Looking for a new beer style to brew, any recommendations?

[Tyler B]

Also, I'd love to try the 30% crystal malt brown ale. Thanks for sharing!

 

[superiorsat]

Hello people! The title says it all. I'm looking for a new beer style to explore/brew. I love imperial stouts. I also really enjoy double IPAs, NEIPAs, sours, and most barrel aged beers. On occasion, I enjoy a refreshing kolsch, wheat beer, or a session IPA when the weather/meal calls for it.

Brown or amber ales, light stouts and porters, and light lagers leave me underwhelmed and unimpressed more often than not.

I haven't ventured in to the world of lagers yet and honestly don't know much about them. I considered a doppelbock or Vienna. Even thought an eisbock might be fun. I also considered a Baltic porter.

What do you think? Any suggestions or recommendations?

I always like the challenge of brewing styles that I never find a good commercial example of. Then see if you can make something you actually think is good. Try to hit all the BJCP notes on the style or push just slightly outside those lines so your not brewing a totally different style beer. When people ask what it is you can say it is a "what ever style, or like what ever style".

 

[Snuffy]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/pirate-strong-ale.318340/I've been eye-balling this one...

 

[Immocles]

I only skimmed the thread a bit, but when I burn out on hoppy beers and already have a stock of malt forward beers, I generally look towards the yeast. Try a hefeweizen? I really enjoy dunkelweizen, myself. I had reasonable good success with a very simple and bastardized Belgian. Or at least it was different enough from anything else I had brewed previously.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Also, I'd love to try the 30% crystal malt brown ale. Thanks for sharing!

• shooting for a Pete's Wicked ale clone
• American Brown Ale - Brew Your Own
  
  These two are Amber Ales (with around 20% specialty malts):
  
  
• American Amber Ale - Broken Leg House Amber
• Waldo Lake Amber Ale

 

[Tyler B]

I've come across the Waldo lake recipe several times now. Maybe it's destiny...

 

[Tyler B]

I only skimmed the thread a bit, but when I burn out on hoppy beers and already have a stock of malt forward beers, I generally look towards the yeast. Try a hefeweizen? I really enjoy dunkelweizen, myself. I had reasonable good success with a very simple and bastardized Belgian. Or at least it was different enough from anything else I had brewed previously.

I'm about to do a heffeweizen actually. I usually plan my next two or three brews and order my ingredients a few weeks in advance. The heff will be new for me but it's already on deck. So I'm actually looking for what to brew about three brews out.

 

[Lefou]

I'm planning on brewing a Horner Bier later on this year, any tip on that as it is a 100% malted oats beer?

I will substitute the cream of tartar for a pitch of L. Plantarum

Never heard of this particular brew. I'm clueless.

 

[couchsending]

Do you want to learn more about brewing? Do you want to improve the beers you already make?

Personally I’d say focus on process and not ingredients if you really want your beers to get better. The best beers in the world are often made with the simplest recipes. Often times It’s the process that defines the flavor more than the ingredients themselves.

If you have temp control and can keg then I would suggest going down the lager path if you’re interested in improving all your beers. Proper lager is all about process and sweating the tiniest details. The more you dive into the process of true lager brewing the more you’ll understand about brewing as a whole and your beers across the board will improve I guarantee you.

However If you don’t have temp control and don’t keg then don’t bother.

 

[Tyler B]

Do you want to learn more about brewing? Do you want to improve the beers you already make?

Personally I’d say focus on process and not ingredients if you really want your beers to get better. The best beers in the world are often made with the simplest recipes. Often times It’s the process that defines the flavor more than the ingredients themselves.

If you have temp control and can keg then I would suggest going down the lager path if you’re interested in improving all your beers. Proper lager is all about process and sweating the tiniest details. The more you dive into the process of true lager brewing the more you’ll understand about brewing as a whole and your beers across the board will improve I guarantee you.

However If you don’t have temp control and don’t keg then don’t bother.

I'm mostly interested in exploring new styles and by extension the ingredients and processes related to brewing those beers. I'm happy with my beers and processes. I don't brew for competitions or really for anyone else other than my wife. That's not to say I don't share with others, just that i don't care if others don't like my beer. I like it. I'm sure I could improve my beers but that's not what I'm actively seeking.

Brewing is a fun hobby that gives me a creative outlet and a keg of beer at the end of the day. The journey of learning about various beer styles, their history, ingredients, and brewing techniques is why I'm interested in the hobby. Not necessarily to brew the absolute best finished product. Brewing different styles has the added benefit of indirectly helping me improve my processes.

For example, learning to brew NEIPAs has taught me a lot about water chemistry, types of hops, hopping techniques, oxidation, etc. As I prepare for my heffeweizen brew, I'm reading/learning about new yeasts, different types of wheat, various mashing techniques, temperature rests, etc.

I guess I just enjoy improving my craft through the exploration of beers that I'm not very familiar with. Hopefully I stumble on something I enjoy as much as I like RIS.

 

[bracconiere]

i can say oat malt wort smells like heaven during the boil!

 

[OldDogBrewing]

Never heard of this particular brew. I'm clueless.

It's basically a low alcohol beer made with a 100% oat malt grist and with cream of tartar added to the boil for a some sourness, it comes from Viena I think

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

My “Bullwinkle Brown”, pretty much a Moose Drool clone, is 87% 2-row, 7% chocolate 350L, 10% Caramel 40L and 25 IBU.

87+7+10=104%?????

