APA recipe feedback

SSBrew - 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
C

carloscede2

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2016
Messages
217
Reaction score
27
Location
Ottawa
So I wanted to try out thise recipe and would love your insight. I am still a noob but trying to improve every time. Shooting for a smooth APA with a nice aroma and flavour.

Batch size: 3.5 gal
Boil size: 4.24 gal
5 lbs Canadian 2 row
1 lbs caramel 40L
1 lbs of munich 20L
0.25 oz galaxy @ 60
0.25 oz galaxy @ 30
025 oz cascade @ 15
0.25 oz cascade @ flameout
Safale US-05

Calculated OG 1.050
IBU's 33
Caculated FG 1.010
ABV 5.4%
Estimated efficiency 70%
SRM 11.6

Planning to mash at 154F for an hour and 1.5 quarts/grist ratio. 2 weeks in primary at 17-19 Celsius and bottle.
 
carloscede2-
You have a great looking recipe here. Have you ever brewed with Cascade hops before? The only reason I ask is because Cascade has a distinct, almost IPA flavor. The closest off-the-shelf frame of reference would be Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale. I love it! My wife hates it. Obviously, the second addition per your recipe will accentuate this flavor, of which I am sure you are aware. You may find that it drowns out the subtlety of the grain you chose (also well thought out!).
Your yeast choice also looks good. I recently switched to liquid yeast and enjoy Wyeast for the convenience, but White Labs for the quality when I have time to plan ahead. I was blown away by the change in final quality when using liquid yeast over dry. I found it was easier to get a clearer final product and more consistent overall product. I was also impressed with how important yeast is in the final flavor profile.
Two weeks in the primary should be the minimum. Three is a safer bet but spending the cash on a hygrometer will allow you to see almost exactly when you are ready to move to your secondary; especially because you have done your homework on what to expect with your O.G and F.Gs. A hygrometer will allow you to verify these numbers and to perfect your process- something I also enjoy doing.
Good luck! Holler back if you have any questions and be sure to let us all know how it goes! Respectfully,
-Ritalin
 
RitalinIV said:
carloscede2-
You have a great looking recipe here. Have you ever brewed with Cascade hops before? The only reason I ask is because Cascade has a distinct, almost IPA flavor. The closest off-the-shelf frame of reference would be Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale. I love it! My wife hates it. Obviously, the second addition per your recipe will accentuate this flavor, of which I am sure you are aware. You may find that it drowns out the subtlety of the grain you chose (also well thought out!).
Your yeast choice also looks good. I recently switched to liquid yeast and enjoy Wyeast for the convenience, but White Labs for the quality when I have time to plan ahead. I was blown away by the change in final quality when using liquid yeast over dry. I found it was easier to get a clearer final product and more consistent overall product. I was also impressed with how important yeast is in the final flavor profile.
Two weeks in the primary should be the minimum. Three is a safer bet but spending the cash on a hygrometer will allow you to see almost exactly when you are ready to move to your secondary; especially because you have done your homework on what to expect with your O.G and F.Gs. A hygrometer will allow you to verify these numbers and to perfect your process- something I also enjoy doing.
Good luck! Holler back if you have any questions and be sure to let us all know how it goes! Respectfully,
-Ritalin
Click to expand...

I tried sierra nevada not too long ago, loved it so much that Im reading Beyond the Pale from Kent Groosman (owner of sierra nevada). If I can get something similar to that Id be more than satisfied. I have never used liquid yeast before because Im not sure how they work plus they are more expensive, but if the end result is that much better then I guess I can spend a few more bucks and try to harvest it I have a hydrometer and always take a reading before bottling to make sure fermentation is done. Ive found that after two weeks, it is always done. I stepped transferring my beer to the secondary, instead, I ferment two batches at the same time. Thanks a lot for your feedback and your advice, I really appreciate them!
 
US05 is great for Pale Ale. And easy.

Canadian two row? It exists? Going to be a CPA. [emoji3]
 
You might want to cut back the crystal a bit - you're at about 14%, I'd suggest half that amount.

Also, I find galaxy quite harsh as a bittering hop. Try a neutral hop like magnum at 60mins. Galaxy at 30mins will also not do much - maybe move it back to 15mins if you want some passionfruit flavour. Your hop quantities are quite low - are you looking for dominant hop flavour and aroma, or just a subtle hoppiness?
 
daksin said:
Looks tasty- let us know how it turns out! I love US-05 for its flavor, ease of use, and cost!
Click to expand...

I use 05 quite a bit myself, in fact any time that a dry form of the particular strain I want to use is available, i choose dry.

Your recipe looks damn good, nothing really I'd change to be honest. Sierra Nevada is a "stand by" in my house. I've actually cloned it several times and it has turned our very well. The galaxy hops should make this interesting.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
Gnomebrewer said:
You might want to cut back the crystal a bit - you're at about 14%, I'd suggest half that amount.

