Lite Brown Ale (Hop Water) Yuk

I brewed a light body, light alcohol brown ale in an attempt to have a refreshing ale that I could drink over the summer. After doing the 123 (Keg Carbed) I tried this last night. All I could taste was the hops, nothing else (Hop Water). I am tempted to toss this out and try again because I don't think the Hops taste will subside. I have a hard time finishing the glass.

Here is the recipe:

Recipe: Lite Ale
Brewer: Preston Brown
Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (15.0) Lite Alcohol Beer with no body.

Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 7.46 gal
Estimated OG: 1.034 SG
Estimated Color: 10.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 120 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount Item Type % or IBU
5 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 81.48 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 11.11 %
8.0 oz Special Roast (50.0 SRM) Grain 7.41 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hops 24.5 IBU
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale

Mash Schedule: (PB) Double Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 6.75 lb
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(PB) Double Infusion, Light Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
30 min Protein Rest Add 6.08 qt of water at 133.7 F 122.0 F
60 min Saccrification Add 5.40 qt of water at 189.6 F 150.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 5.40 qt of water at 211.9 F 168.0 F

Let me know what you think, and how to improve it. If I do make this again, I will use far less hops.

It looks like with that gravity it's more like a mild, in which case your IBUs are quite high to style. I would either bump up the grain bill or reduce the hops, or better yet a bit of both, depending on how big a beer you are going for. Maybe add a couple pounds of 2-row, and drop your first hop addition to 1/2 oz.

Too bad I can't mix my ESB with your hop water. I have too much body and not enough hops.

Your mild should have used about 3/4 oz for bittering and 1/4 oz for flavor/aroma. That's more or less what I recall using and it's a nicely balanced mild - IBUs came out to 15 or 16.

Came across a rule for balanced beer recently: the OG should be double the IBUs to produce a balanced beer. So for your OG of 1.034 you should have aimed for 17 IBUs. You had 23 IBUs - about 25% too much. Give it a few weeks on the gas though. My mild was not good for the first month or so, then it came around nicely after I left it alone for a few more weeks.

Should I keep it chilled and carbed or let it go flat and warm it up?
Thanks

Preston

If you are talking hop aroma/flavor rather than bittering levels, give it a month & it will tone down. Serving it at cellar temperatures and reducing the carbonation level will also help.