Style Of The Week 28/6/06 - English Brown Ale

[Stuster]

This week we are back to Britain, for another style suited to the cooler weather. Northern English Brown Ale, often referred to as Nut Brown Ale is 11C on the BJCP style guidelines. The most common example of the style has to be Newcastle Brown Ale.

Here is an article on Brown Ale, although it covers American Brown Ales as well. h34r:

What recipes do you have for this style? What yeasts do you like best? What grains? What hops? Partial mash recipes as well for any new converts to mashing. What kits are best? How can these kits be improved? What commercial brown ales do you like? Tell us all you know.

11C. Northern English Brown Ale

Aroma: Light, sweet malt aroma with toffee, nutty and/or caramel notes. A light but appealing fresh hop aroma (UK varieties) may also be noticed. A light fruity ester aroma may be evident in these beers, but should not dominate. Very low to no diacetyl.

Appearance: Dark amber to reddish-brown color. Clear. Low to moderate off-white to light tan head.

Flavor: Gentle to moderate malt sweetness, with a nutty, lightly caramelly character and a medium-dry to dry finish. Malt may also have a toasted, biscuity, or toffee-like character. Medium to medium-low bitterness. Malt-hop balance is nearly even, with hop flavor low to none (UK varieties). Some fruity esters can be present; low diacetyl (especially butterscotch) is optional but acceptable.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body. Medium to medium-high carbonation.

Overall Impression: Drier and more hop-oriented that southern English brown ale, with a nutty character rather than caramel.

Comments: English brown ales are generally split into sub-styles along geographic lines.

Ingredients: English mild ale or pale ale malt base with caramel malts. May also have small amounts darker malts (e.g., chocolate) to provide color and the nutty character. English hop varieties are most authentic. Moderate carbonate water.
Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.040 - 1.052 1.008 - 1.013 20 - 30 12 - 22 4.2 - 5.4%

Commercial Examples: Newcastle Brown Ale, Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, Tolly Cobbold Cobnut Special Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island Hex Nut Brown Ale

 

[bconnery]

In the May/June issue of Brew Your Own there is an article on cloning British beers and one of them is Newcastle Brown.

It says that it is actually a blend of an Old ale and an Amber ale, rather than just a straight brown ale brew.

I didn't know that...

Very tempted to give it a go...

 

[Trent]

As uninspired as it may sound, I just use the brown ale recipe out of How to Brew, and it turns out pretty nice. Williamette is a very nice hop in this style, or fuggles could go well too. I have had success with recultured Coopers yeast, 1099was OK, but not that great (could have been the brewer, though)<_< and recently did one with Wyeast 1028 that turned out absolutely delicious. Only use about 400g crystal and 200g pale chocolate in a 23L batch, and it turns out plenty brown and chocolatey, maybe some munich or something may be a good addition? Definitely a good winter beer, will be experimenting with it a bit over the coming months...
All the best
Trent

 

[bconnery]

As uninspired as it may sound, I just use the brown ale recipe out of How to Brew, and it turns out pretty nice. Williamette is a very nice hop in this style, or fuggles could go well too. I have had success with recultured Coopers yeast, 1099was OK, but not that great (could have been the brewer, though)<_< and recently did one with Wyeast 1028 that turned out absolutely delicious. Only use about 400g crystal and 200g pale chocolate in a 23L batch, and it turns out plenty brown and chocolatey, maybe some munich or something may be a good addition? Definitely a good winter beer, will be experimenting with it a bit over the coming months...
All the best
Trent

I brewed one with 400g Leatherwood honey.
It had 170g Chocolate Malt
180g Crystal
100g Dark Brown Sugar
2kg L LME

The hops I used probably pushed it more towards an American really. Perle & Target
Not to mention the US56 yeast...

I would up the chocolate in future, and try it without the honey. This was one about the honey, rather than the style.
It is a tasty beer, as long as you like that style of honey, which many don't...

This is probably slightly off style, and therefore topic really...

 

[stephen]

I made a Newcastle Brown clone several months ago. I found the recipe on this forum and gave it a go. Turned out fantastic!!! I'll write the recipe below and, if you are the originator of this, I thank you. I am in the middle of a BJCP course and supplied a sample of this as a training aid and it was rated highly.

Recipe:

5 kg Pale ale malt
300 gm Crystal 150L, Great Britain
150 gm Chocolate malt, Great Britain
130 gm Wheat malt, Australia.

