Homebrew Batch Journal 002 - Northern Brewer Nut Brown Ale

Journal Entry - 002 / May 2021 

Batch Information

Notes	Details
New Name*	Not My Nut
Style	Nut Brown Ale
Batch No	01
Brewed By	Keith Wolfe
Volume	5 gallons
Brew Date/Primary Date	April 14, 2021
Secondary Date	N/A
Racking/Bottling Date	April 28, 2021
Fermentation Temp	70 F

 * This is the name of my own personal batch. For the original recipe information, see Recipe and Ingredients, below.

Recipe and Ingredients

Notes	Details
Original Recipe	Nut Brown Ale
Creator	Northern Brewer
Type	Extract
Grains	Maverick Grain Blend
Hops	1 oz. US Fuggle Hops Pellets
LME	6 lb. Gold Malt Extract Syrup
DME	N/A
Yeast	Lallemand Nottingham High-Performance Ale Yeast
Water	Primo Bottled Water (5 gal)
Wort Boil Time	60 minutes

 

Hydrometer Readings

Notes	Details
Original Gravity	1.042
Final Gravity	1.008
Test 4/26/2021	1.008
Test 4/27/2021	1.008

 

Beer Information

Notes	Details
IBUs	NA
ABV	4.46%
Apparent Attenuation	80.95%
Estimated Calories (per 12 oz)	137.2

 

Brew Day Notes

Brew day was interesting. I turned my back on the wort for no more than 10 seconds and almost had a boil over. That wort is some tricky stuff. 

Steeped the grains in 2.5 gallons of water at 170 F. Boiled LME and hops for 60 minutes before straining into fermenting bucket. Aerated the wort and pitched the dry yeast by sprinkling over the wort in primary (per instructions). I did not bloom the yeast.

Fermentation Notes

4/14: Original Gravity: 1.042

4/18: One week after primary started, I tested to see how this was coming along. I figure droughting off a little here and there is a sacrifice I'm happy to make as I learn the difference between green and completed beer.  1.011 

4/26: 1.008

4/27: 1.008

Bottling Day Notes

I cleaned recycled bottles  in the dishwasher to disinfect. Used a bottle brush and Star San to finish them off. 

Added 5 oz corn sugar/water solution to bottling bucket prior to racking from primary. 

I opted not to use my racking cane and used the bucket spigots instead. This was much easier and pain-free. This ale had much less trub than my previous recipe (as expected. The previous was a hefeweizen).  

Final Notes

Appearance

Clear, dark, and amber. This batch had hardly any sediment in the bottle. I expected less due to the variety, but I was very pleased to see so little trub. The flavor is very good. I'm not saying this is my favorite, but I enjoy a good nut brown, and this recipe does the trick. I'm letting the bottles sit another week to see how bottle condition improves the flavor. 

Flavor

This is a tasty nut brown with fruity notes and a good aftertaste. It's sweet, but with a good nut finish. Not sickeningly sweet at all. 

 

Mouth Feel

Mouth feel is spot-on and the beer has a good foam head, without too much.