Blonde Ale California Blonde

[voltin]

Recipe Type

All Grain

Yeast

1056/WLP001/US05

Yeast Starter

Optional

Batch Size (Gallons)

5.25

Original Gravity

1.044

Final Gravity

1.005

Boiling Time (Minutes)

60

IBU

23.5

Color

4.8

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

14 @ 65*F

Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

None

Additional Fermentation

None

Tasting Notes

A nice malty, easy drinking beer great for the hot Texas days.

8 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM)
0.50 oz Northern Brewer [9.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.10 oz Amarillo Gold [10.10 %] - Boil 30.0 min
0.15 oz Centennial [11.10 %] - Boil 1.0 min

Mash at a 150F for 60 minutes. Ferment for 2-3 weeks around 65*F. I let this free ride in my utility room closet during the winter. After 2 weeks I kegged and carbed to ~2.3 volumes.

This recipe scored a 38 at the Bluebonnet but sadly didn't even make it to second round. This is a really good beer, and got rave reviews at my homebrew club. The feedback I got suggested that the beer could use more maltiness, so I plan to scale back the 2 row to 7 lbs and add 2 lbs of Vienna. I'll report back when I do.

 

[cookstownbrewer]

Brewed this today so I'll let you know how it turns out.

I took your advice and cut back the 2-row and added some Vienna.

 

[voltin]

Let me know how it turns out. I made a similar version for a beer festival last month, subbing Cascade for the Amarillo hops and using Vienna. Some brewers in my club liked the Vienna in the beer, I am not sold yet. I plan on doing a side-by-side using Amarillo and see which I like better.

 

[voltin]

Just brewed up another batch of this. I also have the ingredients to brew a half and half 2-row, Vienna version. I have been meaning to do a side-by-side to see how it turns out. How did yours turn out cookstownbrewer?

 

[shadows69]

Can you tell me the ibu, fg, og, and color on this? I got 1.047 og and 15.9 ibu (seems low). 4.7 for color. Fg of 1.012. Im wondering if I am in the ballpark here. Thanks.

 

[voltin]

Using Beersmith I get an OG of 1.044, est. FG of 1.010, IBU of 23.5, and SRM of 4.8. Your IBU looks a little low, check the AA of your hops and adjust the hop schedule to bring it up to about 25 IBU.

 

[shadows69]

Thank you hopefully will add to the list for this weekends brew.

 

[voltin]

Cool let me know how it turns out.

 

[buzzerj]

What was the yeast you used for this? How did the batch with Vienna Malt turn out? Was the color darker?

 

[voltin]

I typically use Wyeast 1056 and direct pitch (no starter.) But you can also use US-05 dry yeast or WLP 001 as they are all basically the same strain.

I have not made the Vienna batch yet. I have the grains, I just need to find time to brew it. I will be able to do a side-by-side next month sometime.

 

[buzzerj]

I'm just wondering what this would be like with the Vienna malt and using a Nottingham or Wyeast 1007 German Ale yeast and fermenting at 60-62ºF. The colder fermentation especially with the German Ale yeast I think would result in a richer and tastier result and it would definitely clear nicely. The southern German/Czech nature of this yeast would harken back to the light lager nature that this ale resembles. I realize that blondes commonly employ Chico Ale yeasts for a west coast flavor but that was originally derived from Europe.

 

[voltin]

With 100% Vienna, or just part Vienna? My next batch will be 50% 2 row, 50% Vienna. 100% Vienna sounds interesting. I have not tried other yeast strains, most of my beers use 1056. I will have to try both suggestions.

 

[buzzerj]

I was using your recipe to pattern one that's a partial mash version using 3.15 lbs. pale malt extract, 2 lbs. two-row pale malt, 2.0 Vienna malt and 8 oz. honey malt. I was going to use Perle for bittering and either Amarillo or Centennial for the remaining additions. I want to keep this simple and was even considering omitting the honey malt. I may also strongly consider instead of an American hop for the later additions to use a German Spalt or Hallertau. I'd use the Wyeast 1007 and ferment at 60-62ºF. I'd shoot for an OG of 1.047, IBU of 22.8 and 4.7% ABV. With fermenting at around 60ºF, that's really on the low end of the range for the Chico Ale yeasts but still right in the wheelhouse for the German Ale yeast. Right now in my basement the temperature of my wine that's cold conditioning in carboys on the floor is 54ºF so I'd have to insulate and work to achieve a constant low 60's fermentation temperature for this beer.

 

[Brewmex41]

I'm thinking about doing something like this except with Golden Promise and a whole pound of honey malt.
For hops I was thinking 1/2oz each Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo at 10, flame out and dry hop.

 

[jabumbo]

Marking this recipe for possible use as my first brew in ~2 years.

Getting a sack of 2-row and a partial of vienna this weekend in a bulk buy and want to do something simple to get my brain back in gear for the process. This looks easy enough for me to conquer. Just hoping I can get the efficiency high enough to get something tasty!

 

[Oventoasted]

I will be brewing this, this saturday. first crack at a lighter type beer. the guy i get my grain from in amarillo said it was a good combo with the vienna and honey malt.

 

[Rambuck]

Looking for something different and lighter. Think I'll give this a try this weekend.
Doing 11 gallon batch, I'm going with 14 lbs 2 Row, 4 lbs Vienna and 1 Lb Honey malt. I'm also going to up the hops a bit. Will use a full ounce of NB, Amarillo and a full ounce of Centennial. Sounds interesting.
I ferment in 2 ale buckets, so will use 1056 in one US-05 in the other. Unless my local brew shop advises on a different yeast. He hasn't steered me wrong yet.

Any thoughts?

 

[Oventoasted]

my 5 gal batch came out pretty good honestly.

 

[bkirsch]

Brewed this over this last weekend scaling back the 2-row and adding the 2 lbs of Vienna. I tried a new technique of adding vanilla to it by mashing 4 vanilla beans and adding 2 as a "first wort bean". I pitched a starter of wlp001 and its bubbling away nicely right now. Hoping for a nice crisp vanilla bean blonde. I'll post back in a couple of weeks how it turns out

 

[branman]

Brewed this over this last weekend scaling back the 2-row and adding the 2 lbs of Vienna. I tried a new technique of adding vanilla to it by mashing 4 vanilla beans and adding 2 as a "first wort bean". I pitched a starter of wlp001 and its bubbling away nicely right now. Hoping for a nice crisp vanilla bean blonde. I'll post back in a couple of weeks how it turns out

That's a long couple of weeks...