know your efficiency or batch size.) Your IBUs are a bit high for the style at 42.7. Suggested is 20-40, however you are FWHing which should make for a nice balance, especially with the malts you are using. I would brew this. If you do, check back and let me know how you like it.

 

Thanks for the response. The grain bill was my major concern. Though, when I entered this in beersmith, the IBUs were within the range (American Brown ale). The intent is to be a hybrid between an American Brown Ale and the version most popular across the pond, hence the name "pond Hopper"(a little cheesy, I know). Anyway, thanks again. Will be certain to update in a few months.

 

Not cheesy at all. I love creative names. My last beer name was Hawaiian Fog. It was a high gravity IPA with lots of tropical fruit flavors. I'm a bit foggy on how we drank it so quickly.

 

I like to add some chocolate malt into my brown ale. I usually use 4 oz though last time I brewed it I upped it to 6.

 

I have 8oz of chocolate malt in my grain bill. Do you think that's too much?

 

Thanks Yooper. I was reading some info last night that said when using FWH, to use aromatic hops (replacing your late hop additions) and not to adjust your buttering hops schedule. Hence the FWH, 60 min buttering and 30 min schedule.

As for the brown ale vs brown porter, I'm assuming there's some overlap between the categories in terms of flavor profile? What adjustment would you recommend to bring this back toward the brown ale category?

 

Bittering.....not buttering

 

Looks good, I might consider reigning in the chocolate malt maybe to .25 lbs. This will probably have a similar character to moose drool with those hops

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Any thoughts on the brown malt?

 

Brown Malt is fine. It'll add a lot of flavor, but I wouldn't go much past what you're using.

Have you though about trying Victory instead of the Biscuit?

 

Why Victory instead of biscuit? Just to Americanize it some more? You'd get no difference in character between the two, especially at such a low percentage.

I had a pretty good brown recipe ( I can share when I get home) that used a bit more biscuit for a nice bready flavor, about as much brown malt and a touch of crystal 120 for the slightest hint of sweetness and color.

In terms of hopping, I'd personally just throw all my hops in for FWH. It gives a smooth bitterness along with subtle flavor and aroma. In any case, when I FWH I don't add a separate battering addition and it still comes out super hoppy.

 

I generally tend to get more of a nutty character out of Victory, but you may be right about the low percentage. I generally use it around 5% or so, and I can tell a difference there.

 

If you want another good malt try Briess special roast. . . That stuff is awesome! 1/4 lb. would be nice. Imparts tang, toast, biscuit, roast, and sour but I get nuttiness from it myself.

 

I have only used brown malt in a brown porter, it probably will contribute too much roast for and english brown profile, but if you are doing an american/english hybrid it should be very nice

 

Sorry, I missed that in the grain bill (that's what I get for browsing on my phone). I don't think it's too much. I added more in my last batch because I thought 4 oz was too little. Are you trying to brew an American Brown or an English Brown? I based my recipe loosely off Jamil's American Brown. I brewed it once and liked it, so I made a few changes to the grain bill and used different hops, but the same basic schedule.

 

Can't thank every enough for all the input. After reading all of the suggestions and playing around with BeerSmith a little, I've decided to lean more toward the American Brown style. Recipe as follows:

8lbs Pale Malt (UK)
1lb crystal 60L
1lb Brown malt
8oz chocolate malt
8oz biscuit malt

1.50oz willamette FWH
0.50oz centennial @ 10 min

beer smith calculation as follows:

OG 1.053
FG 1.012
ABV 5.4%
IBUs 34.5
Color 25.9

any final suggestions? thanks again everyone!

 

So how did it turn out?