APA Grain Bill Too Complex?

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Doog_Si_Reeb

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I'm planning to brew an all Cascade Pale Ale tomorrow morning, using hops picked from the local hop farm last Saturday, and wanted input on the grain bill. I've heard that too complex of a grain bill can muddy up the flavors.

Here's what I'm thinking:

5.5 gallon recipe with 65% efficiency, 60 minute boil, mash temp at 153 (want it to be a little maltier than my previous APAs)

9 lbs Two-row
1 lb Munich
1 lb Vienna
.5 lb CaraPils
.25 lb Crystal 20
.25 lb Crystal 40

Hops: All Cascade, assuming 5.5% AA
1.5 oz 60 min
.5 oz 15 min
.5 oz. 10 min
.5 oz. 5 min
.5 oz 0 min

I'll use US-05 or Pacman for the dirty work.

Calculated OG: 1.052, FG: 1.013, IBU: 37, SRM: 8, ABV: 5.0.

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks! :mug:
 
I'd leave the crystal out entirely and possibly reduce the Vienna and Munich a little. I'm not an expert on hop schedules, but that looks pretty good to me. Cascades are great for APA's.
 
I think your grainbill is great, personally. I like a maltier pale as well, I tend to reserve the dry thing for a full-out IPA.

Are the hops wet hops, or have they been dried?
 
Looks great. I have one right now I am drinking on that was like 8lbs 2 row and 3 pounds vienna with a 1/2 lb of victory and 1/2 lb C-20 and 1/4 lb C-60. It was all hopped with Cascade something like 60, 30, 20, 10, 0 and DH. I used 3.5 oz total or so. Turned out awesome. I like my APA's more malt balanced. Give me the hops but you gotta come with the malt! The malt ate up the IBU's pretty well. Plus I used a yeast with lower attenuation. US-05 in my opinion leaves things pretty one-sided and too dry for my taste on the APA scale. YMMV
 
I'd say go either Munich or Vienna, but not both. I usually do Vienna in my APA's and Munich in my IPA's, it helps differentiate the profile between the two if you drank them side by side.

Aside from that, I do almost the same stuff in the same proportions for my APA - 2 row base with light crystal, carapils, and Vienna, and I always get a clean, balanced malt backbone that really makes a nice base to emphasize citrusy hops. With just a lb of Vienna I bet you'd be really happy.
 
The malt bill looks good to me. If anything I'd change the Crystal 40 for Crystal 60.

Whatever you choose, I say lock it down and re-brew a number of times and play with the hops. Have fun...
 
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