Everyday Blonde Ale - feedback/critique needed

Altough I won't be brewing this before 2 or 3 weeks, I'd like some feedback on a recipe I put togheter. I need something tasty but that can be sessioned. This is what I came up with looking at clones that I liked and various beer profiles and recipes:

Everyday Blonde Ale

Batch: 4 gal
OG: 1.042
FG: 1.011 (?)
ABV: 4.1 %
IBU: 22.8

Grain Bill
88% 6lb American two-row
5% 5oz Munich
5% 5oz Crystal 20L
2% 2oz Wheat

Hops
60 min 0.25 oz Columbus
15 min 0.25 oz Crystal
5 min 0.25 oz Crystal

I chose not to add too much speciality/dark grains to keep the beer light in body and feel. The wheat is only there for head retention purposes. The hops I went with crystal since they have a nice aroma and they aren't as tart/grapefuity as Cascade. Columbus I chose because my LHBS has it for cheap and it's an American hop too

What has me puzzled is the yeast. I want the beer to have a nice low FG in order to get a nice dry finish, but I don't want it to become too dry either. Some pepper/fruit would be nice, but I'm tempted to just go with something like Safbrew 05 wich will be cheap and clean instead of messing with liquid on such a brew.

This will be also my first AG, but I might just add some DME if I'm overly worried about gravity come brew day. I calculated for 70% efficiency.

Recipe looks solid for a blonde. S-05 would be fine and easy. Kolsch yeast would be awesome in that beer.

I used Wyeast Am. Ale II #1272 in my blond ale and its tasting pretty good so far.

Nate5700 said:

I used Wyeast Am. Ale II #1272 in my blond ale and its tasting pretty good so far.

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+1 - I'm really digging 1272 lately. Tasty, interesting, good attenuation, and clears up amazingly well

prosper said:

+1 - I'm really digging 1272 lately. Tasty, interesting, good attenuation, and clears up amazingly well

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Man, after only 2 weeks in the primary my blonde was easily the clearest beer I've done so far. Of course that may have something to do with the fact that I actually racked into the bucket and left the break material at the bottom of the kettle instead of dumping the kettle into the bucket. But the 1272 definitely made some nice clumps that floated at the top of the beer.

It also has just a touch of fruity flavor, so it may be exactly what the OP was looking for.

At what temp did you guys ferment the 1272 at ? It says to ferment higher for more fruitiness and I want to know what kind of fruitiness they are talking about. I want pear and peach, not really grapefruit or raisins. Any problem with attenuation ? The % seems pretty low, but if it produces clear beer I'm getting curious...

This is prety much for the gf and to have something tasty to drink while playing cards or studying. She is drinking that Bud flavoured lime swill and likes it, so I figure and I can get her to taste something more palatable.

I don't remember, exactly. Probably around 17C

jfr1111 said:

At what temp did you guys ferment the 1272 at ? It says to ferment higher for more fruitiness and I want to know what kind of fruitiness they are talking about. I want pear and peach, not really grapefruit or raisins. Any problem with attenuation ? The % seems pretty low, but if it produces clear beer I'm getting curious...

This is prety much for the gf and to have something tasty to drink while playing cards or studying. She is drinking that Bud flavoured lime swill and likes it, so I figure and I can get her to taste something more palatable.

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I fermented at around 70º F. It's definitely got more of a grapefruit character to it, but that might have more to do with hopping with Cascade and Crystal. I didn't have any problem with attenuation. I bottled the blonde last night and it finished at 1.008 from a OG of 1.045.

It definitely won't be as fruity as the Bud Light Lime, but it makes a tasty beer.

Yeah, I don't want something as "fruity" as Bud Lime. I've yet to have one that wasn't flat, skunked and artificial tasting.