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

[sigurdur]

Nottingham is a bit different than S-04 in my experience. Fermenting Notty in low temperatures should give you a very clean beer with very little yeast character. Fermenting Notty in a bit higher temperature should give you a bit more frutiness.
Fermenting with S-04 should give you more yeast character and possible less attenuation.

I have heard that both Notty and S-04 are english type strains, but difference between strains can very a lot (like for instance the german kolsch ale yeast and the weihestephan strain..).

 

[eastoak]

on the summer brewing list.

 

[mrduna01]

One note about this beer. It's probably been mentioned before but even though this beer is meant for a quick turn around, it gets so much better with age like any beer. Just drank one that I had on the yeast for a month and bottled for about 6 weeks and it is even better than I thought it could be.

 

[Toad32]

I brewed my first 5g batch of this yesterday...and brewing my second today. I split it into two batches due to my new HERMS rig...I wanted to make sure I had the rig under control. =)

So today I am doing another Centennial AND the SWMBO Slayer. =) Thanks for the recipes...initial tastes are so very promising!

 

[BierMuncher]

I brewed my first 5g batch of this yesterday...and brewing my second today. I split it into two batches due to my new HERMS rig...I wanted to make sure I had the rig under control. =)

So today I am doing another Centennial AND the SWMBO Slayer. =) Thanks for the recipes...initial tastes are so very promising!

You will have a happy household in a few short weeks.

 

[Dgonza9]

I'm considering making a batch of this using the same hops schedule, but substituting simcoe hops for the centennial. Simcoe is generally my favorite hops. Anyone done an all simcoe version of this?

 

[rack04]

Nottingham is a bit different than S-04 in my experience. Fermenting Notty in low temperatures should give you a very clean beer with very little yeast character. Fermenting Notty in a bit higher temperature should give you a bit more frutiness.
Fermenting with S-04 should give you more yeast character and possible less attenuation.

I have heard that both Notty and S-04 are english type strains, but difference between strains can very a lot (like for instance the german kolsch ale yeast and the weihestephan strain..).

How low of temps are you talking about to get Notty to ferment clean?

 

[sigurdur]

I've read from more experienced brewers that 18°C fermentor temperature (not the ambient temperature) gives them a too clean beer. So if you want to overdo it, hit 16-17°C fermentor temperature and you'll probably get a reeeal clean beer .. or an unfermented one ..

EDIT: Please note that I have never fermented with Notty so low, so I can't say for sure if this is actually the case. It might end up doing other things to your beer. If you are going to pitch in these temperatures (or lower), then please remember to "overpitch" since with "recommended" yeast amount, you will actually be underpitching. For this batch though 11.5 grams of Nottingham into 5.5 gallons is probably overpitching a bit.

 

[rack04]

I've read from more experienced brewers that 18°C fermentor temperature (not the ambient temperature) gives them a too clean beer. So if you want to overdo it, hit 16-17°C fermentor temperature and you'll probably get a reeeal clean beer .. or an unfermented one ..

EDIT: Please note that I have never fermented with Notty so low, so I can't say for sure if this is actually the case. It might end up doing other things to your beer. If you are going to pitch in these temperatures (or lower), then please remember to "overpitch" since with "recommended" yeast amount, you will actually be underpitching. For this batch though 11.5 grams of Nottingham into 5.5 gallons is probably overpitching a bit.

Thanks. I have fermented Notty at 65 degrees several time without any problems.

 

[dmbryan]

I just bottled my first batch of your blonde recipe and it looks great. My folks have retired on a lake and wanted a nice low ABV brew to have out on the water. This will fit the bill. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[KC10Chief]

This is my favorite beer to brew. I've made it 4 or 5 times now and it's always a hit. I am having a hard time keeping it on tap. I'm just going to start keeping two of my four kegs filled with the Blonde. My guests will usually try my other beers, but then go right back to emptying the Blonde. It's fantastic! Cheap to make too!

 

[Prionburger]

After 3 years I'm finally getting to this recipe. Did 10 gallons of it! Nailed the gravity, and hopefully the bittering. Next after this will be Edwort's Pale Ale!

 

[pvburton]

I've got a 5G AG batch fermenting. Hit 86% efficiency and am using WLP007 Dry English Ale since liquid Notty was out (I'm too impatient for dry yeast). Anybody got an idea of how these two changes might affect the final product?

I took a grav reading at 8 days and I don't think its quite done (72% attenuation and still pretty cloudy, dark blonde color)... assuming that's due to the higher OG? This morning I'm still seeing clumps of flocculated yeast rocket off the cake hypnotically, so I'm expecting to get a pretty dry product here.

 

[Grasslands]

I've got a 5G AG batch fermenting. Hit 86% efficiency and am using WLP007 Dry English Ale since liquid Notty was out (I'm too impatient for dry yeast). Anybody got an idea of how these two changes might affect the final product?

I've got no idea about the variation - though I'd assume it might be a bit drier than what the typical final product calls for. However, I will vouch for Notty - even without hydration, it's taken off extremely fast every time I've used it - especially with this recipe. Your impatience in this instance would definitely be eased.

