"Turtle" Brown Ale

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whatsleftofyou

Third Eye Pried Wide
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Turtles are one of my favorite candies and I've been toying around for some time with doing a Turtle Brown Ale. I'm brewing this up tomorrow, so just looking for some last-minute feedback. Please, if you're just going to tell me that you wouldn't drink a Turtle beer or that you don't like dessert beers, keep your comments to yourself.

Mash: 152F for 60min
7lb (66.67%) Rahr 2-row
1lb (9.52%) Munich
.75lb (7.14%) Caramel 60L
.75lb (7.14%) Caramel 80L
.5lb (4.76%) Pale Chocolate Malt
.5lb (4.76%) Chocolate Malt
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (per Mosher's book)

Hops:
2oz (31 IBU) Fuggles @ 60 min (might change this to Cascade or something American, not sure)

Yeast:
SafAle US-05

OG - 1.056
FG - 1.013
ABV - 5.5%
SRM - 30
IBU - 31
BU:GU - 0.56:1

I'm not looking to make an over-the-top uber-sweet beer, but something with moderate caramel, chocolate, and pecan presence. Thoughts?
 
I would throw some low L crystal in there, maybe even honey malt, just to make sure you have a touch of candy sweetness. That's just me. Otherwise, it sounds like it could be pretty tasty.
 
Not that Im any kind of expert, but since your asking...... I would mash it kinda high at like 156ish, stick with the Fuggles, and maybe find a yeast that attenuates a little less/favors maltiness. Possibly a little less chocolate malt and sub the cry60 for 20 or 40. Anyway...... good luck with the brew.:drunk:
 
are you concerned with roasty/coffee flavors from the chocolate malt? how bout using baking cocoa powder? i've heard that works well. good luck, sounds tasty, might take a few tries to perfect, but a turtle brew would be great.
 
good point. Maybe ditch the chocolate (could probably keep the pale choc). Whaddaya think?
 
Thanks for the ideas. I probably will mash higher since I didn't think to account for the high attenuation of S-05 (My only other option is S-04). I'll probably cut out the chocolate altogether and bump up the pale chocolate to 1lb, which is how I had it originally. I'm not sure if I'll mess with the crystal or not. I have some 10 and 40 so I may sub out some or all of the 60. It'll be a game-time decision. Thanks again, all!
 
Along time ago I made the AHS chocolate stout. It used unsweetened cocoa at the end of the boil. It came out fantastic. I remember the last few bottles I had were the best. I think a chocolate "nut brown" would be awesome. If you brew it, please post your recipe changes and tasting notes. Thanks J
 
I wasn't planning on putting actual cocoa into it. However, I'll taste it as fermentation finishes and if I feel it needs it, I'll put a little in afterward. If you think about what a turtle is, the flavor is mostly caramel/pecan and less about the chocolate.
 
Well 3 weeks after making this I pulled my first sample. I'd say that it's a damn good brown ale, but the pecans just barely come through. You really have to be looking for it. This definitely wouldn't win any BJCP competitions since it's closest to a Northern English Brown but is a bit too dark and chocolatey. Rather than try to fix it at this point I think I'll just drink this up and try again another day. I'd easily double or maybe even triple the pecans used. I did adjust the recipe from what I posted above, too. Final recipe is as follows:

Mash: 155 for 60 min
7lb Rahr 2-row (66.67%)
1lb Munich (9.5%)
1lb Pale Chocolate Malt (9.5%)
0.38lb Crystal 10L (3.5%)
0.38lb Crystal 60L (3.5%)
0.75lb Crystal 80L (7.1%)
1cup chopped pecans (toasted in the oven @300F for 10 mins)

Hops:
2oz Fuggles @60min - 32IBU

Yeast:
SafAle US-05

OG: 1.054
FG: 1.011
IBU: 32
SRM: 25.5
ABV: 5.3%
 
Oh, that actually sounds really good. I love northern English browns, but with the changes you have I think I'd really enjoy it.

I wonder if in the next version you added some victory malt along with increasing the pecans if you'd get more of a nutty flavor. My nut browns always have victory malt, for a certain nuttiness but of course not "pecans".

(By the way, when I saw the title "turtle" beer, I was thinking that you were out harvesting snappers. Glad to see you meant the candy- I was worried about you!)
 
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