Standard Brown Ale

[Cazamodo]

I'm looking to try just a 'plain' Brown ale.

I stumbled upon this recipe and just wanted some feedback. I like the look of it, but will probably use a liquid yeast.

Ingredients

4 Kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US
450 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
450 g Oats, Flaked
225g Victory Malt
225g Chocolate Malt
30g Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min)
30g Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (15 min)
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Mash at 67.7



Now I don't actually have Victory Malt... But I'm sure I can find something to replace it.

[orlando]

Could be a little sweet with that level of crystal and mash temp, which is fine if that's what you're after. It will also have quite a lot of body to it with all the oats. Up my alley though. If you have biscuit malt that would give you a reasonable substitute for Victory.

[Dave S]

I have the recipe for Sam Smith's Nut Brown, (but not here) which sounds rather nice. I'll post it in this thread over the weekend unless you find it yourself. I think it uses Amber or Brown Malt, but I could be wrong.

EDIT: Here you go, Barney had it

[seymour]

Just out of curiosity: what is that recipe, where did it come from?

It looks like it would produce a tasty beer (and of course I like the inclusion of oats), but the US pale and Victory malts make me think it's gotta be American. You guys taught us all we know about brown ale, and still beat us in that department. When you say "standard" or "plain" brown ale, are you thinking of any particular commercial or historic examples? We can probably share some such English recipes with you if you're interested.

[Cazamodo]

Yea it was a US recipe. I basically googled Brown Ale, and wanted to see what came up. By standard I mean like, a nice nutty brown ale that''s not overly complicated, and that would be a good all round taste. Most of the people I drink with are a bit fussy, but all appreciate a good brown ale, so looking for something that we can all sit round and have a drink of.
Preferably one that I can use what ingredients I already have for, so the less fancy speciality grains the better.

And I agree I imagine there are some great British recipes around too!


Also the Sams Smith Nut Brown does sound really good too!

[seymour]

Classic English Brown Ales such as Mann's Original Brown Ale, Newcastle Brown Ale, Barclay Perkins DB Ale, Webster's Sam Brown Ale, Whitbread Double Brown Ale and Forest Brown Ale, Shipstone Nut Brown Ale, etc, contain the predictable: Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, often some wheat, maybe some Chocolate or Black Malt, and almost always a big dose of simple sugar in the form of Invert Syrup with Caramel Colourant. It's this adjunct sugar which differentiates it from Porter, Stout, etc, thinning the body, making it so drinkable and almost lager-like, cheaper to produce, and provides most of the brown colour.

However, this delicious one is all-malt:

Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale
Samuel Smith, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, UK
OG: 1048
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 35
Colour: brown, 33° SRM/65° EBC
Grainbill: 78.5% Pale, 10.2% Crystal Malt, 10% Amber Malt, 1.4% Chocolate Malt
Hops: Fuggles (90 min), Goldings (15 min)
Yeast: BrewLabs Yorkshire 1 or White Labs WLP037

[Cazamodo]

Thanks Seymour. That looks like just what I'm looking for. And I have all those malts/hops in stock, so just need to get the yeast!

[seymour]

Cool. Best of luck!

[Rookie]

Go ahead and use the Nottingham yeast. I have a pretty large recipe file and the smallest section is the keepers that I don't change a thing when I brew them. My Nottingham nut brown fermented with Nottinham is in that section.

[Cazamodo]

I was going to brew this today but forgot to order the yeast in.

I think I will try a batch and split it with liquid yeast and notty, and see what they come out like!

It's about time I did some yeast to yeast comparisons.

[seymour]

...I think I will try a batch and split it with liquid yeast and notty, and see what they come out like!
It's about time I did some yeast to yeast comparisons.

Great idea. It doesn't really require any extra work. You just brew as always, then rack into two carboys instead of one, and pitch two different yeasts. As you say, it's a great way to compare and contrast yeast characteristics, all other things being equal.

[Cazamodo]

...I think I will try a batch and split it with liquid yeast and notty, and see what they come out like!
It's about time I did some yeast to yeast comparisons.

Great idea. It doesn't really require any extra work. You just brew as always, then rack into two carboys instead of one, and pitch two different yeasts. As you say, it's a great way to compare and contrast yeast characteristics, all other things being equal.

Yea I've been meaning to do this for a while, I just always got to brewday and forgot to prepare any other yeast.

[Dave S]

Let us know how the Sam Smith's goes if that's what you're brewing. I'm thinking of brewing that myself sometime soon.

[Cazamodo]

In the middle of brewday for this so far.

Didnt realise but I'm out of crystal malt!

From what I had in stock I replaced it with 2/3rds caramalt and 1/3 dark crystal.

Also I upped the EKG hops as they are my own from last harvest and only had them in bags of 30g... So will see how it comes out!

[seymour]

Both enhancements, if you ask me. You'll end up with a nice complex English brown ale for sure. Cheers!