This weeks video we offer up some Brown Ale Tasting Notes. I brewed this beer May 1st (not February as I thought in the video). This beer comes out super clean, super smooth. But has a rich chocolate and toasty note to it.
The success of this brew, the third iteration of brown ale brew sessions recently, is a testament to note taking in the brew house. I have brewed Brown ale off and on over the years. I recently really started to focus on this recipe starting last year. After two decent but not just right attempts I was thumbing through old brewing notes of mine. In those old notes I found a recipe and brew session entry that noted an excellent outcome with Brown Ale that I had apparently overlooked from the past.
The success of a much earlier batch had included the use of Special Roast. So I used that info and combined it with the qualities of my last two attempts and VIOLA! Brown ale #3! Absolutely beautiful.
Now to be fair, I think that to make this more English in character a better yeast strain should be used. Something in the WLP002 or WLP007 zone of English yeasts. Also this beer could use about 10 more IBUs in bittering. Right now I brewed it to ~25IBUs. I think if I bumped it closer to 30 or 35 it would be more balanced.
Regardless of those slight tweaks as a Nut Brown this recipe could also be a great base for an American Brown Ale as well. I think if you were to brew it with a more attenuative and clean American Ale Strain (WLP001) , bump up the gravity by 10 points to 1062 and load it up with some Columbus, Cascade and Citra Hops; you’d have a great American Brown Ale on your hands.
Maybe that’s for another time.
Check out the recipe LINK.
Enjoy the video as we ramble on about this beer.
BREW ON!
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