Recipe formulation Pale ale

xjncoguyx · 05-10-2010, 04:09 PM

Working on a summertime pale ale recipe, hoping for a sweet/malty yet hoppy pale ale. How does this look to you guys.

5.5 gal

8#2-row
2#Crystal40L
1#cara-pils
1#Honey malt

1oz Chinook @60
.5oz Cascade @15
.5oz Cascade @5
.5oz Cascade @1

US-05

Im new to this recipe formulation thing, and this looks alright to me, but then again this is only my 2nd recipe.

mithion · 05-10-2010, 04:24 PM

I think you've got a bit too much dextrin malts. I'd reduce it to 1.5 lbs crystal 40 and 0.5lbs carapils. With 2 lbs of those malts, I think you'll get a sweetish beer like you want. I think 3 lbs would be cloying IMHO.

xjncoguyx · 05-10-2010, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mithion

I think you've got a bit too much dextrin malts. I'd reduce it to 1.5 lbs crystal 40 and 0.5lbs carapils. With 2 lbs of those malts, I think you'll get a sweetish beer like you want. I think 3 lbs would be cloying IMHO.

Yeah i was thinking about dropping them down a little, especially having them both, the only reason i had the cara in there was for head retention, but i think with the 40L i should be fine.

**Yooper** · 05-10-2010, 04:31 PM

That looks gawd-awful sweet. I know you want some sweetness, but that recipe would be cloyingly sweet as well as a bit too bitter.

How about something like:

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.50 %
4.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
0.75 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (60 min) Hops 31.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (15 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU

You could go up to a pound of crystal 40L if you really wanted, or add .25 pound of crystal 10L for sweetness.

mithion · 05-10-2010, 04:36 PM

If you're adding carapils just for head retention, then you could drop it altogether and use 2lbs of crystal 40L. Crystal malts themselves are good for head retention. Also, hops contribute chemicals that do a lot for head retention. Using 2lbs of crystal malt will result in a slightly darker and more caramelly beer as oppose to using 1.5lbs of it along with 0.5 carapils. It depends on what you like. But in theory, the carapils is superfluous if your only adding it for head retention.

xjncoguyx · 05-10-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YooperBrew

That looks gawd-awful sweet. I know you want some sweetness, but that recipe would be cloyingly sweet as well as a bit too bitter.

How about something like:

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.50 %
4.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
0.75 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (60 min) Hops 31.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (15 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU

You could go up to a pound of crystal 40L if you really wanted, or add .25 pound of crystal 10L for sweetness.

Well i figured maybe with the added sweetness would balance out the hop bitterness. That recipe was more or less just a jumping off point. Im sure i'll be changing quite a bit before its actually brewed, i just wanted to see if im going in the right direction.

xjncoguyx · 05-10-2010, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mithion

If you're adding carapils just for head retention, then you could drop it altogether and use 2lbs of crystal 40L. Crystal malts themselves are good for head retention. Also, hops contribute chemicals that do a lot for head retention. Using 2lbs of crystal malt will result in a slightly darker and more caramelly beer as oppose to using 1.5lbs of it along with 0.5 carapils. It depends on what you like. But in theory, the carapils is superfluous if your only adding it for head retention.

Thats the other thing i was thinking, of just dropping it all together.

mithion · 05-10-2010, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xjncoguyx

Well i figured maybe with the added sweetness would balance out the hop bitterness. That recipe was more or less just a jumping off point. Im sure i'll be changing quite a bit before its actually brewed, i just wanted to see if im going in the right direction.

I think I'll revise my original reply and second Yooper on this. Even 2 lbs would be a lot of crystal malt. I think a full pound of crystal 40L would be enough for what you're aiming for.

xjncoguyx · 05-10-2010, 04:48 PM

How about this revision.

8#2-row
1#crystal 20L
.5#Special B
.5#Honey Malt

.5 chinook @60
1oz. casade @15
1oz cascade@5
1oz cascade@1

???

jeburgdo · 05-10-2010, 04:52 PM

I made a pale ale once with Chinook and Amarillo, using 1.5lbs of crystal malts. It really heavily outweighed the hoppiness. While it wasn't bad, and head retention was great, I think 1.5lbs was too much for that brew, and it seems similar to what you have.