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American Brown on the lighter side


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#1 3rd party JKor

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Posted 05 January 2016 - 10:02 AM

I didn't want to say session, it's betting a bad rep around here...but that's kind of what I'm looking for.  :P

 

I'm a big fan of the Smuttynose Old Brown Dog.  I've been drinking it for nearly 20 years and I had always assumed it was a low-ish ABV brown, in the 5-5.5% ABV ballpark.  I only just recently noticed it's 6.5%.  That blew me away.  I'd really like to take that beer and make it as a 4.5-5% beer.

 

I'll document my efforts here...



#2 positiveContact

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Posted 05 January 2016 - 10:38 AM

sounds good!



#3 HVB

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Posted 05 January 2016 - 11:03 AM

I like the sound of this.  I wonder if the ABV on OBD has slowly increased over time.  I am surprised that it is 6.5%.  I would not mind a session  Lite Brown on tap



#4 Poptop

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Posted 05 January 2016 - 11:06 AM

I have half pound brown malt and a bag each of English medium and dark crystal. I'm all ears....

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Posted 05 January 2016 - 11:10 AM

I have half pound brown malt and a bag each of English medium and dark crystal. I'm all ears....

 

needs some chocolate malt too in my opinion.



#6 3rd party JKor

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Posted 05 January 2016 - 11:27 AM

I like the sound of this.  I wonder if the ABV on OBD has slowly increased over time.  I am surprised that it is 6.5%.  I would not mind a session  Lite Brown on tap

 

 

I was wondering that, too.  I saw it up on a beer board at a bar.  I was certain it was wrong until I checked Smutty's website.

 

 

ETA:  i was really curious about this so I went back through the older reviews on BA.  I found several reference to it being 5.7% ABV from around 2005.  So, yes, it has been reformulated over time.


Edited by JKor, 05 January 2016 - 11:38 AM.


#7 3rd party JKor

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 06:26 PM

There's really a dearth of english-style or even non-imperial american brown ales out there.  I picked up a couple at the store tonight in singles, but I could only find four (plus Skunkcastle).  I forgot how flavorless Newcastle was for a brown.  I remember when I started brewing that was the beer I was most excited to clone.  I had collected a big stash of the Newkie bottles and I'm pretty sure the Newcastle clone was my first batch.  It was not good.  :)

 

Anyway.  I'm going to taste a few of these and do some formulation.  I'll be back with a recipe in a few days.



#8 Big Nake

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 06:36 PM

There are some dark malts these days that will darken a beer quite nicely but add very little in the way of roasty flavor. I guarantee you that someone could make a dark brown beer that has very little flavor to it. It's for people who like a dark brown beer with very little flavor.    :sarcasm:



#9 3rd party JKor

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 08:06 PM

I mean, it's not terrible, it's more of a commentary on how my palate has changed.  I remember when that was a 'Wow!' beer.  Now, if I brewed a beer that tasted like that it would probably sit or be given away.



#10 Big Nake

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Posted 06 January 2016 - 08:12 PM

I mean, it's not terrible, it's more of a commentary on how my palate has changed.  I remember when that was a 'Wow!' beer.  Now, if I brewed a beer that tasted like that it would probably sit or be given away.

Right. As we try more beer and different beer, our preferences change for sure. I am much more likely to jack up IBUs and dry-hop now than I was years ago but I still like my helles and dunkel too. I'm glad you're brewing again. Things change quickly in this hobby with regard to technique and ingredients too. I certainly can't keep up with every new hop and every new Weyermann Cara- malt that they come out with each week. CaraBohemian, CaraAroma, CaraScrambledEggs, CaraHotSauce, CaraFiberGlass... it's overwhelming! :lol:

#11 3rd party JKor

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Posted 10 January 2016 - 08:08 PM

I tried Pig's Ear Brown from Woodstock Inn up in NH.  It was kind of what I'm going for.  Low abv, only 4.3%, but a good malt backbone and fairly strong bitterness for the style.  It was a little too caramelly in the finish, but not bad.  I still like the overall character of the Smuttynose.  They're using Munich in there which gives it a different feel than an english brown, but I like it.  I like the hop balance from the Pig's ear and the malt character of the Smutty.  If I can meld those together I think I'll be in the right ball park.  I'd like a tiny bit more hop in the nose than I get from either one.  Something more earthy will play with the malty/roasty notes.  I may dry hop with a little northern brewer maybe.  I need to look at what I have.



#12 positiveContact

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Posted 11 January 2016 - 03:27 AM

have you tried kelsen paradigm?



#13 3rd party JKor

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Posted 11 January 2016 - 07:20 AM

have you tried kelsen paradigm?

