Please Critique My Grain Bill - American Pale Ale

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BeefsBeer

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Hello Everybody. I am trying to make a mildly sweet fruity American Pale Ale. I think I am sold on my hop schedule but I was hoping somebody can take a look at my grain bill. I'm going for mildly sweet. I want to mash around 150 or 151. This will be 3.25 gallon BIAB

3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 40.7 %
3 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 40.7 %
1 lbs Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 3 13.6 %
4.0 oz Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.4 %
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.7 %
 
Hello Everybody. I am trying to make a mildly sweet fruity American Pale Ale. I think I am sold on my hop schedule but I was hoping somebody can take a look at my grain bill. I'm going for mildly sweet. I want to mash around 150 or 151. This will be 3.25 gallon BIAB

3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 40.7 %
3 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 40.7 %
1 lbs Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 3 13.6 %
4.0 oz Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.4 %
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.7 %

"Mildly sweet" is hard for me to understand, but I assume that you mean with crystal malt sweetness. Sweetness can also come from underbittering, so the balance between IBUs and OG is the crucial part. Without knowing that at all, I'd suggest increasing the crystal malt to 5-7% and then decide what you want from the Munich malt and the rye malt. Rye is slightly spicy, but 13% may not give much flavor. 3.4% Munich malt is very little if you want to increase maltiness.

The level of sweetness just really depends on what you're going for, and how many IBUs you have for bittering hops.
 
Looks like an unnecessarily complex grain bill, also the sweetness you are seeking will have to come from a higher mash temp, the amount of crystal is minimal. Personally, I'd drop the Vienna, and go to more of a lighter crystal, say half a pound or so of CR10 for the residual sweetness. The rye will give a distinctive character of it's own, a character many people like. I doubt that the difference between 3 pounds each of two row American and Maris Otter, and 6 pounds of one or the other will be noticeable to most people including yourself.......and myself.

I'm a newbie, with only 21 all grain brews under my belt, and I'm still playing with simple combinations so I can assess what the different components contribute to the whole. The Rye is the distinctive component here. Get too many other things involved and you won't know anything is doing. I believe in the KISS principle........ Reduce it to American two row, or Maris Otter, Rye, and a suitable crystal so you can pin down the characteristics of the components of the grain bill.

That's my two cents............ for what it's worth.


H.W.
 
I personally recommend:
British crisp two row pale instead of marris otter
5% crystal/caramel malt
Drop the Munich

Residual sweetness is tricky and depends on so many factors, including yeast selection. That being said, I don't believe you are far off from an effective pale ale grist. Resist the urge to go with the kitchen sink method! I like the subtle touch of using different base grains (British and American 2 row) in the same recipe- the difference will not be huge, but it might just be what you are looking for.

As for the rye- in my experience rye can have a drying effect on beer which can be awesome and desirable along with the spicy/earthy flavor characteristics yooper mentioned. 13% isn't much, but it will have a minor effect on the flavor and significant positive effect on head retention. Take it or leave it: that part is a matter of flare, at this point.

Less is more! Brew on.
 
You've gotten some good advice here.

If it were me, I would get rid of the rye malt, for reasons described. When I make APAs, I usually add about 10% munich and 5% crystal, mashed at 151. The resultant beer definitely has a nice malt body, plenty to balance the hop load that I like. But, as Yooper mentioned, without a hop schedule, it's impossible to ascertain how your balance is going to be.

If you like beers on the hoppier side, I recently made a session IPA that was very successful. Happy to share the recipe if you're interested.
 
Thank you everybody. The Maris Otter / US 2 row split is because I generally brew with Maris Otter and enjoy the results. A fellow brewer suggested I try splitting it with US 2 row so I wanted to for this recipe. Here is my altered grist and hop schedule. I upped the rye , dropped the munich and went with crystal 20 for color..

3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 36.4 %
3 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 36.4 %
1 lbs 12.0 oz Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 3 21.2 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.1 %

0.25 oz Magnum [12.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 16.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 11.6 IBUs
0.70 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 7.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Ahtanum [6.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 3.2 IBUs

US-05

OG 1.058
IBU 38

Thanks everybody
 
With 21% rye, it will definitely be noticeable and forward. I like rye IPAs and pale ales, and find that amount to be quite prominent without being too much. You've got a definite rye pale ale there.

It looks really good, if that's your goal.
 

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