Nut Brown

Hi everyone!!

I am thinking of trying to make a Nut Brown Ale and am looking for guidance! Me and my brew-partner are new to the game(this will be our second batch) so any suggestions would be very welcome. We will probably start with a pale extract(LME). Probably some chocolate malt and crystal as well. I have looked at some recipes, but there are so many variances out there. For hops maybe Kent goldings or willimette? Let me know what you think!!

You are on the right track. I would stick with Goldings for the first time. You could add some Victory malt to the steep as it will give it some nuttiness. Yeast is important for this beer so choose a good British style that will bring out the maltiness. WLP002 works well and I'm sure there is a Wyeast equivalent.

I think victory needs to be mashed...anyone use victory for steeping?

Maybe special B, just a little?

Goldings are good, go for about 25 IBUs all at 60 min.

If it's only your second brew you might try buying an ingredient kit, AHS has a great Nut Brown, as does Northern Brewer.

You could also check the recipe database, I go there often to get inspiration from my fellow brewers.

And please, for the love of God, do not call it @ss-Stain brown or something like that

Beerrific said:

I think victory needs to be mashed...anyone use victory for steeping?

Maybe special B, just a little?

Goldings are good, go for about 25 IBUs all at 60 min.

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I do believe that you can get some of the benefits from Victory with steeping. Morebeer adds this to some of their kits. I remember using it that way when I used their pre-made kits.

Is a Nut Brown just a Northern English Brown?

Here is Jamil's Northern English Brown

8.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain
0.75 lbs. Crystal 40L
0.50 lbs. Crystal 25L
0.50 lbs. Victory Malt
0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt
0.75 lbs. Special Roast Malt

5.9 AA (1oz at 5.9%AA) Goldings - E.K. Pellet boil 60 min.
WLP002 (with starter!)


Instead of the 2-row go for 6lbs of English light DME (be sure to get an English variety).

I would not hesitate to do this recipe at all.

ok, here we go. Tell me what you think. I guess that it has turned into something like an American brown.

3 kg Pale LME
1 kg DME
150 g brown
125 g chocolate
250 g caramel 120
1 kg Marris otter
1 oz willamette (5.5) 60min
1 oz willamette 15 min
2 cups brown sugar
white labs california ale

steep brown, chocolate, caramel and Marris otter 60min
sparge and add 2kg LME and 1 oz hops
boil 60min
at 15 add hops
0min 1kg LME and 1kg DME and 2 cups brown sugar
cool and add yeast
7 days in primary 14 in secondary

Hope it will be good!!

I think caramel 120 is too much, might use something lighter.

Can you add any Special Roast or victory malt? These have nut like flavors.
Also, if you can get an English extract that will add more flavor.

big supper said:

ok, here we go. Tell me what you think. I guess that it has turned into something like an American brown.

3 kg Pale LME
1 kg DME
150 g brown
125 g chocolate
250 g caramel 120
1 kg Marris otter
1 oz willamette (5.5) 60min
1 oz willamette 15 min
2 cups brown sugar
white labs california ale

steep brown, chocolate, caramel and Marris otter 60min
sparge and add 2kg LME and 1 oz hops
boil 60min
at 15 add hops
0min 1kg LME and 1kg DME and 2 cups brown sugar
cool and add yeast
7 days in primary 14 in secondary

Hope it will be good!!

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I'm pretty sure you have to mash Marris Otter. It's just a base malt, your LME will take its place.

I wouldn't go with crystal over 60 given the chocolate malt you're planning to use. Also, the California is not the right yeast to use for a nut brown, go with one of the English strains and you will get much better results.

For anyone who has made the Jamil recipe, how does it compare to Sam Smith Nut brown? My wife is begging me for the Samuel Smith one and have yet to find a great clone recipe.

Nate1977 said:

For anyone who has made the Jamil recipe, how does it compare to Sam Smith Nut brown? My wife is begging me for the Samuel Smith one and have yet to find a great clone recipe.

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You could e-mail him and ask

I am looking forward to making it. It is number 5 on my list right now...probably wil be my first brew of 2008.

EDIT: You can get a kit here: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=1837
There is also a recipe in "Beer Captured," I don't have that book but someone who does might be kind enough to post it for you and we can compare. I am interested in see the differences.

TheJadedDog said:

......... Also, the California is not the right yeast to use for a nut brown, go with one of the English strains and you will get much better results.

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I am going for more of an American Brown now.

Also, I am confused a bit when it comes to mashing vs steeping. I have tried to do some research on it but there is so much different info out there that it gets confusing. Basically what I am doing is trying to maintain my water at about 70C(160ishF) for 60 min, and then sparging with water of the same temp. If it really is steeping that I am doing, will I get any benifits at all from the Marris Otter?

Thanks for everyones input!!

Steeping is just extracting valuable flavouring components, either adding mouthfeel or body to the beer.

Mashing is the actual conversion of the sugars contained in the malt to fermentables.

Therefore, with a steep, you won't be getting any fermentables, most likely.

The MO malt is the base malt, where most of the fermentables are going to come from, so steeping will not offer an advantage.

I kind of understand the basic principles of steeping vs mashing. It is more the procedural differences. Is it a temperature thing? How does one get these fermentables out of the base malts?

big supper said:

I kind of understand the basic principles of steeping vs mashing. It is more the procedural differences. Is it a temperature thing? How does one get these sugars out of the base malts?

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Mashing (to extract sugars) requires control of the temp., pH, and amount of liquid with the grains for about an hour. These conditions make use of enzymes in the base malts to break the starches down into sugars.

Steeping is basically just putting the grains in some warm water and letting the flavors and some sugars come out. Many specialty grains can just be steeped, the ones that need to be mashed have been prepared in such a way as to kill their enzymes, so to get the sugars out they need to be mashed with base malts that have excess enzymes.

You wil still get some fermentables out when you steep (like from crystal malts) but usually not much and it is usually small compared to the total OG. Mashing will extract a bit more ferementables than steeping but not a whole lot. The majority of the fermentables come from the base malts either extract or base 2-row when mashing.

If you read Palmer's book (http://www.howtobrew.com) he goes into a lot of detail on how the mash works.

From J.Palmer ".....If grain with enzyme diastatic potential is steeped, that is mashing."

So if I understand him.....and others that I have talked to....if is basically a difference in terminology. I realize that there are different methods of mashing, but he makes it sound like what I am doing is steeping and mashing at the same time because I am using both specialty grains and M.O. malt?

big supper said:

From J.Palmer ".....If grain with enzyme diastatic potential is steeped, that is mashing."

So if I understand him.....and others that I have talked to....if is basically a difference in terminology. I realize that there are different methods of mashing, but he makes it sound like what I am doing is steeping and mashing at the same time because I am using both specialty grains and M.O. malt?

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Right, but to take advantage of the diastatic power you need to control the pH, temperature, and water/grain ratio which is not usually done with steeping. If you want to add the Maris Otter, bump it up to 4lbs and read about partial mashing.

The term mashing is usually used when you are trying and expecting to get a sizable portion of fermentables from the grain.

Cool....thanks, I guess I will need to go back and read a little more carefully!

What does everyone think about the addition of the brown sugar? Good idea or is it going to make my beer too strong

big supper said:

Cool....thanks, I guess I will need to go back and read a little more carefully!

What does everyone think about the addition of the brown sugar? Good idea or is it going to make my beer too strong

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I don't know...most brown sugar is just cane sugar with caramel added. Cane sugar isn't the greatest thing to add to beer IMO. I don't think I would but the only way to know for you know is to try.