A Brown Stout???

[petersusaf]

Hi everyone,

I just finished up what was supposed to be my favorite stout recipe. However, upon mashing in I immediately noticed that the color was not what it was supposed to be. After the hour mash, my "stout" was a dark brown color and not at all what it had been in the past brew sessions. I am 100% sure I have all my grains correct. The only thing I can think of is maybe the crush of the grains wasn't as good. The mill at the homebrew shop seemed to be acting funky.

I hit a gravity of 1.070 this time when I have gotten 1.074 on the same batch in the past.

So here is my question for you awesome brewers!

-Would a poor grain crush cause a loss of SRM? Any ideas why my color is so off when the same recipe produced a much darker beer in the past?


Here is the grain bill for you to look over.

11lb 2-Row Pale
8oz 120L crystal
8oz Chocolate malt
8oz Rolled oats
3oz roast barley

I'd greatly appreciate any words of wisdom as I am at a loss. And I know I cant judge the beer color until it is in the glass, but it is WAY off. Since I have made this about 4 times in the past, I know the color should be much darker currently.

Thanks!
Sean

 

[chickypad]

I'd say that looks pretty light on the dark roasted malts for a stout at only 11 oz or 5%, and only 3 oz of that roasted barley. I wouldn't be surprised that it's brown, though I guess you have experience with the recipe before. As to why it's different the crush sounds like a plausible explanation for slight change in efficiency and color. Did you use the same lovibond chocolate malt?

 

[petersusaf]

Thats the only thing I can think of. Next time around I may add a bit more chocolate malt to get the darkness. I just don't want to make it too bitter.

Heres where I got the recipe from if this helps at all.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/rogue-chocolate-stout-clone/

Only differences in my style is I changed the hops.

 

[Jimbodaman]

I had the exact same problem last week, my Imperial Stout turned into an Imperial Brown, and it was almost the exact same recipe I've used before, I just switched some crystal malts for caramunich and also UPPED the chocolate malt, and it turned out brown (original recipe was black unless held up to sunlight).

I wonder if they got a different supply of malts that were lighter, maybe they gave us pale chocolate? I got it from AIH not to throw them under the bus did you get your grain there?