British Brown Ale Aberdeen Brown Ale (NewCastle Clone) AG

[mopowers]

I'm relatively new here, stumbled on this recipe through a google search, and brewed it (with a few minor tweaks) a couple weeks ago. It turned out to be one of my favorite homebrews to date. Awesome job on this recipe! Newcastle is one of my faves, and this nails it for sure! Thank you for the recipe.

 

[ratinator]

I love newcastle and am always on this forum, surprised I havn't seen this thread. Anyhow this is what I am gonna brew up. I toned down the crystal malts to 20% and added the suggested special b.

7lbs - Maris Otter (70%)
1lb - Flaked Corn (10%)
8oz - Special B 110SRM (5%)
8oz - Crystal 80 (5%)
8oz - Crystal 20 (5%)
4oz - Crystal 60 (2.5%)
4oz - Pale Chocolate 220SRM (2.5%)

.5oz Target (60mins)
.25oz EKG (15mins)

Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

Mash: 154F
OG: 1.050
SRM: 17.4
IBU: 22.6
ABV: at 73% brewhouse 4.7% (which is what newcastle is)

 

[ratinator]

What kind of water profile are people using?

 

[schmurf]

What kind of water profile are people using?

I'm not sure where I got this from, but for browns I'm shooting for 150 ca, 229 cl and 179 so4. Or I suppose something like that....

 

[mopowers]

Has anyone noticed that the Newcastle recipe in the US is different? Instead of being imported, it's brewed now by Lagunitas with Centential and Chinook hops. What are folks thoughts on the new taste? I noticed it right away and it definitely has a Lagunitas-style flavor. I'm not thrilled though.

I'm kinda bummed I can't buy it anymore, but at least I can brew something that is very close to the original using this recipe.

I'm just really surprised they decided to alter the original recipe of this iconic beer.

 

[ratinator]

I love newcastle and am always on this forum, surprised I havn't seen this thread. Anyhow this is what I am gonna brew up. I toned down the crystal malts to 20% and added the suggested special b.

7lbs - Maris Otter (70%)
1lb - Flaked Corn (10%)
8oz - Special B 110SRM (5%)
8oz - Crystal 80 (5%)
8oz - Crystal 20 (5%)
4oz - Crystal 60 (2.5%)
4oz - Pale Chocolate 220SRM (2.5%)

.5oz Target (60mins)
.25oz EKG (15mins)

Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

Mash: 154F
OG: 1.050
SRM: 17.4
IBU: 22.6
ABV: at 73% brewhouse 4.7% (which is what newcastle is)

To follow up with a side by side comparison...the color is spot on. My beer is much more fuller and has quite a bit of chocolate flavor which is weird based on the malt bill. Like said above I think I got a skunky can of newcastle, but I actually preferred mine more. My beer isnt quite as clear as it has only been in the keg for a week

 

[z-bob]

Has anyone noticed that the Newcastle recipe in the US is different? Instead of being imported, it's brewed now by Lagunitas with Centential and Chinook hops. What are folks thoughts on the new taste? I noticed it right away and it definitely has a Lagunitas-style flavor. I'm not thrilled though.

I'm kinda bummed I can't buy it anymore, but at least I can brew something that is very close to the original using this recipe.

I'm just really surprised they decided to alter the original recipe of this iconic beer.

As I mentioned a couple of years ago, (and received a probably well-deserved "How dare you!") the Newcastle I can get in Minnesota I don't think is imported, and it kinda tastes like Bud Light with a little caramel color. I like the clear bottles for putting my cider in, but have no use for the beer. (and green Stella bottle are even better for cider. Stella is a decent summer beer) If Newcastle was cheap I might buy it, but not at premium prices. I can't imagine that it's supposed to be like that; at least not the UK version.

The recipe at the top of the thread looks great. I was just amazed that anyone would take a fine looking beer and call it a Newcastle clone. Unless they were being ironic and I missed the joke

 

[cgoldberg3]

Started a 5.5g batch last weekend, BIAB. Made no ingredient modifications to the recipe. Mashed at I think 158 (had thermometer issues) and got an OG of 1.040. I'm not super confident that my OG is accurate because I topped up with about a gallon of water in the carboy before I took my reading and I failed to do any mixing beyond what the flow of the water did by itself.

