Brown Ales

Ales that are, well, brown, these come in a range of styles.  The BJCP splits them into British and American, with British being further divided into Northern and Southern English Brown and Milds. American Brown Ales tend to be hoppier than their British counterparts, and some have even taken the approach of the Imperial Brown Ale with heavy hopping.  British Browns are more common commerically in the Northern Style, which may be as a result of Northern yeast strains being less effective in fermentation and so needing a larger malt bill.

Here’s the one I brewed last weekend.

Brizzle Brown

Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines

10C-American Ale-American Brown Ale

Minimum OG:	1.045 SG	Maximum OG:	1.060 SG
Minimum FG:	1.010 SG	Maximum FG:	1.016 SG
Minimum IBU:	20 IBU	Maximum IBU:	40 IBU
Minimum Color:	18.0 SRM	Maximum Color:	35.0 SRM

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil:	9.00 l	Wort Volume After Boil:	8.00 l
Volume Transferred:	8.00 l	Water Added To Fermenter:	1.00 l
Volume At Pitching:	9.00 l	Volume Of Finished Beer:	9.00 l
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity:	1.005 SG	Expected OG:	1.058 SG
Expected FG:	1.015 SG	Apparent Attenuation:	73.0 %
Expected ABV:	5.7 %	Expected ABW:	4.4 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth):	34.6 IBU	Expected Color (using Morey):	27.8 SRM
BU:GU ratio:	0.60	Approx Color:
Mash Efficiency:	75.0 %
Boil Duration:	60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature:	18 degC

Fermentables

Ingredient	Amount	%	MCU	When
UK Medium Crystal	0.113 kg	6.6 %	6.3	In Mash/Steeped
UK Roasted Barley	0.055 kg	3.2 %	32.6	In Mash/Steeped
UK Black Malt	0.055 kg	3.2 %	27.5	In Mash/Steeped
Extract – Light Liquid Malt Extract	1.500 kg	87.1 %	4.7	Start Of Boil

Hops

Variety	Alpha	Amount	IBU	Form	When
UK Challenger	6.5 %	21 g	32.6	Loose Whole Hops	60 Min From End
US Liberty	3.0 %	7 g	2.0	Loose Pellet Hops	10 Min From End

Mild

A British Ale style that covers a range of beers, and a subset of Brown Ales.  Although they tend to be low in alcohol (below 4%), the ‘mild’ refers to the light hopping that characterizes the style.  Mild ranges from dark beers to mid brown, with an emphasis on a malt flavour profile.  They are losing out in the quest for high alcohol and hop content, but are making a comeback with the move towards session beers that one can have several of without falling down, or experiencing palate burnout from too much hops (although bucking that trend, Northern Brewer do an Imperial Mild).

I’ve put a recipe on hopville.

It’s a beer style that I really like, and

IPA – India Pale Ale

A higher alcohol and hoppier version of a pale ale.  Originally brewed in Britain it was designed to be able to keep for the long sea voyage to India (the alcohol and hops allow it to keep better).  Traditionally, therefore, it’s a British beer style (recipe), but it’s one that has become popular in the US, and has been taken in a whole new direction.  In fact, some American IPA‘s have become where the brewer’s have really pushed the envelope with hoppiness.  The sub styles Imperial IPA and Double IPA (really the same thing) have been created with higher alcohol and hop levels too, and there’s even some brown and dark IPA’s out there.

Russian Imperial Stout

One of a number of beers that were brewed strong with high hopping in order that they would keep, Russian Imperial Stout was brewed in Britain to be shipped to the Russian Imperial court.  It tends to be strong, and needs some aging before it is ready to be drunk (4-6 months), but a well made example is a wonderful thick, potent experience.

Anyway, I’ve put a recipe on Hopville (this one came from Jamil Zainashef’s, Brewing Classic Styles).

Barleywines

I went to the Westchester Homebrewer’s Organization meeting last Wednesday and we tasted barleywines as the featured style.  Big, strong beers, they develop with age.  The British and American styles differ quite a bit, and I’ve put recipes for one of each on Hopville.