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
