Bottoms Up Brown Ale

[Dawg LB Steve]

Here is the recipe for my Brown Ale. Total water 12.5 gallons, starting water profile CA+2=33, MG+2=9, NA+=13, CR=22, SO4-2=28, Akalinity=65(HCO3), PH=7.3, total water volume treated with 1 tsp Baking Soda.

Batch size 7.5 G
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Mash temp 153
Sparge temp 168

Actual ABV 4.8%
IBU = 40.7
Color = 23 SRM

8.75 lbs US 2 Row Malt
3.62 lbs Maris Otter Malt
1.5 lbs Pale Chocolate Malt
1.12 lbs C60 Caramel Malt
.75 Honey Malt
.75 lbs Carapils

1.5 oz US Northern Brewer @ 60 7.00% AA
.75 oz Cascade @ 30 7.10% AA
.75 Willamette @ 15 4.70% AA
1 Whirlfloc tab @ 10
1 Sachette 11.5 gram S-04 in 1.2L Starter

Est OG 1.057 Act 1.049
Est FG 1.015 Act 1.012

I hit preboil volume and gravity, but boil off was less than calculated and ended up with 8.5 gallons in the fermenter and was able to get 8.25 into kegs.

[Beer-lord]

Thanks for the recipe. I never would have guessed the honey malt in here. I'll trim it down to my normal 6 gallon batch and let you know when I brew it up. Might be a while but it will get brewed.

[Dawg LB Steve]

When I brewed this I was aiming at filling one 5 and one 2.5 gallon keg. Like I said with the overshoot on the volume I was able to put nearly another 2 gallons in the other 2.5 g keg.

[ScrewyBrewer]

Here is the recipe for my Brown Ale. Total water 12.5 gallons, starting water profile CA+2=33, MG+2=9, NA+=13, CR=22, SO4-2=28, Akalinity=65(HCO3), PH=7.3, total water volume treated with 1 tsp Baking Soda.

I'm thinking pH=7.3 is a typo......? Is see that the BU:GU ratio for an American Brown Ale is .57 and judging from the IBU and gravity of this recipe it comes closer to .850 which is closer to an IPA. I'm not sure if that is intentional but I thought it might be worth mentioning. Cheers!

[mashani]

Is see that the BU:GU ratio for an American Brown Ale is .57 and judging from the IBU and gravity of this recipe it comes closer to .850 which is closer to an IPA. I'm not sure if that is intentional but I thought it might be worth mentioning. Cheers!

Going under the assumption that it is correct as is, then it is probably why the folks who reviewed this on the other thread and asked for the recipe said it didn't seem sweet like many browns are. (along with the lower then estimated OG/FG, which I'm sure helped dry it out too). Without a higher amount of IBUs and that much crystal and honey malt, it would for sure seem sweeter I think. I think you'd need to lower both of them if you lowered the IBUs and wanted a similar character.

[Dawg LB Steve]

The 7.3 PH is my tap water, from the report. Using Palmer's residual alkalinity chart ph comes in at 5.75.

[mashani]

Dawg, out of curiosity does your water come from the Willoughby treatment plant, or is it Cleveland water?

[Inkleg]

It wasn't bitter to me. What I was tasting was a nutty or roasty flavor. Looking at the grain bill I should have been picking up some sweet, but wasn't. This was along the lines of a Southern Brown Ale.

[Dawg LB Steve]

Willoughby Water, just set up the grist and water profile and baking soda addition (4 grams) 1 tsp in Brewers Friend advanced calcs and mash PH comes out as 5.58

[Dawg LB Steve]

It wasn't bitter to me. What I was tasting was a nutty or roasty flavor. Looking at the grain bill I should have been picking up some sweet, but wasn't. This was along the lines of a Southern Brown Ale.

Funny you say that, had the owner of Platform Brewing speak at a HBC meeting and I had that with me, he tasted and said the same thing.

[Inkleg]

Well looks like in the 2015 BJCP guidelines Northern and Southern Browns are not listed anymore.
So with a quick glance I'd say English Porter. What ever you call it, I called it good.

[Dawg LB Steve]

Well looks like in the 2015 BJCP guidelines Northern and Southern Browns are not listed anymore.
So with a quick glance I'd say English Porter. What ever you call it, I called it good.

Judged 37 as an American Brown, like you whatever it is I like it others like it and I will continue to brew this one. That is the third time that recipe has been brewed for a total of 21 gallons.

[mashani]

It wasn't bitter to me. What I was tasting was a nutty or roasty flavor. Looking at the grain bill I should have been picking up some sweet, but wasn't. This was along the lines of a Southern Brown Ale.

Yeah that's what I was getting at in my response to Screwy - a real traditional English Southern brown would have a lot less IBUs and also a lot less of such a crystal malt/honey malt blend. I think the extra IBUs are likely really important to get that similar character you are perceiving here and keeping it "balanced" the way you are perceiving it.

And I'm not saying that as a bad thing. The sweet/bitter balancing act might be making this an even better tasting beer then many more authentic versions.

I might have to track down the Dawg and steal some LOL.

[Dawg LB Steve]

It wasn't bitter to me. What I was tasting was a nutty or roasty flavor. Looking at the grain bill I should have been picking up some sweet, but wasn't. This was along the lines of a Southern Brown Ale.

Yeah that's what I was getting at in my response to Screwy - a real traditional English Southern brown would have a lot less IBUs and also a lot less of such a crystal malt/honey malt blend. I think the extra IBUs are likely really important to get that similar character you are perceiving here and keeping it "balanced" the way you are perceiving it.

And I'm not saying that as a bad thing. The sweet/bitter balancing act might be making this an even better tasting beer then many more authentic versions.

I might have to track down the Dawg and steal some LOL.

I have some bottled up for you, we just need to hook up. Or come over Saturday afternoon and I can pour some flights of what I have on tap.

[ScrewyBrewer]

Oh man I wish I could taste one too. I've never brewed an American Brown Ale before, I've brewed English versions only, and yours sounds delicious.