Thoughts please, on something dark n malty

[jimny14]

Hopefully this'll turn out quite dark n malty. any thoughts and suggestions greatly recieved.

Malts

Marris otter - 4kg,
crystal 500g
wheat malt 500g
choc malt 250g
oats - 500g

hops

60min boil

northdown 7.5% 25g 60 mins
cascade 4.6% 40g 15 mins
bramling cross 5.5% 50g 15 mins

cascade 4.6% 20g 0mins
bramling cross 5.5% 20g 0mins

Anyone got any thoughts or hints? let me know cheers guys.

[bigdave]

That sounds like its going to be dark and hoppy rather than dark and malty?...

[jimny14]

Very good point dave. I was kind of writing this as I was playing with it on beer engine, n it evolved a bit. I'm hoping the bramling cross comes through, apparently its got a very distinct flavour, I've never used it before so will be good to see how this comes out. Anything obvious issues with this brew? I was going for something quite wintery n a bit chewy as it were.

[dave-o]

Have to say i was a bit disappointed with BX. It has quite a "nothingy" taste. Like hop-lite. Perhaps a bit of sweetness and slight fuggle-like earthiness, but nothing to get too excited about. With a properly flavoursome hop like cascade, it'll get totally lost IMO. Perhaps you'll have a better experience with it though.

As for malty/dark, i recommend dark or extra dark crystal.

[coatesg]

As for malty/dark, i recommend dark or extra dark crystal.

Dark crystal gives a lovely malty toffee flavour. You could also try replacing some pale malt with munich malt for extra malt flavours.

[kaymak]

Hav eto agree with Coatesg,

Id do the following,

Marris otter - 3kg,
Munich malt - 1kg
Dark crystal 500g
choc malt 250g


No real need to 500g of wheat, I dont feel it would suit a nice malty britsh ale, 500g fo crystal should help with the head retention, i'd drop the oats aswell,