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AMERICAN
BROWN ALE

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American Brown Ale
by Jamil Zainasheff

i
t is said that the first American an American style, you’d think that a
brown ale was a creation of citrusy character is a requirement,
homebrewers in and around but not necessarily. Almost any hop
Texas. It possibly started as an character is fine, from restrained to
attempt to brew an “Americanized” bold, but the bittering should always
version of an English brown ale, but it be firm.
quickly became much more than that You have some flexibility in choos-
— more of a style of its own. ing base malt for American brown.
American brown ale is not just Using domestic two-row will give the
bigger, hoppier and roastier than an beer a clean, subtle background malt
AMERICAN BROWN
English brown ale. The choices for character common to many fine by the numbers
hopping, malt and fermentation create American craft beers. Using domestic
a beer with a different overall charac- pale ale malt adds a slightly richer OG: . . .1.045–1.060 (11.2–14.7 °P)
ter from the English brown ales. background malt character, somewhat FG: . . . . . .1.010–1.016 (2.6–4.1 °P)
It may seem obvious to some, of a light bready note. Again, this is SRM: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18–35
but an American brown should always the type of malt character you’ll find IBU: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20–40
be brown. It can range from light to in many fine domestic craft brews. ABV: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.3–6.2%
very dark brown, but it shouldn’t be Less common is the use of British pale
black and it shouldn’t be amber, which ale malt. British pale ale malt provides
are the odd mistakes you sometimes an even greater depth of malt charac-
see in recipes. The overall balance ter to the beer, mainly a biscuit-like
can seem a little on the sweet side up taste and aroma common in many
front, but it should never finish sweet. British beers. Some folks feel British
It can have a medium to fairly dry pale ale malt can be too much for
finish and a medium to medium-full American styles, so if you prefer a
body. Fruity esters are generally more subtle, restrained malt back-
no more than a gentle presence ground, go with domestic two-row or
and in many examples very low or pale ale malt. Extract brewers can use
none at all. an English pale ale extract if they
All good examples should have want a richer malt background or a
some level of chocolate, toasty light color North American malt
caramel flavors and aromas. While extract if they want a more subtle
there should be some chocolate malt taste. All-grain brewers can use a sin-
character and maybe even a tiny gle infusion mash and should target a
touch of coffee, it is important to note mash that will leave enough long chain
that this should stop short of being sugars in the beer to help fill out the
too much like a robust porter. How body. A temperature around 152 to
bold those flavors are in each beer and 154 °F (67 to 68 °C) creates wort
the amount of residual malt sweetness with a nice balance between fer-
as compared to the hopping, makes up mentable and non-fermentable sugars.
the wide range of interpretations of The majority of the character that
this style. defines an American brown comes
American brown ales vary from from specialty malts and this is one
being very hoppy, very bitter beers to area ripe for creativity. Every
beers with a more restrained hop bit- American brown needs both some
terness and character. Some examples chocolately dark malt notes and some
have a little sweetness up front and a caramel notes. Experimenting with
rich background malt flavor that bal- the amounts and colors of crystal and
ance the hops, while others are drier, roasted malts is a great way to change
letting the hops come straight through the character of your beer. I like to
and poke you in the tastebuds. Being use mid-color crystal (40–60 °L),
Continued on page 3

