Blonde Ale Centennial Blonde (Simple 4% All Grain, 5 & 10 Gall)

Finished 5 gallons on Sunday.

Bumped up the recipe to finish closer to 5% ABV and hit all my numbers. Going to put it on some raspberries in the secondary and see how it turns out!

Brewed 5 gallons of this as-posted, but with Voss Kviek yeast.

It’s beer-flavored beer! But with a little spicy note, which I assume is from the yeast?

Hoping a little gelatin and lagering will clarify it a bit, but not super hopeful from what I’ve read about Voss.

Im wanting to make this Blonde due to all the good reviews but being new to brewing im courious as what to use for water , our tap water isn't bad tasting but i know its treared with chlorine , if i go with another source such as spring water (bottled) should i be adding anything and if so what and how much ?? Again tap water isnt bad maybe i should just treat with a chlorine remover and go with it ??
I also plan on bumping the ABV% up a bit maybe around 5% , if this turns out its gonna be for a house warming party for my boss so i really need this beer to be good

Romex2121 said:

Im wanting to make this Blonde due to all the good reviews but being new to brewing im courious as what to use for water , our tap water isn't bad tasting but i know its treared with chlorine , if i go with another source such as spring water (bottled) should i be adding anything and if so what and how much ?? Again tap water isnt bad maybe i should just treat with a chlorine remover and go with it ??
I also plan on bumping the ABV% up a bit maybe around 5% , if this turns out its gonna be for a house warming party for my boss so i really need this beer to be good

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I’d play it safe, if you’re newer to brewing, and use the RO water that comes from the machines in/outside of grocery stores. Just bring some buckets and a few bucks. Someone might have a suggestion for a very limited water salts addition, but I had great success early in brewing with straight RO. Just keep it simple.

Also, this recipe is elegant in its light simplicity - I’d leave it at the intended ABV. That said, if you’re an extract brewer and really insist, tossing in a little extra light extract won’t be the end of the world.

I would use distilled water and Brun water to adjust your salts. If my memory serves me correct I used the “yellow” profile and just added Gypsum and Calcium Chloride.

Romex2121 said:

Im wanting to make this Blonde due to all the good reviews but being new to brewing im courious as what to use for water , our tap water isn't bad tasting but i know its treared with chlorine , if i go with another source such as spring water (bottled) should i be adding anything and if so what and how much ?? Again tap water isnt bad maybe i should just treat with a chlorine remover and go with it ??
I also plan on bumping the ABV% up a bit maybe around 5% , if this turns out its gonna be for a house warming party for my boss so i really need this beer to be good

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Here is a basic water chem primer that should help you get it in the ballpark. All you need are calcium chloride and gypsum.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/a-brewing-water-chemistry-primer.198460/

I brewed 10 gallons of this today, my larger kettle and new 200,000 btu burner worked great as this was my first 10 gallon batch. Not much more work than 5 gallon batch. First use of new potable water hose which greatly reduces the work toting water. Pretty good brew day all in all.

Romex2121 said:

Im wanting to make this Blonde due to all the good reviews but being new to brewing im courious as what to use for water , our tap water isn't bad tasting but i know its treared with chlorine , if i go with another source such as spring water (bottled) should i be adding anything and if so what and how much ?? Again tap water isnt bad maybe i should just treat with a chlorine remover and go with it ??
I also plan on bumping the ABV% up a bit maybe around 5% , if this turns out its gonna be for a house warming party for my boss so i really need this beer to be good

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If you're looking for a 5% well-regarded Blonde Ale recipe, you might want to check out Jamil Zainasheff's recipe. It's very basic, with a 5% ABV.

https://byo.com/article/american-blonde-ale-style-profile/

As for water profile, I brewed the recipe for the first time last week and I found the 2nd post in this thread to be helpful. I wound up adding 3.5g of Gypsum, 6.5g CaCL2 and 1ML of lactic acid to my tap water. Using EZ Water Calculator, it gave me 106ppm Calcium, 124ppm Chloride, 82ppm Sulfate.

http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php?topic=8449.0

When fermenting at 68 f. For the first 4 ta 5 days while yeast is active , Is increasing the temp as fermentation slows recommended to help yeast clean up after itself ??
Mine took off nicely and now that the foam has fallen im wondering if i should slowly raise temp of fermentation chamber or just leave it at 68 untill its cleared up ??

