Can someone evaluate my first recipe.

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Fender230

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I have done a couple kits so far and want to start doing original recipes. I am using a trial of BeerAlchemy on my mac and through research and determining which malts I like I came up with this simple hoppy pale ale I am calling Centre St Pale Ale (anyone here live in Jamaica Plain, MA?)

I called my LHBS to find out what hop varieties were "abundant"... sadly it was about 7 or so. I read that Bramling Cross can be a good bittering hop though it is mostly known for aroma.

Sorry for the convoluted report.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Centre St Pale Ale

Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines
10A-American Ale-American Pale Ale

Min OG: 1.045 SG Max OG: 1.060 SG
Min FG: 1.010 SG Max FG: 1.015 SG
Min IBU: 30 IBU Max IBU: 45+ IBU
Min Color: 5.0 SRM Max Color: 14.0 SRM


Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 6.00 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 5.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.00 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.00 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.00 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.006 SG Expected OG: 1.057 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG Apparent Attenuation: 76.5 %
Expected ABV: 5.9 % Expected ABW: 4.6 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 45.3 IBU Expected Color: 9.3 SRM
Mash Efficiency: 75.0 % Approx Color:
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF


Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
US Caramel 20L Malt 1.00 lb 12.3 % In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 60L Malt 0.50 lb 6.2 % In Mash/Steeped
Extract - Light Liquid Malt Extract 6.60 lb 81.5 % Start Of Boil


Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
UK Bramling Cross 6.0 1.0 oz Pelletized Hops First Wort Hopped
US Cascade 4.5 1.0 oz Pelletized Hops 30 Min From End
US Cascade 4.5 1.0 oz Pelletized Hops 15 Min From End


Yeast
White Labs WLP001-California Ale
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Thanks,
matt
 
looks good. it will have a bit of color from the crystal 60L so dont expect a very light colored beer.

I would hop at 60, 15, 5 but that is my personal preference.

Good Luck!!
 
Looks pretty good. It will be a little on the sweet side with that much crystal but I like that in my IPAs. I also recommend moving the later hops additions to closer to the end of the boil. 15 and 5 are usually good times to add hops for flavor and aroma. You may need to increase the 60 min addition to compensate but I think it will improve the beer considerably.
Craig
 
I changed the hop additions to

Bramling Cross - 1.5 oz - 60mins
Cascade - 1oz - 15mins
Cascade - 1oz - 5mins

Bitterness - 47IBUs

Should be nicely bitter and sweet.
 
Fender230 said:
I changed the hop additions to

Bramling Cross - 1.5 oz - 60mins
Cascade - 1oz - 15mins
Cascade - 1oz - 5mins

Bitterness - 47IBUs

Should be nicely bitter and sweet.

Should be good, let us know in this thread how it turns out.
 
If you can manage it, I also recommend a dry hop addition of at least one ounce. That will really bring it home. Dry hops or no, it's a nice recipe and should make some tasty beer.


TL
 
Popped a couple bottles last night. It was a bit early but as I mentioned in another thread my darn heat is out so it isn't going to mature right now anyway.

I hit my OG dead on and all came out well. I did have a last minute substitution for yeast. I used SafAle US-5. I like the yeast a lot, fermented fast and hit the FG dead on as well. I love my now tailored brewing software.

Very sweet and malty. I could have dry hopped but I kind of like it without some in your face hop aroma. This didn't really come out as a pale ale and it is not quite an amber so I am dubbing it a Common Ale. Very reminiscent of the Harpoon Ale and the Sam Adams Boston Ale... probably because we all share the same primary ingredient... Boston water... in fact Boston Beer Co is only 3-4 blocks from me so it is literally the same water.

Next up is doing this in an All Grain Version... tell me if this looks right

8.5 - 2 row
1.3 - Caramel 20L
.6 - Caramel 60L

that is about the same grist % as the extract version.
 
You might try lowering the amount of crystal 20. Let's say 1/2 a pound and another 1/2 a pound of the crystal 60. Any more than a pound of caramelized malts, and the beer starts getting too sweet. That's just my opinion though.:D

As far as an all grain batch goes, definately add some gypsum to the water. Boston water comes from the Quabbin resevoir and is notoriously soft and alkaline. I'm over in Watertown, and I'm sure our water comes from the same place. It's not as big an issue with extract brews, but at least keep it in mind. :mug:
 
I saw that when I grabbed the water report. Gypsum seems like what I need to add but what about 5.2 stabilizer? Would I need that for pH control? I haven't AG brewed yet and I am a bit fuzzy on the water treatment.
 
I would cut the crystal malt way back.....to 3/4 or 1lb at most, and increase the pale malt by 3/4 lb.....
 
I have to be honest in the fact that I've never tested the pH of our water. I'm a chemist too, so that's really inexcusable. :D That said, I've done ~10 all grain batches using Watertown tap water and I've averaged 70% yield. Assuming a 70% yield with my setup, I almost always hit my target OG with gypsum as the only water treatment. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but the water pH mostly only affects the diastatic enzyme activity with minor contributions to the taste of the beer. If the yield of your mash is acceptable, then you don't really have much to worry about.
 
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