Working on a brown ale recipe

Beer Recipe Design
1

Okay, so what do you think of this? Anything here that might make it taste less than good?

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 76.1 %
1 lbs Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 2 8.7 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.7 %
8.0 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 4 4.3 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.2 %
0.50 oz Cascade [9.30 %] - First Wort 70.0 min Hop 6 18.5 IBUs
0.75 oz Cascade [9.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 11.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 6.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml] Yeast 9 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.3 %
Bitterness: 35.9 IBUs
Est Color: 19.7 SRM

2

I have a batch of Texas Brown going right now, a bit higher in IBUs but pretty similar to your recipe, and I’m using US-05 shooting for a 1.010-ish FG.

3

[quote=“orthobrewsky”]Okay, so what do you think of this? Anything here that might make it taste less than good?

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 76.1 %
1 lbs Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 2 8.7 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.7 %
8.0 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 4 4.3 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.2 %
0.50 oz Cascade [9.30 %] - First Wort 70.0 min Hop 6 18.5 IBUs
0.75 oz Cascade [9.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 11.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 6.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml] Yeast 9 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.3 %
Bitterness: 35.9 IBUs
Est Color: 19.7 SRM[/quote]

If you’re going for a British brown a better choice for hops would be willamette.

4

I’d cut back on the brown malt. It can give you a roastier flavor than you expect. I’ve brewed a Fuller’s Porter clone that uses a pound of brown and it has a very nice roasted character.

5

Mind posting your recipe Shadetree? I’d like to try it sometime

6

I agree with this. I made a brown ale a month ago and it taste like chilled coffee . Not what i expected

7

[quote=“bd1000”]Mind posting your recipe Shadetree? I’d like to try it sometime[/quote]Keep in mind that this is a first cut at a new recipe - I’ve been hand-mixing my house stout and APAs in a 1:2 ratio at the tap for a while and decided it was time to just combine the two.

OG 1.050, FG 1.010, SRM ~20, IBUs ~50

81% 2-Row
4% Carastan 37L
4% 120L
4% Chocolate
1% Roasted Barley
3% Flaked Oats
3% Acid malt (optional, pH adjustment)

Mash @ 153F

30 IBUs Columbus @ 60 min
15 IBUs Columbus @ 20 minutes
5 IBUs Cascade @ 5 minutes
2oz per fermenter Cascade dryhop

Brewed last Friday, 1.012 last night, dry-hopping tonight - goal is to have it on tap in three weeks or less.

8

I appreciate the input from all of you. I’ve had others recommend backing off on the brown malt, but then I’ve seen some use it in a larger proportion and rave about the results. On the other hand, all of those used British hops and I may want to end up doing that.

I’m aware that there are few brown ale recipes out there relying more on brown malt than chocolate, but I made a brown porter (at 1.053) a while back which was pretty much this recipe with British hops and 11oz of chocolate malt. I really liked the flavor provided by the brown malt in that one and wanted to try something in which it would stand out more.

For now, I’m putting this on the back burner to do another couple of favorite brews on which I’m running low.

Again, my thanks, and any other comments that may come to mind on this are welcome.