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

[BierMuncher]

BierMuncher, I just wanted to say thanks for a great recipe. I am on my 4th AG, trying to get my process down.
I am brewing my 2nd batch of the Centenial Blonde this weekend. I just purchased my ingredients at my LHBS for $19.50 for the 5gal.

This is the perfect recipe in my opinion for learning the process - simple ingredients, low cost, and a tasty result!

cheers

Glad you like it.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Just wanted to throw this out there, I've done the 10gal All-grain twice, and I'm planning on doing it again tomorrow! Excellent summer beer.

For anyone who wants a variation of the extract version (and actually reads this far)
I put this together for a friend and it tasted AWESOME

4lbs of Light DME
1.3 lbs of Light LME

1/2 lb Caramel 10*L
1/2 lb Vienna 10*L
1/2 lb Carapils
Though Vienna is supposed to be mashed, if you put all those grains in a bag and soak them in 3 qts water @ ~150 for 45 min, then dunk them in 2 qts water @ ~175 for 10 min, the process is very similar to DeathBrewers stove top all-grain method. This adds alot of flavor to the finished beer!

.5 oz Centennial @ 60
.25 oz Cascade @ 20
.25 oz Cascade @5

Just my take. I enjoy all-grain more but this is for helping beginners! DME FTW, you get no off flavors when using it.

Your recipes are awesome BierMuncher

 

[drez77]

Just tried this one out. Nice beer!! Perfect for warm weather and summer. Just wish we would get some .. This will be next to my IPA on the 4th!

I will have to keep this one in the rotation

 

[Mongo64]

I found a serious flaw in this recipe. This brew will not last anytime at all at my place. SWMBO and her sister are making this stuff disappear faster than I could imagine. The good thing is I've got the cost for this down to $13.50 for a 5 gal. batch. Good deals at hopsdirect.com and LBHS helps a lot... This is seriously making me consider betting a bigger brewpot and doing some 10 gal. batches.

 

[RockfordWhite]

How did you get the cost down? Just by buying in bulk?

 

[chriswilkes33]

Been all grain brewing for a while now. Finally decided to see what all the hype was about. Wife needs a good blonde and her friends are all bud light/miller light people so I am usually reduced to drinking my pales, IPA's and stouts myself What a drag I know Bought the grains today, have all the hops in freezer, gonna use notty for the first time so I am looking forward to brewing this next weekend.

 

[smakudwn]

Served this at my 4th party and everyone enjoyed it. No one drank there BMC. Thanks BierMuncher. Also this was my first AG and it came out perfect.

 

[smakudwn]

Does anyone else have a really big bread smell to this? I dont mind it but i was wondering what causes it.

 

[jyda]

When the SWMBO is happy...we're all happy.

If I take anything from the thread this quote will be the most important!

I am brewing this today with 2 BMC buddies that I am hoping to convert. From the looks of things this is the best place to start!

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

I have to make a modification to the grain bill since my LHBS doesn't keep Crystal 10.. Is Munich malt gonna be a good replacement if it scores at 10L too? Or should I stick with Crystal 40L, lowest Lovibond available..?

 

[magnj]

 

[BierMuncher]

I have to make a modification to the grain bill since my LHBS doesn't keep Crystal 10.. Is Munich malt gonna be a good replacement if it scores at 10L too? Or should I stick with Crystal 40L, lowest Lovibond available..?

I'd choose the Munich over 40. 40 is too much caramel and too dark.

 

[Myrdhyn]

Would I be nuts to move the 60(55) minute hops to FWH and double the amount? Trying to get more flavor and a tad more IBUs but dodge making it too bitter for the malt bill to support. Maybe change the hop schedule to look something like this (5gallon batch):

.50 Centennial FWH
.25 centennial 35mins
.25 Cascades 20mins
.25 cascades 5mins

edit: I should add I'm not trying to convert anyone with this one, so if I break the "mass appeal" factor I don't mind. I'm going for something cheap/easy that will satisfy my craving for a slightly hoppier PA that isn't quite in the IPA($$) range.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

How quickly could i bottle this?

I brewed it last Sunday and this Wed I'm off on Vacation for 2.5 weeks. My options are to bottle after 10 days in primary or rack it to secondary and bottle when i get back.

