Your thoughts on my APA recipe please!

Hey,

I am fairly new to beer brewing. I am brewing all grains and have completed 5 batches so far. Now that I manage my equipment better and have gained knowledge on the basics of beer brewing I am working on developing my own recipes. I have looked at many recipes for APA, read the book Designing great beer and others.
I am aiming for an APA because I find IPA too hoppy and so does my wife.
You may think that my hops are low at 37 IBU but please keep in mind I want an APA that is not too bitter. I am however looking for a balance beer of course and the tropical and grapefruit aromas from the dry hops.

28g is 1oz this is a 5 gallon batch.

I look forward getting feeback from the experienced brewers out there!!!

thanks!

Hatley Acres Pale Ale
10-A American Pale Ale
Author: Simon T
Date: 12-02-09

Size: 19.13 L
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 182.63 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.055 (1.045 - 1.060)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.015)
Color: 9.74 (5.0 - 14.0)
Alcohol: 5.4% (4.5% - 6.2%)
Bitterness: 36.7 (30.0 - 45.0)

Mash at 153F for 60 minutes or until conversion is completed
Boil 60-70 minutes
Fermentation at 68F for 2 weeks then dry hopping for 1 week and bottling
carbonation at 2.5

Ingredients:
4 kg 2-Row Brewers Malt
0.5 kg Toasted Pale Malt (home toasted)
0.175 kg Crystal 15
0.175 kg Wheat Flakes
14.0 g Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
14.0 g Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
14.0 g Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
14.0 g Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
21.0 g Amarillo (8.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
21.0 g Simcoe (13.0%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
1.0 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05


Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.16

We just did a APA that came out really well. (see below)
The only suggestion that I have would be to do away with the 20min addition and add that 1/2oz to FO or 5min.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Liam Celebration Ale 2012
Grain bill:
17.6 lbs Pale
1.1 lbs Carared
1.1 lbs carapils

10 gallon batch

1oz Cascade @ 60
1oz Cascade @ 20
2oz Cascade @ 5
4oz Cascade @ FO

Safale 04

Dry Hop - 2oz of Cascade.

This is really close to Lake Walk Pale Ale which I am drinking now and I can tell you that it is very awesome.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/lake-walk-pale-ale-32939/

Well.... unless your home toasted malt is very dark, I think it's going to be quite a bit paler in color than the recipe indicates (more like SRM 5-6). The hop profile should be interesting, especially with the modification beerspitnight suggested.

This next comment is in no way a criticism - I personally like my pale ales with a bit more malt flavor than I think this recipe will probably provide, but that's just my preference and it isn't going to be me drinking it.

With all that being said, it does sound like it'll be quite drinkable.

Thanks for your feedback.

Beer tool pro gave me these numbers. But I trust you guys; I don't want this to be too pale...... Should I be using a higher lovibond Crystal, like 40L may be? I definitely want malt flavor but not too much caramel flavor. what can I do?

Should I lower the 2-row and increase the toasted malt to get more flavor and color?

You're right Shelly, I took the hop schedule from Lake Walk Pale Ale but never tried it myself. What would you estimate the lovibond to be in LW?

I posted a couple of pics here...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/lake-walk-pale-ale-32939/index42.html#post3720173

shelly_belly said:

I posted a couple of pics here...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/lake-walk-pale-ale-32939/index42.html#post3720173

Click to expand...

This beer looks delicious! This is the darkest I would go for my APA. I would prefer 1-2 SRM less than the LW......but man this is a beautiful color!:fro:

terrenum said:

Thanks for your feedback.

Beer tool pro gave me these numbers. But I trust you guys; I don't want this to be too pale...... Should I be using a higher lovibond Crystal, like 40L may be? I definitely want malt flavor but not too much caramel flavor. what can I do?

Should I lower the 2-row and increase the toasted malt to get more flavor and color?

Click to expand...

Well... the final color is going to depend on just how dark your toasted malt is. I assumed it would be pretty light - and I believe it's going to contribute not a lot in the way of flavor, though it will contribute aroma and body (which is no bad thing!). I suppose it depends on how toasted it is. I don't personally use it myself, for no better reason than I just never have.

Crystal isn't going to contribute much in the way of maltiness, though it will contribute caramel flavor, which you say you don't want much of. If you're wanting malty instead, you might consider using some Munich for flavor and adjust color to preference with a bit of 20L or 40L Crystal.

