Blonde Ale 541 - A British Blonde Ale

[aprichman]

Recipe Type

All Grain

Yeast

WLP002

Yeast Starter

No

Batch Size (Gallons)

5.25 gallons

Original Gravity

1.050

Final Gravity

1.010

Boiling Time (Minutes)

60

IBU

20

Color

5 degrees lovibond

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

7 days @ 66°F followed by 7 days @ 70°F

Tasting Notes

Malt forward with notes of bread, graham cracker, and honey followed by a mild bitterness with hints of spice and earth.

5.75 gallons in the kettle - 5.25 in the fermenter.


8.25 lbs Pale 2-row
0.75 lbs White Wheat
0.33 lbs Honey Malt
0.25 lbs Torrified Wheat
0.25 lbs Acid Malt

1.25 oz Willamette @ 60 min
2.00 oz Willamette @ 5 min

Single infusion, BIAB full volume. Mashed in @ 150°F, held for 60 minutes, temperature dropped to 147°F by the end.

1 packet WLP002 @ 66°F 7 days, raised to 70°F for 7 more days.

Kegged, force carbonated @ 9 psi & 33°F for 9 days before sampling.

O.G. 1.050 (74% efficiency)
F.G. 1.010 (80% apparent attenuation)
IBU: 21 (calculated)

Appearance: burnt golden, pours a bit hazy, 1.5 finger head, nice foam retention

Aroma: Moderate English esters, earth, honey, mild caramel and spicy citrus in the background

Taste: Fairly clean with some hints of the English yeast, subtle honey sweetness, fresh baked biscuit, graham cracker, orange like citrus, a bit of noble spice, and some earth. The palate starts out with some sweetness but is quickly balanced on the end by a pleasant bitterness from the Willamette hops.

Feel: Mild carbonation, good thickness, immensely drinkable.

An easy drinking 5.3% Blonde that is interesting enough for craft brew lovers but approachable enough for BMC drinkers. Probably one of the most delicious beers I've brewed.

 

[Pappers_]

Nice. That's a pretty looking beer!

 

[aprichman]

Nice. That's a pretty looking beer!

Thank you Pappers, it's been a great beer to have on tap. I moved the keg into its new home last night (a bigger chest freezer) and was surprised that it was getting close to empty. My wife and I have been drinking this one really quickly. We've had our first warm streak in the Pacific NW this week and this beer has been perfect for it.

 

[Bubbles2]

5.75 gallons in the kettle - 5.25 in the fermenter.


8.25 lbs Pale 2-row
0.75 lbs White Wheat
0.33 lbs Honey Malt
0.25 lbs Torrified Wheat
0.25 lbs Acid Malt

1.25 oz Willamette @ 60 min
2.00 oz Willamette @ 5 min

Single infusion, BIAB full volume. Mashed in @ 150°F, held for 60 minutes, temperature dropped to 147°F by the end.

1 packet WLP002 @ 66°F 7 days, raised to 70°F for 7 more days.

Kegged, force carbonated @ 9 psi & 33°F for 9 days before sampling.

O.G. 1.050 (74% efficiency)
F.G. 1.010 (80% apparent attenuation)
IBU: 21 (calculated)

Appearance: burnt golden, pours a bit hazy, 1.5 finger head, nice foam retention

Aroma: Moderate English esters, earth, honey, mild caramel and spicy citrus in the background

Taste: Fairly clean with some hints of the English yeast, subtle honey sweetness, fresh baked biscuit, graham cracker, orange like citrus, a bit of noble spice, and some earth. The palate starts out with some sweetness but is quickly balanced on the end by a pleasant bitterness from the Willamette hops.

Feel: Mild carbonation, good thickness, immensely drinkable.

An easy drinking 5.3% Blonde that is interesting enough for craft brew lovers but approachable enough for BMC drinkers. Probably one of the most delicious beers I've brewed.

Thank you for taking the time to share the recipe, steps and description. Cheers! I will try this one when I order up some more supplies.