Critque my Cascade Pale Ale recipe

3 lbs 4.8 oz Pilsner Liquid Extract
1 lbs Light Dry Extract
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine
8.0 oz Munich Malt
1 lbs Honey
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min

I am still up the the air on the honey. I had debated a light brown sugar instead.

Seems a little light on malt to me. I wouldn't bother with either the honey or the brown sugar.

I'd ditch the honey/brown sugar and add some crystal malt

You might want to try Melanoidin Malt for steeping instead of Munich -- not sure how successful you will be converting that in a partial mash.

In my pale ales I do 85% Pale Malt, 10% 40L and 5% CaraPils with an English Ale Yeast (WLP002).

My IPA base recipe is 82% Pale Malt, 12% Munich 10L, 5% CaraPils and 1% CaraMalt (Union Jack CYBI).

I like approximately even 60m/15m/5m hop additions; shift it to later additions if you prefer bigger aromas. I would also suggest dry-hopping it.

Sorry about the confusion on the low malt. I am doing a 4.5gal ferment as my other fermenters are in use so I am down to a 5gal with airlock and no blow off.

This is what Beersmith gives me on it. The honey takes it from a 3.5% to a 5%abv
This is also 2 fold, as it's for my wife and I have 13-14lbs of it on hand.

Batch Size (fermenter): 4.50 gallon
Boil Size: 2.50 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Pot ( 5 Gal) - Extract
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.25 gal

Est Original Gravity: 1.045 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.008 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %
Bitterness: 12.3 IBUs
Est Color: 5.1 SRM

llamabox said:

3 lbs 4.8 oz Pilsner Liquid Extract
1 lbs Light Dry Extract
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine
8.0 oz Munich Malt
1 lbs Honey
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min

Click to expand...

llamabox said:

I am doing a 4.5gal ferment.

This is what Beersmith gives me on it. The honey takes it from a 3.5% to a 5%abv

Batch Size (fermenter): 4.50 gallon
Boil Size: 2.50 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Pot ( 5 Gal) - Extract
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.25 gal

Est Original Gravity: 1.045 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.008 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %
Bitterness: 12.3 IBUs
Est Color: 5.1 SRM

Click to expand...

Ditch the Munich malt, it isn't going to give you anything of you don't mash. I suspect the dextrine malt may be the same, but I'm not sure. I'd go with about 0.5 lbs Crystal and not use the dextrine or Munich.

1 lb of honey is OK. I would add it after to the fermenter after the main activity is over to help preserve some of the flavor.

I guess there is some debate on using the Munich as a steeping grain rather than mash.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/steeping-munich-malt-126798/

The suggestion my my LHBS was it would add the bready, roasty and a bit of mouth feel.

llamabox said:

I guess there is some debate on using the Munich as a steeping grain rather than mash.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/steeping-munich-malt-126798/

The suggestion my my LHBS was it would add the bready, roasty and a bit of mouth feel.

Click to expand...

You can use it, no problem. If you can "steep" it at 150-160 for 45 minutes, in 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain, it can convert itself and is then a partial mash.

Thanks Yooper. That was what I was just thinking. My last extract kist I took temps and a rest to work up to this and work out my system. I started my steep at 158 and cut the heat off in 30min it had fell to 155 so I think I should be able to do this. One was or the other. So mini-mash it is them.