I might start with something like 7 1/2 lbs of 2-row, 2 lbs of Munich, and 3/4 lb of Crystal 40L, estimated OG ~1.057, SRM ~8. Adjust with toasted malt and wheat flakes if you like to suit the flavor/aroma/body/head retention you're looking for. Hop schedule might need to be adjusted too.

terrenum said:

This beer looks delicious! This is the darkest I would go for my APA. I would prefer 1-2 SRM less than the LW......but man this is a beautiful color!:fro:

Click to expand...

That does look very nice!

okay!

I have modified the recipe based on the comments I got. I hear you say that this is an entire new recipe Well...may be ;-)

Anyhow Let me know what you think of this. I have changed the toasted malt by Munich have increased the Crystal to 20L and have included some victory malt for flavor complexity....

Which one of the 2 recipes would you personally brew or want to drink?

I am making this grain bill too complicated and should just go with 2-row and crystal?

Hatley Walk Pale Ale
10-A American Pale Ale
Author: Simon T
Date: 12-02-09

Size: 19.13 L
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 178.96 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.054 (1.045 - 1.060)
Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.010 - 1.015)
Color: 11.79 (5.0 - 14.0)
Alcohol: 5.29% (4.5% - 6.2%)
Bitterness: 37.4 (30.0 - 45.0)

Ingredients:
3.5 kg 2-Row Brewers Malt (73.7%)
0.5 kg Munich 20L Malt (10.5%)
0.30 kg Victory® Malt (6.3%)
0.25 kg Crystal Malt 20°L (5.3%)
0.2 kg Wheat Flakes (4.2%)

14.0 g Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
14.0 g Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
14.0 g Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 3.0 min
14.0 g Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 3.0 min
21.0 g Amarillo (8.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
21.0 g Simcoe (13.0%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
1.0 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05
10.0 g Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 11.0 min

My two cents:

Not enough late additions for hops. You are going to have a good bit of perceived bitterness without much flavor/aroma after the dry hops fade out. Late additions are key to aroma and flavor.


Honestly, I'd do something like this:

7 g Amarillo and Simcoe at 60
14 g Amarillo and Simcoe at 15
14 g Amarillo and Simcoe at 5
14 g Amarillo and Simcoe dry hop

That'd give you a bit lower perceived bitterness and probably would help the flavor and aroma immensely.

Otherwise, I think it looks interesting and should turn out pretty good.

Thanks keffa. Your reco makes a lot if sense and is welcomed! I will adjust the hop schedule.

I'd want to try them both! But I think that your second recipe is going to have more complex flavors and still be highly drinkable. I like the addition of Victory - it should certainly add some nice character.

It might be a bit much to handle, but a side-by-side tasting of both would certainly be interesting.

What do you guys think of the Wheat Flakes? Should I just take them out? I understand they are not necessary in an APA...

Grainbill looks nice. Do you have any other hops to bitter with? To me its a shame to use hops with fantastic aromatic and flavor qualities for bittering. Maybe something like a small amount of magnum, warrior, or colombus. These are all neutral, high alfa bittering hops you could use to save some of that delicious simcoe/amarillo for later additions that contribute more flavor and aroma. That way your simcoe at 30 min could be moved closer to 15-10 min, I think you may like the results.

KraphtBier said:

Grainbill looks nice. Do you have any other hops to bitter with? To me its a shame to use hops with fantastic aromatic and flavor qualities for bittering. Maybe something like a small amount of magnum, warrior, or colombus. These are all neutral, high alfa bittering hops you could use to save some of that delicious simcoe/amarillo for later additions that contribute more flavor and aroma. That way your simcoe at 30 min could be moved closer to 15-10 min, I think you may like the results.

Click to expand...

thanks; I guess I could use Warrior.
I might tweak the grain bill a bit and increase the Crystal to 40L and slightly remove some of the Victory not to go over 230g...don't want to get too close of a amber beer flavor profile

Hi!

Can't find Simcoe but I do have the Amarillo. What other hop would complement the Amarillo well? Centennial? Cascade?
What would you use?
thanks

terrenum said:

Hi!

Can't find Simcoe but I do have the Amarillo. What other hop would complement the Amarillo well? Centennial? Cascade?
What would you use?
thanks

Click to expand...

Any C hop should work well. Simcoe can be found, but it will be at a premium, more than likely.


I've seen good things with Amarillo and Centennial.