 

Never heard of it.  Brown ale?

 

I was reading Brewing Classic Styles last night and Jamil's american brown is actually not a bad shot either.  I hadn't looked at his recipe because I assumed it would be on the high end of the style, since that's where his recipes typically go.  I think his OG was only around 1.049.  I'm going to give that recipe a go, or a slight variation on it.  I've brewed a lot of Jamil's recipes from BCS and I've really been happy with every one.  Some tweaks to be sure, but they're almost always good starting points.



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Posted 11 January 2016 - 07:27 AM

Never heard of it.  Brown ale?

 

I was reading Brewing Classic Styles last night and Jamil's american brown is actually not a bad shot either.  I hadn't looked at his recipe because I assumed it would be on the high end of the style, since that's where his recipes typically go.  I think his OG was only around 1.049.  I'm going to give that recipe a go, or a slight variation on it.  I've brewed a lot of Jamil's recipes from BCS and I've really been happy with every one.  Some tweaks to be sure, but they're almost always good starting points.

 

it is.  brewery is in derry, NH but I think it's fairly easy to get.

 

https://kelsenbrewin...-beer/#paradigm

 

in general I would say their darker beers (brown ale, porter, etc.) are their strengths.  their really hoppy stuff is good but nothing ground breaking.


Edited by Evil_Morty, 11 January 2016 - 07:29 AM.


#15 3rd party JKor

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Posted 11 January 2016 - 08:08 AM

Ah, I actually just saw those beers on the shelf for the first time the last time I was at the store.  TBH, the labels turned me off.  :) 

 

Do you know anything about the brewers/brewery? 



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Posted 11 January 2016 - 08:14 AM

Ah, I actually just saw those beers on the shelf for the first time the last time I was at the store.  TBH, the labels turned me off.  :)

 

Do you know anything about the brewers/brewery? 

 

I'm pretty sure this is one of those second career type deals.  I think it's two older guys.  they operate out of one of those nicer looking industrial strip malls.  I've been to the tasting room but I didn't meet the brewers/owners.

 

eta:  woah, I guess not older.  and only been homebrewing since 2010 :lol:


Edited by Evil_Morty, 11 January 2016 - 08:18 AM.


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Posted 11 January 2016 - 08:19 AM

https://kelsenbrewing.com/about-us/

 

Kelsen Brewing was started by two long-time friends, Paul and Erik, who met back in grade school.  One day in 2010, Erik and Paul decided to brew up a batch of homebrew together.  From that point forward, the two were engrossed in the craft of making beer.



#18 3rd party JKor

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Posted 11 January 2016 - 09:41 AM

I'm pretty sure this is one of those second career type deals.  I think it's two older guys.  they operate out of one of those nicer looking industrial strip malls.  I've been to the tasting room but I didn't meet the brewers/owners.

 

eta:  woah, I guess not older.  and only been homebrewing since 2010 :lol:

 

 

Crap, I've taken breaks from brewing longer than they've been brewing.  Lol.



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Posted 11 January 2016 - 09:59 AM

Crap, I've taken breaks from brewing longer than they've been brewing.  Lol.

 

well they seem to be doing a reasonable job although like a lot of things I think they are charging way more than I want to pay for their product.


Edited by Evil_Morty, 11 January 2016 - 09:59 AM.


#20 3rd party JKor

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Posted 11 January 2016 - 11:15 AM

well they seem to be doing a reasonable job although like a lot of things I think they are charging way more than I want to pay for their product.

 

 

That's almost every commercial beer nowadays. 

 

I don't know all the rules/conventions with distributors, but it seems like except in rare cases all beers in one package size from a given brewery are the same price.  i.e. all sixers from a given brewery will be $10.99, unless it's an 8%+ ABV RIS, IIPA, etc.  Sometimes the price is even the same for those beers.  I'm surprised you don't see breweries put out a loss leader at a low price, say 8.99/6 for session IPA.  then charge $10.99 for the other beers.  Maybe it's a distributor thing, but I would think if you could push volume with a lower priced offering it would be worth it for the brewery.  Not only could you move volume but you get your name out there in a very crowded market.

 

In a way Founder is doing this with some slightly discounted pricing on 15pks of All Day.  I'm seeing them on special for $16.  The weird thing is you don't get the same deal for a sixer.  At least not where I shop.  Sixers of All Day are still $9.99, or whatever.  Either way, I think they're doing the right thing with the 15pk.  I think you'll start seeing more of that.  In the long run craft beer drinkers are going to gravitate to good tasting beers with better value.  You can only buy so many 22s at $8 a pop before you need a second mortgage.




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