Blonde Ale Centennial Blonde (Simple 4% All Grain, 5 & 10 Gall)

tg123 said:

Maybe I left the lid on too long during the boil?

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You should never have a lid on the kettle during the boil. Likely culprit.

tallguybrewer said:

You should never have a lid on the kettle during the boil. Likely culprit.

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Very true. I made that mistake in the beginning. Now it is always uncovered, until it hits the fermenter. I used to cover while cooling, haven't had that problem since.

tallguybrewer said:

You should never have a lid on the kettle during the boil. Likely culprit.

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Never again. I had to do it to get a boil. Got a new burner now so hopefully that problem will go away. Thanks for the confirmation and advice.
Guess I made a corny blonde instead. /corny joke

BigPicture said:

Here you go! Experiment Time!

I've brewed this goodie 8 or 9 times, and I like to mix things up alittle each time. I've changed the yeast, amount of hops, dry hopped, time, raspberry, etc. The 1056 is my favorite.

Next I wanna try adding alittle different hops. What would go nice with Centennial & Cascade? The additional "C" hops, Columbus, Chinnook, Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe, Williamette?

Honey? Orange? Lemon? Lime, Cherry Extract, Blueberries, Mango?

I agree with Kayak, I'll only change 1 thing at a time so I can tell the difference. Guess I got some more brewing to do.

This is my house beer for my Quad-Keezer, so I've always got some of this on tap. Sure it's winter, it doesn't matter. Oh, the possibilities are endless. I've got some more reading....................... and some more brewing to do.

BierMuncher, you da' bomb! I've tried a # of your recipes. I didn't realize I liked stout so much. Never have you disappointed. I love you.

Per: Vinnie Cilurzo is owner and brewmaster
at Russian River Brewing Co. in
Santa Rosa, Calif. Brewer of Pliny the Elder.

The Amarillo hops work
hand in hand with the Simcoe hops,
which is the signature hop in Pliny the
Elder. The choice of these hops is very
much by design, since these hops are
very fragrant and fruity. With the Simcoe
hops having a big pine-like aroma and
flavor and Amarillo having a big apricot
and peach character, these hops will help
mask some of the big alcohol flavors that
usually come through in a beer that is high in abv.

Another idea I’ve thought of exploring
is the use of non-traditional IPA hops.
Maybe instead of the usual suspects such
as Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, CTZ,
Amarillo or Simcoe, try something different
such as Sterling. Or dare I say, East
Kent Golding or Styrian Golding for an
English Double IPA.

With five to six days to go in the total
number of days of dry hopping, we add
a second dry hop addition through the
top of the fermenter. Once the second
dry hops are added we push the initial
dry hops (which are now in the cone of
the tank) back into suspension in the
fermenter.






So that's the game plan. Dry hop .25 oz of each Amarillo & Simcoe. Then try some Northern Brewer in my next batch! Orange Peel?

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So now we're tasting it. It is fantastic. We simply did the original recipe, changed the yeast to 1056 and added the dry hop of Amarillo & Simcoe. Just the small amount. The dry hop really packs a punch. Nothing as extreme as Pliny, but very drinkable with a nice hop pop. A little more complex than the original but it's still a blonde.

My only suggestion: make sure to strain the beer when racking from the secondary to the keg. The additional hops will clog the tap! I know!

I have a feeling it will last more than 1 week in the keezer................................. because the line keeps getting plugged.

I took it to my beer club last night, it was judged against 15 other beers. It didn't even place. There were such exotics there that this wasn't even mentioned. A Red Rye Ale won, followed by an Oatmeal Cookie Stout & then a Pumpkin. There was also a Jalapeno, a Scotch, & a Pepper. It was wild.

My tastes are definitely expanding thanks to HBT..................... I keep looking & looking for more. But rest assured this combination of hops is very nice. I have been more impressed with this beer. Not overpowering but it kicks it up a notch with a nice piney nose. I've been sticking with the "most viewed" recipes on HBT & I consistently brew GREAT beer.

BierMuncher said it best:

BierMuncher said:

Light and crisp. The IBU’s are on the low side, but there is a nice sweet/spicy balance to the beer. The great fresh taste of a craft ale with an extremely clean finish. This reminds me of what a local craft brewery might come out of the gates with to win over a new market. Very drinkable with wide appeal. I’ve yet to have anyone, even BMC drinkers not say it’s one of the best beers they’ve tasted….period.

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I'll give it 4 stars! :rockin:

You guys cold crashing this one before kegging? I brewed it 9 days ago but its sharing the fermentation freezer with another brew that calls for 3 weeks to ferment so I can't really lower the temp there until 12/1 or so. I could move the bucket to the keezer but I don't know if 45° is cold enough to crash it.

Pole said:

You guys cold crashing this one before kegging? I brewed it 9 days ago but its sharing the fermentation freezer with another brew that calls for 3 weeks to ferment so I can't really lower the temp there until 12/1 or so. I could move the bucket to the keezer but I don't know if 45° is cold enough to crash it.

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I never cold crash it. No need.

HBrew71 said:

I never cold crash it. No need.

