Wanted: Newcastle Brown Ale Recipe

[Notlaw]

As a Geordie, I have fond memories of the old city centre brewery and I am still very partial to a bottle of brown ale. I know that the recipe was changed, maybe around the early 90s and a lot of blokes I knew, and mine and my mates dads, used to grumble that it wasn't as good as it used to be.

I'd like to have a bash at some stage of making something like it used to be for my old man. I know originally it was made out of two different beers; an amber, which I'd guess was Newcastle Amber Ale (God, I miss that stuff) and a darker ale.

Has anyone ever come across a recipe for it, or any guidance on where to start? I'll not be doing it for a while yet, but I'd like to maybe make it across the summer and have it nicely conditioned for the dark nights coming in.

 

[clibit]

I've not seen a true recipe for the old blended version. I believe one of the blended beers was aged. There is a clone attempt at the blend here though, which involves making two brews!

https://byo.com/mead/item/59-5-british-ale-clone-recipes

Could be interesting, you'd get three different beers if you blended part of each brew.

 

[Notlaw]

Cheers Clibit, I'll have a proper look through that when I get in from this parents evening...

 

[geetee]

The blended version was stopped a lot of years ago(60s maybe) and it was brewed as a single beer both at Newcastle and when they transferred it out.

I was there on the day that Bobby Robson pressed the plunger to blow up the S&N brewery bottling hall ,covered in dust and grit, sad day indeed in the Toon.

 

[Notlaw]

The blended version was stopped a lot of years ago(60s maybe) and it was brewed as a single beer both at Newcastle and when they transferred it out.

I was there on the day that Bobby Robson pressed the plunger to blow up the S&N brewery bottling hall ,covered in dust and grit, sad day indeed in the Toon.

Yes, I remember it well. I didn't go, I was at work that day, but as it all started coming down, it was horrible to see.

 

[clibit]

According to Wikipedia, blending ended after brewing moved to Dunston. The move took place in 2005.

 

[jackthehat]

Graham Wheeler has a recipe for a 'proper' blended version in one of his books - possibly the European one. I'll have a look...

 

[clibit]

I've got the European book somewhere but don't recall seeing Newcastle Brown.

 

[jackthehat]

Just found it - page 95 in my edition.

Basically he give two versions - a 1044/5% one and in the footnote a suggestion for a blended version.

 

[Notlaw]

Just found it - page 95 in my edition.

Basically he give two versions - a 1044/5% one and in the footnote a suggestion for a blended version.

Is it this book?

 

[jackthehat]

That's the one,

 

[Notlaw]

That's the one,

Just ordered it off Amazon... 25p + postage!!

 

[clibit]

It's a useful little book. Bargain you got there, a few years ago I saw it for about £40 on Amazon and considered selling mine!

 

[jackthehat]

Bargain! I think I paid 5 or 6 times that.

By the way, I think that I only drank Amber when the Brown ran out. Any idea when they stopped making it? I saw a bottle a few years ago at the Hogsback Brewery but it looked pretty old.

 

[Notlaw]

It's a useful little book. Bargain you got there, a few years ago I saw it for about ��£40 on Amazon and considered selling mine!

Snapped it up when I saw it. Also ordered Andy Hamilton's Booze for Free, as the library have asked for theirs back... that one was 1p + postage. Happy days!

Bargain! I think I paid 5 or 6 times that.

By the way, I think that I only drank Amber when the Brown ran out. Any idea when they stopped making it? I saw a bottle a few years ago at the Hogsback Brewery but it looked pretty old.

I think they must have stopped making the amber in the late 80s or early 90s I'd reckon. I remember all the skinheads and punks used to drink it when I was a kid.

 

[clibit]

Bargain! I think I paid 5 or 6 times that.

By the way, I think that I only drank Amber when the Brown ran out. Any idea when they stopped making it? I saw a bottle a few years ago at the Hogsback Brewery but it looked pretty old.

I guess they stopped making amber when they stopped making the blended Newcastle Brown? Newcastle Brown changed hands, so the new owners presumably bought the Brown brand as it was a huge seller - whereas amber wasn't - so it was discontinued. I'm just guessing though. They will have scrapped the blended version and created a new one step version of Newkie Brown to reduce costs, and decided Amber wasn't worth brewing separately. Seems like the likely chain of events.

 

[Herb]

Snapped it up when I saw it. Also ordered Andy Hamilton's Booze for Free, as the library have asked for theirs back... that one was 1p + postage. Happy days!

I've just done the same - �£5 delivered tomorrow, I know Amazon are evil, but that is a bargain....:twisted::lol: