My First 'Nut Brown Ale Recipe' Any Suggestions

[LostDogBeer]

Hi all - been brewing for about 9 months and have about 7 batches under my belt so far. Each time they get better and better. So far I have mostly brewed kits but I would like to try my hand at creating a nice NUT BROWN ALE recipe on my own. I've done quite a bit of research, cobbled items from Papazian's book plus other recipes that I found online. Here's my recipe, I'm interested getting some feedback on this and possible suggestions to improve it!


HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Revelator Nut Brown Ale
Author: Phil Ayres

Brew Method: Extract
Style Name: American Brown Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 3 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.106
Efficiency: 35% (steeping grains only)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.058
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV (standard): 5.69%
IBU (tinseth): 21.86
SRM (morey): 32.09

FERMENTABLES:
3.3 lb - Liquid Malt Extract - Amber (33.5%)
3.3 lb - Liquid Malt Extract - Dark (33.5%)
24 oz - Brown Sugar (15.2%)

STEEPING GRAINS:
12 oz - American - Caramel / Crystal 80L (7.6%)
8 oz - Belgian - Special B (5.1%)
8 oz - American - Dark Chocolate (5.1%)

HOPS:
0.75 oz - Warrior, Type: Pellet, AA: 16, Use: First Wort, IBU: 15.17
0.75 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 5.44
0.75 oz - Liberty, Type: Pellet, AA: 4, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 1.25


YEAST:
Wyeast - London Ale 1028
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: Med-Low
Optimum Temp: 60 - 72 F


Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2013-10-19 02:19 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2013-10-19 02:18 UTC

 

[Captain Damage]

We generally recommend using only light extracts and getting your color from your steeping grains. It's a control thing. Every maltster will have a different formulation for how to get the color of your dark extracts. If you think about how all-grain brewing is done, even for very dark beers, the grist is generally at least 80% pale malt (2-row, pilsner, etc). By using only light extract you're mimicking what the all grain brewer does. Light extracts are usually made from only one or two malts. You'll get more consistent results. Also, for reasons I won't get into here, extract beers almost always come out darker than you expect or calculate, so using dark extract for color is unnecessary.

I'd change the dark chocolate malt to pale chocolate. it's a nuttier, roastier flavor. Dark chocolate is much more bitter than people expect it to be.

I'd cut the brown sugar down to 8 oz, or 1 lb max. Brown sugar ferments out almost completely, drying out the beer and leaving a hint of molasses rumminess. That's not out of place in a nut brown, but adding an ounce of molasses is a better way to get it IMO than all that sugar.

 

[LostDogBeer]

Thanks for your reply. Great advice. I'm tinkering with the recipe now and am seeing that when changing from DARK LME to LIGHT LME the color calculator hasn't changed. I also changed the Brown Sugar content and the Dark Chocolate Malt to Regular Chocolate. I'm definitely looking for a nice toasty, chocolately, brown ale, maybe something like He'Brew Messiah Nut Brown Ale.

Follow up question: you talked about adding an once of molasses into the recipe. Where would you add? To the boil? To the primary fermenter?

Thanks again for your feedback.

Link for viewing current recipe: http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/77934/revelator-nut-brown-ale

Phil

 

[hikemor]

Here's a Brown Ale recipe I've brewed a couple of times. Similar fermentables bill, different hop/yeast:

FERMENTABLES, all from Briess:
4.0 lb Liquid Malt Extract - Amber
3.0 lb 2 row Pale Malt (substitute 2.0 lb Light LME)
8 oz Crystal 80L
4 oz Chocolate
4 oz CaraPils
8 oz Brown Sugar

HOPS:
1.0 oz Williamette Pellet, AA: 5.5, Boil for 60 min
0.5 oz illiamette Pellet, AA: 5.5, Boil for 15 min

YEAST:
Safeale S-04

Original Gravity: 1.055
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 34

 

[Captain Damage]

I add molasses at the end of the boil, say 5 mins or less. If you add it at flame out, just be sure to stir your wort to make sure it's all dissolved, and not just sunk to the bottom.

Again, I'd recommend specifically pale chocolate malt, rather than regular or dark.