American Brown Ale an appreciation.

[scrap iron]

American Brown Ale is great for Fall and Winter. I brew one every year with Nugget, Cascade and Willamette homegrown hops. Nugget for bittering and a mix of the Cascade and Willamette. I now have a couple of Vojvodina hop plants [ cross between Northern Brewer and a Golding male] that I plan to try for bittering. I think these or Northern Brewer would work well in this style. I try to limit too much citrus type and mix with the woody and floral hops as I find the citrus mixed with a good amount of roast is not my thing. Nugget is herbal and woody with a little spice and Willamette is a Fuggle derivative and is spicy, floral and fruity. They play well with the citrus type hops to my tastes.

 

[matt76]

ABA isn't a style I'm familiar with but I'm intrigued...

(actually I had a Siren Storyboard ABA recently - nice but for me the hops were a bit OTT against the malt)

The way I read the style is it's like American Amber Ale but add and chocolate malt, but not so much that you're into Porter & Stout territory (I'm surprised the BJCP ABA guidelines go as high as 35 SRM).

Most of my beers use a common base grist to which I'll add other stuff... so my thinking is take my AAA grist and simply add some chocolate or chocolate rye malt, and maybe back off the crystal malt a bit...

Or (and this amounts to much the same thing) take my Czech Amber Lager (which turned out super good) and simply switch out the hops for something classic American and ferment with either BRY-97 or Lallemand Verdant IPA.

Hmm... might give that a whirl for something a little different

 

[pilgrimhudd]

My ABA turned out alright, changes I would make are switching out the Williamette, I just don't get on with it, I would probably go with something more like Cascade maybe. I'd probably go with a different yeast like CML 5 or Verdant. I used CML 4 in this one and i'm not sure it brought the hoppiness out that i'd have liked.

5kg Marris Otter
200g Crystal 30
200g Crystal 60
200g Choc
300g Munich

Mashed at 68c for 60 mins.

30 min boil

20g Columbus @30
30g Willamette @5
20g Willamette @flameout

Yeast CML 4 and fermented at the higher end of 22c. OG 1060.

Sos meant Cascade, not Chinook!

 

[clib]

My ABA turned out alright, changes I would make are switching out the Williamette, I just don't get on with it, I would probably go with something more like Cascade maybe. I'd probably go with a different yeast like CML 5 or Verdant. I used CML 4 in this one and i'm not sure it brought the hoppiness out that i'd have liked.

5kg Marris Otter
200g Crystal 30
200g Crystal 60
200g Choc
300g Munich

Mashed at 68c for 60 mins.

30 min boil

20g Columbus @30
30g Willamette @5
20g Willamette @flameout

Yeast CML 4 and fermented at the higher end of 22c. OG 1060.

Sos meant Cascade, not Chinook!

Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo.

 

[scrap iron]

My ABA turned out alright, changes I would make are switching out the Williamette, I just don't get on with it, I would probably go with something more like Cascade maybe. I'd probably go with a different yeast like CML 5 or Verdant. I used CML 4 in this one and i'm not sure it brought the hoppiness out that i'd have liked.

5kg Marris Otter
200g Crystal 30
200g Crystal 60
200g Choc
300g Munich

Mashed at 68c for 60 mins.

30 min boil

20g Columbus @30
30g Willamette @5
20g Willamette @flameout

Yeast CML 4 and fermented at the higher end of 22c. OG 1060.

Sos meant Cascade, not Chinook!

Cascade and Willamette go well together to my tastes. Amarillo and Centennial are favorites too. You need a clean yeast like Chico type or Bry-97, Verdant is too fruity. But if that's what you like go with it.

 

[marshbrewer]

So educate me guys. I've never had a commercial US brown Ale. Side by side, how would it differ from Hobgoblin which looks kind of similar on paper?

 

[Sadfield]

So educate me guys. I've never had a commercial US brown Ale. Side by side, how would it differ from Hobgoblin which looks kind of similar on paper?

There's probably some overlap between the two, but from my vague memory of Hobgoblin Ruby, I'd say ABAs are generally bolder in body, abv, colour and bitterness. Having a more prominent chocolate flavour and hop flavours of more American or New World character, pithy citrusy, tropical, piney. British ruby/brown ales generally having a caramel and nutty malt flavour and different more restrained citrusy, floral and or earthy hop flavour. That's my interpretation.

