APA Recipe, any suggestions?

15.38 lbs. American 2-row info
2 lbs. American Caramel 80°L
1.75 lbs. Midwest Wheat Malt
1.00 lbs. Flaked Barley
1.5 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 60 min.
1.5 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 45 min.
1.0 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 30 min.
1.0 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 15 min.
1.5 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 1 min.
Yeast : White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Original gravity 1.056
Final 1.013
Mash efficiency 75%
43 IBUs
5.7% ABV
4.4% ABW

Any thoughs or suggestions here?

My favorite beer currently is Schlafly's Dry Hopped APA...so if it came even remotely close to that, I'd be thrilled. I figured I'd dry hope this one as well.

Looks pretty good. I don't know if it'll be close to Schflay's, but I think it'll be a good beer! Here's one my house pale ales, which I think is very similar (5.25 gallon batch, though):

7 lbs Pale Malt Grain
3 lbs Vienna Malt
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L

1.00 oz Cascade [7.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop)
0.50 oz Cascade [7.50 %] (30 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [7.50 %] (15 min)
1.00 oz Cascade (homegrown) [6.30 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade (homegrown) [6.30 %] (5 min)
0.50 oz Cascade (homegrown) [6.30 %] (0 min)

1.00 oz Cascade [8.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days)

OG 1.055 IBUs 46 FG 1.010

My opinion is that all that wheat and flaked barley is out of place. If you really need to keep them, I'd suggest dropping the flaked barley all together and dropping the wheat malt to a half pound.

I definitely plan to dry hop with some cascade...maybe 1.5oz.

On my local homebrew club, I've been told that I may be overshooting the amount of Caramel 80L. I'm rather new at all grain and am wondering if I should take it down to 1lb of 80L rather than 2. I'm not a big fan of really caramel beers...ala Budweiser American Ale (one example I figure everybody has at least tried).

Thanks.

Well, a pound of crystal per 5 gallons isn't really out of place but you could lower it a bit if you want. What might be better is to "mix it up" a bit- use .75 pound of 20L and .75 pound of 80L, or something like that. It will add some complexity and interest to the grain bill.

KingBrianI said:

My opinion is that all that wheat and flaked barley is out of place. If you really need to keep them, I'd suggest dropping the flaked barley all together and dropping the wheat malt to a half pound.

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I saw both in a couple of different APA's that seemed to get pretty good reviews all around, so I figured I'd add it in. However, if the concensus says that they are completely useless or actually detremental, then I'm more than fine with dropping both.

Thanks for the help.

YooperBrew said:

Well, a pound of crystal per 5 gallons isn't really out of place but you could lower it a bit if you want. What might be better is to "mix it up" a bit- use .75 pound of 20L and .75 pound of 80L, or something like that. It will add some complexity and interest to the grain bill.

Click to expand...

That will work. I actually have some of both the 80L and the 20L...and that sounds better than using just the stronger 80L.

DFoster said:

I saw both in a couple of different APA's that seemed to get pretty good reviews all around, so I figured I'd add it in. However, if the concensus says that they are completely useless or actually detremental, then I'm more than fine with dropping both.

Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

I don't know, to be honest. I've never used either (don't like wheat beers anyway, so I know I wouldn't miss it!) in an APA but I don't know if it's useless. It'll give you head retention, but possibly some haze.

DFoster said:

15.38 lbs. American 2-row info
2 lbs. American Caramel 80°L
1.75 lbs. Midwest Wheat Malt
1.00 lbs. Flaked Barley
1.5 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 60 min.
1.5 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 45 min.
1.0 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 30 min.
1.0 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 15 min.
1.5 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 6.4 %AA) boiled 1 min.
Yeast : White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Original gravity 1.056
Final 1.013
Mash efficiency 75%
43 IBUs
5.7% ABV
4.4% ABW

Any thoughs or suggestions here?

My favorite beer currently is Schlafly's Dry Hopped APA...so if it came even remotely close to that, I'd be thrilled. I figured I'd dry hope this one as well.

Click to expand...

You don't say how many gallons you are making. If it's 5 or 5.5 gallons, it would be much higher in O.G and alcohol than you list here. So I'm guessing it's 10 to 11 gallons. It'd be a double IPA range otherwise.

With the 80 caramel, I guess you're going for a little darkness and then are upping the body with the Barley. It's normally done in a stout or higher alcohol beer rather than a pale, but might be interesting.

I'm doing a 10 gallon batch...sorry.

I used 1lb crystal 20 and 12 oz crystal 60 plus two row in my last 8 gallon batch and the color was nice as was the complexity. BTW you might try first wort hopping. I tried it in there and the hop flavor/bitterness was totally freaking awesome.

I added 1oz Amarillo FWH
1 oz Cascade at 60
.5 oz Cascade at 30
1 oz Cascade at 3min or so
Then I dry hopped with like and oz of Amarillo of like 2 weeks (I got busy)

Hops wise it sorta tastes like Victory Prima pils. so good...

HangLoose said:

I used 1lb crystal 20 and 12 oz crystal 60 plus two row in my last 8 gallon batch and the color was nice as was the complexity. BTW you might try first wort hopping. I tried it in there and the hop flavor/bitterness was totally freaking awesome.

I added 1oz Amarillo FWH
1 oz Cascade at 60
.5 oz Cascade at 30
1 oz Cascade at 3min or so
Then I dry hopped with like and oz of Amarillo of like 2 weeks (I got busy)

Hops wise it sorta tastes like Victory Prima pils. so good...

Click to expand...

First wort hopping? Sorry...this is my first all grain on my own (without someone experienced helping in some way).

Try this for a couple-sentence introduction on First-Wort Hopping (FWH). A search of HBT yields all sorts of very informative threads on the subject.

I concur with reducing if not eliminating the flaked barley and reducing the wheat. Both will enhance foam retention, and the flaked barley will have an effect on mouthfeel. But I think in those proportions you're asking for haze trouble. Besides, it's unlikely you'll need foam assistance; Crystal malt enhances foam retention, and you should have plenty of foam-enhancing proteins from your base malt.

I think you're all right with that amount of Crystal; it's only about 10%, after all.

I'd leave a pound of the wheat malt in there. That's not enough to cause haze, and it'll have a positive effect on foam.

I like your hops schedule.

Cheers!

Bob