Recipe Help - Brown Ale (Perhaps w/ fruit)

[mcberry]

Up until now I've done only minor tinkering of recipes but I'd like to start creating my own recipes from scratch. I was going to just go for it today and see what happens, but wasn't able to brew today so I will ask for some advice for tweaking the recipe.

I'm looking for a lower hopped, light brown ale. Wheat isn't popular around here so I'm looking to perhaps add some fruit to this one.

I'm thinking of adding 2 oz. of fresh orange zest to the boil with 5 minutes left.

I'm also considering racking onto lingonberries in secondary. Not sure how this will be, I just like eating them at Ikea, so figured I'll try it in a beer.

My gut is it will be a disaster, so please offer any advice.

Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 21.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (60 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (15 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
2.00 oz Fresh orange zest (5 min)

 

[SD-SLIM]

Up until now I've done only minor tinkering of recipes but I'd like to start creating my own recipes from scratch. I was going to just go for it today and see what happens, but wasn't able to brew today so I will ask for some advice for tweaking the recipe.

I'm looking for a lower hopped, light brown ale. Wheat isn't popular around here so I'm looking to perhaps add some fruit to this one.

I'm thinking of adding 2 oz. of fresh orange zest to the boil with 5 minutes left.

I'm also considering racking onto lingonberries in secondary. Not sure how this will be, I just like eating them at Ikea, so figured I'll try it in a beer.

My gut is it will be a disaster, so please offer any advice.

Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 21.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (60 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (15 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
2.00 oz Fresh orange zest (5 min)

I am not sure that you will get a light brown ale by adding chocolate malt...seems more like a porter. As for the lingonberries, your the head brewer...if you like it, add it!

 

[Bob]

Reads like a good, solid Brown Ale to me. I agree "light" is not a word I'd use, unless I was comparing it to Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale or something.

I'd not use fruit at all to start. Brew it as is, drink it all up, take good notes, and add fruit next time you brew the recipe to see if it benefits.

Above all things, it is NOT a disaster. It's a solid recipe!

Er, wait. It sucks. Brew it anyway as a character-building exercise, send me the keg, and I'll give you a scathing critique of how much it sucks.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[mcberry]

Thanks for the comments! I brewed this yesterday and everything went well. I think I am going to forgo adding fruit and see how this one turns out. I did add some fresh orange zest (my wife graciously helped and zested about 2.5oz) and it added some nice aroma.

The OG is 1.050 and the color is very nice. The hydro sample was good so I am excited to see how this one ends up. I will post an update once complete. I was still on the fence w/ fruit, so didn't add any aroma hops, but the orange zest adds some nice aroma.

I may dryhop in a couple weeks if I feel I need some more aroma.

 

[BrotherBock]

How did this turn out?