Hi. You can, but certainly don't have to do that. What you describe is called a diacetyl rest (or d-rest) and it's normally done when folks are brewing lagers as it promotes yeast activity to clean up any buttery flavor caused by diacetyl. That said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing it to an ale at the end of fermentation. I normally ramp the temp in my ferm chamber from 66° F to 72° F for a day or two, then ramp down to 34° F to cold crash the beer. BTW, if you used Nottingham as called for in Biermuncher's original recipe, it may not completely clear at 68° as it doesn't flocculate very well. That's why I cold crash mine. Hope this helps. Ed

Good deal , ill just leave it be for now ..
I have some Nottingham but used
Safale US-05 instead , ive had it for awhile and wanted to use it up ....

Just brewed a small (2 gallon) batch of this. Testing out the new Gigawort-->SS Brewtech--Torpedo keg "apartment brewing solution" with a beer that I loved to make back when I had more space. Only got to 1.037 OG but accidentally mashed at 154-56 for the first ten minutes of the mash, so I'm hoping this will allow me to hit the FG of 1.008 anyway. Fingers crossed!

Love this recipe! I've made it a few times.

Trying to use up some random grain/hops/yeast. So, I will be brewing up a double batch. Planning to ferment half with S-05 and the other half with Simonaitis strain.

For hops, 1oz Belma @ 30 min - .5oz Motueka @ 20 min - .5oz Motueka @ 5 min

Wondering if anybody has experimented with Kveik/Farmhouse strains and Belma/Motueka hops? How did it turn out?

Cheers!

kozmicsky said:

Wondering if anybody has experimented with Kveik/Farmhouse strains and Belma/Motueka hops? How did it turn out?

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I didn’t alter the original recipe in terms of grains/hops, but I did brew it with commercial Voss Kveik at 80F. It’s got a nice bit of complex ester flavor (caramel and umami/mushroom) that compliments the hops quite well. Entered it as a Blonde Ale in an upcoming comp but am not super hopeful because of the balance toward esters. Doesn’t mean it’s not good; quite the opposite. Just that it pushes it outside the Blonde Ale range by BJCP standards.

I did make this and i do like it but theres some things id like to ask for help with..
Using Brewersfriend i cut the recipie down to 2.5 gal , i was shooting for 5.0% ABV but after brewing i wound up with 5.5% and had an IBU of 22.62.
After fermentation was done (at 68 deg.)
I bottled and let them set for about 10 days at 70 deg. I opened 1 and had a taste while still warm , carbination was good but hop flavor was a little strong (for me) i put 1 in the fridge for 2 days and checked again and it was perfect with a nice hop flavor and aroma that wasnt over powering but you could taste it , I was really excited and happy with the flavor ,
I then put the rest of the bottles in the fridge and let them set 2 days before i opened any , expecting and looking forward to the same flavor as before i was a little bummed when the hop flavor was almost nonexistent and beer had a slightly more bitter taste than before .
At what point in the hopp additions do i play with to increase just the hopp flavor without making the beer bitter ?
Dont get me wrong " the beer is good as is and i plan on making it again but id like to get a touch more of the hopp flavor without adding to the bitterness ...

Romex2121 said:

I did make this and i do like it but theres some things id like to ask for help with..
Using Brewersfriend i cut the recipie down to 2.5 gal , i was shooting for 5.0% ABV but after brewing i wound up with 5.5% and had an IBU of 22.62.
After fermentation was done (at 68 deg.)
I bottled and let them set for about 10 days at 70 deg. I opened 1 and had a taste while still warm , carbination was good but hop flavor was a little strong (for me) i put 1 in the fridge for 2 days and checked again and it was perfect with a nice hop flavor and aroma that wasnt over powering but you could taste it , I was really excited and happy with the flavor ,
I then put the rest of the bottles in the fridge and let them set 2 days before i opened any , expecting and looking forward to the same flavor as before i was a little bummed when the hop flavor was almost nonexistent and beer had a slightly more bitter taste than before .
At what point in the hopp additions do i play with to increase just the hopp flavor without making the beer bitter ?
Dont get me wrong " the beer is good as is and i plan on making it again but id like to get a touch more of the hopp flavor without adding to the bitterness ...