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 Dirty Water Brown the last hop addition at flame out. ing liquor and malt extract to make
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.011 aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch (22.3 L) and a gravity of 1.041
IBU = 34 SRM = 21 ABV = 4.9% rate is 9 grams of properly rehydrat- (10.2 °P). Stir thoroughly to help
ed dry yeast, two packages of liq- dissolve the extract and bring to a
This recipe makes an American uid yeast or one package of liquid boil. Boil time is 60 minutes. Get
brown on the lower side of the yeast in a 1.5-liter starter. the wort boiling, add your first addi-
style; hoppy, but lower in alcohol Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) until tion of hops, then follow the boil,
and bittering, for those times when the yeast drops clear. At this tem- fermentation and packaging
you want to have a couple of pints. perature and with healthy yeast, fer- instructions for the all-grain version.
mentation should be complete in
Ingredients about one week. Allow the lees to Janet’s Brown Ale
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Great Western pale settle and the brew to mature with- (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
malt (2-row) (2 °L) or similar out pressure for another two days OG = 1.066 (16.2 °P)
7 oz. (200 g) Great Western crystal after fermentation appears finished. FG = 1.016 (4.2 °P)
malt (40 °L) or similar substitute Rack to a keg and force carbonate IBU = 63 SRM = 23 ABV = 6.6%
7 oz. (200 g) Great Western or rack to a bottling bucket, add
chocolate malt (420 °L) or similar priming sugar, and bottle. Target a Ingredients
4 oz. (113 g) Great Western crystal carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 vol- 10.75 lbs. (4.87 kg) Great Western
malt (60 °L) or similar umes. North American two-row malt
4 oz. (113 g) Briess Victory® malt (2 °L) or similar substitute
(28 °L) Extract with grains option: 18 oz. (510 g) Great Western
4.94 AAU Horizon hops (0.38 oz./ Replace the North American pale Crystal malt (40 °L)
11 g at 13% alpha acid) (60 min.) malt with 5.7 lbs. (2.6 kg) light liquid 18 oz. (510 g) Briess CaraPils®
7.47 AAU Amarillo hops (0.83 oz./ malt extract. For this recipe, I use malt (1 °L)
24 g at 9% alpha acid) (15 min.) an ultra-light extract made from 14 oz. (397 g) Great Western
13.14 AAU Amarillo hops Great Western two-row malt by Wheat malt (2 °L)
(1.46 oz./41 g at 9% alpha acid) Alexander’s (California Concentrate 8 oz. (227 g) Chocolate malt
(0 min.) Company), but any fresh, high qual- (420 °L)
Wyeast 1056 American Ale, White ity light color extract made from 5.4 AAU Northern Brewer hops
Labs WLP001 California Ale or domestic two-row malt will work (0.83 oz./24 g at 6.5% alpha acid)
Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast well. If you can’t get fresh liquid (mash hop)
malt extract, use dried malt extract 6.76 AAU Northern Brewer hops
Step by Step (DME). (Use 20% less dry extract (1.04 oz./29 g at 6.5% alpha acid)
Mill the grains and dough-in target- by weight.) When the amount of liq- (60 min.)
ing a mash of around 1.5 quarts of uid extract called for in the recipe is 5.4 AAU Northern Brewer hops
water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor- not easy to measure, use the most (0.83 oz./24 g at 6.5% alpha acid)
to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) convenient liquid measure and you (15 min.)
and a temperature of 152 °F (67 can make up the rest of the malt 7.5 AAU Cascade hops
°C). Hold at 152 °F (67 °C) until sugars with dry extract. Always (1.25 oz./35 g at 6% alpha acid)
enzymatic conversion is complete. choose the freshest extract that fits (10 min.)
Infuse the mash with near boiling the beer style. 7.5 AAU Cascade hops
water while stirring or with a recircu- Mill or coarsely crack the spe- (1.25 oz./35 g at 6% alpha acid)
lating mash system raise the tem- cialty malts. Mix them well and (0 min.)
perature to mash out at 168 °F (76 place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid 15 AAU Centennial hops
°C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 packing the grains too tightly in the (1.67 oz./47 g at 9% alpha acid)
°C) water, collecting wort until the bag, using more bags if needed. (dry hop)
pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 Steep the bag in about 1 gallon (~4 Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White
gallons (25 L) and the gravity is L) of water at roughly 170 °F (77 Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or
1.037 (9.3 °P). °C) for about 30 minutes. Lift the Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast
The total wort boil time is 90 grain bag out of the steeping liquid
minutes. Add the bittering hops and rinse with warm water. Allow Step by Step
with 60 minutes remaining in the the bags to drip into the kettle for a Mill the grains and dough-in target-
boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle few minutes while you add the malt ing a mash of around 1.5 quarts
finings and second hop addition extract. Do not squeeze the bags. of water to 1 pound of grain (a
with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add Add enough water to the steep- liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1

