First attempt at recipe! Need advice.

First attempt at developing a recipe, still using mainly extract. What do you think?

Brewer: brian Email: -
Beer: howard street pale Style: American Pale Ale
Type: Extract w/grain Size: 5 gallons
Color:
9 HCU (~7 SRM)
Bitterness: 16 IBU
OG: 1.059 FG: 1.016
Alcohol: 5.6% v/v (4.4% w/w)

Grain: 1 lb. Dextrine malt (Cara-Pils)
.5 lb. American 2-row
Steep: steep for 15 min. at 155 F

Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.084 3.5 gallons
5 lb. Light malt extract
2 lb. Light dry malt extract

Hops:
.5 oz. Willamette (5% AA, 60 min.)
.5 oz. Willamette (5% AA, 30 min.)
.5 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 15 min.)
.5 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 5 min.)
Yeast: 1056

For what it's worth it is not bitter enough. Willamette is a great hop so save those for the end and bitter it with something more powerful. American Pales should 30-45 IBU's. The Carapils will not add any flavor to the brew, it is used for head retention mainly. Why not add a bit of Crystal malt and some Victory if it is available.

Agreed on all accounts. Unless Willamette and Cascades are all you have available, get something with a higher AA% for bittering. Something with 7-8% will do, if you don't want to deal with the very high alpha hops (and I don't blame you one bit if you do). Perle is one of my favorite hops for bittering, and it falls in that 7-8% range (if you can find it right now). With the OG you are looking at, you probably want your IBUs in the 40-45 range.

Strike the half pound of 2-row that you steep. That won't do you much good. Use a half a pound or pound of 40L crystal, instead. If you are very concerned about color, maybe go with the 20L crystal, or split a pound between the 20L and 40L.


TL

Alright, took those post into account and remade the recipe. How does it sound now?

Brewer: brian Email: -
Beer: howard st. pale Style: American Pale Ale
Type: Extract w/grain Size: 5 gallons
Color:
17 HCU (~10 SRM)

Bitterness: 40 IBU

OG: 1.059 FG: 1.016
Alcohol: 5.6% v/v (4.4% w/w)
Grain: 1 lb. American crystal 20L
.5 lb. American crystal 40L
Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.085 3.5 gallons
5 lb. Light malt extract
2 lb. Light dry malt extract

Hops: 1 oz. Perle (8% AA, 60 min.)
.75 oz. Perle (8% AA, 45 min.)
0.5 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 15 min.)
0.5 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 5 min.)
Yeast: 1056

Maybe just me but it seems that should be steeped longer than 15 min. But maybe Im Wrong.

Now you've got too much crystal malt. I recognize that you want to experiment with specialty grains, but they should be used in smaller amounts; remember, you are not getting any fermentables from these.

I would recommend 1/2lb crystal 40 or 60 to give you some body, flavor, and color. For a pale ale that should really be it. Steep for 20 minutes.

Why the 2 different extracts? I'd recommend going all DME but that's just me. Either way, no need to use DME and LME in this recipe, just pick one.

Hops looks good.

TheJadedDog said:

Now you've got too much crystal malt. I recognize that you want to experiment with specialty grains, but they should be used in smaller amounts; remember, you are not getting any fermentables from these.

I would recommend 1/2lb crystal 40 or 60 to give you some body, flavor, and color. For a pale ale that should really be it. Steep for 20 minutes.

Why the 2 different extracts? I'd recommend going all DME but that's just me. Either way, no need to use DME and LME in this recipe, just pick one.

Hops looks good.

Click to expand...

I agree with cutting back on the Crystal. This recipe starts to look like Sierra Nevada with the hops and .5 Crystal 40.

Agreed on cutting back on the crystal. In order to achieve the 10 SRM, you won't need much. Why not just do 2 oz Perle for bittering and then flavor/aroma (15 min/1 min)? Perle is a good hop, but have you thought about N. Brewer? I've made pales with both and they have turned out good. Definitely go with 1056.

cool. sounds good, i'll cut back on the specialty and consider going all DME, thanks everyone

also, if this is a partial boil, consider adding half your DME up front, and saving half until the last 15 minutes.

late extract addition - makes sure you get good hop utilization in a partial boil.