American Brown Ale Recipe - Feedback?

[g-funke]

Hey all,

Getting ready to brew an American brown ale this weekend, based on Jamil's Dirty Water Brown. Ive added a few more specialty malts as I have some spare that I want to use up.

Any feedback on the grain bill would be appreciated. I know I should be keeping it simple, but am keen to see how the brown malt and special B work together..

Cheers

23L
OG - 1.052
IBU - 33.2
Colour - 22.5L
Yeast - WLP001

4.73kg US 2 Row
280g Chocolate Malt (300L)
220g Caramunich 1 (34L)
160g Crystal 60
140g Victory (27L)
130g Brown Malt (190L)
130g Special B (158L)

13g Horizon @ 60min
30g Amarillo @ 15min
50g Amarillo @ 0min

 

[micblair]

I've only been brewing all grain for a few months, so I would sure like to know what each specialty malt is contributing in isolation.

From what I know so far about speciality grains:

Crystal - sweetness; caramunich- caramel/nutty;
Victory - nutty & biscuty;
Brown malt -smokey/biscuity etc.
Special B - caramel again.

Long story short lots of overlapping nuts, biscuit and caramel.

I like to look at the winning recipes from the AHA in the various style categories, you tend to find less is more, or at least the very deliberate use of select specialty malts for either colour, flavour or both. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[g-funke]

I've only been brewing all grain for a few months, so I would sure like to know what each specialty malt is contributing in isolation.

From what I know so far about speciality grains:

Crystal - sweetness; caramunich- caramel/nutty;
Victory - nutty & biscuty;
Brown malt -smokey/biscuity etc.
Special B - caramel again.

Long story short lots of overlapping nuts, biscuit and caramel.

I like to look at the winning recipes from the AHA in the various style categories, you tend to find less is more, or at least the very deliberate use of select specialty malts for either colour, flavour or both. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Hmm.. That's what i was afraid of. Any suggestions on what to get rid of?

Thanks for the input...

 

[black_labb]

Nothing wrong with the spec b or brown malt in an american brown. You do have a bit of overlapping flavours there and a simple recipe is often better, but I'd highly reccomend keeping the spec b, great in an american brown.

 

[adniels3n]

Add a 5-10min hop addition. Bring it up to 40IBU.
With all those dark malts leave it 6 weeks in the bottle, drink it & then think about what to do differently next time.
It'll be a cracker.

 

[g-funke]

Thanks guys. I might remove the brown malt but leave the special b in there.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
I'll be kegging it, so I'll let it condition in the keg for a few weeks before hooking it up to the kegerator.

 

[Harry Volting]

Check the American Brown recipe in MHB's Brewbuilder.
My runner-up best of show NSW comp was based on it.
Harry.