American Brown Ale an appreciation.

[Clarence]

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

Could you clarify the ebc on extra dark crystal? Mine's 400 (from HBC) and I found it overpowering.

 

[Sadfield]

Could you clarify the ebc on extra dark crystal? Mine's 400 (from HBC) and I found it overpowering.

Extra Dark Crystal was 340 EBC.

 

[MrRook]

I bottled this six days ago, .
It's a mix of American and British ingredients using what I had on hand. I'm calling it American brown because of the hops.

 

[Sadfield]

It's been a while between ABA brews. Using unconventional hops in this one, hopefully getting a good, rounded balance of hop flavour between the citrus, spice and the floral noble character of Aurora and the fruity, Lychee and piney resin of Topaz.


Batch - 12.5L
OG - 1.052
ABV - 5.5%
EBC - 42
IBUs - 33

Water

Ca-141 Mg-10 Na-100 CO3-50 SO4-100 Cl-300

Mash - 60' @ 66.7C

Extra Pale Planet - 70%
Chevallier Malt – 15%
Wheat Malt - 2%
Medium Crystal (240EBC) - 10%
Chocolate Malt - 3%
Prima Donna - 20g (4.7 IBUs)

Boil - 60C

Aurora – 5g @ First Wort (9.5 IBUs)
Aurora – 10g @ 10’ (6.3 IBUs)
Protofloc - 0.3g
Aurora – 30g @ 0' + 15'Steep at 75C (4.0 IBUs)
Topaz – 30g @ + 15'Steep at 75C (8.5 IBUs)


Fermented with House Blend Trial (Safale S-33 (x2), Safale S-04 (x1), Safale BE-256 (x1)) pitched at 19C.

 

[Brew_DD2]

It's been a while between ABA brews. Using unconventional hops in this one, hopefully getting a good, rounded balance of hop flavour between the citrus, spice and the floral noble character of Aurora and the fruity, Lychee and piney resin of Topaz.


Batch - 12.5L
OG - 1.052
ABV - 5.5%
EBC - 42
IBUs - 33

Water

Ca-141 Mg-10 Na-100 CO3-50 SO4-100 Cl-300

Mash - 60' @ 66.7C

Extra Pale Planet - 70%
Chevallier Malt – 15%
Wheat Malt - 2%
Medium Crystal (240EBC) - 10%
Chocolate Malt - 3%
Prima Donna - 20g (4.7 IBUs)

Boil - 60C

Aurora – 5g @ First Wort (9.5 IBUs)
Aurora – 10g @ 10’ (6.3 IBUs)
Protofloc - 0.3g
Aurora – 30g @ 0' + 15'Steep at 75C (4.0 IBUs)
Fuggle – 30g @ + 15'Steep at 75C (8.5 IBUs)


Fermented with House Blend Trial (Safale S-33 (x2), Safale S-04 (x1), Safale BE-256 (x1)) pitched at 19C.

Sounds great. Aurora is a lovely hop. Where is the Topaz going in?

 

[Sadfield]

@Brew_DD2 Oooops! Where it said Fuggle. A flame out addition.

Aurora is great, I've used it in a few different styles, Saison was really good.

 

[Brew_DD2]

@Brew_DD2 Oooops! Where it said Fuggle. A flame out addition.

Aurora is great, I've used it in a few different styles, Saison was really good.

I use it for bittering in my house lager. It's really lovely.

 

[Dark Arts]

Just re did a Moose Drool clone, pitched the yeast at the high end of it's range and it went off like a rocket and was all but done in 12-24hrs, I think the finished beer has a bit of esters going on so ive re done it but made sure the wort was sub 20° this time