Blonde Ale Centennial Blonde (Simple 4% All Grain, 5 & 10 Gall)

[phyllobeddo]

I just tried this for my first ever BIAB attempt.
I used 6.5 gallons of water and 1/2 gallons to sparge.
After the hour boil, I was almost 1 gallon short of 5 gallons!
why did I lose so much? There also seems to be a lot of trub too?
How much would I gain by a heavy squeeze?

I MIAB in a cooler and start with 4 to 4.25 gallons of cold water to make 2.5 gallon batches. So if I ever ramp up to 5 gallon batches, I would start with 8 to 8.5 gallons. I've done 75 batches using the same basic MIAB in a cooler process and equipment. It took many batches to dial it in and get the right amounts and learn my system. My mash efficiency is usually in the 80s. Hope that helps.

Edit: Efficiency

 

[beerbomb]

I MIAB in a cooler and start with 4 to 4.25 gallons of cold water to make 2.5 gallon batches. So if I ever ramp up to 5 gallon batches, I would start with 8 to 8.5 gallons. I've done 75 batches using the same basic MIAB in a cooler process and equipment. It took many batches to dial it in and get the right amounts and learn my system. My mash efficiency is usually in the 80s. Hope that helps.

Edit: Efficiency

That seems like the answer here, phyllobeddo. The gravity after the mash was 1.043, then I broke my hydrometer so couldn't take a reading before pitching the yeast. I added 1 gallon of water to bring my level up to 5 gallons. I am now wondering what the ABV is?

 

[beerbomb]

I BIAB and always start every recipe with 8.25 gallons cold, giving me 6.5-7 gallons in the fermenter without any sparge water addition. I alway hit 80-85% efficiency, especially with Bestmalz Heidelberg pilsener malt.

Thanks Jayjay. My next brew is a porter with about 14# of grain, would you still go with 8.25 gallons? The recipe I found stated 7 gallons. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[brianh0669]

Went down to my LHS and picked up the ingredients. Just got in my Brewers Edge Mash & Boil and thought it would be a nice, simple way to break it in. Cannot beat the cost at $18.83 for 5 gallons of homebrew!!!

 

[boomtown25]

I want to do this recipe with maybe some orange peel added to the boil, but I am the type of person (right or wrong) that if I am going to brew a beer, I want it to get me drunk. So my question is- would this recipe lose it's glamour if I jacked up the grain bill (same ingredients, more portions) to create a 6% beer?

 

[funnelweb]

that if I am going to brew a beer, I want it to get me drunk.

LOL . Honesty just beats about everything! You´re definately NOT wrong. Cool

 

[beerbomb]

I MIAB in a cooler and start with 4 to 4.25 gallons of cold water to make 2.5 gallon batches. So if I ever ramp up to 5 gallon batches, I would start with 8 to 8.5 gallons. I've done 75 batches using the same basic MIAB in a cooler process and equipment. It took many batches to dial it in and get the right amounts and learn my system. My mash efficiency is usually in the 80s. Hope that helps.

Edit: Efficiency

Will be brewing soon, so will heed your advice. Thanks.

 

[Genuine]

Just made this yesterday. I was hitting all of my numbers in BrewersFriend, until the last 20 min of the boil and I ran out of Propane. Didn't have time to run and get more, I just through in the last of Cascade, whirl pooled for 15 min and chilled. Reached an OG of 1.041 so that's not bad. I also subbed more base grain for carapils. Bubblying away nicely in the fermenter and it smelled great. Since I purchase hops in 1oz packets, I reserved the last .5oz of Cascade and Centennial to dry hop with. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

 

[andrewmaixner]

You

I'm new to home brewing and need a little help with this recipe. I'm looking to brew this for a pig roast the 1st weekend of August and from what I'm reading if I do this now it should be ready to go by then. I'm thinking of adding some citrus flavors to it (lemon, grapefruit, lime) and I'm thinking of subbing the last 1/2 ounce of cascade with citra. Can anyone help with the citrus amounts for example 2 lemons, 1 lime, 1 grapefruit... and thoughts on the citra hop sub? Thanks.

