Developing new House Pale Ale - Advice Wanted

TwoHeadsBrewing · 12-29-2008, 11:35 PM

So, I'd like to develop a new house pale ale recipe on my own. I'd like it to be a pretty easy drinking, low to medium bitterness with a good floral hop aroma. I want to make something that I can enjoy on a regular basis but one that house guests will also enjoy. I prefer a stronger hoppy brew myself, but I want to dial that back a bit to a more neutral and smooth pale ale. Rather than pushing the hops, I'd like to highlight the malt profile and sweet character. Also important is price, which for this 5.5 gallon batch is just $10.18!!!

Your input is greatly appreciated; recipe below:

Ingredients ($6.43)
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 83.72 % ($4.50)
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 9.30 % ($0.50)
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.65 % ($0.93)
0.25 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 2.33 % ($0.50)

Hops ($2.00)
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 17.7 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (15 min) Hops 8.0 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (5 min) Hops 6.4 IBU

Yeast ($1.75)
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale
Ferment at 64F for 7 days, 68F for 14 days
Crash cool @ 37F for 3 days, then keg.

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.20 %
Bitterness: 32.1 IBU
Est Color: 13.0 SRM

Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Batch Sparge 10.75 lb
Mash Notes: Mash for 60 minutes @ 152F
Sparge Water: 5.28 gal
Sparge Temperature: 180.0 F

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.52 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (15 Gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (10 Gal)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75%

jmo88 · 12-29-2008, 11:44 PM

Where are you buying your ingredients? Those prices are mighty fine.

I agree with the hops. Centennials provide a very pleasant bitterness and floral quality. Also it's more economical due to the higher AA than say cascade.

TwoHeadsBrewing · 12-29-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmo88

Where are you buying your ingredients? Those prices are mighty fine.

I agree with the hops. Centennials provide a very pleasant bitterness and floral quality. Also it's more economical due to the higher AA than say cascade.

I was able to get in on a group grain buy for $.50/lb. for 2-row & Crystal 60L so I picked up a couple 50# sacks. The hop prices are outrageously low at $1/oz. for whole hops from my LHBS. I don't see how they are so low, but then again I'm not going to call attention to it

!

TwoHeadsBrewing · 12-30-2008, 02:38 AM

Gratuitous grain pr0n:

farmbrewernw · 12-30-2008, 03:22 AM

your recipe looks solid to me, give it a whirl I bet it turns out mighty tasty. I've just recently decided to fall in love with Centennials so I just may have to try out that recipe myself.

**balto charlie** · 12-30-2008, 04:20 PM

I like the addition of Special B. I use it often in IPAs. Just a little, like your recipe. In fact I have an IPA on tap w/ Centennial hops. I think you will get a strong hop flavor with 1oz. at 5 min. It might be a little stronger than the malt. I believe(don't have my recipe right now) that I went w/ 1 oz at similar times as yours. I have a bigger malt profile as well. Mine is very hoppy with a noticeable malt background. I'll check my recipe tonight and get back to you.

**Mutilated1** · 12-30-2008, 04:41 PM

I would drink that beer. The only change I might suggest is to dial back on the Crystal 60 some, maybe cut back to 1/2 pound. Not that there is particularly anything wrong with a pound, just to my personal tastes that much is a lot - and since you're making it for house guests, I'm guessing they will like it better if its more "familiar". But then again if you're going for the sweetness, maybe 1 # is what you want. It just seems to me that 1# crystal and 1/2# of special B is kind of pushing the envelope with the caramel/sweetness.

For example if you look at two of the most popular House Pale Ale recipes on this site, Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde and EdWort's Haus Pale Ale - neither one uses that much Crystal type Malts, well Biermuncher's uses a pound, but its Crystal 10 or something - much lighter.

Again, if you want sweet though - thats probably what you're going to get - that recipe might be just what you want. My personal opinion and tastes tell me thats going to be a lot sweeter than most people really like to drink, and I don't think that sweet kind of taste goes all that well with Centennial hops, but don't let me stop you - thats just entirely my own opinion.

Congrats on the huge grain score by the way.

TwoHeadsBrewing · 12-30-2008, 05:03 PM

Thanks for the input, I think I may indeed dial that Crystal 60L back down to 1/2# for the first run at this. I'll up the 2-row to 9.5# as well to keep the same gravity and ABV. It will also have the added benefit of lightening up the color of the brew which I suppose is great for "normal" beer drinkers. I know many people have been surprised after tasting my brown ale, thinking that since it was dark it would also be bitter. Making this a bit lighter may be more appetizing to a larger crowd.

farmbrewernw · 12-30-2008, 05:08 PM

I was thinking the same thing about the crystal however some people like that added sweetness also 1 oz hops at 5 will give you a great deal of hop flavor but it might mask the maltyness something to keep in mind if your trying to appeal to the lighter crowd.

**EdWort** · 12-30-2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoHeadsBrewing

Thanks for the input, I think I may indeed dial that Crystal 60L back down to 1/2# for the first run at this. I'll up the 2-row to 9.5# as well to keep the same gravity and ABV. It will also have the added benefit of lightening up the color of the brew which I suppose is great for "normal" beer drinkers. I know many people have been surprised after tasting my brown ale, thinking that since it was dark it would also be bitter. Making this a bit lighter may be more appetizing to a larger crowd.

This is why my Haus Ale uses only 1/2# of Crystal 10L in order to keep it lighter in color to appeal to a broad base of beer drinkers. You might want to swap out the cara pils with wheat malt. It will give you great head retention without adding sweetness or color.