Also, I find galaxy quite harsh as a bittering hop. Try a neutral hop like magnum at 60mins. Galaxy at 30mins will also not do much - maybe move it back to 15mins if you want some passionfruit flavour. Your hop quantities are quite low - are you looking for dominant hop flavour and aroma, or just a subtle hoppiness?
Click to expand...

Remember that is a 3.5 gal recipe, ibus increas wildly every time I increase the hop quantities. 14% (as far as I have it understood) is ok, the base malt is 72% so it shouldnt be an issue. Subtle hoppiness sounds about right, dont really like too hoppy beers
 
Thanks a lot for your feedback guys! Its really encouraging to see these posts and know that I am on the right track
 
I would go up a bit on the flameout addition. You aren't gonna get to many more IBUs there, and it would give you more hop flavor without the bitterness. I like to do a little dry hop in APA's too.
 
I would add another ounce and a half of cascade and move all of the cascade hops to a Hopstand at 160-170 degrees or so and dry hop with the last half ounce of cascade.
Don't get me wrong it will be good as is that is just me. I love American hops in my American beers.
 
From your initial post and subsequent comments, it sounds like you're wanting an APA that is a little more malt forward, not too hoppy. If that's the case, I think your recipe looks like a good start(although I will say that a pound of Crystal 40 in 3.5 gallons is quite a bit). The aroma will most likely be be mostly malt, too, btw. You said "nice aroma", and depending on what that means to you, I'd consider doing a dry hop. Won't add any bitterness, but it will give you more of that typical APA aroma. Cascade is a good choice there and definitely common for the style.
 
I use 2.5 to 20 pounds of base malt in my SN clone ib a 10 gallon batch. Im a big fan of faucett c45-55. And canadian 2 fow is fine Great wester or Canadian Malting are both fine malsters.
 
303Dan said:
From your initial post and subsequent comments, it sounds like you're wanting an APA that is a little more malt forward, not too hoppy. If that's the case, I think your recipe looks like a good start(although I will say that a pound of Crystal 40 in 3.5 gallons is quite a bit). The aroma will most likely be be mostly malt, too, btw. You said "nice aroma", and depending on what that means to you, I'd consider doing a dry hop. Won't add any bitterness, but it will give you more of that typical APA aroma. Cascade is a good choice there and definitely common for the style.
Click to expand...

I would still have 0.5 oz of cascade ready to use, should I use it to dry hop it? If so, when and how long should I do it? Do you think I should cut the crystal to 0.5 lbs?
 
303Dan said:
From your initial post and subsequent comments, it sounds like you're wanting an APA that is a little more malt forward, not too hoppy. If that's the case, I think your recipe looks like a good start(although I will say that a pound of Crystal 40 in 3.5 gallons is quite a bit). The aroma will most likely be be mostly malt, too, btw. You said "nice aroma", and depending on what that means to you, I'd consider doing a dry hop. Won't add any bitterness, but it will give you more of that typical APA aroma. Cascade is a good choice there and definitely common for the style.
Click to expand...

I agree, I would cut the C40 in half or even less, especially since you will already be getting some color from the Munich. If you like Sierra Nevada, that strikes me as a beer that is on the pale end of the spectrum of APA's, and also pretty dry.

I have a slight preference for Nottingham over US-05, it seems to start faster and ferment stronger. If you already have the US-05, however, I am sure it is not worth changing, the US-05 will do just fine.

Either way I am sure you will make a great beer.
 
carloscede2 said:
I would still have 0.5 oz of cascade ready to use, should I use it to dry hop it? If so, when and how long should I do it? Do you think I should cut the crystal to 0.5 lbs?
Click to expand...

A .5 oz dry hop is better than nothing, but if it were me, I'd go up to at least 2oz in a 3.5 gal batch if you want to notice it. As far as time and duration, you can put it in just after active fermentation is done and leave it for say, 4-7 days. If you plan on an extended stay in primary, then just add it 4-7 days before you plan on packaging.

Yes, I'd say .75 lb of Crystal should be plenty in 3.5 gal, especially with the Munich 20L in there too. make up the lost gravity points with your base malt and adjust recipe accordingly.

Dan
 
normonster said:
I don't think so. They wouldn't do that to an American Classic.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it has always been that way. I tried to find a reference on their website but among other marketing changes they seem to have scrubbed that information. It is also possible they just switched malt sources. I would have to go back to my parents house and find a pamphlet they handed out years ago to prove it now.
 
theheroguy said:
I'm pretty sure it has always been that way. I tried to find a reference on their website but among other marketing changes they seem to have scrubbed that information. It is also possible they just switched malt sources. I would have to go back to my parents house and find a pamphlet they handed out years ago to prove it now.
Click to expand...


