Anyone with Brown Ale experience?

[mjf474]

I'm looking to make a brown ale based on Trillium Brewing's Deciduous... I think the 2016 version. This is what is listed as being in it, but I have no amounts. Anyone have an idea what grain percentages would work well here?

malts: British Pale Malt, Flaked Wheat, Dextrine, Carared, Carafa III Special, Dextrose.
hops: Centennial, Columbus.
7.5% abv

described as an herbaceous lemon and spicy pine aroma, multigrain malt character, medium in body and dry on the finish.

I'm just looking to put this together so I come up with something similar. I loved this beer, and they made different versions each year. This year is completely different. It's morphed into a Strong Ale now. So I'd like to take a shot at making the 2016 version myself.

Thanks!

 

[TallDan]

I love a good brown ale. That's pretty high ABV for one, and I've not used most of those specialty grains in a brown, but here's what I'd do as a starting point:

74% (10 lb) Pale (i'd use Maris Otter)
7% (1lb) Carared
7% (1lb) Flaked Wheat
4% (.5lb) Dextrine
4% (.5lb) Carafa III
4% (.5lb) Dextrose

Weights listed are for a 6.5G boil with 85% efficiency. If you'd consider some changes, first I'd leave out the carared, I don't see what it does for you in this beer, maybe use some crystal 60 instead. Second, I'd probably choose between flaked wheat and dextrine malt as they both are typically used to increase mouthfeel and head retention. Third, light brown sugar instead of dextrose, the flavor difference may be slight with .5lb, but it's a brown ale, afterall!

 

[TallDan]

Also, I'm guessing that Carafa III in a brown ale is going to end up with a beer that tastes more like a porter than a brown ale. I've done that before unintentially with a brown ale. It got nicknamed "Brorter" as it was something in between an american brown ale and brown porter. That may be what you end up with here.

 

[mjf474]

Nice. Thanks for the breakdown. That gives me a good start to try out. Then I can fine tune for the next batch based on what I remember this beer being like. I do remember it being a little like a porter, but less mouthfeel I think. There was a strong, and amazing, hop aroma. I'm hoping that comes through. That made it seem like a more unique brown ale.