Hoppy Brown with summer twist?

[TimG]

So feeling in the mood for a hoppy brown.. but want to make it a bit more 'summer orientated'. Suggestions? Fruit? Citrus focused hops are a given..

[TimG]

Something like this (stolen from an unmentionable site):

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: S-05
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU: 25.8
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 21.8
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 21 Days @ 68F
Tasting Notes: Great mouth feel but could use a touch more aroma. Well balanced and easy to drink

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
1.00 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (60 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (15 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
2.50 oz Fresh sweet valencia orange zest (5 min)

This one turned out really good so far - and has only been on gas for a little over a week - I will update the thread as this beer ages.

The fresh orange zest adds a subtle aroma and combines well with the cascade hops to give this a refreshing, citrusy taste. Despite mashing @ 151 this beer has more body than I was expecting.

I have it carbonated at 13psi @ 40F.

Very easy to drink and a great session beer for summer.

Next time I may add some .25-.50oz. coriander with the orange zest and possibly a late hops addition to add a bit more aroma.

[mr x]

Best brown ales I have made use brown malt.

Sent from Tapatalk 2, a prick of a company.

[Jimmy]

Best brown ales I have made use brown malt.

Sent from Tapatalk 2, a prick of a company.

I like to use 2oz of brown malt in my browns.

[Jimmy]

[TimG]

Haha, good one Jimmy!

Ya, I was thinking more of using a previous brown ale recipe of mine.. but maybe with the orange zest? Or lemon zest... or.. something else wacky? Ha

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Do it! Don't use too much of the pith, a micro grater will be a huge help for it. Zest as many citruses in a batch as youcan"!

[mr x]

I don't believe the pith causes bad flavour in beer theory. Food yes, beer, not so much.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Hm, could be. My experience is my brother and I both made pale ales with a bunch of citrus zest in it, he grated his with a coarse cheese grater, and I did mine with a micro zester. Mine turned out well, his had a weird, strong bitterness to it that didn't taste like regular hop bitterness. But I could definitely be mistaken

[Barr]

I recently had a really bad experience brewing with lime zest. I puréed the zest and fermented it and the result was undrinkable. It was super bitter and gave me a massive drunk and a three day long headache. A friend told me that citrus produces methanol. Not sure but I know I'll never do that again. I went back to my usual method and that is to peel off with a carrot peeler and throw in at end of boil then remove before fermenter.