All-Grain - Oaked Pale Ale / 2nd Place HBT Comp / 37 Points

**AnOldUR** · 10-11-2009, 10:19 PM

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Pacman
Yeast Starter: Yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 5+
Original Gravity: 1.075
Final Gravity: 1.015
IBU: 75
Boiling Time (Minutes): 90
Color: 16 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 23
Additional Fermentation: Cold Crash 2 Days
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 21
Tasting Notes: Will be added when score sheet recieved.

ChinOak
(Chinook Hopped Oak Aged)

According to the judges this is a good recipe, but not great.
Feel free to use it as a base to build a better brew and post your
results. I've already brewed a second batch with some changes.

Set grain weights by percentages listed below to get an OG
of 1.075 with your system and efficiency.

Hop weights determined by the IBU's listed below from
the AA values of your hops.

Adjust batch sparge to get 5¼ gallons to fermenter depending
on your boil-off rate.

80% Maris Otter Crisp (UK)
5% Crystal 20L Briess (USA)
5% Victory Briess (USA)
5% Sugar
2½% Aromatic Dingemans (BEL)
2½% Special B Dingemans (BEL)

Mash Thickness 1.75 quarts/lb
Mash @ 150 degrees for 75 minutes
Mash-out @ 168 for 15 minutes
Batch Sparge 1 x 12 quarts

FWH = 1.02 oz Chinook for 40 IBU
90 minutes = Start boil
30 minutes = .91 oz Chinook for 20 IBU
15 minutes = 1.01 oz Chinook for 15 IBU
10 minutes = Sugar + Yeast Nutrient + Irish Moss
0 minutes = Flame Out + 1.0 oz Chinook

Primary @ 65-70 degrees for 3 weeks
Secondary @ 65-70 degrees for 3 weeks
Cold Crash @ 37 degrees for 36 hours

Dry Hop @ Secondary w/ 1 ounce Chinook
2 ounces of American Oak @ Secondary
_____________________________________

2nd Place 2009 HBT Competition w/ 37 points
17A-F Sour Ale and 22A-C Smoked Flavor & Wood Aged
(combined to make 10 entries)

Outstanding (45 - 50): World-class example of style

Excellent (38 - 44): Exemplifies style well, requires minor fine-tuning
Very Good (30 - 37): Generally within style parameters, some minor flaws
Good (21 - 29): Misses the mark on style and/or minor flaws
Fair (14 - 20): Off flavors, aromas or major style deficiencies
Problematic (0 - 13): Major off flavors and aromas dominate

Edit:
The newest version of this recipe won
first place 22C in a field of 25 beers
at the 2011 War of the Worts in Montgomeryville, PA
42 points

**AnOldUR** · 11-03-2009, 04:55 PM

Scoresheets for this recipe are in. It took its biggest hit for not having enough hop flavor. Interesting to me, because I brewed another batch just after entering the competition and the only change I made was bumping the IBU's from 75 to 100 and made these additions in the flavor and aroma area. So, my early decision of where to make improvement agreed with the judges.

The recipe was entered as an American IPA aged with American Oak. Even with the high gravity I wonder if it may have scored better as an Oaked APA?

Judge#1

Quote:

Overall Impression
Needs more hop flavor to fit the AIPA style. Closer to an English IPA in flavor. Great malt flavor, but no citrus-woody American hop flavor. 7/10

Judge#2

Quote:

Overall Impression
Missed the citrusy hop bitteness associated with an American IPA. Oaking is good - Enter this as a Double Sticke Alt. Do this and win for sure! Can I have recipe? 10/10

Both judges gave it 3/3 in appearance. "Brilliant clear deep copper color with a dense tan head that persists." Looks like I finally did a BMBF correctly. (But can I repeat it?)

Never heard of a Sticke Alt before reading the scoresheet. Something I'll have to look into.

**JLem** · 11-11-2009, 02:37 AM

did you have the beer on the oak for the entire 3 week secondary?

**AnOldUR** · 11-11-2009, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLem

did you have the beer on the oak for the entire 3 week secondary?

Yes, for the three weeks of secondary plus the cold crash. The first sample at transfer to keg had me worried. The vanilla character from the American Oak was very strong, but after a few weeks it softened to a mellow oak flavor with a hint of coconut. A nice background for the Chinook hops.

Edit:
The second batch of this (100 IBU's and heavy on the late additions) is getting extended cold conditioning while still on the Oak in a glass carboy @ 35 degrees.