Critique my first pale ale recipe?

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Burgs

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Code: 
BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Citra Pale Ale
Brewer: Burgs
Asst Brewer: 
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (35.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal      
Boil Size: 5.72 gal
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 7.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 32.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
1.00 lb       Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM)               Dry Extract  13.33 %       
6.00 lb       Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM)             Extract      80.00 %       
0.50 lb       Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)              Grain        6.67 %        
0.50 oz       Magnum [14.00 %]  (60 min)                Hops         25.0 IBU      
0.50 oz       Citra [11.00 %]  (10 min)                 Hops         7.1 IBU       
0.50 oz       Citra [11.00 %]  (0 min)                  Hops          -            
1.00 items    Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min)          Misc                       


Mash Schedule: None
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
----------------------------
Steep grains as desired (30-60 minutes)
 
Question: should I boost the gravity of the wort with some DME or something for this? I'm realizing the 2 oz. of Yakima might contribute some serious IBUs??
 
Well, depending on what the AAU % is on the magums, you may have a very bitter beer. A quick calculation in Beersmith using 13.4% for the magums gives you nearly 60-70 IBUs. If you haven't brewed it yet, just cut the bittering hops. If you've already brewed it, you could boil up and add more extract. I probably would just leave it alone, though.
 
I haven't brewed it yet, Yooper - I'm still waiting on the ingredients to arrive. You think I should just do 1oz. @ 60 and hold the other oz. for a different batch? Would be fine with me... :)

I'm not really trying to create something super-bitter - I probably bought more hops than I needed
 
I'd probably go with 1 ounce of the magnums, and just stick them in the freezer for next time. That's a good bittering hop to use for lots of different styles, so it can be used in the future.

Your recipie looks like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, with citra instead of cascade. I've only used citra once, and found it fruitier than I like. But others really like it!
 
Sounds like a plan to me!

I kinda felt like every other batch I was using cascade. I love them, but I want to start trying some new hops and seeing if I can taste how they contribute to the final product.

I've never brewed anything with citra before but I do like Torpedo IPA & I hear that's what they use for it.

This will also be my first time using US-05, and first time dry-hopping... aaand the first batch I do outside on my new burner. Wow!

Thanks for your reply!
 
Burgs,
Even if you drop the magnum to 1 oz and boil it for 30 min, you'll end up at about 40 IBU's. That is the top of the range for a pale ale. This is based on a full boil and 14 aau's on the hops.

Yoop, I think my SN clone had some Pearle in it as well as the Cascade.

Good luck with your brew.

Bull
 
bullinachinashop said:
Burgs,
Even if you drop the magnum to 1 oz and boil it for 30 min, you'll end up at about 40 IBU's. That is the top of the range for a pale ale. This is based on a full boil and 14 aau's on the hops.

Yoop, I think my SN clone had some Pearle in it as well as the Cascade.

Good luck with your brew.

Bull
Click to expand...

Are you saying I risk getting into IPA territory or something?

Would you boost the fermentables to balance things out? I don't have access to BeerSmith at the moment so I'm not sure what my gravity would look like the way the recipe currently stands.

I would be doing full boil for 60 minutes.

I'm ok with hoppy and I do like IPAs, but I don't want it to be overly bitter or unbalanced.
 
I think that even dropping it down to 1 oz of Magnum is going to be too much bittering for an APA with the amount of fermentables you're using.

You're OG with 6 lbs of gold LME is going to be around 1.043, thats a little under style for an APA. You might want to ramp it up a little bit. At 7 lbs of extract and 2/3 oz Magnum at 60 mins you will end up with 1.050 OG and 39 IBUs...should be pretty balanced for the style you're going for. The citra hops are going to make this taste great, I just did a citra APA and it's awesome!!

I would also drop your cara pils down to a quarter to half pound. I think 1 pound is going to give your beer a pretty thick mouthfeel.
 
strat_thru_marshall:

would you do the extra lb. of extract as a late addition or just right at 60 with the rest? i'm thinking about using extra light dme or something?

with your other suggestions, that would give me:

*EDIT: Decided to just update the OP*
 
Burgs said:
strat_thru_marshall:

would you do the extra lb. of extract as a late addition or just right at 60 with the rest? i'm thinking about using extra light dme or something?

with your other suggestions, that would give me:

*EDIT: Decided to just update the OP*
Click to expand...

That looks great, I think it will come out nice and balanced! As far as the dme, just throw it in the boil at the beginning. Have you used Citra before? You'll have to let us know how this turns out!
 
In an effort to see if my tastes have changed towards IPAs and aggressively hopped APAs, I had a few Torpedo IPAs this weekend.

I realize my recipe isn't an IPA, but I started to re-think my recipe and I came up with something a little bit lighter. I used BeerSmith to make sure I was fitting in style guidelines and this is what I ended up with.

I cut the Magnum back a little bit and decided that for dry-hopping, I want to just split the batch after primary and dry-hop half of it - that way I can taste the difference between dry hopped and not.

Yeast will still be US-05...

Lookin good?
 

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