American Pale Ale recipe

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anthrobe

anthrobe

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I just decided to brew a American Pale Ale for my next batch. Jeff at my LHBS recommended this recipe to me. He says that it is a clone of BJ Brewery Piranha Pale Ale. I have drank a few down there and love their beers so I thought that I might give it a try. After looking on the websight I saw that they listed wheat in the malts.....hmmm. Anywho here is the recipe.

1lb 2-Row Brewers Malt Cargill -- 1.6L
.5lb Great Western 40L Crystal Malt
.5lb Breiss Carapils/Dextrine Malt
6lb DME (Coopers)
1oz Chinook Pellet Hops (60min) 12.1%AA
1oz Cascade Pellet Hops (15min) 6.0%AA
1oz Cascade Pellet Hops (2min) 6.0%AA
Wyeast #1098 British Ale

I was thinking of only adding 3/4oz of the Chinook due to the high Alpha Acid of this strain. I don't want this one to be too bitter. I also may take down the Cascade a little and dry hop the secondary. Any thoughts?
 
Looks good.

Make sure you do a partial mash with this. I guess the 2 row and the carapils need starch conversion.

Kai
 
Kai said:
I guess the 2 row and the carapils need starch conversion.
Click to expand...

That depends on who you ask. :) I've seen some websites say that carapils needs mashed, and I've seen others say that it does not. My LHBS has a little sign on the box that holds all the pre-measured 1lb bags of carapils that (in no uncertain terms) states that it does NOT need to be mashed.

Either way, the amount of grain that definately needs mashed (the 1lb of 2-row) is pretty insignificant when you take into account that he is using 6 lbs of DME. That DME is the main source of fermentables, so you can probably get away with just about any type of grain handling you want here (like a simple steeping.)

-walker
 
Serious question as I don't do extract/grains: If you don't do a partial mash, is there any benefit to using 2-row? Wouldn't you just use more extract? I thought the idea of steeping was just to get the flavor/color of that grain, and light DME is basically 2-row, right?
 
I asked my LHBS guys about this very subject. He stated that if I want to I could do a mini-mash and sparge due to the fermentable sugars/starch in the grain. He said that it would not really make any difference. I was planning on steeping grains in at 150F for about 40min then just rinse the grain bag with 150F water. Just for the info, I have never done a mini-mash. I have always steeped grains. What is the difference and how do you go about doing a mini-mash?
 
As to the recipe...I don't have Promash here, but it does look a bit hoppy for a standard APA? I usually go for 30-40 IBU's, but don't know what that one calculates out to. I would be tempted to add 1/2oz of the Cascade as a dry hop.

A lot of pale ales use a little wheat malt for head retention, which is what the dextrine malt is for in your recipe, so that's probably why it's listed as an ingredient on their website. I'd say you could use wheat instead of the dextrine if you're so inclined.
 
anthrobe said:
Just for the info, I have never done a mini-mash. I have always steeped grains. What is the difference and how do you go about doing a mini-mash?
Click to expand...
I don't know...I went from extract to AG after researching it a bit and deciding full-blown AG isn't any harder, it just requires a bit of equipment. I expect Palmer's website has some info, but it gets fartsmiltered here at work.
 
anthrobe said:
I was planning on steeping grains in at 150F for about 40min then just rinse the grain bag with 150F water.
Click to expand...

That will do. At 150F you will get enzyme activity that convert the starches for you.

Kai
 
BeeGee said:
Serious question as I don't do extract/grains: If you don't do a partial mash, is there any benefit to using 2-row? Wouldn't you just use more extract? I thought the idea of steeping was just to get the flavor/color of that grain, and light DME is basically 2-row, right?
Click to expand...

That's kind of the impression I have, too, BeeGee. I am a extract+grain brewer, but I only use grains that offer some unique flavor that is not already provided by my extract.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think I would ever use base malt as an extract+grain brewer.

-walker
 
Kai said:
That will do. At 150F you will get enzyme activity that convert the starches for you.

Kai
Click to expand...

Yes, that's true, but the amount of sugar you are going to get from that grain will be a whisper on a scream compared to the 6 lbs of DME used.

I'd personally just omit the 2-Row.

-walker
 
After doing a quick search, it looks like a few places say carapils/dextrine does not need to be mashed, but the overwhelming majority seem to indicate that it does need to be mashed...I guess the author of this recipe is in the 'must be mashed' camp and hence the 2-row.
 
anthrobe said:
I have never done a mini-mash. I have always steeped grains. What is the difference and how do you go about doing a mini-mash?
Click to expand...

There isn't a whole lot of difference, to be honest. I had asked this question a few months ago because I was confused as hell about the difference, too.

The main difference was how much water you use to soak the grains in, and the additional step of slowly rinsing the grains with hot water. In a steep, you just use 'some' water and 'optionally' rinse the grains.

In the end, what you have done is the same; You soaked grains in hot water to activate enzymes and convert starch into sugar and you extracted some other flavors/colors from the grains.

Steeping gets the flavor out of the grain, exactly the same as mashing would. Steeping also gets SOME sugar out of the grain, but less sugar than a properly controlled mash would get.

As a point of referece, a well done mash would get something close to 80% of the total possible sugar out of the grain, and a steep would get about 40% of the sugar. Given the small amount of sugar even AVAILABLE with 1 lb of base malt, I don't think you'll notice the difference between 40% and 80% effeciency.