29 gm Fuggle pellet, 5%, 60 min
20 gm Fuggle pellet, 5%, 15 min

Wyeast 1318 London Ale III

I actually used S04 in my recreation and it, as I said earlier, turned out great.

Steve

 

[DJR]

What good timing - i was just thinking of putting on a brown ale with my brother in law who loves all UK beers.

What do you guys reckon of the following recipe:

23L - about 1046 OG at ~70% eff.

4 Kg JW Trad Ale
500 g JW Munich 2
100 g Wheat
150 g Crystal 60L
50 g Choc Malt
50 g Melanoidin

Mash 2.5L/kg 68degrees falling to 63-64 over 60'
Boil 80'

Hops
60' Willamette NZ 6% 10g
60' Challenger UK 6.5% 15g

Total 20IBU, color about 40EBC/15SRM

Yeast - Saf SO-4 from slurry (yes i'm cheap but should this be a good yeast for the style?)

 

[jaytee]

I must admit that it's years since I had a Newkie Brown and from memory I don't think I used to like it.

However, my brother gave me a kg of crushed brown grain for my birthday and I felt obliged to use it

Brewed to 24 litres
3kg LME
700gm Brown Grain
300gm crystal grain

18 IBU of Green Bullet to bitter
4 IBU Goldings at 15 minutes

repitched on a cake of W1968 from a pale ale

It was disturbingly drinkable and I've had to reappraise my opinion of Northern Browns !

 

[Stuster]

I just plugged that into Promash and it came back with a colour of 21 EBC which is not really dark enough I think. You can probably up your chocolate to more like 150-200g. More crystal too maybe. Munich should be nice in this.

The IBUs came out to 17 which is also on the low side. Maybe you can put in another hop addition at 15, maybe some more Willamette.

S-04 sounds good on the yeast. You're just doing the right thing for the environment by reusing and recycling.

 

[barneyhanway]

I just brewed a partial, didn't look at anything in particular style-wise, other than I wanted a darker brown more english style ale.
After reading this thread I guess this style is what its closest to, this novice would appreciate some comments:

1.5kg light LME
2.5 Ale malt
1kg munich
500gm crystal
250gm chocolate

20gm pacific gem 15%AAU 60'
20gm fuggles 5.5%AAU 20'
20gm fuggles 5.5%AAU 10'
10gm fuggles 5.5%AAU 0'

S04 @ 20deg

smells great, but its a bit darker than I was aiming for, the next batch I'll drop the chocolate to 150gm, maybe a bit less crystal too.
But I won't make any hasty decisions 'til I taste it


~edited for spelling~

 

[Stuster]

Looks like a brown ale to me barney.

Any more hints from the experienced brewers out there?

 

[mje1980]

Keen to make one of these. Been reading the "classic beer style" brown ale book, yummo!. They seem to be all about the malt, so here goes. Hope to brew it tuesday.

41.2% Halcyon pale
41.2% Wey Abbey malt
6.2% Cara hell
6.2% Simpsons aromatic malt
3.1% Pale choc

Galena @ 60

1968

1.045
20 IBU
16 SRM

 

[mje1980]

Tasted the above the other day, yummy!. Very malty but not cloying in any way. I plan on drinking a few more pints tonight!!. If any left next weekend i'll take it to the IBU case swap. IF......

 

[mje1980]

Tweaking the above recipe slightly, for another IBU event.

Brown and out.

65.4% Golden promise
4.9% TF pale xtal
2.5% Spec B
2.5% Pale choc
22.2% Weyermann abbey malt
2.5% Victory malt

Cal chl in mash, mashing high and long.

POR to 25 IBU

1.043
25 IBU

1968, or similar.

 

[mje1980]

Tweaking the above recipe slightly, for another IBU event.

Brown and out.

65.4% Golden promise
4.9% TF pale xtal
2.5% Spec B
2.5% Pale choc
22.2% Weyermann abbey malt
2.5% Victory malt

Cal chl in mash, mashing high and long.

POR to 25 IBU

1.043
25 IBU

1968, or similar.

This is now my brown ale recipe. I am absolutely loving it. The first cube ( of a double ) is the one im drinking now, with US05. Lovely, if i do say so myself. Next batch is in a cube, primed, ready for the beer engine on the weekend ( Wyeast 1335 British ale ). Can't wait!!.