My First Recipe

So I have brewed about 5 extract batches now and got the process down to what i think is a T and am going to attempt to write my first recipe figured I would write it out post it here and get your guys opinions and see if there are anythings I have way off or you would recommend changing.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Summer Goodness
Brewer: Matthew
Asst Brewer:
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.03 gal
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 5.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 74.07 %
1.00 lb Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 14.81 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 7.41 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3.70 %
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 14.2 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (15 min) Hops 7.2 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [9.00 %] (5 min) Hops 3.1 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: None
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
----------------------------
Steep grains for 30 @ 160




sooo my aim is for something like samuel adams summer ale. i want a slightly wheat bodied beer that is refreshing and citrusy, a mild bitterness flavor with a nice floral and citrus aroma. I was thinking that possibly my IBUs are slightly high for what i want. Another thing i was considering was changing the yeast although I think WLP001 will finish really clean which will keep the flavor I am aiming for. Was considering using hef yeast but i think it will change the style of what i aiming for way to much. My other thought is to rack this to a secondary on some orange slices for about a week to get an even more citrus like flavor and aroma. Then bottle conditioning for about 4 weeks at around 45 degrees Critique and suggestions are greatly appreciated and thanks in advance

EDIT:
to get the IBUs down a tad i changed bittering cascades from 1oz to 0.75oz and i have also adjusted the numbers to reflect on the recipe report both on cascades and the estimated IBU

bumpity.....no one has any thoughts?

It looks like a nice balanced recipe to me.

If it is Citrus that you are going after, consider replacing the Sterling hops with Amarillo and change the time to 15 minutes instead of 20.

Or keep the Sterling addition and add some Amarillo at flame out.

BendBrewer said:

It looks like a nice balanced recipe to me.

If it is Citrus that you are going after, consider replacing the Sterling hops with Amarillo and change the time to 15 minutes instead of 20.

Or keep the Sterling addition and add some Amarillo at flame out.

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thanks aiming for a nice citrus spring/summer ale to have ready here in about 2 months or so will be my first time bottle conditioning as well....just been kegging all my batches

loxnar said:

bumpity.....no one has any thoughts?

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Overall, very good for a first recipe. My suggestions: cut the crystal malt in half and drop your steeping temperature by 10-15F.

BigEd said:

Overall, very good for a first recipe. My suggestions: cut the crystal malt in half and drop your steeping temperature by 10-15F.

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Thanks for the suggestion....can i ask exactly why cutting those in half? it lightens the color slightly and im assuming gives a little bit lighter of a body to the beer? any other reasons or am i completely off?

I had the same thought with reducing the crystal. 20% is pretty close to the most you want to use in a batch, and I think it would make this beer a little too sweet. Plus the DME may also have some light crystal, but that's hard to know. When I think summer beer, I think dry and easy drinking. After that, it should be a great beer.

all ingredients updated and batch size changed from 5.25 to 5.50 to account for a little more trub and hydrometer readings during fementation.

thanks for all the feedback guys its much appreciated i knew i was pretty close but i was kinda guessing with the amounts of specialty grains. Any more feedback would be sweet....and any thoughts on any different kinds of yeast or should i stick with the california?

If you haven't checked it out yet, the book "Designing Great Beers" by Daniels is really good at describing styles and components of each style.

Frodo said:

If you haven't checked it out yet, the book "Designing Great Beers" by Daniels is really good at describing styles and components of each style.

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Just got to the All Grain section in How to Brew....Daniels is sitting right behind it on the shelf ready to read next =) but thank you for the suggestion....I also picked up New Brewing Lager Beer by Gregory Noonan and also Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher not sure on the last two but I read a few pages of Daniels seems wonderful. Noonans book i believe is suggested by Palmer

loxnar said:

Thanks for the suggestion....can i ask exactly why cutting those in half?

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Because IMO it's too much. Too much crystal malt, especially in an extract beer, just tends to leave excess unfermentables to beers that already do not typically attenuate as well as all grain brews.

loxnar said:

it lightens the color slightly and im assuming gives a little bit lighter of a body to the beer? any other reasons or am i completely off?

Click to expand...

You can balance the color by using a different ratio of crystal or some of a darker color if you want to get back to your original SRM target. Using additional base extract to replace the weight of the removed crystal malt will keep the OG of the beer the same. That will also help with the attenuation and gain a touch of ABV.

+1 for the Amarillo at flame out.

BigEd said:

Because IMO it's too much. Too much crystal malt, especially in an extract beer, just tends to leave excess unfermentables to beers that already do not typically attenuate as well as all grain brews.

