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.
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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