I'd rather bottle it before i go but don't want that to have any neg effects on this brew.

 

[magnj]

I won't speak for BM but I think you could find a recipe for a nice light APA if that's what you want. You could probably FWH this for a smoother bitterness but if you double it your going to significantly change the balance that he worked hard to perfect. It would work but I don't think it'd be the same beer.

Would I be nuts to move the 60(55) minute hops to FWH and double the amount? Trying to get more flavor and a tad more IBUs but dodge making it too bitter for the malt bill to support. Maybe change the hop schedule to look something like this (5gallon batch):

.50 Centennial FWH
.25 centennial 35mins
.25 Cascades 20mins
.25 cascades 5mins

edit: I should add I'm not trying to convert anyone with this one, so if I break the "mass appeal" factor I don't mind. I'm going for something cheap/easy that will satisfy my craving for a slightly hoppier PA that isn't quite in the IPA($$) range.

 

[NonServiam]

My partial mash version of this recipe (two pages up in this thread) turned out freaking great! Thanks BM!

I chose this recipe as the first one for my new kegging setup, and it came out beautifully. The first pour was crystal clear!

Anyway, just wanted to show it off ... and also mention that one should definitely serve this around 40-45 F. Any colder and the flavor suffers noticeably.

 

[dmbnpj]

On the 5 gallon recipe, it calls for 6.57 gallon boil size and 5.50 gallon batch size. Does this mean I need to collect 6.57 gallons of wort before the boil, which then after the hour in the boil it will have evaporated down to 5.50 gallons?

 

[BierMuncher]

On the 5 gallon recipe, it calls for 6.57 gallon boil size and 5.50 gallon batch size. Does this mean I need to collect 6.57 gallons of wort before the boil, which then after the hour in the boil it will have evaporated down to 5.50 gallons?

Boil off rates will vary but essentially...yes.

I usually shoot for a 7 gallon pre-boil and boil down to 5.5 gallons. You'll lose some beer to trub...that's the reason for the extra .5 gallons.

 

[Jsamp]

This is going to be my 2nd brew. It looks really simple and cheap to make. Also all the comments have been really good about it so I'm feeling confident. It might even be my next 3 just so I can stock up on some good beer before I start either a Bourbon porter/stout or Barley Wine Strong Ale.

I do have a question though if someone could help a newbie out. My local homebrew store carries mostly wine making supplies but they do have some beer making stuff. They have all the stuff to make the extract version except they dont have Centennial hops. They told me they could order just about anything if I gave them a special order. As of now I'm thinking all cascade because of the posts I've read and I'm going there in the morning and I dont want to wait for an order to come in right now. They have these hops in stock Cascade, Spalt, Simcoe, Liberty, Kent Goldings, Traditional, Perle, and Saaz. Would one of these be a good replacement for Centennial or should I just stick with all Cascade?

 

[BierMuncher]

...They have these hops in stock Cascade, Spalt, Simcoe, Liberty, Kent Goldings, Traditional, Perle, and Saaz. Would one of these be a good replacement for Centennial or should I just stick with all Cascade?

I do like Simcoe as a sub, but you may need to tweak the amount due to the Alpha difference.

 

[Jsamp]

I do like Simcoe as a sub, but you may need to tweak the amount due to the Alpha difference.

Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to trying this.

 

[bdaddy]

I'm trying this as my first all-grain and I have some grain questions (forgive my ignorance)

Pale Malt (2 Row) - Is "Golden Promis Pale Malt" the same thing or close enough?

Cara-Pils/Dextrine - Is Belgian Cara-Pils (5 - 10°L) the same? This is belgian, but beersmith shows it as US

Caramel/Crystal Malt(10L) - Is German "Cara-Foam" Light Crystal Malt (10°L) ok? Same question as above...this is German but beersmith shows US.

I'm just confused how the grains from this recipe translate to what I'm actually going to be buying. Here is a link to my LHBS that I'm going to visit tomorrow, in case I'm wrong on any of the above you can use this to point me in the right direction Thanks for the help!