Pamphlet or it didn't happen. [emoji12]

Whatever man. If that were true it would be the dumbest thing ever.
 
That's a great foundation for a tasty APA. Like others have said, consider lowering the crystal malt. You could even delete the crystal all together and sub in some Victory if you can get it. Biscuit, Honey Malt, maybe Aromatic are all good "malt complexity" grains that don't come off as too sweet on the palate. Stay under 5% with those, and just use one. They get muddled when combined, and dominate when too much is used. I've never used Munich 20, so I can't speak to it, but it looks good to me.

As for the hops, I'll echo the others again and say that Galaxy is not a good bittering hop. The character is so unique that really the only time I would add it is late late late. If you have an ounce package that you don't mind using all of, toss the whole thing in at flameout and steep for 15 minutes before you chill. You'll still get IBU, and the flavor and aroma you get from a steep with a hop like Galaxy is out of this world!

Not sure how Cascade is with bittering, it's not my personal favorite hop, but I can tell you this: when I used Galaxy with Cascade, I got this really awesome, subtle strawberry-like aroma, along with all the other aromas you'd expect from these hops. You'll be happy with late Galaxy for sure.

Something I whipped up quickly as an example, feel free to modify as you please:

OG - 1.050, FG - 1.010, ABV - 5.3%
IBU - 34, SRM - 7-7.7 (depending on which specialty malt used)
4.24g Boil, 3.5g Batch, 70% Efficiency

5.5lb Canadian 2-Row - 80.4%
1lb Munich 20L - 14.6%
0.35lb (5.5oz) Victory (or aromatic, or biscuit, or honey malt) - 5%
Mash 154f for 60mins

0.25oz Cascade @ 60 - 11.54 IBU
0.25oz Cascade @ 30 - 6.41 IBU
1oz Galaxy @ flameout, steep 15 minutes, stirring occasionally - 16.05 IBU (@5% utilization)
0.5oz Cascade dry hop for 4-7 days

ferment 17c-19c for 2 weeks
 
NatureOfTheYeast said:
That's a great foundation for a tasty APA. Like others have said, consider lowering the crystal malt. You could even delete the crystal all together and sub in some Victory if you can get it. Biscuit, Honey Malt, maybe Aromatic are all good "malt complexity" grains that don't come off as too sweet on the palate. Stay under 5% with those, and just use one. They get muddled when combined, and dominate when too much is used. I've never used Munich 20, so I can't speak to it, but it looks good to me.

As for the hops, I'll echo the others again and say that Galaxy is not a good bittering hop. The character is so unique that really the only time I would add it is late late late. If you have an ounce package that you don't mind using all of, toss the whole thing in at flameout and steep for 15 minutes before you chill. You'll still get IBU, and the flavor and aroma you get from a steep with a hop like Galaxy is out of this world!

Not sure how Cascade is with bittering, it's not my personal favorite hop, but I can tell you this: when I used Galaxy with Cascade, I got this really awesome, subtle strawberry-like aroma, along with all the other aromas you'd expect from these hops. You'll be happy with late Galaxy for sure.

Something I whipped up quickly as an example, feel free to modify as you please:

OG - 1.050, FG - 1.010, ABV - 5.3%
IBU - 34, SRM - 7-7.7 (depending on which specialty malt used)
4.24g Boil, 3.5g Batch, 70% Efficiency

5.5lb Canadian 2-Row - 80.4%
1lb Munich 20L - 14.6%
0.35lb (5.5oz) Victory (or aromatic, or biscuit, or honey malt) - 5%
Mash 154f for 60mins

0.25oz Cascade @ 60 - 11.54 IBU
0.25oz Cascade @ 30 - 6.41 IBU
1oz Galaxy @ flameout, steep 15 minutes, stirring occasionally - 16.05 IBU (@5% utilization)
0.5oz Cascade dry hop for 4-7 days

ferment 17c-19c for 2 weeks
Click to expand...

What hop should I use for bittering then? Galena? Summit? Or just stay with cascade? Also, what do you mean by steep 15 min? Ive never put hops at flameout so Im not sure. Carapils instead of aromatic malt? Or caramel 20? I got 0.5 lbs of each sitting on the shelf lol
 
If you have Summit, it would be a good bittering hop I'd think. Cascade is good, too, but I was just working with the recipe you posted. Use your software to determine how much Summit to use. It shouldn't be much, Summit is usually around 18% alpha acid. I'd recommend measuring that addition in grams if you can.

Steeping is to turn the flame off, add the hops, and let them sit in the hot wort for 15 minutes before you cool your wort. Google "hop stand" and you'll find articles and experiments on the technique. It's an interesting method that gets a really nice smooth flavor out of the hops.

