How Much Brown Malt is Too Much?

[DrewBrews]

I'm doing an all grain mild tomorrow and I'd like to know how much Brown Malt to use.

I was thinking about 20% of the grain bill, how does that sound?

Something like like
70% pale
20% brown malt
10% caramalt

May be a few percent black malt.

Any suggestions?

[HighHops]

I haven't used brown malt before, but have used amber malt, which is also roasted malt. I made a ruby ale and used 4oz of amber malt. I was warned not to use any more than this or it might become undrinkable, but Graham Wheeler uses 1/2 Ib in a porter recipe, so it must depend on the style and the balance of other grains. The roasted flavour was just right at this level imho.

[Garth]

Brown malt is exactly like amber malt just it's been kilned for longer.

Promash recommends for both of them, no more than 10% in a batch.

[Tony01]

Hi Drew

I would seriously think carefully about using anything over 10%. Speaking personally, if I were using another roasted malt along with it, I'd drop it even lower.

Hope you brew goes really well!

[DrewBrews]

Thanks for the advice guys, I revised the brown malt down to 9% in the end.

Brew day went pretty well. It's all tucked up and put to bed now

[coatesg]

Depends what you are looking for - the Durden Park hostorical recipes often go well over 10% brown (eg Whitbread 1850 Porter uses 15.5% brown malt with 5% black malt too - there are higher percentages in there too (though some assume the brown malt is the old diastatic type (quick roasted over fire) - the modern stuff can't be used in the same way).

For a mild, I think you're right in scaling it back. (Even the Hook Norton Double Stout I think only has 5% each of black and brown malts).