All-grain · 20 L (5.3 gal)
American Brown Ale Recipe
BJCP 19C · American Brown Ale
Brown, with milk chocolate, caramel and nuts, and a touch of American hops that brightens it up. The midpoint between a porter and an APA.
American Brown Ale recipe by the numbers
- Batch size
- 20 L (5.3 gal)
- Original gravity
- 1.054
- Final gravity
- 1.013
- ABV
- 5.4%
- Bitterness
- 28 IBU
- Color
- 20 SRM (39 EBC)
- Mash
- 67 °C (153 °F) for 60 minutes
- Boil
- 60 minutes
- Fermentation
- 19 °C (66 °F) for 14 days
- Bottling
- 5.4 g of sugar per liter (0.7 oz/gal)
About 165 kcal per 330 ml (11 oz) bottle, worked out from its original and final gravity.
American Brown Ale recipe: ingredients and steps
Batch size
Recipe for 20 liters (5.3 US gallons) into the fermenter.
Malts
| Malt | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pale ale malt6 EBC (3 °L) | 4.00 kg (8.82 lb) | 80.5% |
| Munich malt15 EBC (6 °L) | 0.40 kg (0.88 lb) | 8.0% |
| Crystal (caramel) malt120 EBC (46 °L) | 0.35 kg (0.77 lb) | 7.0% |
| Chocolate malt900 EBC (338 °L) | 0.22 kg (0.49 lb) | 4.4% |
Hops
| Hop | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Magnum13% alpha acids | 16 g (0.56 oz) | 60 minBittering |
| Cascade5.5% alpha acids | 25 g (0.88 oz) | 10 minFlavor |
| Centennial10% alpha acids | 30 g (1.06 oz) | FlameoutAroma |
You will also need
Yeast: Dry American ale yeast, such as US-05: one 11.5 g (0.4 oz) packet.
Water: About 29 L (7.7 gal): 15 L (4.0 gal) for the mash and 14 L (3.7 gal) for the sparge.
Priming sugar: 5.4 g of white sugar per liter bottled (0.7 oz/gal): about 105 g (3.7 oz) for 19 L (5 gal).
Hops: pellets, kept in the freezer until brew day.
Step by step
- Heat 15 L (4.0 gal) of water to 73 °C (163 °F), add the crushed malt and stir until there are no lumps. It should settle at about 67 °C (153 °F): hold that temperature for 60 minutes, covered.
- Lift out the grain and sparge it with 14 L (3.7 gal) of water at 76 °C (169 °F). You should collect about 24 L (6.3 gal) of wort at 1.045.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 60 minutes, uncovered. When the boil starts, add the 16 g (0.6 oz) of Magnum; with 10 minutes left, 25 g (0.9 oz) of Cascade.
- Turn off the heat, add the 30 g (1.1 oz) of Centennial and let it stand for 10-15 minutes.
- Chill as fast as you can to 19 °C (66 °F), transfer about 20 L (5.3 gal) to the sanitized fermenter and take a gravity reading: it should be around 1.054.
- Pitch the yeast and ferment at 19 °C (66 °F), without going above 20 °C (68 °F) for the first three days.
- When the gravity stays at 1.013 for three days in a row, bottle with the priming sugar dissolved in a little boiled water and let it carbonate for two weeks at room temperature.
If you like it roastier, swap 50 g (1.8 oz) of the chocolate malt for roasted barley; if you want it hoppier, dry hop with 30 g (1.1 oz) of Cascade for the last 3 days.
If your Magnum isn't 13% alpha acids, use 16 × 13 ÷ your percentage, in grams, to keep it at about 28 IBU.
The style: American Brown Ale (BJCP 19C), with its history, its numbers and other ways to brew it.
Different setup? Recalculate with the water calculator, the IBU calculator and the priming sugar calculator.
Rating recipes and keeping a brew log need an account, which is only available in Spanish for now. English accounts are coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
How strong will this American Brown Ale be?
About 5.4% ABV: it starts at 1.054 and finishes at 1.013, and (OG − FG) × 131.25 gives that percentage.
How long until it is ready?
One brew day, fermentation at 19 °C (66 °F) for 14 days and about two weeks in the bottle: give it a little over a month.
Can I use a different bittering hop?
Yes. What matters is keeping the bitterness: if you use another hop instead of Magnum at 13% alpha acids, work out the grams from its alpha acids (or with the IBU calculator) to stay at about 28 IBUs.
What if my system does not get 72% efficiency?
Your gravity will come out different. Scale the base malt up or down (or add a little dry malt extract to the boil if you fall short) and recalculate the water with the calculator.
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Reference style: American Brown Ale in the BJCP guidelines, 2021 edition. Original recipe by Hacer Cerveza Casera, designed for a homebrew setup.