American Pale Ale recipe -- Comments/ideas?

Sat down w/BeerSmith and tried to come up w/a simple (grain) recipe for an American Pale Ale. I wanted to use ALL American grain/hops/yeast on this. BeerSmith says to mash at 150* for 75 minutes. This is what I/we worked up. Could use some comments and or ideas for change.

3 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) -------------Grain 1 86.7 %
8.0 oz Special Roast (50.0 SRM)-------------------------Grain 2 13.3 %
0.30 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %]-- Boil 60.0 min------ 48.2 IBUs
0.10 oz Centennial [10.00 %]--------------Boil 60.0 min-------11.5 IBUs
0.20 oz Centennial [10.00 %] -Aroma-----Steep10.0 min
0.20 oz Crystal [3.50 %] ------Aroma ----Steep 5.0 min
1.00 oz Malto-Dextrine---------------------Boil 5.0 mins
1.0 pkg Safale US-05
0.50 oz Crystal [3.50 %]----------------Dry Hop 7.0 Days
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Est Original Gravity:--1.055
Est Final Gravity:----1.010
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.9
Bitterness: 59.7 IBUs
Est Color: 10.4 SRM
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This looks pretty darn good. How many gallons are you brewing?

HopLife said:

This looks pretty darn good. How many gallons are you brewing?

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Oh shoots, forgot to say it's a 1.75 gallon BIAB. Tks for the comments. I'm really just guessing when I work up a recipe.

For a Pale Ale, I prefer the SRM a little lower too, you might try using a lighter colored specialty malt. I use a lot of Vienna, Crystal, and belgian biscuit. I Like a pale ale to hit about 7-8 on SRM and I like a strong fresh hop flavor, so I would increase the amount of hops on your steeping additions a little too. Nevertheless, this is a great start you have chosen great hops for a pale ale. I use WYEAST American ale II for a nice clean flavor and good clarity. American Ale I or Safale 5 are ok too, the german ale yeast strain claims to be very clean too.

Hope this helps.

nothing particularly wrong with it, but i'd prolly use a different hop than crystal. thats not to say it won't work, just won't really be the profile you think of with an APA.

also, why the malto-dextrine?

In my humble opinion I would do without the special roast or at least back it down 13% is quite a bit. I did a brown with only 4% and thought it overpowered things a bit.

But the only way to know for sure is to brew it and make adjustments, I know next time I brew that brown I will totally leave out the special roast!!

Thats my two cents...CHEERS

I'd change just a couple of things. One, I'd raise the mash temp a tad (152-153) and ditch the maltodextrine. I'd also cut the special roast, about in 1/4, as too much is very noticeable.

I'd move the 60 minute centennial hop addition to 15 minutes (as it has great flavor!). I'd probably replace the crystal hop additions with a citrusy hop flavor, but it's only because the crystal is very "clean" and I don't much aroma or flavor from it.

HopLife said:

For a Pale Ale, I prefer the SRM a little lower too, you might try using a lighter colored specialty malt. I use a lot of Vienna, Crystal, and belgian biscuit. I Like a pale ale to hit about 7-8 on SRM and I like a strong fresh hop flavor, so I would increase the amount of hops on your steeping additions a little too.

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I want this to be an American Pale Ale so I can't use Vienna or the Belgian Biscuit. For some reason I was thinking Crystal was German so I can use some of it. Mahalo for your inputs.

dcp27 said:

nothing particularly wrong with it, but i'd prolly use a different hop than crystal. thats not to say it won't work, just won't really be the profile you think of with an APA.

also, why the malto-dextrine?

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Ya Yooper also said the same about the crystal and the Malto Dextrine. Guess I'll drop both. Mahalo.

bmock79 said:

In my humble opinion I would do without the special roast or at least back it down 13% is quite a bit. I did a brown with only 4% and thought it overpowered things a bit.

But the only way to know for sure is to brew it and make adjustments, I know next time I brew that brown I will totally leave out the special roast!!

Click to expand...

Yup, Special Roast will be cut back and maybe add some Crystal. Mahalo

Yooper said:

I'd change just a couple of things. One, I'd raise the mash temp a tad (152-153) and ditch the maltodextrine. I'd also cut the special roast, about in 1/4, as too much is very noticeable.

I'd move the 60 minute centennial hop addition to 15 minutes (as it has great flavor!). I'd probably replace the crystal hop additions with a citrusy hop flavor, but it's only because the crystal is very "clean" and I don't much aroma or flavor from it.

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Thank you Yooper your advise is always noted as straight up good.

I made some changes as suggested by all of the above and now I've come up with this:

3 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)----------------89.7 %
3.2 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)----------------5.1 %
3.2 oz Special Roast (50.0 SRM)-----------------------------5.1 %
0.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %]----Boil 60.0 min--39.6 IBUs
0.20 oz Centennial [10.00 %]-------Aroma Steep 15.0 min
0.21 oz Cascade [5.50 %]----------Aroma Steep-5.0 min
1.0 pkg Safale US-05)--------------Yeast
0.40 oz Cascade [5.50 %]-----------Dry Hop 7.0 Days
--------------------------------------------------------------
Est Original Gravity: 1.058
Est Final Gravity: 1.011
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.2 %
Bitterness: 39.6 IBUs
Est Color: 7.4 SRM

Excellent! I wish I could be around to drink that beer!

Yooper said:

Excellent! I wish I could be around to drink that beer!

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Wish I could send you one Mahalo nui loa!

What did you call her? You better watch it buddy.

I like what's going down on this thread!! I love your recipe concept and idea. From time to time I like to brew beers that are country or region based in their ingredients. That being said; of your 3.2oz 10L crystal, consider breaking that up into a few different lovibonds to get some diversity and complexity from your crystal malts. Like, use 2.2oz of 10L, .5oz of 15L, and .5oz of 20L?? Or, cut back on the special roast a 'little' more and increase all of the crystal #'s. I've had great sucess with this!!!!(Thanks Jamil!!!!!)

GiraffeBrew said:

I like what's going down on this thread!! I love your recipe concept and idea. From time to time I like to brew beers that are country or region based in their ingredients. That being said; of your 3.2oz 10L crystal, consider breaking that up into a few different lovibonds to get some diversity and complexity from your crystal malts. Like, use 2.2oz of 10L, .5oz of 15L, and .5oz of 20L?? Or, cut back on the special roast a 'little' more and increase all of the crystal #'s. I've had great sucess with this!!!!(Thanks Jamil!!!!!)

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Mahalo, I'll take that into concideration. Still have to Sat morn to finalize it.