Print Recipe

Homebrew Northern English Brown Ale Recipe

A Northern English brown ale is slightly less sweet than a southern, it is mild in hop bitterness and has a light body with a dry finish.  The most famous example of a Northern English brown ale is Newcastle Brown Ale.   Newcastle Brown Ale is actually a mix of two separately brewed beers, this recipes combines the two into one.  Listed below are a 5 gallon Malt Extract and All-Grain recipe.  To learn how to brew using a Malt Extract based home brew recipe check out the Basic Brewing Articles.

Base Malt

Malt Extract Recipe
6 lbs. Light Liquid Malt Extract
All-Grain Recipe
6.25 lbs. English two row
1 lbs. Flaked Corn

Grains

.5 lbs. Cara-Pils/Dextrin (.25 lb of dry Dextrin brewing sugar)
.5 lbs. Caramel/Crystal 20°L (Honey Malt 20°L works great)
.5 lbs. Caramel/Crystal 60°L
.5 lbs. Caramel/Crystal 80°L
.25 lbs. Chocolate malt

Hops and Schedule

.50 oz. Willamette or Columbus (Pellets, 5.50 %AA) boiled 60 min.
.25 oz. East Kent Goldings (Pellets, 5.00 %AA) boiled 15 min.

Yeast

Whitbread Ale Yeast

Mash Schedule

Strike grains at 160 degrees.
Mash grains at 150 degrees for 60 minutes.
Sparge with 170 degree water.

Boil Instructions

Bring to boil and add hops per schedule.
At end of 60 minute boil cool wort quickly, when it reaches 80 degrees pitch yeast.

Measurements (Northern English Brown Ale)

OG – 1.040 – 1.050
FG – 1.008 – 1.014
Color(SRM) – 18-34
IBUs – 14-35
ABV 3.5-4.5%

Ferment Instructions

Primary ferment between 63 – 70 degrees for 1 week, then rack to secondary for 1-2 weeks.

Bottling Instructions

Prime with 3/4 cup corn sugar and bottle. Condition in bottle for at least two weeks, best after about a month.