First 3 days of fermentation I had the carboy in the basement at about 62F. During this time, visible fermentation was vigorous, with a maybe 1-inch layer of krausen on top. By the end of the third day, the krausen had disappeared though slight bubbling was still visible. At this point, I moved the carboy upstairs where it could ferment at a temperature of about 68F.

Since the krausen didn't gunk up the glass inside the carboy, I dropped my hydrometer in last night so I can take daily readings without pulling the plug out. Last night (day 4) it was at 1.020, this morning, slightly below that. Now I'm just watching and waiting.

 

[cgoldberg3]

Bottled on 12 March, 13 days of fermentation total. FG was 1.014, which puts the ABV at 3.4%. Lower than I want but like I mentioned previously, I topped off with about a gallon of water and forgot to mix before taking my OG so I'm pretty sure it's higher than that. Plus it smelled and tasted boozier than that for sure.

Waiting 2-3 weeks for carbonation at 70f currently. Set aside 2 swing-top bottles that are potentially oxidized due to sloppy handling as my testers.

 

[renstyle]

Bottled on 12 March, 13 days of fermentation total. FG was 1.014, which puts the ABV at 3.4%. Lower than I want but like I mentioned previously, I topped off with about a gallon of water and forgot to mix before taking my OG so I'm pretty sure it's higher than that. Plus it smelled and tasted boozier than that for sure.

Waiting 2-3 weeks for carbonation at 70f currently. Set aside 2 swing-top bottles that are potentially oxidized due to sloppy handling as my testers.

Looking to brew up a batch of this myself in the next few weeks. I have some torrified wheat on hand that I was going to sub for the flaked maize, and using S-04 as I have a few packets in the fridge.

Please report back on your results. Inquiring minds wanna know!

 

[cgoldberg3]

Been carbing for 2 weeks and I'm pretty sure I added more bottling sugar than the batch really needed given how much I left behind, so I chilled one of my 2 testers and gave it a try.

It tastes almost exactly how I remember Newcastle Brown Ale used to! And it came out almost crystal clear with no finings besides whirlfloc at boil (tried my best to capture that in the photo but between the lens focus and condensation it's not quite apparent in the photo).

Not 100% on target flavor-wise, but I didn't brew 2 seperate batches and blend them so it's not like I can complain. My only actual complaint is against myself: according to Brulosophy, it's not necessary to seperate the trub when you put the wort in the fermenter, and can actually improve the flavor if you leave it behind. And I forgot to put the 60 minute hops in my hops cage so those were totally loose in the boil... I noticed little hops particles still floating when I transferred to the bottling bucket; hoped they'd drop out during bottle conditioning but they were still floating around in the glass. You can't see them in the photo but trust me they're there, not in large quantity though. Lesson learned: if you don't separate off the trub, make sure you put all the hops in a cage or basket.

I'll give it another go at week 3, but I have no reason to doubt that this was a great recipe. Too bad BierMuncher doesn't post anymore.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I need a brown ale for next month for a BBQ/Smoker gathering. (sept 18th)
never brewed one before but BierMuncher's has some good recipe's so i'll be brewing this as soon as the whitebread yeast shows up. (hopefully by monday)
nobody had it locally and there doesn't appear to be a good substitute.
I can force carb so i should be good.

Edit: 10 gallon batch biab on wednesday.
OG of 1.043
whitebread despite a healthy starter did nothing for a whole day after added.
then was going nuts by friday, today...very little activity and gravity is 2.019.
but the sample from the spigot in the bottom of the fermenter smells and tasted great.
hopefully it'll drop some more in the next few days because it needs to be in the keg by the weekend chilling and carbing.

if not, i got some lutra slurry i know will take it down.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

ok. boiled some water and added the proper amount of yeast nutrient yesterday and i'm down 3 pts. to 1.016.
I think i mashed in too high.
I heated the mash water to 158-159 because normally the grain pulls the temp down when added but it was a 90 degree day and the grain had been outside for a bit so it's temp probably wasn't low enough to bring the water temp down.