Coldwater 420 - Special Pale Ale

**Mutilated1** · 12-17-2007, 06:22 PM

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Fermentis Safale US-05
Yeast Starter: No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU: 42
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 7
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 8 Days near 62 F
Additional Fermentation: None
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 8 Days near 62 F

Coldwater 420 - Special Pale Ale

This was originally supposed to be a clone of Sweetwater Brewery's 420 Extra Special Pale Ale, however I think my version comes out a lot better and tastier. I chose the name "Coldwater" because the city tap water where I live comes from the Coldwater aquifer ( Coldwater Alabama ) which supplies much of the name brand bottled water that you buy at the store if you live around the South - very tasty spring water, and also as you can see Coldwater sounds kind of like Sweetwater...

This is a really great beer, if you like Sweetwater 420 then I think this would be a beer that you'd really enjoy. Its not an exact clone, for one thing I think my version ends up with a little more alcohol than the real Sweetwater 420 since beers in Georgia and Alabama are limited to 6% ABV, using promash I estimate mine ends up about 6.5% and I also think that the malt is more pronounced in my version.

Regardless, it makes an extremely tastey beer and its an easy recipe that you'll enjoy.

SG: 1.065
FG: 1.012
Color SRM - 7.0
Bitterness: 45 IBUs

Here is the Recipe:

Malts:
7 1/2 Pounds - Pale Malt American 2-row, ( 1.036 - 2L ) - 65.2%
1 1/2 Pounds - Light Munich Malt ( 1.033 - 10L ) - 13%
1 1/2 Pounds - Vienna Malt ( 1.035 - 4L ) - 13%
1/2 Pound - CaraAroma ( 1.036 - 25L ) - 4.3%
1/2 Pounds - Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt ( 1.033 2-L ) # .5 - 4.3%

Hops:
1 ounce Cascade ( 5.75% Alpha ) @ 60 minutes
1.5 ounce Cascade ( 5.75% Alpha ) @ 30 minutes
.5 ounce Cascade ( 5.75% Alpha ) @ 5 minutes

Yeast:
Fermentis Safale US-05

Heat 3.5-4 gallons of water to 165F, or hot enough to bring the mash to 153F. Mash at 153F for 80 minutes, then drain. Sparge with 4.5-5 gallons of water at 170F, to collect 7.5-8 gallons of wort.

Bring wort to a rolling boil and add the hops according to the schedule.

Chill wort to 70F and pitch 1 envelope US-05.

Ferment in Primary at 60-65F, for about 8 days or until gravity drops to 1.012. Rack to secondary and let it clear for another 7 days, or add 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin disolved in boiling water to the secondary and it will clear in about 2 days instead. Keg it or Bottle as usual, with 5 oz of priming sugar.

One thing to note, I make no attempt at all to strain the hops from the wort when going from the brew pot to the fermenter. I only try and filter the beer when I rack from the primary to the secondary and I rely on the gelatin in the secondary to clear the beer. So far, I'm very pleased with how clear it gets.

Aubie Stout · 05-25-2008, 01:02 AM

Is the Sweetwater Extra Pale Ale really around 45 IBU's? SNPA is @ 37 IBU's and I think it is much more bitter than the Sweetwater. I'm guessing it'd be closer to mid 20's maybe. What do you think?

Also, we have a place close to Pier 59. Drinking some homebrews up there this weekend.

CoolJAtl · 12-09-2008, 08:37 PM

Very good recipe. I think it is better than the original. Had some 420 the other night and told SWMBO that my version tastes better

**Mutilated1** · 12-09-2008, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolJAtl

Very good recipe. I think it is better than the original. Had some 420 the other night and told SWMBO that my version tastes better

Thanks - I like it better than the original too.

The last time I made it I cut back on the CaraAroma to about 4oz and its a lot closer to the original that way, I thikn 1-2oz would likely be even closer. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure that CaraAroma belongs in this beer, but this recipe started out as an extract + steeping grains recipe I got from ALABREW in its original version(s) and I converted it to Partial Mash and eventually to All Grain. The CaraAroma was the steeping grains in the original version I started with. The version that is posted is probably the second or third iteration after I converted it to all grain. Basically its the second version that I felt was pretty close. If you want to get even closer, dial back on the CaraAroma some.

@AubieStout - I believe that 45 IBUs is the number that I got from ProMash after putting in the most successful hop schedule. Personally, to my taste I think SweetWater420 is a bit more bitter than SNPA, but I wouldn't swear to it - SNPA is kind of hit or miss where I buy it, its not consistently the same - it could be more bitter or maybe not just depending on the beer gods when you buy it. SNPA could very well be more bitter, but you don't really notice the bitterness as much in this homebrew "Coldwater 420" because its more upfront with the malt.

Thats funny you mentioned Pier59 - I used to live right across the water from there at Rabbit Branch, could hear the music at night.

One other note about the hops - I'm not entirely 100% sure that the hops in SweetWater 420 are Cascades, but I used Cascades because someone told me thats what they were and Cascades happen to be what I got a butt load of. I've also made this beer with Galena and Cascades and it turned out very nice as well.

trip2hard · 12-10-2008, 11:07 AM

The head brewer of sweetwater just left and he's at a brew pub now next time am there I'll ask him about the hops in 420

maybe he'll tell. I heard when he left they weren't to happy.

mikfire · 12-30-2008, 01:59 AM

Thanks for the recipe. The reason I fly Delta is to make sure I can bounce through ATL (the airport) and get a pint or two of the 420.

I am brewing this next and will let you know how it turns out.

sleepystevenson · 01-26-2009, 06:48 PM

Hey Mutilated1, what efficiency is this recipe based on? Looks like a good one to add to the brew list! Thanks.

**Mutilated1** · 01-26-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepystevenson

Hey Mutilated1, what efficiency is this recipe based on? Looks like a good one to add to the brew list! Thanks.

80% According to my Pro-Mash settings. I think I usually get better efficiency than that, and my OG is usually a bit higher.

zanemoseley · 01-28-2009, 04:31 PM

Could you possibly suggest at PM recipe to use for stove top PM. I would love to try this out but am not good at converting. I expect I could drop a lot or all of the pale malt for DME and keep most of the specialty grains. Not sure about any need for additonal hops to make up for hop utilization, I may be able to boil close to 5 gallons so utilization may not be affected much.

**Mutilated1** · 01-28-2009, 08:19 PM

Look at DeathBrewer's tutorial for doing a stove top partial mash. Follow his instructions for Mashing all the grains except the Pale 2 row. Should be able to mash 3.5-4#s no problem.

Then replace the 7.5# of Pale 2 Row with 5.5# of Pale LME or 4.5# of Light/Pale DME.