Need a recipe for a tailgate beer

I'm traveling to Maryland to watch my 'Canes whoop the Terps on labor day and I want to brew a beer for my tailgate. I don't have the capability (or the time, I suppose) to lager, so we're looking for a smooth easy-drinking ale with lower OG. There's going to be folks with all different tastes in beer, so there's no use trying to cater to any particular group of people. I plan on having the brew in primary for a couple of weeks and then I'll be kegging.

Sidenote: I've never brewed a SMaSH beer before and it's at the top of my to-do list. Maybe this is a good time to try one?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

Big-time crowd pleaser.

Another vote for Centennial Blonde.

One of BierMuncher's other recipes is also a crowd pleaser:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

Definitely BM's Centennial Blonde!

I have made this for my BMC drinking friends and it seems to go over well. Also has a quick turn around time. You can play with the hops amounts to your liking.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Summer's Gold
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 6.57 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.046 SG
Estimated Color: 5.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 28.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 85.7 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3 14.3 %
0.72 oz Amarillo Gold [9.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 24.9 IBUs
0.85 oz Crystal [3.10 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 3.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.20 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 5 -
5.50 gal Baltimore, MD Water 1 -
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35. Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: Summer's Gold
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 12.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 10.50 qt of water at 164.1 F 152.0 F 60 min
Sparge 1 Add 11.50 qt of water at 172.5 F 162.0 F 10 min
Sparge 2 Add 8.63 qt of water at 162.0 F 162.0 F 5 min
sPARGE 3 Add 2.88 qt of water at 162.0 F 162.0 F 0 min


------
Mash Information (gallons)
Mash Water 2.63
Water Absorbed 1.75
Wort After Absorbtion 0.88
Sparge Water 5.73
Boil Volume 6.60

Jamil's Kolsch recipe with WLP029...mmm, mmm good.

Cent' Blonde all the way.

Anyone ever try dry-hopping this with some cascade?...for just a little more aroma.

I keg hop BM's centennial blonde with cascade and it is excellent. .5oz per 5 gallons. Not bitter, very aromatic and flavorful.

I've never dry-hopped before...would I be better off using whole leaf hops?...If I use pellets what do I put it so I don't end up with all that sludge?

I have only used whole leaf and I put them in a sanitized hop sack. I'm sure if you used a very fine hop sack that pellets would be fine.

Wino24 said:

Anyone ever try dry-hopping this with some cascade?...for just a little more aroma.

Click to expand...

Yes. 1/2oz for 6 days. Turned out fantastic.

Well, I've decided on the centennial blonde. It seems to come highly recommended! I do have a bit of extra cascade pellets, dry hopping with them may be a cool idea...