American Brown Ale recipe critique

[lyacovett]

How does this look for an American Brown??


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: American Brown
Brewer: Lee Yacovett
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 18.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 82.05 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 10.26 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2.56 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.56 %
0.25 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.56 %
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 24.7 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (10 min) Hops 7.0 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (5 min) Hops 7.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Pacific Ale (White Labs #WLP041) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 9.75 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 12.19 qt of water at 162.5 F 151.0 F

 

[BurpMasterson]

I brewed an American Brown with a very similar grain bill and the same yeast a few months back...... it came out great. I really liked the Pacific Ale Yeast, leaves the beer malty. I also dry hopped mine and it was a nice addition.

 

[lyacovett]

How do you think this same grain bill would work with some traditional English hops (Fuggles/Kent Goldings), and a dry english yeast (1098). I'd like to make a good nut brown, would this grain bill work well for that??

 

[KyleWolf]

I would say that is too much crystal 60 for both the american and nut brown. But otherwise I think it looks very promising.

 

[BurpMasterson]

I have to agree with KyleWolf....... I just looked at my recipe and it was quite a bit lower on the crystal... and it still was fairly malty. Only about a half pound total on my recipe. Maybe lower the cry60 to .25-.5 pound? I used cascade and goldings in mine and liked it.

 

[Malticulous]

It needs more chocolate malt, twice that much would be fine. I like the amount of crystal malt but I'd use more 80L and les 60L. I like 80L in browns. More victory would be good--4 oz is not really going to do much in this type of beer.

 

[BenS]

I'd drop the 60L down to 1/2 lb and raise the chocolate malt up to 1/2 lb. I would brew that recipe.
And if you're going to brw a nut brown, go with a windsor or london or irish yeast

 

[lyacovett]

Just tapped this keg. Got really good efficiency on this one. My OG was at 1.064, and fermented down to 1.013. Doesn't taste like a brown at all .... the good news. It actually falls in the style range for an Old Ale, and tastes pretty much just like it. It had a strange taste to it, that I just couldn't place. Then all of the sudden it hit me, tastes very much along the lines of an old ale. It's at the low end of the range for gravity, but the taste is there. Pretty good beer, I may try this again, but with some more MO to up the gravity some more.