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Recipe: Rocket Frog Wallops Island American Brown Ale

Courtesy of Russell Carpenter, head brewer at Rocket Frog Brewing Company in Sterling, Virginia, here is a homebrew-scale recipe for their flagship American brown ale that earned two GABF medals in the past three years.

Russell Carpenter Jul 18, 2021 - 3 min read

Recipe: Rocket Frog Wallops Island American Brown Ale Primary Image

Photos: Matt Graves/www.mgravesphoto.com

“Caramel, toffee, and chocolate flavors greet the senses with every sip,” the brewery says. “A slight piney and citrusy bitterness from classic Pacific Northwest hops helps to balance the malty flavors and lasts well into the finish. Judicious amounts of flaked oats create a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that will entice you into another sip.”

For more from Rocket Frog head brewer Russell Carpenter on brewing a winning American brown ale, see his Brewer’s Perspective.

ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.020
IBUs: 23
ABV: 5.3%

MALT/GRAIN BILL
2.7 lb (1.2 kg) Simpsons Maris Otter
1.7 lb (771 g) Briess two-row
1.6 lb (726 g) flaked oats
1.1 lb (499 g) Weyermann Munich I
1 lb (454 g) Weyermann CaraRed
1 lb (454 g) Weyermann CaraMunich I
11 oz (312 g) Crisp Crystal 60L
11 oz (312 g) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats
9 oz (255 g) Crisp Pale Chocolate
7 oz (198 g) Weyermann Melanoidin
1.5 oz (43 g) Weyermann Carafa II

HOPS SCHEDULE
0.1 oz (3 g) Warrior at 60 minutes [4 IBUs]
0.5 oz (14 g) Northern Brewer at 15 minutes [6 IBUs]
1.1 oz (31 g) Cascade at whirlpool [5 IBUs]
1 oz (28 g) Centennial at whirlpool [8 IBUs]

YEAST
Fermentis SafAle US-05, Wyeast 1056 American Ale, White Labs WLP001 California Ale, or similar

DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash in at 156°F (69°C), then let the grain bed set for 15 minutes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear—about 30 minutes—then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes following the hops schedule. At flameout, stir the kettle for 5 minutes to conduct a whirlpool, add whirlpool hops, then allow 20 minutes for it to settle. After the boil, chill the wort to about 66–68°F (19–20°C). Aerate well and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 67–68 °F (19–20°C) for 2–3 weeks. Crash to 32°F (0°C), then package and carbonate to 2.3–2.4 volumes.

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