Sampled my second ever batch today — a Dale’s Pale Ale clone recipe — extract. It’s very drinkable but quite different than Dale’s. My batch is quite a bit darker and has more malty sweetness — more similar to a brown ale. I’m wondering if this is a function of the recipe or if there may be process issues. I’ve attached the recipe here if anyone would care to take a look and see if that might be the cause. If not, interested in any process changes that could help. Thanks!
Pale ale feedback
- Thread starter JRSpangen
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BrewnWKopperKat
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Process looks like a partial boil (3 gal) with all the DME/LME added at the start of the boil.
Take a look at How To Brew, 4e, chapter 1 for an alternative approach to brewing 5 gal batches on a stove top. The basic idea is boil with roughly 1/2 the water & DME/LME, then add the rest of the DME/LME and water at the end of the boil. Recipe software will be helpful as you will need to adjust hop amounts to match estimated IBUs.
A shorter boil time (say 30 minutes) and a less intense boil (link to boiling wort visual reference) may help lighten the color. Note that a shorter boil time will require additional hops to achieve the desired level of bitterness.
Take a look at How To Brew, 4e, chapter 1 for an alternative approach to brewing 5 gal batches on a stove top. The basic idea is boil with roughly 1/2 the water & DME/LME, then add the rest of the DME/LME and water at the end of the boil. Recipe software will be helpful as you will need to adjust hop amounts to match estimated IBUs.
A shorter boil time (say 30 minutes) and a less intense boil (link to boiling wort visual reference) may help lighten the color. Note that a shorter boil time will require additional hops to achieve the desired level of bitterness.
wsmith1625
Well-Known Member
Another approach is doing a full volume boil. With this method, you actually use less hops.
BrewnWKopperKat
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Agreed - a full volume boil would also help (when compared to a concentrated boil).
Target color for the clone recipe appears to be 8.5 (Dale's Pale Ale - American Pale Ale | Oskar Blues Brewery).
Shipping conditions may be a factor here (link: Secrets to Keeping your Liquid Extracts Fresh - Briess):
Target color for the clone recipe appears to be 8.5 (Dale's Pale Ale - American Pale Ale | Oskar Blues Brewery).
Shipping conditions may be a factor here (link: Secrets to Keeping your Liquid Extracts Fresh - Briess):
Interesting..storage of ingredients in the Texas summer could have something to do with it. Will check in with the folks at Austin Homebrew to see if they concur.. I need to learn to measure brew color..will do some research
Any beer that has extract will be darker and a bit sweeter than a commercial or even all grain version. It is the process of making the extract and it's subsequent use that is the cause. You can lessen the darkening by adding most of the extract after the wort is taken off the heat.
BrewnWKopperKat
ʘ‿ʘ
On the Importance of Late Extract Addition (link) may be of interest.
Clarity of the beer will also have an influence on perceived color.
Clarity of the beer will also have an influence on perceived color.
jrgtr42
Well-Known Member
There's a couple things going on there.
Did you measure they starting and ending gravity on it? If higher than expected that may explain sweetness - though 1.017 seems a little high for a pale ale in the first place.
As far as the darkness, it's likely from the extract. Extract, especially Liquid, can darken over time, so what it looks like fresh would be several shades lighter than a few months old, and so on.
For extract beers, I like the idea of adding some at the beginning, then the rest near the end - some say right at the end, I like to give it 10 or 15 minutes to make sure it's fully dissolved and mixed in there.
As far as the hops go, I would personally move the Cascade addition from 30 minutes to go to 10, with the columbus - or split them half and half at 10 and 5, maybe, then the Centennial at flameout as directed.
Did you measure they starting and ending gravity on it? If higher than expected that may explain sweetness - though 1.017 seems a little high for a pale ale in the first place.
As far as the darkness, it's likely from the extract. Extract, especially Liquid, can darken over time, so what it looks like fresh would be several shades lighter than a few months old, and so on.
For extract beers, I like the idea of adding some at the beginning, then the rest near the end - some say right at the end, I like to give it 10 or 15 minutes to make sure it's fully dissolved and mixed in there.
As far as the hops go, I would personally move the Cascade addition from 30 minutes to go to 10, with the columbus - or split them half and half at 10 and 5, maybe, then the Centennial at flameout as directed.
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