Grain

 

[kjbudsberg]

Long time lurker, first time poster. Gotta say, this is one REALLY tasty brew. I made the extract version and Wyeast 1056 (there something in the notty I just don't like...vinegary aftertaste?), and I am genuinely scared to share because it will be come a neighborhood favorite.
Yummy

 

[solbergg]

I made the extract version of this about a little under a year ago and decided to give the all-grain version a try. I brewed it on Sunday and the beer is currently experiencing an extremely active fermentation. I hope it tastes as good as it did the last time!

Just wanted to add that I made this last batch for a wedding and it was very popular! We had 3 beers on tap and this one had 4 gallons gone by the end of the reception. On top of that, I entered it in a statewide comp and won a bronze medal!

 

[AirRageous]

I will be brewing up a 10 gallon batch of this on Sunday.

In just 8 weeks, we will be participating in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta This should be just right by then. 10 days of Balloons, Babes, Brats and Beer. I have been preparing for the event with an Irish Red Ale and a Robust Porter. I think this blond will make a nice balance for everyone. And if anyone don't like what I got, screw 'em, let them drink champagne. I think I will call this beer, "Lighter Than Air Blonde".

 

[BierMuncher]

I will be brewing up a 10 gallon batch of this on Sunday.

In just 8 weeks, we will be participating in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta This should be just right by then. 10 days of Balloons, Babes, Brats and Beer. I have been preparing for the event with an Irish Red Ale and a Robust Porter. I think this blond will make a nice balance for everyone. And if anyone don't like what I got, screw 'em, let them drink champagne. I think I will call this beer, "Lighter Than Air Blonde".

You need to look up BrewPastor. He has the balloon launch right out his back porch if I'm not mistaken.

 

[AirRageous]

You need to look up BrewPastor. He has the balloon launch right out his back porch if I'm not mistaken.

Yep, we have chatted here some. Have yet to meet face to face tho.

I'm brewing the extract version but could not get Extra Light DME at the LHBS. I bought just regular Light DME. Think it will hurt the light color?

 

[Jimmeh]

I'm trying this as my first all-grain and I have some grain questions (forgive my ignorance)

Pale Malt (2 Row) - Is "Golden Promis Pale Malt" the same thing or close enough?

Cara-Pils/Dextrine - Is Belgian Cara-Pils (5 - 10°L) the same? This is belgian, but beersmith shows it as US

Caramel/Crystal Malt(10L) - Is German "Cara-Foam" Light Crystal Malt (10°L) ok? Same question as above...this is German but beersmith shows US.

I'm just confused how the grains from this recipe translate to what I'm actually going to be buying. Here is a link to my LHBS that I'm going to visit tomorrow, in case I'm wrong on any of the above you can use this to point me in the right direction Thanks for the help!

Grain

Hi bdaddy

I had a look at the website you posted.

They sell "Domestic Two-Row Pale (1.5°) per lb." which is what you want. Golden Promise is an English style malt which is similar, but a slightly different flavor profile that what this recipe calls for.

The Belgian Cara-Pils is fine.. except that website lists it as being a bit darker compared to other brands of cara-pils.

The German cara-foam I'm not sure about. I think they've mis-labeled it on the website... it probably should say "Carahell" which is 10L crystal and would be perfect for this recipe. Actual german cara-foam is about 2L in color. You might want to call them and clarify what it is.

Hope thats not too confusing!

 

[BrickHomestead]

Only recently have I stated to appreciate light beers with subtle flavors and this recipie turned out great. Perfect summertime beer.

I fermented at 70F in primary for two weeks and one week in the bottle. No strange flavors and it's almost totally clear. Got better than expected efficiency. The only problem is increased ABV of 5% comes through in the taste a bit. I'm thinking of a little coriander for the next batch. And maybe keeping the fermentation temp a little lower.

This recipe also seems like a nice clean slate for tweaks and changes to personalize taste. Anyone make changes they really like?

 

[bamadoh]

Just wanted to thank you for the easy and great recipe. I brewed this a little over a month ago and its been bottled almost two weeks. I tried one last night and I was surprised that it was perfectly carbed and tasted wonderful. The best all grain effort to date. I can't wait to try it after another week in the bottle and some time in the fridge. I need to get another batch going soon so I can enjoy it all through football season.