 

[scrap iron]

So educate me guys. I've never had a commercial US brown Ale. Side by side, how would it differ from Hobgoblin which looks kind of similar on paper?

I've not had a Hobgoblin, but it sounds delish. I would say different yeast and hops and more chocolaty maybe. Here is the bjcp.org description in cat 19. You can compare with the American Amber.
More chocolate and caramel flavors than American Pale or Amber Ales, typically with less prominent bitterness in the balance. Less bitterness, alcohol, and hop character than Brown IPAs. More bitter and generally hoppier than English Brown Ales, with a richer malt presence, usually higher alcohol, and American or New World hop character.

 

[marshbrewer]

Thanks @Sadfield and @scrap iron - so maybe like King Goblin but with US citrussy hops rather an UK ones?

I'm off to the Real Ale store on Newark before Christmas to get some treats for, well me basically, can you recommend a couple of typical commercial examples to pop intoy basket?

 

[scrap iron]

https://www.beeradvocate.com/search/?q=American+Brown+Ale+sold+in+the+United+Kingdom
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/73/
Moose Drool by Big Sky brewing and Bell's Best Brown are two I like but I'm not sure if they are sold in the UK.
cheers and Merry Christmas

 

[Sadfield]

Elusive Brewing - Mechanism
Elusive Brewing - Del Pero
Siren - Storyboard
Runaway - American Brown Ale
Burning Sky - Snap Decision

 

[marshbrewer]

Thanks both, I'll see if he has any of those when I pop in.

 

[clib]

Where did you get hold of Flyer hops?

Found some...

https://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/flyer-pellets-100g-aa-477-2021-harvest-p-3468.html?cPath=77_99

 

[matt76]

Elusive Brewing - Mechanism
Elusive Brewing - Del Pero
Siren - Storyboard
Runaway - American Brown Ale
Burning Sky - Snap Decision

I've had Siren Storyboard but I'd missed those two from Elusive. By coincidence Andy at Elusive is doing a collab in a couple of weeks with Jamil Zainasheff. Apparently they're gonna be brewing Tasty's [McDole] Janet's Brown Ale so will have to keep my eyes peeled for that

 

[scrap iron]

This is a recipe, one of several, for Janet's Brown ale. This is a big beer and little out of the guidelines for the style. One could leave out the corn sugar to take it down in ABV like the directions say.
https://www.carlsbadbrewsupply.com/images/pdfrecipes/BigBrew21-Janets-Brown-Ale-Recipe.pdf

 

[Sadfield]

I've had Siren Storyboard but I'd missed those two from Elusive. By coincidence Andy at Elusive is doing a collab in a couple of weeks with Jamil Zainasheff. Apparently they're gonna be brewing Tasty's [McDole] Janet's Brown Ale so will have to keep my eyes peeled for that

Andy is such a lovely bloke who does a lot for homebrewers and an incredible brewer. It's fantastic this is happening.

 

[matt76]

Inspired by the discussion here I decided to make my first ABA, details in my brewday thread here

 

[Brew_DD2]

Cigar City Maduro is a cracking beer.

 

[matt76]

Inspired by the discussion here I decided to make my first ABA, details in my brewday thread here

And here's how it turned out...

 

[Sadfield]

Perfect for early Autumn. Just bottled another ABA using Flyer hops as the main hop.

Batch - 15L
OG - 1.051
ABV - 5.6%
EBC - 43
IBUs - 26

Maris Otter - 80%
Munich – 5%
Wheat Malt - 2%
Crystal 77L - 5%
Extra Dark Crystal - 5%
Chocolate Malt - 3%

Prima Donna - 30g Mash (6 IBUs)
Mosaic – 10g @ First Wort (15 IBUs)
Mosaic – 10g @ 10’ (5 IBUs) + Protofloc
Mosaic – 20g @ Flame Out
Flyer – 70g @ Flame Out

Fermented with House Blend (2x Safale S-33, 1x Fermoale AY3, 1x Safale BE-256)

Porter water profile

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