brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

British Brown Ale

By thomas #30 Minute Boil, #Ale, #Barley, #Beer, #British, #British Brown Ale, #Brown Ale, #High Gravity, #Homebrew, #Hops, #No-Sparge, #One Gallon, #Step Mash, #Torrified Wheat, #Water, #Westfort, #Yeast

Codename : Westfort Helter-Skelter Brown Alethorpe (2023)

Now that I have been brewing long enough, I have prepared a good basis of go-to recipes in my repertoire. From time to time, I run out of stock, so I have to get clever and do some on the fly substitutions, which has led to my helter-skelter series of brews. I could have claimed I was layering crystal/caramel flavours…

Recipe inspiration : Helter-Skelter, by The Beatles

A little bit about a British Brown Ale

Dark amber to dark reddish-brown colour. Clear. Low to moderate off-white to light tan head.

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/13/13B/british-brown-ale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 10 oz Maris Otter (3.8L)
  • 2 oz Torrified wheat (2L)
  • 1.5 oz Crystal medium malt (67L)
  • 1 oz Roasted Barley malt (400L)
  • 0.5 oz Dark Crystal malt (100L)
  • 1/4 Campden tablet when preparing strike water (optional)
  • 0.2 oz Cascade hops at 30 minutes
  • 1/4 tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 0.2 Cascade hops at 5 minutes
  • 0.2 UK Bramling Cross hops at 0 minutes.
  • 3 ml Nottingham dry ale yeast.

Vital Stats

  • BJCP Style : British Brown Ale
  • Anticipated ABV : 5.0%
  • Anticipated IBU : 34
  • Anticipated SRM : 19
  • Pre-boil SG : 1.049
  • Post-boil SG : 1.068
  • Original SG : 1.050
  • Target SG : 1.012
  • Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 70%

Brew Day

  • If you don’t want to do the mash steps, do the whole mash at 152F for 75 minutes, then skip to the part about lifting the bag out.
  • Prepare 5.3L strike water at 122F.
  • Add the milled grains to the bag.
  • Place the bag in the hot water, set the timer for 15 minutes, and maintain the temperature at 122F.
  • Stir occasionally.
  • Raise the temperature to 145F, set the timer for 30 minutes.
  • Stir occasionally.
  • Raise the temperature to 158F, set the timer for 30 minutes.
  • Stir occasionally.
  • Calibrate the refractometer, aka the sonic screwdriver.
  • Lift the bag out of the water, and allow it to drip into the pot. Every bit of sugar that can be extracted will benefit the end ABV.
  • Bring up to a boil, 212F, set the timer for 30 minutes. Add hops, and Irish moss, as prescribed above.
  • Sanitise everything required for fermentation.
  • Cool to room temp, an ice-bath or a snowbank work effectively.
  • Prepare the yeast mixture.
  • Pitch the yeast to the carboy.
  • Transfer the wort to the carboy, splash the wort around to aerate the contents.
  • Add one litre of water for the top-up to the carboy.
  • Put the airlock on the carboy.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 10-14 days.

Bottling Day

Brew Notes

  • The gravities were made, anticipated 5% ABV
Ferment the ale in the carboy for 7-10 days.

Brew day : 5-Oct-2023