Brown Ale

[rodwha]

I've been looking everywhere for an all LME brown ale recipe (had horrible results working with DME) but at best they still need crystal malts or such.
How difficult is it to work with these malts? It seems the temp must be kept between 160-170*. Is it that particular?

 

[TheBaconator]

Are asking if partial mashing is difficult?

If you haven't tried it'd I'd recommend giving it a go. You get most of your fermentables from the LME so you don't have to worry as much about mashing your grains correctly. You're just trying to impart the flavors.

If you do a partial mash you generally keep the grains you're mashing between 145 and 155 for 30 mins to an hour. Then add your malt extract and brew as normal.

 

[RM-MN]

If your main ingredient is extract then the crystal malts are very easy to add. You are looking to get color and flavor from them, not the sugar that you would when you mash a base malt. Crack or crush them to expose the center of the grain and steep them in water. Warmer water is probably better than colder and I'd try to keep it between 150 and 170 but even outside that range a little isn't likely to cause you a problem. I find it quite easy to keep the temperature within that 20 degree range. Try not to boil them.

 

[unionrdr]

Steeping between 150-160F is better. Don't want to leach any tannins from the husks at higher temps. But some CarafaII or III would do the trick with say,an amber extract. And no more than 8oz,seems to me some use less of the crystal malts to get particular colors.
I used a cooper's OS lager can in my 2nd brew dated June '09 with plain extra light DME & hops. it came out close to the Salvator Doppel bock from Paulaner (still brewed as an ale since 1569). Just mid gravity.
So now I have to figure out how to duplicate that one. The CarafaIII is a likely candidate to start with for the color of the Salvator. Just as a reference.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

If your main ingredient is extract then the crystal malts are very easy to add. You are looking to get color and flavor from them, not the sugar that you would when you mash a base malt. Crack or crush them to expose the center of the grain and steep them in water. Warmer water is probably better than colder and I'd try to keep it between 150 and 170 but even outside that range a little isn't likely to cause you a problem. I find it quite easy to keep the temperature within that 20 degree range. Try not to boil them.

that, but try to keep temps below 170 to avoid the risk of harsh tannins leaching from the steeped grains.

 

[rodwha]

I will give it a go.
I'll make an IIPA as well just in case!
Thanks!

 

[PT Ray]

5 Gallons
6.6 lbs pale liquid extract
.3-.75lbs chocolate malt
.5 -1.0 lbs crystal malt
1 ounce of any American or English hop, in the 5% AA range. 60 minutes
Yeast - All the basics will work (Nottingham, Windsor, US-04 and 05).


Chocolate malt comes in coffee, pale or regular chocolate roast. Generally I like to use .5-.75 lbs of a lighter roast (coffee and pale) chocolate. If you're using regular chocolate I would use .3-.5 lbs. Crystal malt I'll use some 60L and 150L but anything in the 60+ range will work though I wouldn't use 150 by itself.

 

[rodwha]

Thanks for the recipe PT!