BeerBorg

It's been a LOOONG time since I've done anything but all-grain or partial mash, but with two small kids, it's hard to find 5-6 hours for a brew day. Lately, I've been brewing less than once a month on average, and my pipeline has been dwindling. I stopped by the LHBS to pick up a gallon jug to rack my Plum Wine to, and I noticed that they had a new "clearance" area. Sitting on the clearance shelf (among other things) was a 4 pound can of Munton's Connoisseurs Nut Brown Ale. For $12.50, I could not pass it up. Another $10.50 for a 3# bag of light DME, and I've got the beginnings of a quick 5 gallon batch.

I'm still unsure as to what I want to do with it - here are the options I'm considering:
- Brew it straight up - a can of HME + 3# of light DME for a pretty malty brown
- Steep some CaraPils and boil an ounce of EKG or Fuggles for 20 min, add HME for a slightly more hoppy brown.
- Steep some Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt, and Special B, add DME and HME for a stout

Any other ideas? It's been so long since I've done a kit, I'm not quite sure what to do! Mashani - you're the king of Frankenbiers - any thoughts?

That's the exact kit I did for my first 5 gallon batch, with 3 lbs of light LME. I thought it very good - until I made my Moosedrool clone which beat it hands down. It's very bland for lack of a better term. Nice warm, subtle nut flavor at the end.

I would think adding some hops would be good, but I don't think it's a good stout base, but I'm no expert on types. It lacks "richness".

Hope that helps.

I'd opt to keep it as a Nut Brown Ale but I would definitely do some steeping as I feel it really improves HME's. Perhaps some special roast but I do like Special B in small amounts. And a little Goldings might kick it up a bit too!

You know... I love a good nut brown ale as fall settles in...

If it were me, I think I would use the light DME, steep a small amount of chocolate malt, maybe some biscuit and some CaraFoam or CaraPils.

I'd hop it with English Fuggles and East Kent Goldings for authenticity...

Then I would ferment with a good English strain liquid yeast... Maybe Southwold, ESB or London Ale II...

Yum!

I like my browns all fuggley. And I'd use a lower attenuating English strain to bring out the maltitide.

So, looks like I'm going to steep some light or medium crystal (1/2 pound or so) and maybe a few ounces of Pale Chocolate malt, add 3# of DME, and boil an ounce of Fuggles for 20 min, then add HME, chill, top off, the usual. I think I'll use US-05 for the yeast - I want to have a drier finish to the beer, and afraid that an English strain won't be able to get through all this extract - I've had a couple extract batches get stuck at 1.020 with S-04.

It's funny that an extract batch is making me nervous!

Brewed this one yesterday after my Citranela IPA. I supposed I could have brewed them at the same time, but as it was I had to multitask between brewing and taking care of my 6-month-old son. Had to wait till his nap time to brew the second batch.

Anyway, the final recipe ended up being:

Fuggley Brown (5-gal)

1.8kg can Muntons Connoisseurs Nut Brown Ale
3# Briess Pilsen Light DME
8 oz Crystal 10L
4 oz CaraPils
4 oz Pale Chocolate Malt

1 oz of Fuggles @ 20 min
1 oz of Fuggles @ 5 min

Fermentis US-05 Yeast

Steeped the grains, added DME, threw in an ounce of Fuggles at 20 and 5 min, mixed in the HME, chilled, added to the fermenter, topped off to 5 gallons, oxygenated, sprinkled yeast on top, and called it a day. OG: 1.060. It's fuggley!

Should be good!