Blonde Ale

[stephenlaplaca]

I am already looking for a summer beer to make. Since I am fairly new to home brewing I would like some feed back on my recipe that I made.

1lb Corn Flaked
4oz Vienna Malt
3lb 4 oz of Pale Malt 2 row
4 oz Victory Malt
1lb 4 oz of Sugar
Palisade Hops
SafAle Yeast

My IBU's should be 23
Color 4.9
ABV 7.2

Any suggestions will be greatly welcomed.
Thanks in advance
stephenlaplaca

Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:35 am

 

[JordanKnudson]

That seems like a high proportion of flaked corn and sugar. What's the batch size? Regardless, I think you'll end up with a SUPER dry, light beer, and even though I know it's for summer, you might want a little more base malt in there.

EDIT: I mean light in body. You're actually getting a decidedly not-light alcohol content! Do not drink and weed-whack!

 

[chickypad]

That seems like a high proportion of flaked corn and sugar. What's the batch size? Regardless, I think you'll end up with a SUPER dry, light beer, and even though I know it's for summer, you might want a little more base malt in there.

EDIT: I mean light in body. You're actually getting a decidedly not-light alcohol content! Do not drink and weed-whack!

Agreed. Looks like it's going to be thin and boozy, is that what you're going for? I'm assuming from your numbers this is a 2.5 - 3 g batch.

 

[stephenlaplaca]

So i should be using less sugar and corn but more pale malt?
My batch size is 2.5 for now. I am still looking for beer that I really like.
Thanks again

 

[Skipper74]

Have you looked at the recipe for Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde? That is my go-to blonde ale.

 

[boydster]

Have you looked at the recipe for Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde? That is my go-to blonde ale.

+1, I would recommend making some recipes that have already been tested while you work on getting your process down and learn more about how different ingredients will impact the beer. The Centennial Blonde is a delicious brew.

 

[JordanKnudson]

So i should be using less sugar and corn but more pale malt?

I think definitely so, yes. One question -- are you shooting for such a high abv on purpose, or were you just putting in the ingredients and that was the result? Blonde ales are typically session beers. (Of course, as a homebrewer, you can do whatever you like, that's the beauty of the hobby!) If this were my beer -- which it's not, so this is just an idea to consider -- I'd forego the flaked corn and sugar entirely and bump up the pale and Vienna malts by just a few ounces to create an easy-drinking hot weather beer:

3 lbs 8 oz of 2-row
6 oz Vienna
4 oz Victory

This would leave with you an OG of about 1.043, and depending on your mash schedule, probably about 4.3-4.4% abv, all of which is actually in the range of a blonde ale.

Also, I second Skipper74's suggestion. Everyone should try Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde at some point. Here's the recipe thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

 

[stephenlaplaca]

I did want to bump up the ABV. Here is my new recipe for the blonde. Been messing with it all morning.

6lb 3.8oz pale malt
1.8 oz Victory Malt
1.8 oz Honey Malt.

ABV: 5.5
IBUS: 25
SRM 5.2

Closer to what I wanted.
Thanks for all of the input.

 

[JordanKnudson]

Enjoy...cheers!

 

[jlg4398]

Hello, I just brewed my first batch of a Hybrid Blonde Ale. I pitched my yeast
Feb. 27. It bubbled good for a couple of days then slow down and stopped. It's
now Mar. 6 and no bubbling for two days. I think it's done. I want to bottle tomorrow, should I ?

 

[JordanKnudson]

Hello, I just brewed my first batch of a Hybrid Blonde Ale. I pitched my yeast
Feb. 27. It bubbled good for a couple of days then slow down and stopped. It's
now Mar. 6 and no bubbling for two days. I think it's done. I want to bottle tomorrow, should I ?

That's a super quick turnaround. At this point, the yeast are probably still tidying up, although it's certainly possible that they are all done, depending on the strain and health (I mention this because a lot of the yeast's cleanup duties include getting rid of off flavors like diacetyl, which in a light beer can easily come through). The conventional wisdom is, once you believe fermentation is done, take daily gravity readings. Once your gravity remains the same for three days in a row, fermentation is actually over and you're good to bottle.

 

[Hello]

I just brewed a blonde a couple of weeks ago. The recipe came from Atlantic Brew Supply's empolyee. I did 10 gallons so you have to scale to size.

1 # 2-row
4.5 # White Wheat Malt
2 # Munich malt
1.5 oz Vanguard at 45 min
2 oz Sterling @ FWH

I split the batch and used Denny's Favorite 50 yeast (which will also get strawberries) and US-05. I tried it last night and love it. I do favor the Denny's yeast over US-05 even without strawberries.

I don't see the use of corn in the recipe but I'm still new and maybe corn will really add to it. It is at 1.004, started at 1.047. It is not as dry as I would have thought stopping at 1.004.

 

[boydster]

Hello, I just brewed my first batch of a Hybrid Blonde Ale. I pitched my yeast
Feb. 27. It bubbled good for a couple of days then slow down and stopped. It's
now Mar. 6 and no bubbling for two days. I think it's done. I want to bottle tomorrow, should I ?

Don't bottle yet. Also, don't bother with daily gravity readings, that's a waste. Let it go for 2 weeks before you think about doing anything At that point, if you think it's done, take a gravity reading, wait 2 days, take another reading. If they are the same, it's done. The reading on the middle day of that 3-day span would serve no practical purpose. Your beer will only be better with the extra week of conditioning time. Longer than that is fine, too.

 

[JordanKnudson]

Also, don't bother with daily gravity readings, that's a waste.

True, you do lose beer doing this. I guess in my original comment, I should have said "periodic," not daily. Anyway, I agree, let it sit awhile longer before you start thinking about bottling.