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Thanks! Guess I'll just leave it be and keg it Saturday.

tg123 said:

Never again. I had to do it to get a boil. Got a new burner now so hopefully that problem will go away. Thanks for the confirmation and advice.
Guess I made a corny blonde instead. /corny joke

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I have heard of people who use a lid to get it to the boil, but then remove it for the rest of the process, with success. I did many batches in kitchen. Since moving to a propane burner from stovetop, world of difference and cut hours off brewday.

My mother in law, who hasn't tried a beer in the last 30 years until I gave her a little kriek the other night, just tasted the hydro and said, "Wow, that isn't offensive at all!" Thanks BM!

Looks like my yeasties were hungry. Brewed 11/10 and today it was down to 1.002, for a nice 5.1%.

Brewing this right now. Lhbs was out of centennial so just went with all cascade. Hoping to have this ready for xmas

So I have a question here (I know its somewhere in this thread, but I dont want to read through some 374 pages for it). I can be lazy at times. When making a 10 gallon batch would it be possible to use one packet of Notty, or better to just dump 2 packets. I have a new stir-plate that I am dying to break in and I was thinking about this brew. I also know that alot of people would say that Notty should not be used in a starter. So I am not sure if I should use 11 grams of Notty, or use a different english ale yeast (maybe of the vial variety) and make a starter for the 10 gallon patch.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

johns said:

So I have a question here (I know its somewhere in this thread, but I dont want to read through some 374 pages for it). I can be lazy at times. When making a 10 gallon batch would it be possible to use one packet of Notty, or better to just dump 2 packets. I have a new stir-plate that I am dying to break in and I was thinking about this brew. I also know that alot of people would say that Notty should not be used in a starter. So I am not sure if I should use 11 grams of Notty, or use a different english ale yeast (maybe of the vial variety) and make a starter for the 10 gallon patch. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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According to OP, 1 pkg of Notty is good enough for 11gal batch.

Just bottled up a replica of the extract/grain recipe, did 13 days in the primary...it tasted great straight from the primary. Can't wait to see it after being in a bottle for 2 weeks!

johns said:

So I have a question here (I know its somewhere in this thread, but I dont want to read through some 374 pages for it). I can be lazy at times. When making a 10 gallon batch would it be possible to use one packet of Notty, or better to just dump 2 packets. I have a new stir-plate that I am dying to break in and I was thinking about this brew. I also know that alot of people would say that Notty should not be used in a starter. So I am not sure if I should use 11 grams of Notty, or use a different english ale yeast (maybe of the vial variety) and make a starter for the 10 gallon patch.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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According to MrMalty for dry yeast, for 11 gallons and 1.039, you need 1.6 packets of 11.5g dry yeast. If you are only doing 10 gallons, then 1.3 packets.

So personally I would do at least 1 1/2 packets.

Just kegged 1/2 of this 6 days ago, here's a picture.

Hey BM,
I saw your breakdown for the extract batch and was hoping you could clarify something for me...How long and at what temp should I steep the car-pils at? Also would you recommend adding all the DME at the beginning of the boil or should I do half in the beginning and half at with about 15 minutes remaining in boil? ill admit i haven't read all 1 billions pages of this thread, so im sorry if you already answered this.
Thanks in advance!!

We are dry hopping with 1 oz first year Centennial. OG 1.041, FG 1.008, 4.4% ABV and I think the taste is smack on. Thanks for the recipe.

Sheldon

Bottled 2.5 gallons last night. FG 1.008. Can't wait to try it.

Enjoying some of this at a family Thanksgiving party. I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend.

johns said:

So I am not sure if I should use 11 grams of Notty, or use a different english ale yeast (maybe of the vial variety) and make a starter for the 10 gallon patch.

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I hit a 10 gal batch of this today and did one packet per 5 gal fermenter, just like I would for a 5 gal batch.

Brewing 2.5 Gallons now with US-05. Last batch I used Notty. Will post results.

Pre boil gravity was 1.040 and post boil gravity is 1.050. I was excited cause BMs og is 1.039. I split his 5.5 gallon recipe in half. Strike water was 15.8 quarts at 157. Grain temps 67. Going to pitch rehydrated US-05 in the LBK.

Bill

So I finally kegged the version I did of this with the following modified hop schedule:

0.5 oz Centennial (60)

0.25 oz Centennial (15)
0.25 oz Cascade (15)

0.25 oz Centennial (5)
0.25 oz Cascade (5)

0.25 oz Centennial (flameout)
0.25 oz Cascade (flameout)

It turned out very well. I'm not a fan of IPA-level hoppiness, but definitely like a little more than what the base recipe called for, and while I definitely enjoyed the original recipe, I liked it with this hop schedule a bit better.

Next I am thinking about experimenting with some other yeasts and different 2-row. Has anyone tried this with Maris otter? Has anyone tried this with Wyeast 1450? I'd like to experiment with a yeast that gives it just a little more malt character. I've only used Wyeast 1056 so far.

I've made 30 gallons of this over the past year. I've used wyaest 1056 1007 1968 Nottingham and Nottingham with a 1/2 pound of mangos per gallon. My favorite was the mango. The 1968 left a nice malty character.