Ps I'm currently reading through the 500+ pages to find the info. I just figured someone could help me faster.

You can serve this in 10 days if kegging, 20 days bottling. I'd personally skip the fruit, and dry hop with 1oz citra.

Maybe you could use a little lime zest after that, after tasting it, if still desired - maybe.

 

[00Seven]

Forgive me if this has already been posted here but I don’t have time to go through 137 pages. I really want to brew this one (from the original post) and it will be my first all grain batch. I’ll do a 5 gallon batch. How much water do I need for mash and how much do I need for sparge? How much time for mash and for sparge? Thanks for the help

 

[dandw12786]

I just did this yesterday for my first brew in over two years, and considering the following:

-I had a new setup with a keggle that I found out during the heating of my mash water had a leak that I had to fix after mash-in;

-Thought I might run out of propane so had to run to the store which took twice as long as it should have, causing a 90 minute mash instead of 60;

-Didn't test my new wort chiller prior to brew day (dumb, I know, but everything looked just fine) and when I tested it prior to putting it in the wort, the hose barb flew off because the fitting was crappy, so I had to improvise a solution, causing an additional 5 minutes of boiling time (which is kind of impressive since I found out with three minutes left in the boil);

-I haven't done this in years so I was a disorganized mess;

It went pretty well. I hit all of the gravity measurements pretty damn close (1.044ish for OG, I'm happy with that), and while my mash may have been a bit low (I started between 149 and 150 and lost a few degrees along the way, but I measured 145ish after my 90 minute mash, so I'm fine with it). Got everything into the fermenter and into my basement without incident (though I forgot how heavy 6 gallons of wort is, and my new Fermonsters are definitely squishier than the ale pails I was using before... I'm going to need to invest in one of the harnesses I suppose). So all in all, the brew day went pretty damn good for being my first time in a long time, and I'm sure I'll have some decent beer when all is said and done. Now to get the keezer built so I have a way to drink this stuff...

 

[dandw12786]

Forgive me if this has already been posted here but I don’t have time to go through 137 pages. I really want to brew this one (from the original post) and it will be my first all grain batch. I’ll do a 5 gallon batch. How much water do I need for mash and how much do I need for sparge? How much time for mash and for sparge? Thanks for the help

I just brewed this yesterday, and used a total of 8.2ish gallons. 3 for the mash, and 5.2 for the sparge (which I did in two steps). I ended up with about 6 gallons in the fermenter, but that included a bunch of break and hop junk I didn't filter out.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Hey Hey BierMuncher: Your recipe has placed 3rd in the first round of the National Homebrew Competition. I made a small tweak to the hop schedule but everything else is the same. I also built a custom water profile for it that seems to make the beer really stand out. All credit to you good sir.
View attachment 566375

Hilarious! I entered this recipe and was told it was too bitter and hoppy and that it was "not the easy drinking approachable beer expected for the style"! It was so light, crisp and smooth I considered naming it "Training Wheels"! Having consumed a keg of it and sharing with multiple non-craft beer drinkers who loved it, I can only assume my bottles got switched out with someone else's. I fully expected a score in the upper 30's at least, would not have been surprised to be in the 40's and would have been shocked not to make the mini-BOS. It scored a 27. The score and comments both are completely baffling. I thought maybe my two entries got swapped but the other was a NEIPA and the scores showed this as being clear.

 

[00Seven]

Brewing this today. First time going AG

Came out pretty well. Managed 64% BE, will need to work on that some. Fun times

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Just tapped this.
It's tasty.

 

[Genuine]

I've been drinking mine for about a week now and Bitter is not even a word I'd use with it. I barely can pick up any bitterness, and surpringly, I thought it would have more aroma. Nonetheless, it's a great summer crusher and I can't wait for my day off Friday. Supposed to be Upper 80's here in CT and I'll be crushing those while working on my control panel

 

[dandw12786]

Kegged this yesterday and put it on 30psi overnight and dialed down to 12 today and grabbed a sample. Still needs far more carbonation, but it's going to turn out great I think. Maybe I'll crank it up overnight again and see if I can get it carbed by tomorrow. Would love to have this ready by Friday.

