Sterling Pale Ale - Recipe critique

I was at Russian River earlier this summer and they had an all Sterling Pale Ale on tap that was just fantasitc and I thought I would try to come up with something on my test system.

I bought a extra cooler for a mash/tun and use my HLT to boil in after all the water has been used for sparging from both a 5-10gallon batch and this smaller 3 gallon batch. I have done one brew so far and works pretty good. I can get both beers done in 5-6 hours.

Anyways, back on topic, what do you think of this recipe. I am basing this off of the principles Vinnie mentioned on making a great IIPA in the summer Zymurgy issue, I realize this is an APA but thought I would bring the ideas over in moderation.

Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.79 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 5.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 83.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.25 lb Great Western 2 Row (2.0 SRM) Grain 89.47 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 %
0.75 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 32.1 IBU
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (15 min) Hops 10.6 IBU
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5.26 %
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

Let me know what you think, I know it's simple but that is what I want, almost a SMASH but not quite.

I want to dry hop this too so I am going to switch up the hopping a little. I only have 2oz of sterling so.....

0.75 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 32.1 IBU
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (15 min) Hops 10.6 IBU
0.25 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] Dry hop

I know the amounts look small but this is only for a 3 gallon test batch.

more change yet again. I will be sure by Saturday though.

4.5 lb Great Western 2 Row (2.0 SRM) Grain 92.2 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.12 %
0.65 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (FWH) Hops 30 IBU
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (15 min) Hops 10.6 IBU
0.35 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] Dry Hop
0.13 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 2.66 %
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

Should be 1.051 OG mash at 152

Previous pales and IPAs I have used pretty soft water. This time I want to go back to using tap water with is fairly hard, not well water by any means though.

As for the others, I am shooting for

CA:70 MG: 20 NA: 16 SO4: 175 CL: 55 HCO3: ~150 - 180

I would say if you mash at 152F you might need some more crystal but YMMV. Also, you don't need sugar in a pale ale. IPA maybe, PA no. Even though you FWH, I would still add a little at 60 minutes. Maybe cut back or eliminate the 15 minute if needed. Looks tasty!

IMO you only need three additions, FWH (or 20 min) for flavor, 60 min for bittering, and flame out for aroma.

Poobah58 said:

I would say if you mash at 152F you might need some more crystal but YMMV. Also, you don't need sugar in a pale ale. IPA maybe, PA no. Even though you FWH, I would still add a little at 60 minutes. Maybe cut back or eliminate the 15 minute if needed. Looks tasty!

Click to expand...

I started off thinking of mashing at 150 but thought it might go a little too low. Are you saying if I mash at 152, I would need more crystal to go with the residual sweetness to balance?

Sounds great! I love Sterling hops. I've found them to be like saaz.

humann_brewing said:

I started off thinking of mashing at 150 but thought it might go a little too low. Are you saying if I mash at 152, I would need more crystal to go with the residual sweetness to balance?

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IMO unless you are doing a late hop burst PA you will probably need some sweetness to balance the beer and give it some body. I'm thinking a least a 1/2# crystal and/or dextrin. IPA's are great dry but PA's not so much but YMMV.

I know Vinny does not go over 5% crystal malt in his IPA, I heard this on one of the brewcast shows. I would also drop the sugar as well.

Sterling is real good in a blond ale so I'd keep the IBUs under 30. You wont need any crystal and dry is good.

A Smashing Sterling Blond.
http://hopville.com/recipe/100265/blonde-ale-recipes/smashing-sterling-blonde
I may just brew it.

Brew-boy said:

I know Vinny does not go over 5% crystal malt in his IPA, I heard this on one of the brewcast shows. I would also drop the sugar as well.

Click to expand...

Well this is not a IPA but still, I have looked at a lot of pale recipes and most have about 5 % crystal which is where this recipe is at. I suppose I could toast a half pound of the 2-row to get more sweetness like Poobah58 is talking about but I don't want much sweetness in this beer.

The beauty of brewing is you can make it the way you want and adjust next time if necessary!

I ended up going with a 60 minute addition instead of the FWH, hit the 1.051 OG on the nose. It smells great too. I stole some of the yeast cake from the Pliny clone I transferred this weekend and oxygenated it so It was fermenting violently withing 2 hours at 63F. Man does that WLP001 krausen look nasty.

Oh yeah, final recipe was this:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.79 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 5.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 83.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.50 lb Great Western 2 Row (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops -
0.65 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 27.6 IBU
0.50 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (15 min) Hops 10.5 IBU
0.35 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 5.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 6.32 qt of water at 163.5 F 152.0 F

This beer is smelling and tasting good so far. It has been dry hopping for almost a week now. I think I am going to move it to the fridge tonight since the hops are whole leaf and I am scared of the grassy flavor sneaking in there. I have been stirring it up every day to mix up the hops and makes sure all of the beer gets touched. FG was 1.009

I made one VERY similar to this that I loved. Sterling is an excellent hop. I need to make that again.

Made this yesterday:

8lbs Maris Otter
2lbs Vienna
.50lbs Crystal 40

1.0 oz Sterling @ 60min
1.0 oz Sterling @ FWH
1.0 oz Sterling @ 15min

1.0 oz Crystal @ Dry Hop
Safale-05. OG: 1.056. Mash 154.

Aubie Stout said:

Made this yesterday:

8lbs Maris Otter
2lbs Vienna
.50lbs Crystal 40

1.0 oz Sterling @ 60min
1.0 oz Sterling @ FWH
1.0 oz Sterling @ 15min

1.0 oz Crystal @ Dry Hop
Safale-05. OG: 1.056. Mash 154.

Click to expand...

That looks very tasty, let us know how it turns out.

Aubie Stout said:

Made this yesterday:

8lbs Maris Otter
2lbs Vienna
.50lbs Crystal 40

1.0 oz Sterling @ 60min
1.0 oz Sterling @ FWH
1.0 oz Sterling @ 15min

1.0 oz Crystal @ Dry Hop
Safale-05. OG: 1.056. Mash 154.

Click to expand...

Have you tasted yours yet?

Mine didn't turn out as good as I wanted.

My bottles are undercarbed, I put in just as much priming sugar as I should have, not sure what is the problem. There is a little grassy flavor or something. Still drinkable but not a masterpiece

Crash cooling mine. I'll keg it and tap it in the next 30 days. Tasted great going to secondary. Will advise!

Tapped the keg tonight. This is awesome. Slight citrus notes from the sterling. Crystal is a very nice complimentary hop for this. I will definitely do this again. It's a good change from the normal citrus styled APA's and IPA's.

Aubie Stout said:

Tapped the keg tonight. This is awesome. Slight citrus notes from the sterling. Crystal is a very nice complimentary hop for this. I will definitely do this again. It's a good change from the normal citrus styled APA's and IPA's.

Click to expand...

Very cool, that is good to hear. I actually had my last bottle of my sterling pale last night.

I have a pale ale that's real similar to what you have here, with the exception of some rye malt in the mash and some Willamette hops for finishing. I like the beady-spicy combination of rye and Sterling.

jds said:

I have a pale ale that's real similar to what you have here, with the exception of some rye malt in the mash and some Willamette hops for finishing. I like the beady-spicy combination of rye and Sterling.

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That sounds like a good combo too

I make a rye pale ale with sterling too. It's nice.

All Sterling pale ale reminds me of a little less citrusy Amarillo. I think Sterling and Amarillo would be a great combo. The longer the Sterling sits, the more "spicy orange" it gets.