Looking to brew a brown

If you're going for a hoppy brown I would use dark dehusked malts
Carafa 3 is my go to 8 oz in 5 gal would do the trick with 2row
I think wookey jack uses midnight wheat along with carafa 3 and some rye malt but I would call wookey a black ale
If you're not going hoppy I would use more crystals special b and pale chocolate personally

 

I've made some nice browns over the years but it's not really a go to style for me. I usually take the approach of starting with a good English pale ale recipe and adjusting with pale chocolate for color. If you have never used wy1469 before I cannot recommend it highly enough. You can never go wrong with EKG to the desired hop profile.

 

Here is a recipe I've made a couple of times. It is in the fermenter now. I used us05 yeast and other hops and similar crystal malts I had on hand. I don't use the hazelnut flavoring because I'm afraid of messing up a tasty beer. Not real hoppy but you could change that since there is an abundance of crystal.

From a recipe created by homebrewer Chris Studach of the Cascade Brewers Society in Eugene OR, Hazelnut Brown Nectar has turned into one of Rogue’s most popular beers, winning many awards worldwide. The picture on the bottle is a caricature of Chris, giving rise to the beer’s nickname “Bald Guy Brown”.

OG: 1.057
FG: 1.016
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 25
SRM: 26.2
Crush and steep in 2.75 gallons (10.41 L) of 152°F (66.66°C) water for 60 minutes:
2 lb. (.9 kg) Great Western Munich 10L
1.5 lb. (.68 kg) Great Western Crystal 75L
9 oz. (.25 kg) Great Western Crystal 15L
9 oz. (.25 kg) Great Western Crystal 120L
11 oz. (.31 kg) Baird Brown Malt
4 oz. (.11 kg) Franco-Belges Kiln Coffee Malt
½ tsp. Northwestern hazelnut extract (see note)
Strain the grain into your brew pot and sparge with 1 gallon (3.78 L) of water at 160°F (71.11°C). Bring the wort to a boil, remove from heat, and add:
3.75 lb. (1.7 kg) light dry malt extract.
Stir well until the extract is dissolved. Add water as needed to bring the volume to 3 gallons (11.35 L). Bring the wort to a rolling boil. Boil for 10 minutes, and then add:
1.2 oz. (34 g) Perle pellets hops (8.7% AA)
Boil for 60 minutes and then add:
.5 oz. (14.17 g) Sterling pellet hops (8.7% AA)
Remove from heat and let hops steep for 10 min. Then chill as quickly as possible to below 80°F (26.66°C). Transfer the wort to fermenter and add cold water to bring the total volume to 5 gallons (18.92 L). The temperature should be below 70°F (21.11°C) at this point. Aerate wort and pitch an appropriately sized starter of Wyeast 1764 Pacman yeast.
Ferment at 60-65°F (15.55-18.33°C) until final gravity is reached. You can either leave the beer in primary for 3 weeks, or transfer to a secondary fermenter for a week after final gravity is reached in the primary. Bottle when fermentation is complete with 4 oz. (.11 kg) corn sugar or keg and force carbonate to 2.5 vol. CO2. Add ½ teaspoon of Northwestern hazelnut extract at bottling or kegging.

All Grain Instructions
Replace extract with 7.75 lb. (3.51 kg) Great Western 2 row pale malt (approximately 1.8-2L). Crush the grain and mash all grain at 152°F (66.66°C) using 5.75 gallons (21.76 L) of water. Sparge with enough water at 180°F (82.22°C) to reach your intended boil volume.
Note: According to Brewmaster John Maier at Rogue Ales, Northwestern hazelnut extract is more potent than other brands. If you use another brand, you’ll have to add it gradually at packaging and taste to ascertain the proper amount.

 

This is my typical brown

Maris otter (if minimash or extact, you might find Maris otter extract; if not available maybe Muntons spray malt)
2-4oz pale Choc or Choc malt
2-4 oz dark crystal
4-8 oz crystal 40-60
0-8 oz victory, special roast, or other biscuit or amber.
Many English yeast strains would work.
For hops, goldings, fuggles, or any English hop for bittering; maybe an house for flavor. If looking for something more 'merica, reduce crystal malts and change hops to cascade, amp up.

 

2-row base for an American brown, Marris Otter base for an English brown. One or two medium to dark crystals. I like pale chocolate as compared to regular chocolate. Some people will use brown malt (I haven't yet so can't comment on it). For extra flavor, I like Victory, brings a nutty profile perfect in an English brown. I also like to throw in oats to smooth out the mouthfeel.

 

Brown malt is a pain to find, but so worth it. My favorite stout used brown pretty heavy.

 

For your hops, I would simply add whatever you've selected at 60 min. Consider adding some at 15-20 min and maybe 5 min depending on what you're shooting for in regards to flavor/aroma and IBUs. You might only need 2 oz or so in total for 20-25 IBU goal. All of the hops you mentioned would go well in an English brown.

 

I would go with 60 and 20 minute additions of whichever low as hop you decide to go with.

Regarding carabrown it's a good addition to an American style brown. If you use an English base malt I would not want to cover it up with too much specialty malt.

 

This^ I am lucky my LHBS carries brown malt.

I used 78% 2 row, 7% brown and chocolate and 8% dark crystal. Came out awesome!

 

The carafa is going to give you a smooth roast because it has no husk. Its more for color, the special roast brings .ore flavor but can get too acrid if you use too much.

 

If it were me playing with your recipe I would use brown malt if you have access to it. I would drop the special roast and sub in the brown for a percentage of your 2 row addition. Then adjust the carafa to get the color I wanted.

 

I would do the exact thing @scottakelly would, and now I want to brew a beer with him too.