American Pale Ale Cascades / Orange Pale Ale

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I brewed this up last night. I accidentally doubled ( 2 oz instead of 1 oz) the coriander though. From all the tasting notes from a 1 oz addition I am assuming I may end up with a potentially over-strong spiciness. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Been away on business and just recently returned to check on this brew. After a month in primary it is still at 1.018. I gave the carboy a shake, turned the temp up to about 72, and added the dry hops. Hopefully I can get it to drop a few more points.

Additionally, I drank down the hydrometer sample and the 2 oz of coriander definitely puts it up front (rather than in the background). I am assuming that it will mellow with some time and the dry hop addition should push it more in the background. All-in-all the beer smelled great and tasted decent but there is too much coriander. I will follow up in about a month when it is ready to drink.

:mug:
 
I have my second batch of this on tap now. It was modified slightly but it is still great. Left out orange and spices. I wanted a cleaner beer.
 
I made this for the first time 3 weeks ago, used zest of 5 oranges and 1/2 oz ground corriander for a 5gal batch. Fermented @ 66* using safale-04. WOW. Great recipe, outstanding balance. Will be making this again soon...
 
I brewed this about two weeks ago but I think I may have gotten some of the white part of the oranges when I zested them because after a week I tasted tested and it was extremely bitter like pure orange peels. So I cut up the fruit of 4 oranges and put it in the secondary with the dry hops to try to take away some of the orange peel bitterness and it seems to be working. The bitterness is much less and it's starting to taste quite good. The fruit has been in there for a week now and I'm wondering how long I should leave the fruit in there -- until I bottle in about another week, or should I take it out now that it's tasting less bitter?
 
CrookedTail said:
Has anybody tried using a Belgian yeast for this? It sounds like it would work well with this recipe.

Make it a little sweet. That would be nice.
 
I kegged this today. Finished at 1.014.

Hydro sample was pretty bitter. Didn't really taste the orange or coriander, just the cascades.
 
KCBigDog said:
I kegged this today. Finished at 1.014.

Hydro sample was pretty bitter. Didn't really taste the orange or coriander, just the cascades.

Mine got better over time and its kegged.
 
I have brewed twenty gallons of this in the past couple months. Excellent every time. I usually use 1056 amer ale yeast and end up with a 6.3 abv beer. This last time, I used s-04 and ended up at 5.5 with a bit maltier profie. Still a great beer.
 
I've done this one twice now. The first time it was awesome! Beginners luck perhaps. It was my first AG recipe. The second time I neglected to note that the fermentation temp should be 60 and I had it 68-69. So, the second batch ended up with a belgian kind of taste... couldn't taste the orange, coriander, or the cascades either for that matter. Choking it down one bomber at a time. Using it to ration my good brew.

I would still brew this again though. Again, the first time it was awesome.
 
What is the best priming sugar to use with this one? I've always primed with maple in my 1 gallon batches. This is my first fiver. Not sure what to use or even how much. Anyone have any pointers?

I should also mention that in my one gallon batches I use about 2 tablespoons of maple. If I use the 3 tablespoons recommended, I get volcanoes.
 
Just use corn sugar, I use it for all of my beers, including this one many times. mix 3/4cup of it in a small amount of boiling water, let cool, add to bottling bucket and stir. That will be perfect. A bag of corn sugar is like a buck at your lhbs
 
Added my dry hops today to this brew. Took a gravity reading and figured I'd indulge myself, it tastes so good already.
 
I have a leftover packet of Safbrew T-58 yeast. I was thinking of trying it with this recipe. Do you think it would work?
 
After 4 weeks in the bottle this beer has smoothed out and tastes amazing. I used 4 oz of Cascade and 2 oz of Simcoe (@ 5 and DH) and this beer is fantastic. Thanks for the recipe Blacklab!
 
CrookedTail, the T-58 seems to have more of a spicy flavor. It would work with this beer (I think it would come out pretty well, too) but it would not be the same.
 