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If it were me I'd focus on maybe adding some whirlpool hops at 180f for 15 minutes and only use one addition of Centennial at first wort hop/nix the other boil additions. That'll pull out the flavor (not really bitterness) so you'll get the fruity punch of the hops without a major bite. Try using .5 oz Cascade and .5 oz Centennial. If you want to get an idea of what kind of bitterness this will offer I'd recommend picking up a pack of Sam's 76. They use a plethora of hops but you'll see what I mean. It's all fruit/flavor and no bitterness. I recently brewed a clone that was whirlpool/dry hop only with Chico. Nailed it style wise anywho.

When I bottle carb I wait three weeks before I put them in the fridge. Ten days is a bit impatient, IMHO.

I brewed this up for the first time this evening. It is a 1.25 gallon batch as that is all I do. This is my third BIAB batch. I overshot my OG by about .006. I did happen to source my grains from a different supplier than my last two so I believe that might be the difference. I am looking forward for this to finish up already!

I have brewed this 6 times in the past 2 years and do double batches and use 2 different yeasts each time. One beer gets US 05 and the other any WLP 051, 001, etc.
I add 1 oz of citra to both fermenters on day 10 and it is probably one of the beers most enjoyed by family and friends.

walker111 said:

I have brewed this 6 times in the past 2 years

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Do use the original recipe apart from the yeast and the citra? I would like to give this a go, but not up to trawling through the 5658 messages on this post

SKBugs said:

Do use the original recipe apart from the yeast and the citra? I would like to give this a go, but not up to trawling through the 5658 messages on this post

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Yes, same recipe. My mash temp is probably around 150 as I have gone through many thermometers and finally found a true waterproof probe to leave in the cooler/tun. Turn around is also great with this brew as I can keg in 2 weeks easy and drink by week three when needed.

I take this beer to my sons hockey tournaments ( canada eh!), outdoor summer parties, and it is a hit. Great summer beer at 4- 4.4 %. I have a 4 tap keezer and like to have this one as a constant.
Brew it up!!!

walker111 said:

Brew it up!!!

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Done

I finally did this albeit bit different. I used this grain bill billed up for a Belgian blonde/ centennial blonde partigyle. 5gallins plus some sugar for the Belgian blonde, 8 gallons of centennial blonde wort w only the bittering addition fwh.
Of that 8 gallons of wort, 5 gallonsw the Cascade thrown in at pitching and 3 gallons without, destined to be a sour blond. Fermenting w Mangrove Jack's M42, New World Strong Ale yeast bc I wanted to try it in a neutral flavored beer and build it up for an actual American Strong Ale.
One mash, multiple runoffs and boils, 3 different beers. Gravity's came out close to what I expected after some blending.

rtstrider said:

If it were me I'd focus on maybe adding some whirlpool hops at 180f for 15 minutes and only use one addition of Centennial at first wort hop/nix the other boil additions. That'll pull out the flavor (not really bitterness) so you'll get the fruity punch of the hops without a major bite. Try using .5 oz Cascade and .5 oz Centennial. If you want to get an idea of what kind of bitterness this will offer I'd recommend picking up a pack of Sam's 76. They use a plethora of hops but you'll see what I mean. It's all fruit/flavor and no bitterness. I recently brewed a clone that was whirlpool/dry hop only with Chico. Nailed it style wise anywho.

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Thank you for the suggestion on the Sam Adams 76 , i did try it and thats exactly what i was talking about , it had that citrus type flavor from the hops without the bitterness my brew had although the 76 could have used a touch more bitterness..
Ill have to play with it and maybe cut down on the 60 min addition and add more to the late additions ( as you suggested ) to find what im looking for, the Centinial blonde is a good recipe and ill be making it again , just a few tweaks here and there .. Thanks again ...

SirHC_ said:

I finally did this albeit bit different. I used this grain bill billed up for a Belgian blonde/ centennial blonde partigyle. 5gallins plus some sugar for the Belgian blonde, 8 gallons of centennial blonde wort w only the bittering addition fwh.
Of that 8 gallons of wort, 5 gallonsw the Cascade thrown in at pitching and 3 gallons without, destined to be a sour blond. Fermenting w Mangrove Jack's M42, New World Strong Ale yeast bc I wanted to try it in a neutral flavored beer and build it up for an actual American Strong Ale.
One mash, multiple runoffs and boils, 3 different beers. Gravity's came out close to what I expected after some blending.

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Ok, bottled up a case last night and the rest went to a smaller carboy for souring.
Mine finished at 1004, really quite dry for a blond ale. I aimed a little lower on the carbonation to hopefully compensate. 3 weeks or so I'll let you know how it turns out.

