Pale Ale Recipe

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ShooterMcGavin87

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Hi everyone,

I am completely new to beer brewing, and looking to brew my first batch soon. I have all equipment needed and found a recipe for a low abv pale ale I wanted to try out. I just wanted to run the recipe by everyone to get some tips for changes that possibly need to be made before getting to it, particularly the amount if extract, as most recipes that I've seen tend to have more extract than this one. I'm hoping for an abv of 4 - 4.5%. I'm not expecting perfection the first time around, but I'd like to do my best to make sure the beer is at least drinkable. Here's the recipe:

Steep 2lbs dark Munich and .5 lb crystal 60l
3lbs gold lme
1 lb dry lme
.5 oz Chinook at 60 mins
.5 simcoe at 15 mins
.5 Chinook at 10 mins
.5 simcoe at 5 Mins
.5 oz simcoe and Chinook 0 mins
Dry hop with 1 oz simcoe and 1 oz Chinook for 2 days


Thanks a lot for your input and advice.
 
Hi. Welcome to HBT and the obsession of home brewing. I appreciate your wanting to take a crack at your own first recipe, but I'd like to recommend you try a proven pale ale. It's Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde (BMCB) (extract version.) The reason I suggest this is you have enough to worry about just learning about home brewing. Go with something proven to be a winner and use it to hone your skills. Once you have a better understanding of the process and your equipment, by all means start trying new things. I'm not saying your recipe won't work or won't taste great, but I know BMCB is an absolute winner. Above all, relax and have fun. This is a hobby and should be enjoyed. In the words of Charlie Papazian, "Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Home Brew" (RDWHAHB.) Don't hesitate to ask questions, and be sure to read the beginner's forums. Every question you might have, or even don't know to ask, has been answered somewhere on HBT. Good luck and welcome!
:mug:
 
Hi. Welcome to HBT and the obsession of home brewing. I appreciate your wanting to take a crack at your own first recipe, but I'd like to recommend you try a proven pale ale. It's Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde (BMCB) (extract version.) The reason I suggest this is you have enough to worry about just learning about home brewing. Go with something proven to be a winner and use it to hone your skills. Once you have a better understanding of the process and your equipment, by all means start trying new things. I'm not saying your recipe won't work or won't taste great, but I know BMCB is an absolute winner. Above all, relax and have fun. This is a hobby and should be enjoyed. In the words of Charlie Papazian, "Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Home Brew" (RDWHAHB.) Don't hesitate to ask questions, and be sure to read the beginner's forums. Every question you might have, or even don't know to ask, has been answered somewhere on HBT. Good luck and welcome!
:mug:

I think I will go that route. You're right, it is overwhelming just starting out, so I think I'll give that recipe a shot. Thanks for the suggestions, I really appreciate it.
 
I second the Centennial Blonde recipe- you'll enjoy it.
IMO the most important thing to pay attention to, especially this time of year, is temperature control starting with pitching at the right temp, and continuing through the 1st week or so of fermentation. You get that right and the yeast will take care of themselves. A wise man once said " the Brewmaster makes wort, the Yeast make the beer". Good luck :mug:
 
I think I will go that route. You're right, it is overwhelming just starting out, so I think I'll give that recipe a shot. Thanks for the suggestions, I really appreciate it.
Do you have a brew club close-by, or someone you know who is a homebrewer that might help during your brew day? While this isn't so hard you can't learn it on your own, it really makes a huge difference having someone there who can show you the ropes. You can read all the books/blogs/forums/articles in the world, but nothing beats doing it with someone who has done this a few times to help guide you through the process until you get comfortable. Simple things like turning off the heat when you add your extract (liquid or dry) and stir like crazy so you don't scorch it. Watch your pot every second, especially as it gets close to boiling/hot-break so you can stir or reduce the heat to prevent a boil-over, etc. What JimRausch said is also spot on. You can do everything perfectly, and then screw up the fermentation and have a crappy beer. If nothing else, I'd recommend you look at Brewer's Friend. It's free and offers all kinds of great tools and calculators. Best of all, if you put in your recipe and select "Brew", it will provide a detailed, step by step checklist of what to do, and when to do it. That's invaluable for someone just starting out (as well as someone homebrewing for years.) Even with a checklist, I guarantee you will miss something. Don't sweat it! As long as you pay attention to cleanliness/post boil sanitation, and try to manage your fermentation temps, you will produce a very drinkable beer.
 
Steep 2lbs dark Munich and .5 lb crystal 60l
3lbs gold lme
1 lb dry lme
.5 oz Chinook at 60 mins
.5 simcoe at 15 mins
.5 Chinook at 10 mins
.5 simcoe at 5 Mins
.5 oz simcoe and Chinook 0 mins
Dry hop with 1 oz simcoe and 1 oz Chinook for 2 days

Munich needs to be mashed. Unless you mash it (and control temperatures appropriately) you will end up with anything from nothing, to unfermentable wort, to ... maybe perfect. Chances are it will contribute nothing.

So ... this will end up with an OG of about 1.032, which will yield about 3% abv.

Hoping looks OK, for a low abv beer.

2 day dry hop is very short. I'll go 10 days usually, which to some is long. 5 to 7 seems to be the norm.
 
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