Grain Of The Week 16/5/11- Brown Malt

[peas_and_corn]

Looks like there isn't a thread on this so far (if there is, merge plz mods!).

From Bairds:

Brown Malt: Made from green two row malt. The malt is dried for about two hours until temperatures reach 212F (100C). It is then cured for about 20 minutes as temperatures rise to about 356F (180C), depending on the colour required. The resulting malt imparts a very bitter, burnt flavor to beer. Odour of mash: mild coffee.

Brown Malt Typical Colour Specification:
IOB EBC ASBC
90 - 130 100 - 140 50 - 70

So, what styles does this grain work in best? What % of the grist works well, and at what point does it become a bit too much? Discuss!

 

[bconnery]

Was browsing and saw this thread... Must have slipped under the radar because I know there are plenty of brown malt users out there...
I am rarely without this malt in my stockpile.
Love it for a brown ale (duh) and a porter.
Haven't used it in massive amounts as per some of the historical recipes seen around.

I use around the 200g mark for porters and some browns.
350g in a standard 23L(ish) batch is the max I've gone, in an English Brown Ale style, and that worked brilliantly, but I can't comment on how much is too much, or what it brings to a beer in amounts beyond that.
Certainly at that amount, used with a little crystal and some pale chocolate, there still wasn't a strong coffee or burnt note, so you would need to go larger amounts for that sort of effect I'd say...

Also used it to add a little nutty aspect to a bitter and some background to a pale ale which has worked well.

 

[felten]

I think there's some difference between brands (bairds being more like amber malt apparently), if you google around a bit there's a ton of threads about it... albeit a lot of the comments on that seemed to be from the same source.

I have some TF brown in the cupboard that I haven't got around to using yet, probably end up in a brown porter.

 

[bconnery]

I think there's some difference between brands (bairds being more like amber malt apparently), if you google around a bit there's a ton of threads about it... albeit a lot of the comments on that seemed to be from the same source.

I have some TF brown in the cupboard that I haven't got around to using yet, probably end up in a brown porter.

I haven't put my source into beersmith but I'd say mine would be TF, as that is what Craftbrewer has on their site and I buy my grain from there...
As I said, porter and brown is where mine have gone.
I've read some examples of using quite large amounts in various beers, I just haven't gone that path myself yet...

 

[matho]

Yeah there is a difference between suppliers simpsons brown malt is about 400 ebc which is heaps more than tf brown malt which is about 140, I have only used the Simpsons malt it gives a slight roast flavor with a hint of chocolate.

Cheers matho

 

[Midnight Brew]

Digging up an old thread to see how other brewers use this malt. I've got some Simpsons brown malt and was planning a mild to brew in the next few weeks. Ive done a bit of reading through the threads and think Ive got my recipe where I want it. Note: Simpsons brown malt is 400ebc, like a light chocolate malt.

Aim is to use the recipe as a yeast experiment and rotate through about half a dozen UK strains.

Midnight Mild
85% TFMO
6% Caramunich III
5% Simpsons Brown Malt
4% Caraaroma
Mash @ 70C
1.038
English hops in cube to 1g/litre roughly
English hops FWH to reach 19IBU
UK yeast

Main discussion is will it be appropriate for a mild?

 

[vykuza]

At 400EBC you'd be right to use it like a pale chocolate, and that recipe looks good with that quantity for a dark mild.


The Bairds we have is about 100EBC, and I use up to 1kg at a time in porter recipes, where it adds a lovely savouriness and depth, especially in lower alc porters. I wouldn't use the Simpsons the same way.

 

[Midnight Brew]

Thanks for the reply Nick, I'll put it down in the next two weeks and report back in a month or 6 weeks with tasting

 

[mombius hibachi]

Hey mate,
I used 3% Simpsons Brown in a mild and I think it hits the spot. Both the Simpsons Brown and Amber take time to mellow, but I like them a lot.
Having said that I also used 1.5% Choc and 3% Dark Crystal, mashed at 67.
When using Wyeast 1968 it ended up a touch sweet for my tastes, not sure if you're planning on using the low attenuating yeasts, but your crystal amounts look heavy handed IMO...
Hope your brew turns out great,
Cheers