Pic for all of you; Sorry it is not better. Was taken with my camera phone.

So here's the latest version of this recipe I did. I didn't cold crash or use gelatin. I did use clarity ferm, and had it sit in the keg for awhile.

Looks nice. This beer always clears up super nice for me in the keg and bottles.

Centennial Blonde

Style: Blonde Ale OG: 1.041
Type: All Grain FG: 1.010
Rating: 0.0 ABV: 4.06 %
Calories: 134 IBU's: 22.69
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 12.98 Gal
Color: 4.0 SRM Batch Size: 11.00 Gal
Preboil OG: 1.036 Boil Time: 60 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Primary 28 days @ 65.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
16.00 lbs 86.02 % Pale Malt (2 Row) US 60 mins 1.036
0.60 lbs 3.23 % Crystal/Caramel 15 60 mins 1.035
1.00 lbs 5.38 % Vienna Malt 60 mins 1.036
1.00 lbs 5.38 % White Wheat Malt 60 mins 1.040

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
0.60 ozs 10.43 Centennial 55 mins 10.00
0.60 ozs 8.83 Centennial 35 mins 10.00
0.60 ozs 2.58 Cascade 20 mins 4.00
0.60 ozs 0.85 Cascade 5 mins 4.00
0.50 ozs Cascade 14 days 4.00
0.50 ozs Centennial 14 days 10.00

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
1.0 pkg Nottingham Danstar

Additions
Amount Name Time Stage
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient 15 mins Boil
1.00 each Whirlfloc Tablet 15 mins Boil

Mash Profile
Light Body Infusion In 75 min @ 150.0°F
Add 27.90 qt ( 1.50 qt/lb ) water @ 161.7°F
Light Body Infusion Out 10 min @ 168.0°F
Add 12.94 qt water @ 212.0°F
Sparge
Sparge 22.75 qt of 170.0°F water

I just brewed my second 10 gallons of this tastes brew. I modified the recipe to use wheat for body instead of the dextrine, due to what I had on hand. I also upped the hops just a tad, and decided to dry hop just a little.

First time around we fermented in two separate fermenters, one had a blend of Nottingham and us05, the other kolsch. As I remember, we did a back to back brew day, and this blonde was the second 10 gals we brewed. I was pretty well served by the time it came to pitching the yeast and all I had in my hodgepodged 'yeast library' was a rather old looking jar of notty, and an even older but larger looking jar of kolsch. I decided to throw in a pack of us05 with the notty and let the kolsch go in alone, I also decided that I would keep the us05/notty mix and my buddy would take the kolsch version (I have never liked that yeast). Astoundingly, mine came out amazing, and while I never got to taste my buddy's, he tried both and said they were very similar and very good. Along with a PTE clone, this was the best beer I have every brewed.

Today went a lot smoother, despite having to run out to get propane, and this time we pitched 2 packs of Nottingham into the conical. I cannot wait to have this ready!

Cool. I've modified mine both times, upping the hops the second time. Both were great.

Made this mid-november (all -grain), kegged 11/30 and naturally carbed, and it's been in the kegerator for a week, but I'm getting a cidery flavor that has been mentioned in a few posts. Anyone else get this? Anyone who has experienced this, has it dissipated?

This beer seems to have a thicker mouthfeel than I was expecting. Anyone else notice this or was it just something I may have done? Just not what I was expecting food such a light beer.

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I think I might've overcarbed mine a bit. Poured this super slow, the other one was 90% head.
Unfortunately the amazing head retention isn't working to my benefit on this one.

tg123 said:

I think I might've overcarbed mine a bit. Poured this super slow, the other one was 90% head.
Unfortunately the amazing head retention isn't working to my benefit on this one.

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Was that your first pour out of a keg? That is normal if it is. Or was that from a bottle?

I've made a couple of batches of this, did not have a thick mouthfeel, excessive head, or cidery. I've had each of those in other brews though. The cidery aged out, excessive foam was an infection. I don't know what the mouthfeel came from.

jflongo said:

Was that your first pour out of a keg? That is normal if it is. Or was that from a bottle?

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All were poured from bottles. Possible infection? Tastes good still

Did you batch prime? Or put sugar into the bottles?

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Both times that I have made this recipe it has been cidery. I wondered if it is the Nottingham yeast that causes this off flavor.

tg123 said:

All were poured from bottles. Possible infection? Tastes good still

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I've had several infected batches, most were sour, some massively over-carbed. One was very over carbed, with a mild vegetable off flavor. I believe that was another bug. Just my opinion.

rdarr40 said:

Both times that I have made this recipe it has been cidery. I wondered if it is the Nottingham yeast that causes this off flavor.

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Ferm temps might be too high. I had a batch that fermented 5 degrees too high and tasted like cider

basementbrewbrad said:

Ferm temps might be too high. I had a batch that fermented 5 degrees too high and tasted like cider

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What temp would that be? I will be making this for the upcoming Super Bowl. I plan on fermenting no higher than 68 degrees.

I also plan on making this with all centennial hops. Anybody try this?