Autumnus: An American Brown Ale

The cold has gripped New England and probably won't let go until April. I was driving to my Aunt's house the other day and I realized that I was a little too early. I decided to pull off the road and park alongside a large pond that is on the way to their house. To my surprise, the edge of the pond had started to ice over. I immediately got back into my car and drove to my Aunt's house, dejected and early.

I wanted to brew a beer that will scare the chill right out of you. Hopefully, it will be toasty, nutty and hoppy as hell. I have never used Nugget as a flavor or aroma hop, so I am really excited to see what it adds. I am hoping that a Nugget/Centennial combo will work well in a dark seasonal ale.

3.25 gallon batch

6.25 lbs. Canadian 2-row

.60 lbs. Flaked Oats

.50 lbs. American Crystal 60

.30 lbs. Chocolate

.50 oz Nugget @ 60 minutes

.50 oz Nugget @ 10 minutes

.50 oz Centennial @ 10 minutes

.75 oz Nugget @ 0 minutes

.75 oz Centennial @ 0 minutes

Yeast: Wyeast 1968 London ESB Ale

Mash Temperature: 152 degrees

OG: 1.062

Projected FG: 1.018

IBU's: ~46

UPDATE: 1/14/11 ~ The hop aroma wasn't as strong as I was expecting, but it is still a nice beer. It has a silky mouthfeel, thanks to the oats. I made 3 experimental bombers that turned out exceptionally well. The first was bottled with the equivalent of 2 ounces of Amarillo hops, the second was with the equivalent of 2 ounces of whole coffee beans (Mokka coffee from Maui), and the third was with the equivalent of 8 ounces of cacao nibs. Each one changed the beer pretty dramatically. The dry hopped version was probably my favorite. Maybe next time I will omit the flame out addition of hops and switch them to dry hops.