My batch has been in the keg for a few weeks now, and it's still bitter. Can't decide what flavor I'm picking up. Could be the coriander, or the hops, or a mixture of each. It's got quite a bite to it.
 
Taste tested mine today when bottling and it was super good. It's about as bitter as I'd expect a pale ale to be. The coriander didn't really come through but there is a great orange flavor tossed in there with the cascades.
 
I love this beer! I am sitting here enjoying a glass of it right now and thinking about when I can buy the ingredients to make 10 more gallons...
 
CrookedTail, the T-58 seems to have more of a spicy flavor. It would work with this beer (I think it would come out pretty well, too) but it would not be the same.

Thanks for the reply.

I really want to try this out with the T-58 yeast, but it may have to wait a little while. I've been commissioned to brew two batches of beer for a friend's wedding, and another batch for another friend's party in August. Unfortunately they don't want a pale ale for either event.

Needless to say, it's going to be a busy summer. I might not be able to get this into one of my fermenters until late August.
 
I'm going to make this with fresh orange zest. Would I use a different amount? Obviously fresh zest is going to weigh more, but might pack more punch than the dried so it might even out.

Contemplating soaking the zest in a bit of vodka and adding to secondary instead of the boil.
 
Brewed 10 gallons of this back in May - didnt last long on the tap - was gone after 2 weekends. Brewing up 10 gallons tonight. Fermented at a high temp than I had planned but was very tasty, very little bitterness. Used all Cascade and the zest of 6 large oranges - definitely got the aroma of orange but not as much orange flavor - just right for my pallet. I will be fermenting a little lower this time and we'll see what happens.
 
Is it my imagination or does this recipe get better with time. 1 week after kegging the beer felt like it was light and missing something. After 3 weeks in the keg, it was great!!
 
Brewing tomorrow for my birthday beer on August 13th. I know it will be close but will definitely be ready towards the end of August. Ferment for 3 weeks, and keg for one. I am sure it will be drinkable.
 
Just finished this brewing this beer. It the OG came out under from what I was expecting not sure what happend as it is the first time it has happend. I did go to a different LHBS with a new grinder so that could be. OG was 1.050. It is in my fermentation chamber set at a 62 degree temp. Cannot wait to try it!!
 
OG was 1.060 - a little higher than expected and then final came in at 1.017 - which is a little higher too. Just moved it to the secondary and we'll see how it does there....
 
Thinking of doing a spur of the moment brew tonight. I don't have dried orange peel from the HBS, but could obviously zest some oranges fresh. Is it worth it, or should I just wait until I have the dried peel?
 
Thinking of doing a spur of the moment brew tonight. I don't have dried orange peel from the HBS, but could obviously zest some oranges fresh. Is it worth it, or should I just wait until I have the dried peel?

I honestly can't tell the difference.
 
Blacklab, thanks for the recipe....it's definitely a hit.

I brewed this AG version as my first "non kit" adventure. I'm pretty happy with the results. I made a few substitutions: I used crystal 20l instead of the prescribed 10L. I also skipped dry hopping and added a few oz. of Sorachi hops at 1 minute prior to flameout. My temps were pretty much on par and instead od racking to secondary, I cold crashed the primary after 2 weeks and then force filtered it into a corny.

Here are my gripes:
1. The beer has a bitter over tone. I attribute that to the Sorachi addition as well as skipping the dry hopping. The aroma might have masked and balanced the over tone. I think adhering to the recipe would clear that up.
2. As per usual, my beer remains opaque until the last gallon remianing in the keg. I could've have waited an extra month before drinking, but that's just style points....screw it.
3. Good or bad, depending how you look at it, the coriander and orange were subtle. I'm a smoker, so my palate is nowhere near it needs to be. I would add a little more orange next time.

Here are my compliments:
1. It's a damn good beer, just the right strength and pretty to boot. If I had followed the directions to a t and been a little more meticulous in the process, it would have been a professional brew.
2. The crystal malt mainly (I presume) and gave it almost a guinness-like froth. I love it.
3. It's just the right strength...it'll sneak up on ya.