Carapils won't sub well, but the 0.5 pounds of crystal 20 would do just fine as a sub. You can also just stick with your original crystal 40 at 0.5 pound as well. I was only giving an example of how you could use specialty malts in place of crystal, but really it's up to you. If you like the way crystal 40 tastes in an APA ( and there's nothing wrong with that :) ) then by all means, use it.
 
I havent bought any of tje ingredients yet so I can still make changes. I have never tried crystal 40 but I was curious with it. Galaxy is not even available in my lhbs so I might substitute that for something else with a citrus flavour. Ill try buying an ounce of summit to see how it works out.
PD: this is only my third batch using hops so I am very new to their use even though Ive read tons of theories about them
 
So Ive made a few changes to my recipe, planning to brew next sunday. I havent ordered the ingredients yet because Im open to suggestions. The changes are the hops and the crystal malt as well as the batch size (now 4 gallons). Please take a look at it and let me know what you think.

View attachment 1457735460387.jpg
 
That looks good. It should give you a balanced, easy drinking beer. I'd expect the flavour and aroma to lean towards malt, with a hint of citrus aroma and flavour.
 
Gnomebrewer said:
That looks good. It should give you a balanced, easy drinking beer. I'd expect the flavour and aroma to lean towards malt, with a hint of citrus aroma and flavour.
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I was thinking. Are you still considering a Cascade dry hop? Also, what are your projected OG and FG?
 
So I've taken two hydromer readings 4 days apart from each other, and it only went down from 1.019 to 1.018. I was wondering if there is something wrong with the yeast or thats just normal. The first reading was after 7 days and the second one after 11 days. Should I put more yeast? Thanks
 
What OG did you hit? FG 1.018 seems a bit high.

Did you aerate the wort? (shouldn't matter too much with dry yeast anyway). One packet of dry yeast should be plenty for that volume of beer.

Could it be a problem with your thermometer? Do you have a reliable thermometer you can calibrate it against? Maybe your mash temp was higher than you thought.

Does it taste sweet? Maybe your hydrometer is not correct.
 
Gnomebrewer said:
What OG did you hit? FG 1.018 seems a bit high.

Did you aerate the wort? (shouldn't matter too much with dry yeast anyway). One packet of dry yeast should be plenty for that volume of beer.

Could it be a problem with your thermometer? Do you have a reliable thermometer you can calibrate it against? Maybe your mash temp was higher than you thought.

Does it taste sweet? Maybe your hydrometer is not correct.
Click to expand...

- I hit 48 as OG.
- I aerate it, basically just shaked the fermenter for a while.
- My thermometer os higly reliable, however, my mash tem was supposed to be 156 and I think it went up to 158 for a bit.
- Apparently, with that mash temp I should get a final gravity like that, and that means that the ABV is 4% instead of the 5.2 that I designed for.
- beer is tasting awesome though, not sweet or anything just light in alcohol content.
- As an experiment I added a pound of cane sugar to boost the abv to 5.2%, if its wrong or not I dont really care, Id rather tske the risk than bottle a 4% beer
 
carloscede2 said:
- I hit 48 as OG.
- I aerate it, basically just shaked the fermenter for a while.
- My thermometer os higly reliable, however, my mash tem was supposed to be 156 and I think it went up to 158 for a bit.
- Apparently, with that mash temp I should get a final gravity like that, and that means that the ABV is 4% instead of the 5.2 that I designed for.
- beer is tasting awesome though, not sweet or anything just light in alcohol content.
- As an experiment I added a pound of cane sugar to boost the abv to 5.2%, if its wrong or not I dont really care, Id rather tske the risk than bottle a 4% beer
Click to expand...

158 mash temp is the culprit, although you should still finish a bit lower than 1.018. A pound of cane sugar in that small batch might lead to a thin beer and a bit of a cidery taste.....it might have been better to add a mix of sugar and DME...but at the end of the day it will be beer.
 
Thats the final result if anyone was curious. Beer has a slight taste to alcohol, with a spicy and citrusy flavour and aftertaste. The aroma is mostly cascade. Overall very good, its only been a week in the bottle so it can only improve.

View attachment 1461010736849.jpg
 

Similar threads

Zippy123
Feedback on recipe to split mash for two different beers
Replies
2
Views
478
Zippy123
Zippy123
R
Pliny the Elder to an APA
Replies
14
Views
1K
redrocker652002
R
Mr Drinklestien
Philly Sour Recipe Review
Replies
6
Views
2K
Mr Drinklestien
Mr Drinklestien
Gadjobrinus
Riggwelter - hops & grist?
Replies
0
Views
535
Gadjobrinus
Gadjobrinus
Yesfan
US-05 Feedback and Some Other Questions/Suggestions
Replies
20
Views
2K
day_trippr
day_trippr

Latest posts

Back
Top