Definitely a nice re-entry into brewing after a couple years off.

 

[BierMuncher]

Kegged this yesterday and put it on 30psi overnight and dialed down to 12 today and grabbed a sample. Still needs far more carbonation, but it's going to turn out great I think. Maybe I'll crank it up overnight again and see if I can get it carbed by tomorrow. Would love to have this ready by Friday.

Definitely a nice re-entry into brewing after a couple years off.

I always found setting the PSI at 30 for a keg that just went into the chiller and giving it 36 hours was spot-on in terms of hitting proper carb levels.

 

[dandw12786]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot next time. I didn't end up cranking it up overnight and there's a little carbonation now to where I think it might be good by Friday just sitting at 12 (but probably not). I really don't want to risk having to deal with an overcarbed keg by cranking it up again, though, so I'll just have to have some patience, which is definitely not my strong suit.

 

[MikeRight]

I know I am years late to the party, but this is good beer. I am not normally a Cascade Hops guy, but took a chance on this one due to the original post. This is one of the the best beers that I have brewed. (and untested, I brewed 10 gallons instead of my usual five. Glad I did.) I tapped my first keg last night and I am enjoying. Also, I turned this around in 15 days, grain to glass, 8 in primary (I don't secondary) and 7 on gas to prime. Gelatin finings are helpful.
If I screwed this post up, be advised that this is my first post ever on HBT. I had to "create an account" (or try to) just to tell the OP his recipe was excellent. Obviously, I am not the most internet savvy guy in the world.
Thanks again BM. This is definitely going to be in the rotation.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Thanks. The gravity was more of a happy accident (to me). I'm still dialing in my efficiency and will *have* to suffer through a bit of extra alcohol. Oh the horror

As for the yeast: I was offered the opportunity to brew a large amount for an upcoming work function. Due to my fermentation chamber limits I can only brew 11gal at a time. I was "pretty sure" that I would have no problems with Notty but since I absolutely HAVE to have my fermentation chamber empty by next Saturday I decided to go with my a yeast that is similar and that I know will perform. When I'm not under a tight timeline I will do this again with Notty because... oh man the wort looked and smelled so good. I really want a batch of this for me done to the letter of the recipe. :rockin:

I poured mine on the notty cake from an ipa. Was going in hrs and am drinking now less than 2 weeks later from a keg.
Decided to secondary in the keg.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I did a search .. and couldn't find an exact answer.

What style is this for BJCP? I am guessing 10A (American Pale Ale)?

Unfortunately I entered as a 6B (Blonde - Light Hybrid) and didn't win a medal in two competitions .. BUT I got some fantastic feedback from the two comps. All 4 judges loved the beer and even though my entry was out of style, I got an average of 38 and 35. I think it would have medaled in the appropriate category. Sadly I only bottled 4 bottles, the rest went in a keg. I will definitely be brewing this one up again. Any other hop recommendations? Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo?

Here is a pic of my beer .. it was clearer than it appears in the pic. I used NO finings.

Cheers!

View attachment 316855

How long in the keg? Mine is 2 weeks and a little cloudy but still tasty

 

[BBQB]

Somehow I screwed the pooch on this. Kegged a week ago. It is terrible. The worst beer I’ve made in my 5 years of brewing. It tastes thin and watery ...just bad. I’m hoping it might improve over time

 

[00Seven]

Racked into keg yesterday. 4 days in primary, 4 in secondary. Will take off carb this afternoon and let it settle to serving pressure to be tapped Sunday afternoon at a party. Beer was brilliantly clear going into keg and the sample I grabbed wasn’t too bad for a gravity sample. Carbed to 2.56

 

[LJvermonster]

All centennial version, came out really well!

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I forgot to add irish moss so it isn't very clear.
next batch will have it.

