Busty Brunette Blonde (Ska True Blonde Clone)

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frozt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2012
Messages
95
Reaction score
2
Location
Boone
Recipe Type
Extract
Yeast
Wyeast 1187
Yeast Starter
No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
No
Batch Size (Gallons)
5.0
Original Gravity
1.052
Final Gravity
1.013
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
15
Color
~5
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
21 days at 66 F
Tasting Notes
Easy-drinking, good summer beer
Busty Brunette Blonde
(Ska True Blonde Ale Clone)

2.5 gallon boil, 5 gallon batch

4 lbs Pilsen DME
1 lb. Wheat DME
1 lb Munich 10L
4oz Honey (or 1/3 cup) (last 20 min)

.5 oz US Perle 6.5% (60 min)
.5 oz Tettnang 4.8% (30 min)
1 oz Cascade 6.4% (5 min)
.5 oz Tettnang 4.8% (5 min)

Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale Yeast
Note: 1187 can be slow to start (up to 90 hours)

This turned out to be a successful summer beer - very easy-drinking and generally enjoyable to non-"hopheads". Special thanks to Bill at Ska Brewing for a big nudge in the right direction!

Side by side taste test soon to follow!
 
Frozt,
I wanted to do this recipe and I notice some others recipes around call for .25 oz of cascade but everything else the same. SO since you just recently finish this I was wondering is 1oz a good bet or reduce it .25 oz to be closer to Ska true blonde.
 
Hi yboeilaog,

In hindsight, I think the .25 oz would give you something closer to True Blonde. What I ended up with here was slightly more bitter than Ska's, so cutting some of the Cascade would probably help. I'm curious though, what other recipes are you referring to? Before I made this one, I looked around and was unable to find any specific to Ska True Blonde.
 
No problem! As noted in the recipe, don't panic if you don't see any activity for the first 2-3 days - 1187 WILL start, but it will take it's sweet time. Good luck with the brew!
 
Brewed this up on the weekend, sounds like a good brew.
Used Safale US-05 instead of the recommended yeast, as I already had it. :).
 
Looking forward to your feedback on this one! What kind of honey did you use?
 
Hey, yeah used clover honey 4.5 oz to allow for it sticking to the glass.
changed the hops too, because there were no perle...
tettnang as bittering
willamette and cascade as others.
still have 0.4 oz willamette, was thinking of dryhopping just for fun? (But I'm a bit torn) because its a good recipe and smells good so far.

Temperature not very constant, but i have a new small cupboard i am insulating to help...
 
I think dry hopping would make this a significantly different brew, but the choice is up to you.

As for temp control, I personally use a "swamp cooler" (keeping the carboy in a large rubbermaid tub filled with water) and put ice packs in once or twice a day. My setup stays within 2 F even with temps reaching 80 in my house.
 
Difference is i need to heat my brew to keep at temp. , so i have the heat pad till my chamber is finished.
Swamp Cooler is not an option, mrs. won't allow it. lol.
Will probably just leave the hopping for a pale ale or something, I'll decide on Saturday after 2 weeks in primary.
 
WELL ITS 2 WEEKS IN THE BOTTLE. TASTES GOOD BUT STILL LACKS CARBONATION...
USED 4.5 OZ DEXTROSE, JUST wanted to make sure I hadn't done something wrong.
temperature height has caused a very minor hot aftertaste as well, more time I'm hoping that will mellow, and there will actually be carbing up.
 
If you primed the correct amount, mixed properly, and your yeast is still alive then it should carb eventually. I usually do 3 weeks in the bottle, so hopefully after that long you'll be set.
 
how much sugar for priming did you use?
yeah hopefully its all good after another week or two.
Thanks for the recipe btw.
 
No problem :) I generally use a heaping 3/4 cup, about 4.5 oz, so you should be good.
 
WELL ITS 2 WEEKS IN THE BOTTLE. TASTES GOOD BUT STILL LACKS CARBONATION...
USED 4.5 OZ DEXTROSE, JUST wanted to make sure I hadn't done something wrong.
temperature height has caused a very minor hot aftertaste as well, more time I'm hoping that will mellow, and there will actually be carbing up.

Well after 2-3 m0onths in bottle, the fermentation issues i had have mellowed out alot, and this is a good beer with the US-05, looking at doing another batch early next year, but with AG.
So Pale Malt Wheat and Munich to equal the OG of the recipe and around the same percentages...
 
Glad it turned out well for you. Let me know if you'd like an AG version and I'll post an approximation.
 
crusader1612 said:
I reckon I've got an approximate amount. Thanks anyway

3kg pale malt
0.5kg Munich
1kg Wheat
0.2kg Crystal 10L
Makes a similar size beer with a nice light colour ad using a similar hop schedule and US-05 most likely. Sound about right?
 
My AG version was:

(Assuming 70% efficiency)

OG: 1.047
FG: 1.012
4.6% ABV

7.3# 2-Row
12.8 oz Carapils
8 oz Munich 20L
4 oz Red Wheat Malt
6 oz Honey (last 5 min)

.5 oz US Perle 7.8% (60 min)
.5 oz Tettnang 3.9% (30 min)
1 oz Cascade 4% (5 min)
.5 oz Tettnang 3.9% (5 min)

Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale Yeast
or Danstar Windsor Ale Yeast
Note: 1187 can be slow to start (up to 90 hours)

However, what I failed to account for the first time was that Wheat DME isn't 100% wheat. So with this recipe I ended up with a decidedly wheaty beer (a good one though). But if you want to replicate the original recipe, I'd aim for about half as much wheat and account for that by adding some 2-row. And I think US-05 will do fine.
 
I'm planning this one for a month or so.
3.5kg golden promise
0.5 wheat
0.5 Vienna
Along with The standard honey and hop additions from the original recipe.
I have couple of questions: I'm looking to make this true to the blonde ale style so I don't know whether crystal 15 would be suitable for this beer. Also would carapils be suitable??
And lastly I'm looking at a different yeast but not sure which I'd like it quite crisp with plenty of malt flavour so I'm choosing between the following
Nottingham
Kolsch
If I can't get either of those good old US-05 will do

Thoughts?!
 
I'm planning this one for a month or so.
3.5kg golden promise
0.5 wheat
0.5 Vienna
Along with The standard honey and hop additions from the original recipe.
I have couple of questions: I'm looking to make this true to the blonde ale style so I don't know whether crystal 15 would be suitable for this beer. Also would carapils be suitable??
And lastly I'm looking at a different yeast but not sure which I'd like it quite crisp with plenty of malt flavour so I'm choosing between the following
Nottingham
Kolsch
If I can't get either of those good old US-05 will do

Thoughts?!

Frozt: I finally got around to re-making this in the all grain method - BIAB No Sparge.
Heres what i did.
3.5kg Pale
0.5kg Wheat
0.5kg Vienna
0.2kg Crystal 15
0.1kg Carapils
0.13kg Honey
Hop additions I swapped out a bit, used 10g centennial for bittering@60, and 15g styrian @20 and 15g @ 5 along with a 30g cascade addition @5
Subbed out ringwood for Kolsch WY2565.
Will make a very interesting beer...... If the yeast ever starts!
 
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