This seems basic enough for a holiday brown ale base i would like to make...should i drop the 2-row to 83% and i have caramel 20L on hand, is that suitable to replace the 40L with or should i change the percentage of something?

Thanks!!

 

[MrBJones]

How about California Common?

 

[grampamark]

87+7+10=104%?????

This seems basic enough for a holiday brown ale base i would like to make...should i drop the 2-row to 83% and i have caramel 20L on hand, is that suitable to replace the 40L with or should i change the percentage of something?

Thanks!!

I fat fingered 83 into 87. Yeah, you could use caramel 20.

 

[Tyler B]

How about California Common?

I've only ever had one. Wasn't a huge fan. I'd certainly be open to giving it a shot one day down the road.

 

[Miraculix]

Brew a keptinis (how is this spelt correctly?!).

You make a mash through adding boiling water to the grain till the grain reaches about 65c, the mash is a dough.

You wait one hour and then you bake the dough at high heat till really nicely caramelised, takes more than an hour. Then you steep it in water till the sugars are extracted and from there you proceed as usual. No need for long boils though.

 

[Tyler B]

Sounds interesting. I only have a toaster oven, so maybe I could take a small portion of the mash and bake it. This seems like a fun experiment to do the day before brew day and then add the barley casserole to the regular mash on brew day.

 

[Miraculix]

Sounds interesting. I only have a toaster oven, so maybe I could take a small portion of the mash and bake it. This seems like a fun experiment to do the day before brew day and then add the barley casserole to the regular mash on brew day.

I think the original is baked in a wood oven, so actually, toaster oven doesn't sound too far away! Or is it just physically too small?

 

[Tyler B]

I did some more research on the style and it sounds like something I'd really enjoy. I only have a small electric toaster oven. I'd either have to do a really small batch or do it with a friend using a larger oven. I think this is something I'll definitely try.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

I fat fingered 83 into 87. Yeah, you could use caramel 20.

Thank you kind sir. Ill hopefully get this one going in the next week or two so it's ready for xmas

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

I fat fingered 83 into 87. Yeah, you could use caramel 20.

If i just want to do a 1 gallon batch of this, would a 2# mash weight be sufficient or should i do 3#?

Thanks

 

[grampamark]

If i just want to do a 1 gallon batch of this, would a 2# mash weight be sufficient or should i do 3#?

Thanks

My recipe, scaled to 1 gal, would be-
1.8 lbs 2 row
2.4 oz chocolate
3.2 oz caramel
I use Magnum @60 min and Willamette @15 min to about 25 IBU.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

My recipe, scaled to 1 gal, would be-
1.8 lbs 2 row
2.4 oz chocolate
3.2 oz caramel
I use Magnum @60 min and Willamette @15 min to about 25 IBU.

Thanks...two last questions. Hopefully. If i am going to spice this for an xmas brown ale, are those mild enough hops so they dont interfere? And would a safale05 be sufficient enough yeast for this?

 

[grampamark]

Thanks...two last questions. Hopefully. If i am going to spice this for an xmas brown ale, are those mild enough hops so they dont interfere? And would a safale05 be sufficient enough yeast for this?

Those hops are what I would call “neutral”. Not a lot of flavor. Enough bittering to offset any residual sugars but not a really distinctive flavor as with any of the “C” hops. I’m drinking a pint of this Brown as I type this and it’s definitely a malt-forward beer.

Magnum is a high AA hop, but I only use half an ounce in 5 gallons. Willamette is a low AA hop and I use a quarter ounce. For a gallon batch you wouldn’t have to do much more than wave a bag of hops over the kettle. As for the yeast, I use US-05 in this recipe.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

Those hops are what I would call “neutral”. Not a lot of flavor. Enough bittering to offset any residual sugars but not a really distinctive flavor as with any of the “C” hops. I’m drinking a pint of this Brown as I type this and it’s definitely a malt-forward beer.

Magnum is a high AA hop, but I only use half an ounce in 5 gallons. Willamette is a low AA hop and I use a quarter ounce. For a gallon batch you wouldn’t have to do much more than wave a bag of hops over the kettle. As for the yeast, I use US-05 in this recipe.

Thanks! My home brew store didnt have magnum hops. I picked up some fuggles. I have crystal and ek golding on hand. I will lightly hop with one of these. Planning on brewing it up tomorrow with a few xmas spices for a holiday brown ale.

 

[Tyler B]

Thanks! My home brew store didnt have magnum hops. I picked up some fuggles. I have crystal and ek golding on hand. I will lightly hop with one of these. Planning on brewing it up tomorrow with a few xmas spices for a holiday brown ale.

Report back and let us know what you think of it.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

Report back and let us know what you think of it.

Will do. This forum has been a godsend for this noob

 

[_BullDog_]

Imperial Red is on my list, may be one for you as well.

I love ambers and iipa’s and this should be a good combination of those two...

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

Well I got the Holiday Brown Ale brewed tonight. 1 gallon batch. "Bullwinkle Brown" copy....

29oz Rahr 2-row
2.4oz Crisp Pale Chocolate
3.2oz Caramel 120L

152 mash for 60 min (BIAB)

Boil 60 min

5g Fuggles at 15 min

Pinch of cinnamon 1min
1/2 pinch each ginger, all spice, nutmeg and corriander 1 min

OG: 1.050

1/4 to 1/3 packet of Safale05

BF says 1.059 OG, 1.010 FG, 6.36% ABV, 24 IBU and 24.83 SRM

My OG is a little low, but should be fine.