Brown Ale Grain Bill

[Samaral]

I have been trying to come up with a solid brown ale. Sometimes I to make my house ale. Something like pig's ear brown.
I'm thinking
80% maris otter
5% amber malt
6% brown malt
5% c60
4% pale chocolate
I like all of these malts just not sure how they will be together. Any thoughts?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

That looks good for a mild, roasty/toasty brown ale. Sort of like a toned-down porter.
I haven't had a pigs ear brown, but based on the description I'd guess it has a bit more crystal (sweetness) and a bit less amber/brown/choc malt.

 

[MaxStout]

Looks good. You could ditch the amber, as the other malts will cover the color and flavor you need for an English brown. Unless you already have it on hand, then throw it in. I've found brown ales to be rather forgiving and you can do them lots of ways.

 

[Iceman2197]

I Like a little victory in my browns

 

[Queequeg]

Yes I like victory in a brown tastes good, sweeter than the uk equivalents and combine well with crystal malts.

 

[Samaral]

I Like a little victory in my browns

Are you suggesting adding victory or replacing one of the other malts with victory

 

[Iceman2197]

Myself I would sub about 15% of the maris otter for victory.

 

[Queequeg]

Personally I would consider amber and brown as doing the same thing

 

[Samaral]

Personally I would consider amber and brown as doing the same thing

You might be right. I added a pound of victory and took away a pound of maris otter. I'm thinking there are to many malts it will be to muddled. I thinking of just removing the amber malt.

 

[Queequeg]

Yeah dark amber is very similar to brown.

Brown will dry the beer and add a coffee quality, thats not something i associate with a brown ale.

 

[JKaranka]

To what OG are you brewing? If you were aiming at 1.055 or more that would make a cracking porter.

 

[Samaral]

The OG 1.054. If the brown turns out good I will have to bump it up and try it as a porter.

 

[meatcleaver]

looks familiar https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=573779

 

[Samaral]

Close how did it turn out

 

[meatcleaver]

fantastic! the brown malt adds a nice complexity you won't get anywhere else. it's roasty & a tiny bit bittersweet but not really like chocolate malt & the m.o. as a base makes for a delicious malty backbone. I also brewed a porter, basically the same ingredients, but doubled up on the brown & chocolate percentage... it was awesome too.

 

[Samaral]

So I brewed a brown ale today. I changed the grain bill a little.
80% maris otter
5% victory
5% brown
5%c 60
5% pale chocolate
I will post in a few weeks and let you now how it turns out.

 

[Jimbodaman]

9lb Maris otter
1 lb victory
.5 lb carapils/dexedrine
.25 roasted barley OR chocolate


.75 oz galena 60 min
2 oz fuggles 5 min

nottingham 60F 4 weeks

Makes one fine brown ale it's not a "standard brown" but a mighty fine one nonetheless

 

[Hoppy_Sanchez]

I have been trying to come up with a solid brown ale. Sometimes I to make my house ale. Something like pig's ear brown.
I'm thinking
80% maris otter
5% amber malt
6% brown malt
5% c60
4% pale chocolate
I like all of these malts just not sure how they will be together. Any thoughts?

I would cut the Amber Malt out and add 2.4 oz of roasted barley. Every maltster is different but at the home brew shop I go to their brown malt is amber malt. May be argumental but that's the info I've been told. Your grain bill is very simular to my chinook brown I've made in the past. Could even add a pound of flaked oats. Good luck.

 

[Hoppy_Sanchez]

Here's my brown recipe
Grain Bill
11lb 2 row
8oz Crystal 60
8oz Brown Malt
8oz Chocolate Malt
2.4oz Roasted Barley
1lb Flaked oats
6.4 oz Dark Brown Sugar 10 mins

Hop Bill
1/2 oz chinook FWH
1.8 oz chinook 10 min
1oz chinook Dry hop for 5 days
40.1 IBU

Yeast
Wyeast Ringwood ale 1187

 

[Samaral]

So I kegged the brown ale this morning. It tasted great. I will update again when its carbonated.

 

[Samaral]

I tried the brown ale tonight. Smells and taste great! It does have a slight dry bitter after taste. I think it is the brown malt which I think will mellow with a little aging. Best brown ale l have made. If the brown malt mellows I will not change the recipe. If it doesn't I will cut the brown malt in half.

 

[JKaranka]

5% brown malt should be fairly gentle so I wouldn't blame that Give it two weeks, though.

 

[Samaral]

The beer is only 25 ibus so I don't think it a hop thing. I've read that brown malt has that dry bitterness. Not sure what else would give that flavor.

 

[JKaranka]

Brown malt is slightly sweet in large quantities but in small amounts comes across quite dry. Not sure if bitter in my experience, more a sort of deep malt flavour (a bit like dark German beers) with cake biscuit base. Chocolate malt and Victory also potential culprits? We don't have Victory malt available in the UK so I have never tasted it.

 

[Samaral]

Thanks. I going to let it sit for a couple of weeks. Maybe it still green. I know most of my malty beers get better at about a month in the keg.

 

[Samaral]

Ok so I couldn't wait 2 weeks. And I tastes great. All the malts have seemed to come together. Very happy with this beer. I think it will be on tap all the time.

 

[Queequeg]

Brown malt is slightly sweet in large quantities but in small amounts comes across quite dry. Not sure if bitter in my experience, more a sort of deep malt flavour (a bit like dark German beers) with cake biscuit base. Chocolate malt and Victory also potential culprits? We don't have Victory malt available in the UK so I have never tasted it.

Brewuk stock victory malt