Janets Brown Ale

[Dan Pratt]

If it were me I'd sub the 60 min addition for something else maybe Chinook and keep the NB for the 15 min additio

Can you explain why you would do that?

 

[primusbrew]

If it were me I would drop the mash hop addition and move it closer to the end. Maybe also use both cascade and NB to bitter so you don't need so much NB at 60.

I think the NB is a pretty nice part of this beer. I get this subtle mint thing in the versions of JBA I've made that I am pretty sure comes from the NB. Works really well. I'm sure all cascade would be good too though.

 

[Spiesy]

My northern brewer hops arrived.....bloody 4.5% AA. They are normally between 7-10% so now I don't have enough.

Sounds like you ordered German NB?

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Does the actual recipe in BCS call for a mash hop? I don't remember seeing it in the book and I didn't do one. I think I just downloaded a version from beersmith so I didn't have to enter the ingredients individually, so I could be wrong.

 

[Camo6]

I did a Beersmith version of this a couple of weeks ago that called for first wort hopping.
I didn't even check whether my NB was US or German - is there a huge difference between these two?

 

[Dan Pratt]

Does the actual recipe in BCS call for a mash hop? I don't remember seeing it in the book and I didn't do one. I think I just downloaded a version from beersmith so I didn't have to enter the ingredients individually, so I could be wrong.

The recipe I got was from the electric brewery site and Kal uses a Mash hop addition.

I will drop that mash hop addition to use those hops @ 15min with cascade.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Sounds like you ordered German NB?

The packaging is labelled USA, I thought they may of been German but the supplier says they are correct.

 

[IsonAd]

Can you explain why you would do that?

Keeping the 15 min addition will help to keep the flavour character of the beer. Subbing the 60min to contribute the same IBUs won't have as big an effect

 

[Dan Pratt]

Brew day was yesterday and I was able to hit my numbers of 20Lts @ 1.068 into the FV. When I milled my grain at the LHBS he happened to have Northern Brewer hops @ 9% AA so I bought 100g of those and was able to follow the recipe. ( not sure what to do with 100g of 4.5%AA Northern Brewer hops though :huh: )

The recipe called for 56g Cascade at flameout and I had 70g left from the vac sealed bag so they all went into the whirlpool.

Fermentation looked like it kicked off this morning when I was heading to work.

Here are some photo's:

Brewing sheet, Mash Hops and Brewing Salts


Mash Hops thrown on top of mash not stirred in.


Mash hops 25mins later all swelled up. I stirred them in and checked the mash temp.
Massive pungent Northern Brewer aroma that held throughout the mash, normally its that malty/mash aroma but today it was spicy hops


Fly sparge at the start


Fly sparge mid way


End of Fly sparge - nice 1 inch water layer and compact grain bed


Boil additions - NB 60m, NB 15m, Cascade 10m, Yeast Nutrient 5m, Whirlfloc 5m

 

[IsonAd]

Your brewdays seem much more organised than mine. "**** where'd I put the mash paddle" and "ahhh f@#! I forgot to put in the brewsalts" are just a sample of things you'd here at my place,

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Drinking my Janet's brown after a couple of months in the keg and its rating as one of the best beers I've ever done. So. Damn. Good.

 

[Mardoo]

It really comes up well after a couple months, doesn't it? I had the classic best bottle, last bottle after three months cold conditioning. I'll definitely brew it again.

 

[antiphile]

Congrats on the Gold, pratty!
How would you guys describe the difference the super-high minerals (namely sulphate) makes specifically? Is it that which produces such a sharp lingering bitterness?
I'm curious because I generally don't like strong lingering bitterness, so for me it'd be good to know to avoid it.

Howdy techno,

If you have 30 mins to spare, pour yourself a long cold one, put up your feet, and have a look at John Palmer's YouTube video on residual alkalinity and its effect on beer balance. It is very informative and helpful.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zJj__jEkFUE
Cheers

 

[StalkingWilbur]

It really comes up well after a couple months, doesn't it? I had the classic best bottle, last bottle after three months cold conditioning. I'll definitely brew it again.

Yep. Conditioning time has never been so apparently necessary as with this beer.

When I tried it fresh it was more like an aggressive, slightly harshly bitter (still very enjoyable though!) brown IPA. Now it's mellowed into an amazingly smooth and creamy, hoppy brown ale.

I will definitely brew this again.

 

[Mardoo]

Exactly my experience!

 

[ajmuzza]

I've got Janet's on tap at the moment. Basically followed the electric brewery recipe, although the dry hop was a bit random. I didn't find it that bitter initially but it was quite chocolatey (then again I'd never used choc malt before so wasn't sure what to expect). With the chocolate and the piney centennial hops, I thought it tasted a bit like mint slice biscuit. Good beer though.

 

[Yob]

just noticed Tasty's version in a link

Session Janet’s Brown Ale

Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.016 4.7% ABV
IBU: 63

58% Rahr Two-row
14% Crystal 15
9% Crystal 40
9% Carapils
7% Wheat Malt
3% Chocolate Malt
32 IBU Northern Brewer at 60 minutes
12 IBU Northern Brewer at 15 minutes
8 IBU Cascade at 10 minutes
13 IBU Cascade at 0 minutes (30 min rest)

Dry hop with Centennial at 1/2 ounce per gallon.

Notes: Mash at 156F for 45 minutes. Boil 90 minutes. Ferment at 68F with California
Ale yeast for 4 days raising to 70F until terminal gravity. The 0 minute hop addition is at
flameout and is followed by a 30 minute whirlpool rest. That addition can be moved to 20
minutes if a whirlpool rest is not used.

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Hmm, that's quite different to what I did. I just downloaded the recipe from beersmith though. Might have to check the book from now of when downloading the recipes.

 

[Blind Dog]

The recipe in the book is for a 6.6% ABV beer which JZ accepts is a little outside the style guidelines. I think the version Yob posted is a sessionised version, although as a Pom whose idea of a session is (or was many moons ago) one that started at lunchtime and ended when we got kicked out (11:30pm) even 4.7% is a little on the high side. Seems good for a more civilised session ale though

 

[Mardoo]

Wow Yob, that's dramatically different. I've heard his session beer recipes are quite different. SW yours is closer to what I've used. Don't have it with me so I can't say exactly.