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my next brew...

tws

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Joined
Sep 19, 2011
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Greetings once more fellow brewers,

i have a few questions about my next brew which is an:


Old Privy Nut Brown Ale

OG: 1:052

1/4 lb Chocolate grains
1/2 lb Victory grains

6 1/2 lbs Amber malt extract
1/2 oz Kent Goldings hops (boiling)

1/2 oz willamette hops (flavoring)
1 tablet irish moss

1/2 oz willamette hops (aroma)

recommended yeast options:
dry: Safbrew S-33
liquid: Wyeast #1028, London Ale

i wonder if there is somewhere an online brew calculator where i might key this recipe in and finesse it by either adding more extract and making it higher gravity or any other additive that may add more body, flavor etc.

additionally i wonder if anyone here has made this particular brew and has any suggestions to improve it.

thanks,

tws
 
Wow, so many questions, but good ones.
On-line calculators: I have never liked them, so I don't use them. If you are serious about homebrewing, spend the $35 to buy a good homebrewing software. You can adjust it to meet your individual needs, and it's yours. I use both BeerSmith and ProMash, but there are other good ones out there.
Improving the brew: This gets into a lot of personal tastes. First, let's start with the amber extract. I always suggest using pale extract and adjusting color, flavour, etc., with grains. This will give you more control over your brew. Plus, not all extracts are the same. For example, Weyermann Amber extract is made with a double decotation mash of Munich I. This is great, if that's the profile you want.
If you have not already done so, invest in a few good books that cover extract brewing. I lean toward Parpazian(sp? it's too early here on the west coast to check) or Miller, but, again, there are many others out there.

My tastes: I would use some Guiness yeast (Wyeast 1084 or White Labs WLP 004). Just my tastes. I use it for everything except wheats.
I would use toasted malt instead of Victory. I know, they are supposed to be interchangible, but IMHO they are not. Again, just my tastes.
Briess, (the supplier of Victory Malt), suggests 5-15% for brown ales. A good homebrew program will tell you what the percent is in your recipe. If you stick with Victory, and since it's your brew and not mine there's no real reason not to, you could adjust the amount to your tastes.

I could go on about what I would change, and everyone else on this board could do the same. And we would all be right. That's the attraction of homebrewing.
My SOP for improving a recipe is to brew it as published, drink it, and next time change ONE ingredient. Keep records. Don't be discouraged if you have to brew it a half dozen times.

Have fun with it. But keep records.

Ed
 
thanks rusty nails...

thoughtful detailed reply.

i did not mention that is is only my 5th brew and a store bought one from my local homebrew store. which by the way is going out of business so i am trying to gather info on brew batches and order online now.

i was a bit disappointed with my last brew - a barvarian wiezen - which seemed (at least to me to be a bit weak and lacking of body) but definitely drinkable...

indeed this is and interesting and complex craft beer brewing.

i downloaded a free brew program and am susing it out bit by bit... i guess if i changed only one thing with this Old Privy Nut Brown Ale i may just add a bit more extract maybe some DME thereby not changing any  of the characteristics just adding a bit more gravity?

thanks again.

tws
 
0.5 oz of EKG seems low to bitter 5 gallons. 

I'd recommend S-04 over S-33 for dry.  33 is kind of odd to me.  S-04 is a more typical, if restrained, English yeast.  1028 is great if you have time for the starter.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/simpsons-golden-naked-oats.html

...are great for that nutty flavor. 
 
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