Mr. Rufus Chocolate Brown Ale

[philm00x]

This recipe was originally an extract recipe w/ steeped grains. I'm pretty much brewing exclusively all-grain BIAB style, so I converted the recipe and made a small addition to the grain bill. Also, originally was made for a 2.13 gallon (8.5 qt) LBK batch, but have increased to 2.5 gallon top-of-the-Q batch. This brown ale holds a dear place in my heart as it was my first original recipe, as well as being my first recipe brewed with non-Mr. Beer ingredients.

Recipe: Chocolate Brown Ale
Brewer: Mr. Rufus Brewing Co.
Asst Brewer:
Style: Northern English Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 2.82 gal
Post Boil Volume: 2.60 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 2.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 24.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 21.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 74.3 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.4 %
6.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.6 %
4.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.7 %
0.25 oz Challenger [6.30 %] - First Wort 60.0 mi Hop 5 14.4 IBUs
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop 6 6.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml] Yeast 7 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 4 lbs 6.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 6.56 qt of water at 162.8 F 152.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 1.70gal) of 168.0 F water

[jhough]

Phil, been using Maris Otter since Mashani turned me on to it last year . Love the Honey malt addition...just started using it the last 3 batches . Honey Hef due up soon for Hockey season !!!
Your batch sparge in 2 steps ? .... I've been sick lately......please splain !

[FrozenInTime]

Looks great! I don't see the need for sparging twice, but that's just me.

[Foothiller]

Nice looking recipe. When I brew all-grain, I use things like Maris Otter or Vienna - if I were to use 2-row, I might as well use light extract, to save time. Specity grains make up the character, by steeping or PM.

[philm00x]

Phil, been using Maris Otter since Mashani turned me on to it last year . Love the Honey malt addition...just started using it the last 3 batches . Honey Hef due up soon for Hockey season !!!
Your batch sparge in 2 steps ? .... I've been sick lately......please splain !

I'll heat up two pots with the amount of water each step calls for at the prescribed temperature. When I pull the pot out of the oven when the mash is over, I'll lift the bag out so the grains drain into the brew pot, squeeze the grains, then rinse the grains with the first amount of water, squeeze the grains, and then rinse with the second amount of water. It gets me to the pre-boil volume I'm looking for (sometimes a little bit over), and then carry on w/ the hop boil as usual. I know this is not really batch sparging, but this mash profile and doing it the way I've been doing is what has given me the best results and I'm sticking with it.

[Brewbirds]

[quoteI'll heat up two pots with the amount of water each step calls for at the prescribed temperature. When I pull the pot out of the oven when the mash is over, I'll lift the bag out so the grains drain into the brew pot, squeeze the grains, then rinse the grains with the first amount of water, squeeze the grains, and then rinse with the second amount of water. It gets me to the pre-boil volume I'm looking for (sometimes a little bit over), and then carry on w/ the hop boil as usual. I know this is not really batch sparging, but this mash profile and doing it the way I've been doing is what has given me the best results and I'm sticking with it.][/quote]

That is a great point to explain. For those of us using Beersmith (don't know if others are the same) while our methods are similar no two are exactly alike. It is very difficult to get the equipment profile dialed in when using multiple pots with a kind of BIAB with sparge or Partial Mash and late extract addition or using top up water.

Our brew methods require some serious tweaking when using a brewing software, it takes a lot of batches and patience to get our numbers to finally start hitting the mark.

It is like being left handed; we are living in a 5 gallon batch world. Everything is scaled there.

[jhough]

Now I see. I brew outside on porch ,but , I think a modified version of what you do will help reach my volume better !

[philm00x]

Made some changes to this recipe. Omitted the honey malt, C40 switched for 8 oz of C10, and added 4 oz of Carapils.

The hops are now 0.25 oz Challenger for FWH, and 0.50 EKG, still for 10 mins.

Going to the LHBS tomorrow hopefully to pick up the ingredients and brew this!

[philm00x]

FINALLY got stuff today to brew this tomorrow. Hit a couple "snags" at the store. They didn't have 350 lovibond chocolate malt, so I subbed the 400 they did have. And they were out of EKG, so I subbed Whitbread Golding Variety. Gonna be a little darker, slightly hoppier than planned but still more malt-forward. The Maris Otter malt smells so deliciously nutty. Definitely looking forward to brewing this tomorrow!

[Inkleg]

Sounds like it will be beer Phil, and right tasty at that. Enjoy your brew day.

[philm00x]

So when I cooled the wort to pour into the fermenter, I had forgotten to close the spigot when I ran sanitizer through it, so I spilled maybe a quarter cup worth of wort. Stupid mistake, but fortunately not very much lost. Even with that happening, I still surpassed my OG by 2 points again, achieving a gravity of 1.048. I've definitely got the hang of this mash tun cooler, hitting brewhouse efficiencies of 74 and 75 percent since recirculating the wort during first runnings and second runnings after the sparge. Mash efficiencies are going well above 80 percent so my temps are good and the grains are converting very well. Potential for 5.0% ABV.

Side note: Maris Otter smells AMAZING.

[Brewbirds]

Great to see that you have got the new brew system down.

WHAT you left the spigot open when pouring wort I've never heard of THAT happening before.

I hope your beer turns out great just don't forget about over in SMEIBB's Corner.

[philm00x]

The SMEIBB's Corner has a place in my heart always! I still use my grain bag as a filter. It's working rather well! Kinda a SMEIBB/Mash Tun combo thing going. Still using ice baths

[philm00x]

Just bottled this today. FG hit 1.011, as expected, for 4.6% ABV. Sample tasted deliciously toasted and nutty! Maris Otter was the right choice for this one.

EDIT: Pardon, but my eyes were apparently playing tricks on me when I plugged in the OG and FG into BeerSmith, but the ABV is 4.8%, not 4.6. Either way, it's gonna be tasty!

[Brewbirds]

I've been loving the MO as well, it might be my new favorite.