SirHC_ said:

Ok, bottled up a case last night and the rest went to a smaller carboy for souring.
Mine finished at 1004, really quite dry for a blond ale. I aimed a little lower on the carbonation to hopefully compensate. 3 weeks or so I'll let you know how it turns out.

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Shouldn't you carb higher? I equate dry with crisp and crisp with bubbles. Is that wrong?

CaddyWampus said:

I brewed this up for the first time this evening. It is a 1.25 gallon batch as that is all I do. This is my third BIAB batch. I overshot my OG by about .006. I did happen to source my grains from a different supplier than my last two so I believe that might be the difference. I am looking forward for this to finish up already!

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After 8 days in the bottle, this beer is tasting great. I am going to let it go awhile longer before enjoying the rest. I plan to share this with BMC drinkers and see what they think. I believe I’ll make this a staple.

Looks good, been a few days since I popped the top on one of mine. It's definitely one to keep on hand.

whovous said:

Shouldn't you carb higher? I equate dry with crisp and crisp with bubbles. Is that wrong?

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Truthfully, I'm not really sure?
Carbonation = dry and crisp, I'd agree but I didn't want it to be overly so. Extra carbonation, afaik, increases perception of body but also thins the beer further. The "sample" I had at bottling already tasted a bit thin, partly because I used mostly the second running from a partigyle, and also because it finished so low fg.
I tried the leftover half bottle last night and the flavor was quite nice, body was expectedly thin and crisp, carbonation hadn't really dissolved yet into the beer though I'm sure it ever would w that mush empty space in the bottle.
I'll try a full bottle in a week or so and report back.

I was thinking of brewing this beer but with more of a "holiday" flare to it. What are the thoughts of adding some orange peel, honey, and spruce tips to this recipe?

Brewed this 2 weeks ago, going into the keg tomorrow night to make room in the fermenter for another brew I'll be doing. Thanks for the recipe, will comment again in a week or two when sampling.

beermaestro said:

I was thinking of brewing this beer but with more of a "holiday" flare to it. What are the thoughts of adding some orange peel, honey, and spruce tips to this recipe?

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This finishes plenty dry anyway, I would probably pass on the honey for a “holiday” edition. If anything, maybe even bump up the mash temp a little bit.

(Edit) spruce or juniper sounds interesting, maybe a cinnamon stick for good measure. If you plan to keep the hop schedule intact, you might want to hold to greens for steeping at flameout.

Yes I was thinking of adding about 2oz of spruce at no more than 5 minutes prior to flameout. Haven’t thought about the cinnamon as I know it can be over pretty overpowering and can take a while to mellow out. I would like to have this ready to drink by mid December. You think the cinnamon would compliment well and be subdued enough without aging for a long time?

beermaestro said:

Yes I was thinking of adding about 2oz of spruce at no more than 5 minutes prior to flameout. Haven’t thought about the cinnamon as I know it can be over pretty overpowering and can take a while to mellow out. I would like to have this ready to drink by mid December. You think the cinnamon would compliment well and be subdued enough without aging for a long time?

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Go spruce. Leave the cinnamon for a more complex malt profile

No cinnamon in a holiday beer? Didn’t know that was allowed!

of course it can certainly take over if too much is used. I have used it successfully (IMO) with lighter malt bills as well.

beermaestro said:

Yes I was thinking of adding about 2oz of spruce at no more than 5 minutes prior to flameout. Haven’t thought about the cinnamon as I know it can be over pretty overpowering and can take a while to mellow out. I would like to have this ready to drink by mid December. You think the cinnamon would compliment well and be subdued enough without aging for a long time?

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I like the idea of Spruce in this recipe. It's a good fit.

I played with a spruced-up beer recipe years ago here:

I only wish I'd added a little more spruce.

Finishing my last bottle of this excellent beer tonight. This is definitely on my short list to brew again!

Brewing this and thinking about splitting the batch and adding lactose and coffee to one. Has any one tried this? is adding lactose to get more body a terrible idea for this beer?

This was my 3rd beer overall and first time m as king this. Wow is it good. It tastes like a beer we all grew up on. I bumped up the grain bill to account for efficiency and wanted a bit higher abv. Well I came in at about 6%. It tastes great. Should have brewed it in summer as it is an amazing pool /lawnmower beer. My Miller lite drinking brother in law is going to love this!

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this recipe! I brewed it as my first all-grain brew (my second ever attempt at brewing) and it came out great.