Whirlpool Brown

Brewing Processes
1

so I wanted to post about a beer Just brewed…

I give HoosierBrew props for turning me onto Whirlpooling my IPAs as I have brewed several now and have all just been absolutely juicy tropical magic( last was Galaxy, Azzaca and HBC438- peach apricot bomb- yum!!)

So using what I know, I took a style that I personally (no offense to those who dig it) find a bit boring… Brown ales.  For me they are too malty and lack the hop magic that I crave day and night-  So I figured I would attempt to brew a brown ale that not only MET BJCP guidelines, but also something I would like to drink- recipe follows.

What I ended up brewing was a brown ale that I believe not only brown ale lovers would drink, but the hop junkies would find very drinkable as well…

Whirlpool Brown ale:
All Grain

OG 1.064
FG 1.015
SRM 22
IBU 39
ABV 6.3
efficiency in range for my system at 72%

Grain bill:
13# 2 row  90%
8oz c60      3.5%
7oz Spec roast  3%
7oz choco      3%
1oz debittered  .5% (color only)

Hops:
.75oz Warrior (15%alpha) FWH  37IBU
.25oz Cascade (5.5% alpha) 15min 2IBU

whirlpool @ 175 for 45 min:
2oz cascade
2oz Willaimette

Yeast:
WLP029 Kolsch fermed at 67

Dryhop x3 days:
2oz Williamette
1.75oz Cascade

mashed at 158 with a mash pH of 5.35

I fermed for 4 days at 67, pulled primary from my cooler and added my dry hops and allowed temp to rise to 72 for 3 days for dryhop and diacetyl rest.  once final gravity was met, I transfered to secondary and cold crashed at 38 for 3 days then kegged.

Tasting notes:

The nose is earthy grapefruit with distinct caramel notes. Caramel is the primary taste followed by mellow herbal, earthy grapefruit. Dangerously drinkable!!

Now that you have made it this far into this novel of a post finally comes the question.  Given the success of brewing a brown ale with a huge whirlpool addition, I am considering brewing a Saison again with a huge whirlpool addition-

Thoughts?  Good idea?  Recommendations for the hops in the whirlpool? Anybody attempted this?  I was thinking either Sorachi ace or Lemon drop-

Cheers

2

Glad to hear it - makes a nice beer!  Sounds like more or less an American Brown ale to me. As for the saison, it all depends on what you like. I don’t normally whirlpool hop them, but when I do it’s with a lighter hand because I don’t like to cover up the saison yeast character. But there are no rules unless we impose them on ourselves. If it sounds good, go for it! Sorachi and Lemon Drop are nice in saison, but Drew’s 3711 saison with a light does of Citra is really nice, too. Go with what sounds good to you.

3

Big Kisses brother…  I feel like my beers have evolved to the next level. I guess im just on a journey at the moment to see what if not all styles can benefit from some whirlpool love…

4

My rule (at the moment) is to whirlpool beers where I want a moderate to high hop flavor. Beers with light hop flavor normally get late boil additions. No reason at all not to experiment, if nothing else just to find out what you like and don’t .

5

As another style of beer I just dont dig, The only way I kmow how to fix the ones I dont like is throw more hops at them. Now that i have the whirlpool in the wheelhouse, I can add hop flavors without adding IBUs - so essentially making hoppier beers that still meet bjcp guidelines for comps

6

Also been toyin with the idea of doing an american chocolate stout with a ton of amarillo in the whirlpool. Choco/orange kinda thing

7

It’s ok not to like a style of beer and to not feel like it has to be converted into an IPA.

That said, if you wanted to make a hoppy saison it wouldn’t be out of line to use a whirlpool addition. When I make hoppier saisons I tend to like a whirlpool addition, albeit a smaller addition than I would use for an APA or IPA.

8

It’s kind of ironic that you find browns too malty and boring when one of the prototypical brown substyles, Texas brown, is a very hoppy beer.  For a hoppy Am. brown recipe built on that substyle, take a look at Site Not Found

9

+1 to Noti Brown Ale. My wife loves hoppy beer and really appreciates when I make Noti. She normally hates brown ales.

10

+1 same here.  I did a NGP and kept early additions low but hit the whirlpool hard (all saaz) it was very nice.  Maybe a little over the top by BJCP standards but I liked it and will keep doing it.

Someone also mentioned that whirlpool hopping plus a dry hopping is like 1+1=3.  I think they really do something special together.  That said, gonna have to do some lodo stuff to try and keep that magic around longer.  Usually fades 2 weeks.  Top of things to try is filling keg to purge and ascorbic acid.

11

Great recipe

12

Yeah, I gotta brew that one.

13

I have an American brown on my short list that I plan to use simcoe and chinook on, with just a touch of bravo in the bittering charge to use of the last half ounce.

14

I regularly brew an American brown ale recipe that I developed because its a style I enjoy.  Perhaps also because I rarely see commercial versions in the offering.  I enjoy how the flavor of mine changes over the 6-8 weeks in the keg before its gone.

15

Looks pretty tasty-  also I should rephrase…  I like hoppy American brown ales just fine. As the owner of a craft beer bar, Im pretty spoiled when it comes to hoppy beers, so theyvtend to get over looked!