Recipe formulation Pale ale

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xjncoguyx

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Working on a summertime pale ale recipe, hoping for a sweet/malty yet hoppy pale ale. How does this look to you guys.

5.5 gal

8#2-row
2#Crystal40L
1#cara-pils
1#Honey malt

1oz Chinook @60
.5oz Cascade @15
.5oz Cascade @5
.5oz Cascade @1

US-05


Im new to this recipe formulation thing, and this looks alright to me, but then again this is only my 2nd recipe.
 
I think you've got a bit too much dextrin malts. I'd reduce it to 1.5 lbs crystal 40 and 0.5lbs carapils. With 2 lbs of those malts, I think you'll get a sweetish beer like you want. I think 3 lbs would be cloying IMHO.
 
I think you've got a bit too much dextrin malts. I'd reduce it to 1.5 lbs crystal 40 and 0.5lbs carapils. With 2 lbs of those malts, I think you'll get a sweetish beer like you want. I think 3 lbs would be cloying IMHO.
Yeah i was thinking about dropping them down a little, especially having them both, the only reason i had the cara in there was for head retention, but i think with the 40L i should be fine.
 
That looks gawd-awful sweet. I know you want some sweetness, but that recipe would be cloyingly sweet as well as a bit too bitter.

How about something like:

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.50 %
4.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
0.75 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (60 min) Hops 31.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (15 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU

You could go up to a pound of crystal 40L if you really wanted, or add .25 pound of crystal 10L for sweetness.
 
If you're adding carapils just for head retention, then you could drop it altogether and use 2lbs of crystal 40L. Crystal malts themselves are good for head retention. Also, hops contribute chemicals that do a lot for head retention. Using 2lbs of crystal malt will result in a slightly darker and more caramelly beer as oppose to using 1.5lbs of it along with 0.5 carapils. It depends on what you like. But in theory, the carapils is superfluous if your only adding it for head retention.
 
That looks gawd-awful sweet. I know you want some sweetness, but that recipe would be cloyingly sweet as well as a bit too bitter.

How about something like:

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.00 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 7.50 %
4.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
0.75 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (60 min) Hops 31.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (15 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU

You could go up to a pound of crystal 40L if you really wanted, or add .25 pound of crystal 10L for sweetness.
Well i figured maybe with the added sweetness would balance out the hop bitterness. That recipe was more or less just a jumping off point. Im sure i'll be changing quite a bit before its actually brewed, i just wanted to see if im going in the right direction.
 
If you're adding carapils just for head retention, then you could drop it altogether and use 2lbs of crystal 40L. Crystal malts themselves are good for head retention. Also, hops contribute chemicals that do a lot for head retention. Using 2lbs of crystal malt will result in a slightly darker and more caramelly beer as oppose to using 1.5lbs of it along with 0.5 carapils. It depends on what you like. But in theory, the carapils is superfluous if your only adding it for head retention.
Thats the other thing i was thinking, of just dropping it all together.
 
Well i figured maybe with the added sweetness would balance out the hop bitterness. That recipe was more or less just a jumping off point. Im sure i'll be changing quite a bit before its actually brewed, i just wanted to see if im going in the right direction.

I think I'll revise my original reply and second Yooper on this. Even 2 lbs would be a lot of crystal malt. I think a full pound of crystal 40L would be enough for what you're aiming for.
 
How about this revision.


8#2-row
1#crystal 20L
.5#Special B
.5#Honey Malt

.5 chinook @60
1oz. casade @15
1oz cascade@5
1oz cascade@1

???
 
I made a pale ale once with Chinook and Amarillo, using 1.5lbs of crystal malts. It really heavily outweighed the hoppiness. While it wasn't bad, and head retention was great, I think 1.5lbs was too much for that brew, and it seems similar to what you have.
 
If you want an intense malty sweetness, why not add a maltier malt? I mean something like aromatic malt. That would give you malt aroma and taste without the cloyingness of all that crystal? Just a thought.
 
You know, it finally hit me- it sounds like you're actually hoping to me an American Amber (also known as an American Red). They are hoppy, but with plenty of residual sweetness and may be just what you're looking for.

I love the article that Bob (that's his HBT ID) wrote on that style for our wiki: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/American_Amber_Ale
 
If you want an intense malty sweetness, why not add a maltier malt? I mean something like aromatic malt. That would give you malt aroma and taste without the cloyingness of all that crystal? Just a thought.
I was actually thinking this, im just messing around with beersmith right now, i just figured i'd throw that out there and get some criticisms on it.
 
Ok after some reading this is what i've come up with.


9#2-row
.5#Aromatic
.5#40L

.75 Chinook@60
.5 Cascade@15
.5 Cascade@5
1 Cascade@1

US-05
 
looks good, but i think you should take that 1 min addition and use it for dry hop. mmmmmmm...
 
honey malt is strong so less than a 1/2 lb goes good. I like the sweetness from it. different than a crystal sweetness.
 
honey malt is strong so less than a 1/2 lb goes good. I like the sweetness from it. different than a crystal sweetness.

but still sweet nonetheless...I tend to group honey malt in with my crystals when creating a recipe - if I add honey malt, I'll take out some crystal so that my honey+crystal malt % stays below a certain threshold (depends on the beer)

Basically, if you want to keep a recipe below say 15% crystal malts, include the honey malt in your calculations and adjust things accordingly.
 
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