American Brown Ale an appreciation.

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miaamelia

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American Brown Ale, not something I see very often in the UK, in bars, bottle shops or talked about on homebrew forums. Despite appearing to be a style that can accommodate most palates. Not too bitter, roasty, sweet, hoppy, malty. Simultaneously being a slight deviation from British tradition and sitting in the middle of the currently popular trends of craft beer, sharing the new world hops, softness and sweetness of hazey pales and the desert like chocolate, caramel notes of pastry stouts. Attenuated enough to be deckable by the pint and moderate enough in ABV to satisfy as a solitary beer. From a brewing perspective, loose enough in style, to be pushed in any particular direction, made more hoppy, sweet, or higher abv, from dark amber to near stout in colour. Perhaps the name is off-putting, indicating a bastardisation of a tradition, or evoking images of Andy Capp, or bad memories of Newcy.

I love it’s versatility, the scope for recipe formulation. Where it sits with other beers in a nights drinking. Or, the ease which it can pair with food.

Anyone else share this appreciation? Any favourite recipes or commercial examples?

I’ve just mashed in a nice middle of the road recipe.

Batch - 15L
OG - 1.052
ABV - 5.0%
EBC - 44
IBUs - 26

Extra Pale Maris Otter - 75%
Munich – 5%
Wheat - 3%
Caramalt - 7%
Extra Dark Crystal - 7%
Chocolate Malt - 3%

Cascade – 20g @ First Wort (19.5 IBUs)
Cascade – 20g @ 10’ (6.5 IBUs) + Protofloc
Cascade – 25g @ Flame Out
Fuggle – 12g @ Flame Out

Fermented with Lallemand London.

Porter water profile

Ca – 141
Mg – 10
Na – 100
CO3 – 50
SO4 – 100
Cl – 300
 
Last edited:
miaamelia said:
American Brown Ale, not something I see very often in the UK, in bars, bottle shops or talked about on homebrew forums. Despite appearing to be a style that can accommodate most palates. Not too bitter, roasty, sweet, hoppy, malty. Simultaneously being a slight deviation from British tradition and sitting in the middle of the currently popular trends of craft beer, sharing the new world hops, softness and sweetness of hazey pales and the desert like chocolate, caramel notes of pastry stouts. Attenuated enough to be deckable by the pint and moderate enough in ABV to satisfy as a solitary beer. From a brewing perspective, loose enough in style, to be pushed in any particular direction, made more hoppy, sweet, or higher abv, from dark amber to near stout in colour. Perhaps the name is off-putting, indicating a bastardisation of a tradition, or evoking images of Andy Capp, or bad memories of Newcy.

I love it’s versatility, the scope for recipe formulation. Where it sits with other beers in a nights drinking. Or, the ease which it can pair with food.

Anyone else share this appreciation? Any favourite recipes or commercial examples?

I’ve just mashed in a nice middle of the road recipe.

Batch - 15L
OG - 1.052
ABV - 5.0%
EBC - 44
IBUs - 26

Extra Pale Maris Otter - 75%
Munich – 5%
Wheat - 3%
Caramalt - 7%
Extra Dark Crystal - 7%
Chocolate Malt - 3%

Cascade – 20g @ First Wort (19.5 IBUs)
Cascade – 20g @ 10’ (6.5 IBUs) + Protofloc
Cascade – 25g @ Flame Out
Fuggle – 12g @ Flame Out

Fermented with Lallemand London.

Porter water profile
polished concrete
Ca – 141
Mg – 10
Na – 100
CO3 – 50
SO4 – 100
Cl – 300
Click to expand...
what your thoughts
 
Looks good to me, let us know how it turns out.

I might have traded the crystal malt for roasted barley, little more roasty flavor.

I would have swapped the fuggles and cascade for the bittering hops, but that is just personal preference
 
Brew what makes you happy. I have made a hybrid before, but wouldn't an "American Brown Ale" have American 2 Row, S-05, and Cascade?
The American version that I have tasted (and I made one too) were drier and clean with the California ale yeast. American 2 Row has a distinct taste to it. I like Maris Otter much better in a darker beer, but it isn't American.
 
Let’s not forget Janet’s Brown Ale. There are plenty of homebrew recipes for that out there, including my own.
 
Herm brews said:
Let’s not forget Janet’s Brown Ale. There are plenty of homebrew recipes for that out there, including my own.
Click to expand...

I thought of mentioning that one too but with it's 50-ish IBU it fits better into the American IPA category than American Brown. However, whatever BJCP category you put it in, it is a great beer that I brew often!
 
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