-walker
 
BeeGee said:
As to the recipe...I don't have Promash here, but it does look a bit hoppy for a standard APA? I usually go for 30-40 IBU's, but don't know what that one calculates out to. I would be tempted to add 1/2oz of the Cascade as a dry hop.quote]

I ran everything through the recipator and came out with a 39IBU for this brew. This is with all the hops I listed as well as dry hopping with .5oz cascade.

The finished volume is: 5 gallons The original gravity is: 1.060
The alcohol is: - 4.5% 5.5% v/v
The color is: 13 HCU (~9 SRM)
The bitterness is: 39 IBU
Click to expand...
 
BeeGee said:
As to the recipe...I don't have Promash here, but it does look a bit hoppy for a standard APA? I usually go for 30-40 IBU's, but don't know what that one calculates out to. I would be tempted to add 1/2oz of the Cascade as a dry hop.

A lot of pale ales use a little wheat malt for head retention, which is what the dextrine malt is for in your recipe, so that's probably why it's listed as an ingredient on their website. I'd say you could use wheat instead of the dextrine if you're so inclined.
Click to expand...

I ran it through Promash for you guys--it comes to 44 with an ounce of chinook, 38 with .75 oz.

HTH
 
ORRELSE said:
I ran it through Promash for you guys--it comes to 44 with an ounce of chinook, 38 with .75 oz.
Click to expand...
Thanks...not as hoppy as I was guessing, really. I guess that's with a full-boil? Perhaps it would be less in anthrobe's case, although hop utilization is something else that I don't calculate in my head. In any case, for 44 IBU's and the convenience of not having to measure hops (assuming we're talking 1oz packets of pellets here) I'd just go with the original recipe.
 
Thanks for all the input:D I think that I am going to go with 3/4oz of the chinook and try to keep it at 40 IBU or below. I love a good hoppy beer every now and then but I like it when the bitterness is not as dominant.
 
BeeGee said:
In that case, you could use the other 0.25oz of the Chinook as a dry hop if you're so inclined, just to utilize all the ingredients.
Click to expand...

nah, just roll them up in a Zig Zag and smoke them!
 
Walker said:
nah, just roll them up in a Zig Zag and smoke them!
Click to expand...

:eek: I could roll one up and give it to my friend....that would be pretty funny. I have about 4 oz of Cascade that I need to get used up as well. I have hops all over in my freezer.....aahhhh:eek:
 
El Pistolero said:
I don't think those pellets are gonna burn very well...maybe in a bong? ;)
Click to expand...

I wonder how they would burn as incense.:confused:

Wait.....it is related to cannabis sativa....;)
 
El Pistolero said:
I don't think those pellets are gonna burn very well...maybe in a bong? ;)
Click to expand...

So can we re-use the bong water to make a smoked porter?

Incidently, I bought an american pale ale kit today. "Not as pale as death ale"
1# crystal 40
1/2# vienna malt
6 lbs light LME
1 oz perle @ boil
1/2 oz cascade @ 30 minutes
1/2 oz cascade @ 50 minutes
White labs WLP001 california ale yeast.

Personally, I think the 1.5 lbs of those grains may throw off the SRM for a pale. I've yet to find one of these kits that's not great, however.
 
The happy mug said:
So can we re-use the bong water to make a smoked porter?
Click to expand...

I guess you could if you had 5 gallons of bong water!

Actually... that makes me want to hurl just thinking about it.

{wretch}
{wretch}

-walker
 
BeeGee said:
Serious question as I don't do extract/grains: If you don't do a partial mash, is there any benefit to using 2-row? Wouldn't you just use more extract? I thought the idea of steeping was just to get the flavor/color of that grain, and light DME is basically 2-row, right?
Click to expand...

i dont understand the 1lb of 2-row benifit.
2-row definitelty has to be mashed, carapils is just like crystal, which can be steeped to release the flavor/color...i do what i call a 'retarded mini-mash' in which i mash usually about 6 lbs. of 2-row, and maybe a pound or so of specialty grains. it is the exact same thing as a full mash, with a protien rest, sacchrification rest, vorlauf, sparge and everything, its just smaller in scale. (its retarded because it takes the same amount of time and the same equipment as a full mash) i end up collecting about 4 gallons of run-off and add 3 lbs. of D.M.E. to that.

the result is a partial/mash beer that really benifits from the 6-7 lbs. of all-grain in it.
 
cgravier said:
i dont understand the 1lb of 2-row benifit.
2-row definitelty has to be mashed, carapils is just like crystal, which can be steeped to release the flavor/color...
Click to expand...
The carapils is added more for head retention/body than anything else and shouldn't affect color or sweetness. Based on my kicking around on Google yesterday a lot of sources indicate it must be mashed, and hence the 2-row in this recipe. Personally, I don't have any idea as I mash regardless.
 
I love BJ'S piranha pale ale I will brew this soon I just need to map out a good procedure for it.
 
I made a double bock with specialty grains and the first step was to steep the grains for 10 mins around 180 degrees if I recall correctly. Then I brought it to a boil and added the DME, hops, etc. You might contact whoever you got the kit from for details.
 
OK after brewing this I had strong fermentation the first night but it soon died down. after 3 days fermentation was unnoticeable. I took a fg reading today its around 1.020 I'm guessing this would make it about 2% ? I didn't write down my og reading and I was to tired last week to pursue a remedy for my possible stuck fermentation. I'm a auto mechanic that works in Houston Texas and in the high pase hustle and bustle I'm often to tired when I get home to deal with stressful factors like this especially after a 60 mile drive home.
I tasted It and It think it would taste great in a glass after carbonation! so would you do anything at this point to try to boost abv?

on a second thought I think ill just bottle it! ill hope for about 4% and a delicious home brew!
 

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