APA recipe/process review

axr · May 6, 2010

Hey Homebrewers-

Was hoping to get some feedback on an upcoming batch I plan on brewing. Here is the recipe as configured off of Beersmith:

6 lbs 12.2oz Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 94.34 %
6.5oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.66 %
0.84oz Pearle [7.80 %] (60 min) Hops 21.9 IBU
0.74oz Cascade [6.10 %] (30 min) Hops 11.6 IBU
0.74oz Cascade [6.10 %] (15 min) Hops 7.5 IBU
WLP001 [Starter 1000 ml]
Target OG = 1.054
Target FG = 1.012
Target SRM = 5.5
Target IBUs = 41

I'll be doing this as a full boil with with my starting volume at 7 gals. I'm starting with this amount b/c I'm shooting for leftover wort between 3/4 - 1 gal for a separate fermentation experiment.

Here are my questions:

Can I just steep the 6.5oz of grains in the full 7gal? (Seems like I can save a step from steeping in a smaller amount of liquid than transfering to the larger boil volume.)

Is it worth just steeping 6.5oz of grains?

Does anyone see any improvements I can make to this recipe?

Thanks
axr

artguy · May 6, 2010

Looks good to me; it's close to what I see (and have used successfully) for SNPA clone recipes. A personal preference is to use more of the flavor/aroma hops later in the boil, so I would probably be inclined to move the Cascade additions to 20 & 5 minutes (instead of 30 & 15), which might mean using more like 1 oz. at each addition to end up around the same IBUs as your recipe. But that's just me...

I think steeping the small amount of crystal is worth it, and I don't think it matters whether you do it in a small or large amount of water, as long as the temperature is in the right range (below 170F).

Malticulous · May 6, 2010

I agree. It needs more aroma with a five minute or flame out addition. The crystal is an important part of the recipe. With out it the balance will be off.