Formulating my first AG batch.. v Opinion please

BADS197 · 06-15-2009, 05:28 PM

I don't have a name for it but it's probably the most basic thing I could come up with. I used beersmith software to do everything and I'll probably do the mash Deathbrewer style on our stove.

Don't know what to call it but:

10A American Pale Ale (I'm not into "style" but it helps guide me toward what I like)

Efficiency set to 75% 60minutes 5 gallons

10lbs Pale Malt
1lb Caramel/Crystal 15L
1oz Cascade 5.5% approximately - 60 minutes
1oz Cascade 5.5% approximately - 30 minutes
1oz Saaz 3.3% approximately - 10 minutes
WLP001 California Ale

IBU: 36.9 Color: 5.7 Alcohol% 6.04

How does this look to start?

thanks
jake

HillbillyDeluxe · 06-15-2009, 05:38 PM

Looks good man, i would have thought ibu's would be highter though. Are you sure that is right?

BTW, I use DB's stovetop also and its awesome. Little advice though: Once your at mash temp and the grains are in, dont turn on the burner to adjust temp unless you are positive your bag isnt touching the bottom. I made this mistake last night and had to filter mine through some fat chick pantyhose my wife went out and got me.

BADS197 · 06-15-2009, 05:49 PM

Yea I think it would be a little higher but I calculated it off AA #'s from hopsdirect and if given a range, I took the middle ground. The AA in beersmith were a little higher than the average.

1.25quarts of water per 1lb of grain to strike.

then use enough sparge water at the end to get my total up to about 6.5 gallons for the boil

results should be around 5-5.5 gallons in the end..?

**rico567** · 06-15-2009, 06:04 PM

I admire you doing your own recipe.....I'm looking at my first AG batch right now, last 10 min. of the boil, and I just stuck with what I knew...I'd made MW's Amarillo Ale extract kit enough that the beer is familiar, so I just ordered the AG kit....your Ale looks great to me!

wormsgetsold · 06-15-2009, 06:11 PM

I'd drink it.

BADS197 · 06-15-2009, 06:40 PM

I learned a lot of stuff from a guy who does large AG batches and is a judge. We met at his house for an AG brew session which to me was just an advanced chemistry/cooking class. My gf slept most of the time while we were there, she's only interested in the finished product.

The control and abiltiy to get the cost down is what got me really interested. His beer was super clear and very very very very good. I havn't brewed bad beer but his was noticably better.

Up until now we have just ordered kits of whatever strikes our fancy and they have been good, almost all of them are gone. However getting to know how to do AG in person helped a lot on the learning curve. The process if you do it the standard way helped clear up the shortcuts.

Now I just have to learn how each malt and grain affects the beer and learn what hops I like and don't like. I almost forgot the most important part.. the yeast. I need experience with that as well.

Saving our first batch of yeast to reuse, this saturday as well.

**Bobby_M** · 06-15-2009, 07:09 PM

It seems balanced to me but Saaz for aroma in an American Pale? It's not something I would do but maybe it's nice.

BADS197 · 06-15-2009, 08:55 PM

I see hops and dont really equate them to being anything other than bittering/flavor/aroma. haha

**Yambor44** · 06-15-2009, 09:11 PM

I put in in Beer Tools Pro and came up with 42.9 IBU's.

Looks real nice!

BADS197 · 06-15-2009, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yambor44

I put in in Beer Tools Pro and came up with 42.9 IBU's.

Looks real nice!

I'll redo it tonight when I get home but what was the AA's for those hops?

I noticed it was higher until I adjusted the AA% in the hop seletions I had. Once those adjustments were made it dropped to the numbers I got. I noticed that not all hops had the same AA even though it was, as an example, cascade in two different packages purchased at different times. Both packages had a different %AA, close but different.

Maybe thats where it's off?