What exactly did I brew??? with pics

First time ale brewer here, second time fermenting however. So this is what I did and it is not the honey pale ale I was hoping for:

2lbs pale ale malt
2lbs honey malt
1lb pale DME
2 oz cascade hops, pellets
1lb buckwheat honey

The end product was a 3 gallon batch of ale. It is dark brown with an OG of 1.050. So what would you call this ale and how will it taste after 3-4 weeks of fermentation?

How do you know it's not the honey pale ale you were hoping for? It looks like a pale ale to me and you haven't tasted it yet, so I would wait until it's done fermenting, taste your gravity sample and judge it then.

-AJ

nukebrewer said:

How do you know it's not the honey pale ale you were hoping for? It looks like a pale ale to me and you haven't tasted it yet, so I would wait until it's done fermenting, taste your gravity sample and judge it then.

-AJ

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I did taste the gravity sample, it is quite sweet and has a big hop flavor. It just seemed rather dark for a honey pale ale. Does it lighten as it settles out.

Was that the sample from right after chilling before putting it into primary? If so, that's the reason. The wort is very sweet before fermentation because none of the sugar has been fermented yet. Let it ferment for about a week or two then take another sample. It should taste a lot more like you were expecting.

EDIT: Also, yes, it should clear up a bit during fermentation, but even if it doesn't, the color is right for a pale ale.

it's probably darker than you think because extract has a tendency to darken when boiled for the entire boil. i'm sure it will be a fine beer, as said before, just let it do its thing.

also, beer looks much darker when it's in a carboy compared to poured into a glass when ready.

Also, beer in a large container always looks darker than it will in a glass... The concentrated beer blocks more light. It looks like a pale ale to me.

So what recipie did you follow to get this beer?

Unless you are planning on entering this beer in a comp, I wouldn't worry about colour.
Let your taste buds be your guide. Have patience and let it finish and then judge it.

Cheers to another canuck

Nukebrewer- I took the sample right before adding the yeast, just finished it a few hours ago. Good to know the color is right, I really had no idea how it should look.

android- good point, it does look much darker in the carboy then it did in the gravity jar

pompeiisneaks- Good to hear it looks like a pale ale!

So what kind of alcohol content can I expect from this 1.050 wort? I am using Safbrew T-58 Yeast.

boo boo said:

So what recipie did you follow to get this beer?

Unless you are planning on entering this beer in a comp, I wouldn't worry about colour.
Let your taste buds be your guide. Have patience and let it finish and then judge it.

Cheers to another canuck

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Well the recipe started out as a pale ale recipe but I kind of changed all the grain and added honey so I guess it is one of my own now. It shall be interesting to taste in 4 weeks. The recipe is on my brew blog: http://danielshomebrew.blogspot.com/

You should throw a 1/2 oz of cascade in to dry-hop after fermentation slows down ;>

zaireeka said:

So what kind of alcohol content can I expect from this 1.050 wort? I am using Safbrew T-58 Yeast.

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About 4.8% ABV. Your hydrometer should have an ABV scale on it. Just take the ABV that corresponds to your SG and subtract the ABV that corresponds to your FG and that will be your ABV.

nukebrewer said:

About 4.8% ABV. Your hydrometer should have an ABV scale on it. Just take the ABV that corresponds to your SG and subtract the ABV that corresponds to your FG and that will be your ABV.

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Or take the OG and minus the FG and then times by 131.

DavidSteel said:

Or take the OG and minus the FG and then times by 131.

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Yep, that's actually a more accurate method than what I said. Thanks for that.

Nukebrewer - the scale says 7% but I am guessing that is only if it ferments out to 0.990. 4.8% sounds good

Davidsteel - Thanks for the equation. I will try it out in a month when I have the FG.