American Style Brown Ale Recipe Suggestion

[Steven Barrett]

As a recovering IPA drinker, I’m trying to branch out and brew different styles. I had a American style brown ale while at GABF in 2019 (it won Bronze in 2018 Wallops Island by Rocket Frog Brewing) and I’ve been unable to find a local replacement. I recall it had a very subtle coffee/roast flavor that added complexity to the malt, medium body and very drinkable. Does anyone have a recipe suggestion? I like my beers to be assertive but not overbearing.

 

[Coastalbrew]

I have made this recipe several times and love it! The last time I brewed it, I added .5 oz of caraway seeds at flame out and steeped for 15 minutes. It added a very nice spicy herbal note that was delicious.

The recipe is:

5.5 G batch, mash @ 152* for 60 min
Grains
6.5# 2 row
3# rye malt
2# biscuit
.75# chocolate malt 350L
.5# C60
Hops
.75 oz Columbus @60
.25 oz Columbus @ 20
1 oz Willamette @ 5
Yeast
Wlp007 dry English ale
Ferment @ 67*

 

[Steven Barrett]

Thanks for the suggestion! Revolution Brewery here in Chicago has a rye stout that’s real tasty. I haven’t had the stones to try to clone it. Last time I tried rye it was in an IPA that was a real flop.

 

[Coastalbrew]

Thanks for the suggestion! Revolution Brewery here in Chicago has a rye stout that’s real tasty. I haven’t had the stones to try to clone it. Last time I tried rye it was in an IPA that was a real flop.

I haven't tried rye in an IPA yet, but this brown ale is one of my favorite beers. I brew it every year in early fall.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I've got a go-to brown ale recipe that I'll have to dig up...but as I recall it has 2-row, honey biscuit, chocolate malt and crystal 20. I typically use Willamette across the board...and have added roasted coconut or sterile vanilla beans dropped in after fermentation. It is dangerously smooth and complex...but not all that filling. Probably comes in around 6%.

 

[Steven Barrett]

I've got a go-to brown ale recipe that I'll have to dig up...but as I recall it has 2-row, honey biscuit, chocolate malt and crystal 20. I typically use Willamette across the board...and have added roasted coconut or sterile vanilla beans dropped in after fermentation. It is dangerously smooth and complex...but not all that filling. Probably comes in around 6%.

Please share!

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I'll find it hopefully tonight or tomorrow and post it. I, too, got tired of IPAs and went out of my comfort zone to mess around with browns...and I haven't really gone back. Okay, I lied...I like IPAs in the summer...so one's in the fermenter and ones in the keg...haha.

 

[Steven Barrett]

It’s not that I’m sick of drinking IPAs, I’m sick of spending a ton of money on hops just to result in a bland, uninspiring beer, so I thought I would try different styles.

 

[krispn]

@Steven Barrett

You may wish to check out this months Beer and Brewing…

https://beerandbrewing.com/recipe-r...e:+Rocket+Frog+Wallops+Island+American+Brown+
I’ve literally just ordered the grains and will be brewing this on Wednesday. It’s a big malt bill but my recent success (IMHO) with the Societe recipe for “The Butcher” stout with another big grain bill has given me confidence in brewing this brown ale - it’s got 11 malts/grains in the recipe!

I love Altbier and hope this does a similar thing but with an added oomph with the hop additions. If I remember I’ll post some pics and opinions once it’s done. Likewise if you give it a go let me know what you think. I’m based in Scotland so I’ve never had the original.

 

[marc1]

I made Janet's Brown earlier this ear, it was excellent. I based mine off of the one in Brewing Classic Styles, but here's two other online ones:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/janets-brown-ale-big-brew-2021/
https://beerandbrewing.com/recipe-russian-river-janets-brown-ale/

 

[Steven Barrett]

@Steven Barrett

You may wish to check out this months Beer and Brewing…

https://beerandbrewing.com/recipe-r...e:+Rocket+Frog+Wallops+Island+American+Brown+
I’ve literally just ordered the grains and will be brewing this on Wednesday. It’s a big malt bill but my recent success (IMHO) with the Societe recipe for “The Butcher” stout with another big grain bill has given me confidence in brewing this brown ale - it’s got 11 malts/grains in the recipe!

I love Altbier and hope this does a similar thing but with an added oomph with the hop additions. If I remember I’ll post some pics and opinions once it’s done. Likewise if you give it a go let me know what you think. I’m based in Scotland so I’ve never had the original.

Awesome. Thank your for sharing! I forgot all about this.

 

[krispn]

I’ve been meaning to brew a brown ale for ages and keep meaning to do Tasty’s recipe. I’ll be doing it at some point likely
over the winter.

 

[Steven Barrett]

I’ve been meaning to brew a brown ale for ages and keep meaning to do Tasty’s recipe. I’ll be doing it at some point likely
over the winter.

I made it once and decided it needed a pound of turbinado sugar. I wouldn’t recommend doing that unless you like the taste of rocket fuel.

 

[marc1]

I made it once and decided it needed a pound of turbinado sugar. I wouldn’t recommend doing that unless you like the taste of rocket fuel.

It tasted "old school" in a good way from the hops used. A couple months in the keg really melded everything together, and it was very easy drinking, despite being much stronger than most beer I brew.

 

[krispn]

Yeah I think 7% is right about where I’d start calling a beer too strong to have a whole keg on the go. I’m saying that the Two Hearted clone sits in about 6-7% and hides it well. For home brews I like to keep it in and around 4.5-6.5%