Muntons Nut Brown Ale

Went looking for a kit or recipe yesterday and settled on a Muntons Nut Brown Ale. After reading the forum for awhile I also grabbed a liquid yeast pack for an English ale. Knowing full well that cane sugar makes nasty beer I looked at the instructions and it suggested spray dried “light” malt extract. The shop had amber and dark SDME or they had Muntons Light in a LME, all unhopped, so I grabbed that. I’ve got a couple questions,

1: The recipe calls for 2.2lbs of sugar but the can of LME is 3.3lbs, are these equal? If the can is a bit more than called for can I just add the extra and expect a bit more alcohol? About how much more alcohol would it be?

2: I am not real big on bitter/hoppy beer so I wasn’t planning on adding additional hops but I was wondering if there is something like grain or fruit or what ever that might make a good beer a really good beer?

3: I plan on keging it when it’s done. Would it be better to add the priming sugar and let it condition that way or just use CO2? Is there any real difference? Does the priming sugar add to the alcohol content much? I’m not overly worried about the alcohol content but I don’t want it to low or to high.

TIA,
Bryan




PS. I was thinking of brewing this weekend so I need to know before the brew shop closes around 5pm PDT.

1) 3.3 lbs. of LME is just a bit more than 2.2 lbs. of sugar, but not a whole lot. Go ahead and add the whole thing, your ABV will be just a tad higher.

2) I personally wouldn't add any fruit to a nut brown...just doesn't seem right. You said you don't like bitter beers, but I'd be tempted to add maybe a 1/2 oz. of a low alpha hop just to balance out the extra lme.

3) This is a matter of some debate...since this is your first batch I'd keep it simple...leave out the priming sugar and force carbonate.

In the future, you may consider adding honey to a nut brown. I wouldn't on this one though, like big P said, Keep it simple.

Welcome.

This isn't my first batch ever, I've done three batches of beer and one cider kit. That's why I'm feeling like branching out a bit. Something like steeping grains or adding that little extra something to make the recipe mine. I wasn't actually thinking of fruit but more using it as an example and asking on the off chance that someone had some miracle break through with star fruit or some such ya know, something I never would have thought of, though I would like to stay a little more traditional with a Nut Brown. Later in the spring I'll probably want to make something fruity.

So is there some grains to steep or soemthing easy to make it special in some way?

TIA,
Bryan

El Pistolero said:

1)

2) I personally wouldn't add any fruit to a nut brown...just doesn't seem right. You said you don't like bitter beers, but I'd be tempted to add maybe a 1/2 oz. of a low alpha hop just to balance out the extra lme.

Click to expand...

It's maybe not so much that I don't like bitter beers but that commercial beers dont' ahve the body to balance it out. With all this malt maybe a little more hops won't hurt. How should I go about adding these? I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon so I've been thinking of growing my own hops come this spring. Is there a Pacific Northwest variety that may be well suited to my Nut Brown?

TIA,
Bryan

Zoom, I think Cascade or Williamette hops would grow and work well in your area. A sunny spot and verticle trellises works best. Your part of Oregon is about as good as it gets for soil and weather for hops.

Steeping 1/2 pound of Victory or Bisquit will add a nice flavor to any brown.