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 by weight) and a temperature of darker crystal (80–150 °L) or a combi- specialty grains.
154 °F (68 °C). Mix the first hop nation of colors. The mid-color crystal You have quite a bit of flexibility in
addition with the mash. Hold the malts add more caramel flavors, while hopping American brown ales. The
mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until the darker crystal malts add progres- balance of bittering versus malt
enzymatic conversion is com- sively more plum, raisin and burnt sweetness can range anywhere from
plete. Infuse the mash with near caramel notes as they get darker. The slightly sweet to boldly bitter. Target a
boiling water while stirring or with darker crystal malts also tend to be bitterness to starting gravity ratio
a recirculating mash system raise less sweet than the lighter crystal (IBU divided by OG) of 0.5 to 0.7 for
the temperature to mash out at malts. Even though you have a lot of a more balanced beer or 0.7 to 1.0 for
168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly leeway, you don’t want to add a lot of a bold American brown. The BJCP
with 170 °F (77 °C) water, col- low color crystal malt (< 30 °L), as it guide suggests that IPA strength
lecting wort until the pre-boil ket- adds sweetness without much examples are really specialty beers, so
tle volume is around 6.5 gallons caramel character. Also watch the you might want to stop short of turn-
(25 L) and the gravity is 1.051 total amount of crystal malt being ing your beer into a brown IPA.
(12.7 °P). added. If the total amount exceeds However, here on the West Coast
The total wort boil time is 90 10% of the grist, it can result in an IPA-strength beers in alcohol and hops
minutes. Add the bittering hops overly sweet and heavy beer. is a common occurrence and nobody
with 60 minutes remaining in the It is important to not leave too blinks an eye at a bold brown ale.
boil. Add Irish moss or other ket- much residual sweetness in the beer. Hop flavor and aroma also varies
tle finings along with the third Even with a high level of bitterness, from minimal to bold. I really like using
hop addition with 15 minutes left there is a limit to how much sweet- citrusy or piney American variety
in the boil. Add other hop addi- ness is acceptable. While there is hops such as Cascade, Centennial,
tions at 10 minutes remaining some truth to the adage that you can Columbus, Simcoe and Amarillo® for
and flame out. Chill the wort to balance hop bitterness with malt flavor and aroma, but there are plenty
67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thor- sweetness, that is true only to a point of great examples out there that use a
oughly. The proper pitch rate is and it doesn’t take much before the wide variety of hops from around the
11 grams of properly rehydrated drinkability of the beer suffers. One of world. You can use almost any hop
dry yeast, two packages of liquid the other benefits of the darkest crys- you feel has a pleasant character as it
yeast or 1 package of liquid tal malts is that they add a little dry- is the overall impression that matters.
yeast in a 2.5-liter starter. ness to the finish. Any dark roasted Fermentation for American brown
Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) until malt can enhance the perception of is straightforward. Like the majority of
the yeast drops clear. At this dryness, but each malt or grain has American ales, this style most often
temperature and with healthy its own character. Some can be has a clean profile, with very low to
yeast, fermentation should be harsh and acrid if used in more than no fruity esters. A slight fruitiness can
complete in about one week. the smallest amount. Generally speak- be welcome, as long as it isn’t exces-
Allow the lees to settle and the ing, the darker the malt the less you’ll sive. If you do want some esters, an
brew to mature without pressure need to use in an American brown. English-style yeast at a lower temper-
for another two days after fer- Keep in mind that you only want ature is a common technique. But
mentation appears finished. At some restrained flavors and aromas, keep in mind those yeasts often atten-
this point add your dry hop addi- since you’re not trying to make a uate a little lower than most
tion. Keep the beer on the dry robust porter or a stout of any kind. American-style yeasts, so you’ll need
hops for approximately seven About 5% is the limit on the amount to account for that in your recipe for-
days. Rack to a keg and force of the darker roasted malts and that mulation. I prefer to use a clean, mod-
carbonate or rack to a bottling should be in the 300 to 500 °L range. erately attenuating yeast, such as
bucket, add priming sugar, and Use much, much less, however, if Wyeast 1056 American Ale or White
bottle. Target a carbonation level you’re going darker. Labs WLP001 California Ale. Make
of 2 to 2.5 volumes. If you’re looking for more com- certain that you oxygenate the wort
plexity or head retention or some and pitch an appropriate amount of
other flavor in your brown it is possi- clean, healthy yeast for the batch you
ble to add other malts as well. are brewing. This will help create that
CaraPils®, wheat malt, Victory® and clean American pub-style profile in
Munich are common additions to the beer. Ferment at around 67 °F
many American brown recipes. Just (19 °C), holding the temperature
use restraint so the beer doesn’t steady throughout fermentation.
become saturated with unfermentable Holding the temperature steady is
dextrins or cloying flavors. Target important to getting a proper level of
between 0 and 5% for these additional attenuation and avoiding off-flavors.

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