Northern English Brown

Northern English Brown Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.051 FG = 1.013
IBU = 26 SRM = 14 ABV = 5.1%

Ingredients
8.82 lb. (4 kg) Crisp British pale ale malt 3 °L (or similar)
10.6 oz. (300 g) Briess special roast (50 °L)
5 oz. (143 g) Great Western crystal malt (40 °L) (or similar)
5 oz. (143 g) Briess Victory® malt (28 °L) (or similar)
4 oz. (113 g) Crisp pale chocolate (200 °L) (or similar)
3.5 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (5 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP013 (London Ale), Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or Fermentis Safale S-04 yeast

Step by Step
I use Crisp Malting’s British Pale Ale malt (made from Maris Otter) as my base grain, but other malts of a similar nature should work well (see some suggestions in my Style Profile column on Northern English Brown Ales). Remember, the bulk of the flavor comes from the base grain, so try to get British pale ale malt.

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold the mash at 152 °F (67 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and the gravity is 1.044 (10.9 °P).

Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 60 minutes after adding the bittering hops. With 15 minutes left add the Irish moss or other kettle finings and at five minutes left add the last hop addition. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 9 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast or two packages of liquid yeast.

Ferment around 68 °F (20 °C) until the yeast drops clear. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in a week or less. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished.

Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 1 to 2 volumes depending on your packaging. Serve the finished beer at 50 to 55 °F (10 to 13 °C).

Northern English Brown Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 26 SRM = 14 ABV = 5%

Ingredients
5.73 lb. (2.6 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract (4°L)10.6 oz. (300 g) Briess special roast (50 °L)
5 oz. (143 g) Great Western crystal malt (40 °L) (or similar)
5 oz. (143 g) Briess Victory® malt (28 °L) (or similar)
4 oz. (113 g) Crisp pale chocolate (200 °L) (or similar)
3.5 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (5 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP013 (London Ale), Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or Fermentis Safale S-04 yeast

Step by Step
I use an English-type liquid malt extract custom made for my homebrew shop from a 100% Maris Otter malt. Always choose the freshest extract that fits the beer style. If you can’t get fresh liquid malt extract, it is better to use dried malt extract (DME) instead.

Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid packing the grains too tightly in the bag, using more bags if needed. Steep the bag in about 1 gallon (~4 L) of water at roughly 170 °F (77 °C) for about 30 minutes.

Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and a gravity of 1.043 (10.6 °P). Stir the wort thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 60 minutes after adding the bittering hops. With 15 minutes left add the Irish moss or other kettle finings and at five minutes left add the last hop addition. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 9 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast or two packages of liquid yeast.

Ferment around 68 °F (20 °C) until the yeast drops clear. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in a week or less. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished.

Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 1 to 2 volumes depending on your packaging. Serve the finished beer at 50 to 55 °F (10 to 13 °C).