Lessons learned: follow the recipe and skip the Sorachi.....you'll be glad. Cheers
 
Here's a pic:

IMG_0547.jpg
 
Blacklab, thanks for the recipe....it's definitely a hit.

I brewed this AG version as my first "non kit" adventure. I'm pretty happy with the results. I made a few substitutions: I used crystal 20l instead of the prescribed 10L. I also skipped dry hopping and added a few oz. of Sorachi hops at 1 minute prior to flameout. My temps were pretty much on par and instead od racking to secondary, I cold crashed the primary after 2 weeks and then force filtered it into a corny.

Here are my gripes:
1. The beer has a bitter over tone. I attribute that to the Sorachi addition as well as skipping the dry hopping. The aroma might have masked and balanced the over tone. I think adhering to the recipe would clear that up.
2. As per usual, my beer remains opaque until the last gallon remianing in the keg. I could've have waited an extra month before drinking, but that's just style points....screw it.
3. Good or bad, depending how you look at it, the coriander and orange were subtle. I'm a smoker, so my palate is nowhere near it needs to be. I would add a little more orange next time.

Here are my compliments:
1. It's a damn good beer, just the right strength and pretty to boot. If I had followed the directions to a t and been a little more meticulous in the process, it would have been a professional brew.
2. The crystal malt mainly (I presume) and gave it almost a guinness-like froth. I love it.
3. It's just the right strength...it'll sneak up on ya.

Lessons learned: follow the recipe and skip the Sorachi.....you'll be glad. Cheers

Dude, I came up with this recipe after experimenting with Edwort's and various others. It's rarely a bad thing to try something new. I love Sorachi, but the lemony attributes it contributes may have been a bit much for this particular recipe. The orange and coriander were intended to be subtle - there were iterations where the coriander was just crushing the palate. The orange piece is mostly about the aroma - this is not an 'orange' tasting brew.

Also - I don't believe that crystal/caramel malts have any impact on the head of a beer, but I could be wrong. Regarding the opacity of the beer - did you use whirlfloc or any other clarifiers? They help big time.
 
Blacklab-
I just saw that you replied....sorry for the delay. I'm glad to hear your reasoning for how you came up with the recipe. Like I mentioned, if I brew again, I think I'll stick to your recipe without any changes...it's a winner.

I used irish moss and let it sit in primary for 2 weeks, then kegged and started drinking a week later. It's been a common theme for my beers not to be really clear, however, I just discovered the miracle of gelatine and it seems to be working quite well. Perhaps in the past, mine haven't sat long enough to really clarify like some of my lagers do

I came up with my first recipe for a blond style ale a month ago (making a few changes on a theme). It was pretty much vienna malt and cara 20 (I think). I was under the impression that the cara specialty malts helped with head structure/retention. As a result, my beer came out with almost none of the head attributes that your recipe had......the foam entirely vanishes after a few minutes. Whatever your recipe does, works. So, now it's back to the drawing board for the next recipe.....
 
Finings FTW

Blacklab-
I just saw that you replied....sorry for the delay. I'm glad to hear your reasoning for how you came up with the recipe. Like I mentioned, if I brew again, I think I'll stick to your recipe without any changes...it's a winner.

I used irish moss and let it sit in primary for 2 weeks, then kegged and started drinking a week later. It's been a common theme for my beers not to be really clear, however, I just discovered the miracle of gelatine and it seems to be working quite well. Perhaps in the past, mine haven't sat long enough to really clarify like some of my lagers do

I came up with my first recipe for a blond style ale a month ago (making a few changes on a theme). It was pretty much vienna malt and cara 20 (I think). I was under the impression that the cara specialty malts helped with head structure/retention. As a result, my beer came out with almost none of the head attributes that your recipe had......the foam entirely vanishes after a few minutes. Whatever your recipe does, works. So, now it's back to the drawing board for the next recipe.....
 
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