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Yea I think the most specialty grains i have seen in my LHBS pre built kits is 1 1/2 pounds but all i have ever really done from them is dark beers....this being a much much much lighter beer I wasnt really sure where to go with the grains. i am really only using them to try and get a little bit of sweet honey flavor to go with that citrus again all the feedback is overly appreciated....and as i have 4! yes 4! pre built kits to go through (they had a buy 3 get 1 free special last weekend i couldnt resist!!) i think i might shoot on down to the LHBS and build this kit myself and let you guys know how it turns out....last time ill ask though anyone have any suggestions on a different style of yeast or am i right on with sticking with a clean crisp style like california?

JimE said:

+1 for the Amarillo at flame out.

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would this mean keeping the sterling for the flavoring hop and adding amarillo only when i start the cool down then removing when i add to fermenter?

only ways ive ever used hops are for bittering 60 minutes typically flavor for 20 then aroma for 5 never added hops at any other point of the process

still virgin at dry hopping or adding to flameout which i still dont know what the exact procedure is for that i assume through them in with the burner off and while the chiller is doin its magic until i am ready to drain into fermenting bucket

Cal Ale is a very common yeast for the style. I recently tried Wyeast 1272 (same as WLP 051) on an APA and really liked the results. It's a little more flocculant, slightly less attenuative, and little more fruity. Here's the description:

With many of the best qualities that brewers look for when brewing American styles of beer, this strain’s performance is consistent and it makes great beer. Fruitier and more flocculent than Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast, slightly nutty, soft, clean with a slightly tart finish. Ferment at warmer temperatures to accentuate hop character with intense fruitiness, or ferment cool for clean, light citrus character. Expect good attenuation, but this will vary with grist makeup, mashing protocol, or other wort characteristics. Reliably flocculent, producing bright beer without filtration.

It's now my go to yeast for American ales now. But Cal Ale is also very good. Either way, make sure you do a starter.

jescholler said:

Cal Ale is a very common yeast for the style. I recently tried Wyeast 1272 (same as WLP 051) on an APA and really liked the results. It's a little more flocculant, slightly less attenuative, and little more fruity. Here's the description:

With many of the best qualities that brewers look for when brewing American styles of beer, this strain’s performance is consistent and it makes great beer. Fruitier and more flocculent than Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast, slightly nutty, soft, clean with a slightly tart finish. Ferment at warmer temperatures to accentuate hop character with intense fruitiness, or ferment cool for clean, light citrus character. Expect good attenuation, but this will vary with grist makeup, mashing protocol, or other wort characteristics. Reliably flocculent, producing bright beer without filtration.

It's now my go to yeast for American ales now. But Cal Ale is also very good. Either way, make sure you do a starter.

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+1 on the starter...i wanted to brew today but i knew i didnt have the material to create a starter...5 batches under the belt and now with these last 2 batches having a 30+ hour lag time i wont ever pitch yeast without making a starter first...not to mention the easiness factor....i was pondering to myself what this beer would end up like if i used a hef yeast...possibly adding to that cloudy wheatness that i am looking for but i think it would create too much of a fruit and banana flavor rather than the clean citrus that I am aiming for. unfortunately my LBHS doesnt sell wyeast

An American wheat yeast might get you the character you're looking for without the hef phenols and esters.

here is my recipe updated after i went to the LHBS....they barely had any wheat extract so i had to get what i could and adjust accordingly i will let you know how it all turns out
also i had to settle with crystal 15L since they didnt have 10 or 20

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Summer Goodness
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.03 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 5.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.50 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 83.21 %
0.36 lb Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 5.45 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 15L (18.0 SRM) Grain 11.35%
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 14.3 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.60 %] (15 min) Hops 7.4 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [8.30 %] (5 min) Hops 2.9 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min)
1 Pkgs Safale US-05 (Fermentis #US-05) Yeast-Ale

still considering throwing those amarillo in at flame out and i bought sweet dried orange peels to put into secondary but i am not sure i will add....will decide at racking time

sounds delicious

jescholler said:

sounds delicious

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im beyond excited =p

loxnar said:

+1 on the starter...

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loxnar said:

here is my recipe updated after i went to the LHBS....
1 Pkgs Safale US-05 (Fermentis #US-05) Yeast-Ale

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I just realized this...if you're using dry yeast, you shouldn't make a starer because it isn't necessary (use the pitching rate calculator at www.mrmalty.com). Just rehydrate the yeast per the manufacturer's instructions:
http://www.fermentis.com/FO/pdf/HB/EN/Safale_US-05_HB.pdf