 

[00Seven]

Turned out great. Blondes aren’t my favorite but for the style it’s great. Will be a crowd pleaser tomorrow

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Turned out great. Blondes aren’t my favorite but for the style it’s great. Will be a crowd pleaser tomorrow

It's tasty but not my favorite.
Probably because it tastes like a lite beer that wants to be more. lol.
it needs less hops or more hops to me.
Could also be my OG was 1.046 and FG was 1.010 so closer to 5% than 4% might of thrown things off.

 

[Chituma]

Good evening, greets from Argentina. I'm going to use Cargill Pale, I Will assume that Is the same as 2 Row pale. The first post Is the ultimate recipe ir Is the first version?

Regards

 

[CavAv8tr]

Yepper...

Decided to go to the trouble of freezing the bottles this time around when bottling and made a huge difference.

Next time you're in town...I'll give the beer I serve you the same consideration...

Curious to know what freezing the bottles before bottling does.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Curious to know what freezing the bottles before bottling does.

Less foam.

 

[Chituma]

Helps in reducing foam during filling of bottles... Leds bubbles moving...

Curious to know what freezing the bottles before bottling does.

 

[dandw12786]

Got this kegged earlier this week, and wanted it ready by Friday. Didn't quite achieve that goal, as it was still way undercarbed, but still gave out some samples over the weekend. Everyone seemed to think it was pretty good, and I pulled a pretty big glass tonight and while it still needs probably a couple more days, I'm so happy with this. Tastes great, and for my first brew in over two years, I really don't think I could've done any better. This was always a great go-to recipe for me (I used it years ago for a friend's wedding when he asked me to brew a keg for his reception, and it was the first one gone out of four homebrewed kegs), and it didn't disappoint. I'm damn glad to be back into this little hobby.

 

[00Seven]

This was a huge hit this weekend. 6 adults floated my keg and it was full to the brim. Did 4 days in primary and 4 in secondary. Carbed for about 3/4 of a day then brought to serving pressure and let it settle. Drank almost all 5 gallons on day 10 and it was perfect. 2.56 volumes of CO2 was perfect for it. Just ordered batch two since this one disappeared so fast. FYI Austin Homebrew doing free shipping thru tomorrow on orders over 49

 

[Michael_Calgary]

Picked up the ingredients for this at my local HomeBrewStore. I've never used Centennial Hops. The smell when I dropped in that first Centennial hop addition was FANTASTIC! I like to taste the unfermented wort sample I pull off when measuring the gravity after crash cooling. It was also fantastic. I think this is going to be a great beer. I am on day 5 in the primary now. I typically give a couple days in a secondary to let it settle out a bit before I add my gelatin. Also, this brew, I used a hop spider for the first time. Gotta say, I am big fan. It was so weird how clear the wort was after crash cooling and being able to see the break that formed and was sinking just before I whirl pooled. My SG sample was SO CLEAR. It kind of freaked me out. lol. Anyway, looking forward to getting this thing kegged and carbed!

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I ended up with a higher abv% and its throwing the balance off (malty). I think I know the answer but thought I'd ask. In the future if I come in too high on the OG would dry hopping help balance things out? Maybe an oz total of cascade and centennial?

 

[andrewmaixner]

I ended up with a higher abv% and its throwing the balance off (malty). I think I know the answer but thought I'd ask. In the future if I come in too high on the OG would dry hopping help balance things out? Maybe an oz total of cascade and centennial?

Yes. Even less might work.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Yes. Even less might work.

Think I’ll toss in .5 oz of cascade for the remaining 3 gallons in the kegerator and give it a few days and drink something else.

Thanks

 

[GoeHaarden]

Mash is sitting pretty at 150F as I type. Thanks for the recipe and contribution to HBT community @BierMuncher - if only you had a dollar for every view of this thread!

 

[JLeuck64]

I ended up with a higher abv% and its throwing the balance off (malty). I think I know the answer but thought I'd ask. In the future if I come in too high on the OG would dry hopping help balance things out? Maybe an oz total of cascade and centennial?

My experience was exactly the same as yours, what has worked well for my taste buds was to move the 60 minute hop additions to a FWH addition. The extra contact time made the bitterness spot on and I love it!