Brown Ale Critique

[farrout]

Hey guys, I have just started putting together my own recipes and am looking for some input. this is an American brown I want to brew this weekend, i looked through a few other recioes and came uo with this, I'm not sure about the hops, since I want it to be and American rather than English i may need to tweak that a bit. Thnaks

Mash
9.00 lbs Pale 2 row
1.00 lbs Crystal 60L
.50 lbs Chocolate malt
Mash 60 min @ 154

Boil
1.0 oz Fuggle(60min)
.75 oz Williamette(20min)
Irish moss(15min)

Nottingham yeast

 

[VApatriot]

Hey farrout, that recipe looks kind similar to one I just made a few weeks ago. I'm going to bottle it tonight and we'll see how it tastes in about a month or so. Here is the recipe I made:

Grains:
10 lbs pale ale malt (2 row)
1 lb crystal malt 40 L (2 row)
1/4 lb chocolate malt (2 row)

Hops:
.5oz East Kent Goldings @ 60m
.5oz Willamette @ 60m
.5oz Willamette @ 15m
.5oz East Kent Goldings @5m

Yields an IBU of 22.

Yeast: Safale US-05

Mash with 1 quart per lb of grain at 150 deg. F for 60 minutes, sparge with ½ gallon per lb of grain 170 deg. F for 60 minutes

Preboil Volume: 6.5 gal
Final Volume in fermenter: 5 gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.041
O.G. - 1.056
F.G. - 1.012 (last reading I took about a week ago when I racked it to the secondary)

 

[elkdog]

You could go all Willamette for the hops, or use something like Northern Brewer for bittering. I love Willamettes- just brewed a blond ale of sorts using only Willamettes yesterday (it's as dark and as hoppy as a beer can be and still be called a blond.)

 

[Malticulous]

Add some Cascades at flame out and then it's defiantly American.

 

[farrout]

Cool thanks guys. Conroe I was debating about using cascades to get it more American, just wasnt sure if it was a good idea or not, thanks for the advice

 

[Bob]

I think your recipe looks fine for a plain-Jane brown ale.

American Brown Ale, as Conroe noted, is defined by a pronounced bitterness accompanied by notable hops flavor and aroma. I find I prefer Willamette for flavor and aroma, mostly because I've been sick to death of citrus-bomb American ales for the better part of a decade. I'd add a full ounce at the ten-minute mark and another full ounce at either flameout or dry-hopped.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[Gremlyn]

You could go the route of my favourite American Brown, Pete's Wicked Ale, and use Brewer's Gold and Cascade. Brewer's Gold is an AWESOME hop, IMO. I think Pete's uses the Cascade for bittering and BG for aroma, because it smells just like BG hops, which is just delicious.

 

[Malticulous]

My Brown recipe is close with 10% Crystal 80L, 4% Chocolate malt and 10% Victory. It's bittered with Palisades and flavored with Vanguard. Both are hops that I really like in dark beers. The aroma is both Willamette and Cascade.

 

[farrout]

I was thinking or roasting a pound of pale malt a day before and using that to bring out some more flavors. Also I unfotunately cant get willamette or Crystal 60L at my LHBS, I can get fuggle, NB, hallertau, cascade, and I forget what others. For crystal malt I can get 40L or 120L. Im gonna go there and throw something together.

 

[Budzu]

My brown ale is very hoppy. To get a dark brown tasting truly hoppy, you kind of need to go crazy with late hopping IMO. I bitter with Centennial or Summit, and 15min - 1.25 oz amarillo, 0min - 1.75 oz. amarillo in 5 gallons.
It goes POP. Its wonderful. Don't go crazy with malt for this though, mine is 1.050.

 

[jlpred55]

My Brown recipe is close with 10% Crystal 80L, 4% Chocolate malt and 10% Victory. It's bittered with Palisades and flavored with Vanguard. Both are hops that I really like in dark beers. The aroma is both Willamette and Cascade.

+1 to this recipe. Similar to mine other than I use simpsons dark crystal. The victory adds a nutty dimension.

 

[Malticulous]

+1 to this recipe. Similar to mine other than I use simpsons dark crystal. The victory adds a nutty dimension.

My last rendition of it was a little different, C-60L and a touch of 120L and I subbed Liberty for Vanguard. It placed 3rd of all brown ales in the B3 comp (I also got two first for my Porter and Red.)
hopville . "Gila_Monster_V10" American Brown Ale Recipe

I found that British crystal adds some breadiness that I really like but I haven't used any in while.