Charlie’s Brown Ale

ABV: 5.20%

IBU: 52

SRM: 19

OG: 1.058

FG: 1.018

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Mike Formisano, in collaboration with New Belgium Brewing, captured the silver medal in the 2013 GABF Pro-Am Competition with his Northern English brown ale, Charlie's Brown.

Formisano isn't new to the winner's circle, though. He took home gold with a similar recipe in the 2011 National Homebrew Competition - but wasn't convinced of his beer's quality. He thought the beer needed a nuttier profile, so he added golden naked oats to the recipe.

After dumping the first batch because of infection (the first time he ever had to dump a homebrew batch), his wife, Kara, insisted that he brew the beer again.

His persistence paid off. And in the end, Formisano really valued his experience making Pro-Am beers at New Belgium and Oskar Blues because there's so much more to learn. And, if we've learned one thing, it's we want to brew (and drink) this beer.

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Mike Formisano, in collaboration with New Belgium Brewing, captured the silver medal in the 2013 GABF Pro-Am Competition with his Northern English brown ale, Charlie's Brown.

Formisano isn't new to the winner's circle, though. He took home gold with a similar recipe in the 2011 National Homebrew Competition - but wasn't convinced of his beer's quality. He thought the beer needed a nuttier profile, so he added golden naked oats to the recipe.

After dumping the first batch because of infection (the first time he ever had to dump a homebrew batch), his wife, Kara, insisted that he brew the beer again.

His persistence paid off. And in the end, Formisano really valued his experience making Pro-Am beers at New Belgium and Oskar Blues because there's so much more to learn. And, if we've learned one thing, it's we want to brew (and drink) this beer.

Ingredients:

  • 8.0 lb (3.6 kg) Crisp Maris Otter malt
  • 1.0 lb (0.45 kg) Cara-Pils/dextrine malt
  • 8.0 oz (226 g) Weyermann Munich II malt
  • 8.0 oz (226 g) Baird's brown malt
  • 8.0 oz (226 g) biscuit malt
  • 8.0 oz (226 g) Briess Special Roast malt
  • 4.0 oz (113 g) chocolate malt
  • 4.0 oz (113 g) Victory malt
  • 4.0 oz (113 g) Simpson's Golden Naked Oats
  • 1.0 oz (28 g) Northern Brewer pellets, 8% a.a. (60 min)
  • 1.0 oz (28 g) Willamette pellets, 4% a.a. (30 min)
  • 1.0 oz (28 g) UK Fuggle pellets, 5% a.a. (15 min)
  • 1.0 oz (28 g) UK Golding, 6% a.a. (5 min)
  • 1 tablet Whirlfloc (15 min)
  • 0.25 tsp Super Moss (15 min)
  • White Labs WLP002 English Ale Yeast

Specifications:

Yield: 5.25 Gallons (19.87 L)

Original Gravity: 1.058

Final Gravity: 1.018

ABV: 5.20%

IBU: 52

SRM: 19

Directions:

To brew Charlie’s Brown Ale, reverse osmosis water with 1/2 tsp gypsum and 1 tsp calcium chloride per 5 gallons. Step-insuion mash (20 minutes at 122° F/50° C, 30 minutes at 143° F/62° C, 60 minutes at 152° F/67° C). Primary fermentation for 14 days at 68°F (20°C). Secondary fermentation for 14 days at 38°F (3.5°C). Forced carbonated to 2 vol.


Extract Option

Reduce Maris Otter malt to 1 lb (0.45 kg) and substitute 5.3 lb (2.41 kg) Maris Otter pale malt extract sytuip for the remainder. Mash remaining grains with the 1 lb of pale malt at 152°F (67°C) for one hour. Drain, rinse grains, dissolve extracts completely and proceed with boil.


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