I'll swear by Notty and US05 for dry yeasts.

 

[kyle6286]

Koz is correct; the only variable is the specific AA% on the Centennial that you have. If you ended up with a batch in the 8.5% range, you'll need to up the additions slightly (or shift their timing, if you prefer). If yours are upwards of 10.5%, scale down accordingly. Using Beersmith, this is easy; since you know the IBUs you're shooting for (~20ish), enter the recipe as listed above. Then double-click your hop additions and specify the AA% your Centennial has. If yours are lower, your IBUs will drop a bit, so simply increase the amount of one of the additions until the IBUs are back in the vicinity of 20.

Or, just do what I did when I was doing partial boils and just let it ride . Since this beer is specifically designed to be low-IBU, I wouldn't worry terribly much about it. Lower might actually be a boon for the BMC crowd on this one. That said, when I last made it, my LHBS and I determined that it needed a bit more bitterness than I ended up with. Next time, I'll err on the side of more hops.

Sorry, you lost me on the Beersmith recipe edits. I downloaded the free trial and started to input the recipe, but I'm confused about the hops. I'm clear on everything else but don't know what to do in terms of the AA% for the hops. Any help is really appreciated and sorry for the ignorance. I will have to familiarize myself with this software. I'm doing the extract version in a 5 gallon pot. Thank you

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.041 SG
Estimated FG: 1.010 SG
Estimated Color: 3.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.4 IBU
Boil Time: 55 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 83.3 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 16.7 %
0.375 oz Centennial [9.50%] (55 min) Hops 8.6 IBU
0.375 oz Centennial [9.50%] (30 min) Hops 6.8 IBU
0.375 oz Cascade [7.80%] (10 min) Hops 2.6 IBU
0.375 oz Cascade [7.80%] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

 

[smagee]

Not a problem; Beersmith certainly takes some getting used to, but it's well worth it once you're familiar!

Assuming the values you have there are the defaults when each hop is entered, you can modify the values for each hop to match the values for the hops you've purchased. The hop packages you buy from your shop (or online store or whatever) should indicate their AA percentage on the label. To modify your recipe in Beersmith, double-click each hop entry and adjust the value listed in the "Alpha" field under "Percent Acid" in the resulting pop-up window.

Repeat that process for each hop that you have and the recipe will now be tailored to your ingredients. Now check the total IBUs listed in the "Bitterness" field below the ingredients listing; it should be relatively close to 20ish. If it's too high (say, 25-30), then decrease the amount of one (or multiple) hop addition to bring it down in the right range.

It sounds complicated in text, but once you tinker with it, it becomes a bit more intuitive. Don't worry about getting the value exact; just get it within a few IBUs of the target in the original recipe.

 

[kyle6286]

Oh ok I understand. As far as hop addition times, do I adjust those as well, or leave them be? Thanks for the clarification by the way!

 

[smagee]

You're certainly welcome; that's what the forum is here for, after all .

I'd leave them alone; you can shift time to adjust the IBUs as well, but it'll also alter the flavor profile (e.g., moving hops later on will result in more "hop" flavor, which can certainly be a good thing, but not exactly what this recipe's about). You'll get a more accurate representation of the blonde by adjusting the amounts rather than the times.

 

[FireBrew63]

I just kegged my first 10g. of this 4 days ago and it is an amazing summer beer. The only changes I made were that I keg hopped 5 gal. w/ .5 oz. of Cascade and used WLP001. OG was 1.042 and FG was 1.008. I pulled 'some' samples last night and both were fantastic, but am leaning more towards the keg hopping. Thanks BM for a great recipe. I will be brewing 20 more gallons by the end of the month because this will go quick! I am going to try cucumber with 5gal. as well. I tried a few cucs with one of my sample pints last night and it was very tasty.
Cheers

 

[johnodon]

Well, my last 5 gallon batch lasted exactly 4 days between my Father-in-Law, my neighbor and myself. So, I just did my first 10 gallon batch ever this weekend. Everyhting went well except for the fact that the pot I use to bring sparge water up to temp is only 20 quarts and I needed 14 gallons in the kettle. My first runnings yielded only 3.5 gallons. I think I had to sparge 4 times. The last one was only about 1 gallon just to get me to the 14 that I needed. I think I may be off today to find a bigger pot.

Regardless, I hit all of my #s spot on. Also, I think I got some really good packets of Notty. Man were they active this morning!

John

 

[wharfrat0]

Gave this a try for my first AG. OG was 1.050 fermented for 3 weeks at 68 degrees and used Notty. FG came out to 1.020. I hope everything comes out alright.

 

[mrduna01]

Gave this a try for my first AG. OG was 1.050 fermented for 3 weeks at 68 degrees and used Notty. FG came out to 1.020. I hope everything comes out alright.

That FG is high... I would have swirled it to rouse the yeast and let it sit another week or so.

 

[johnodon]

That FG is high... I would have swirled it to rouse the yeast and let it sit another week or so.

Agreed. A beer this light should have a lower FG. Do what mrduna said...give it a nice swirl with a sanitized spoon and let it sit. Not that the final product would be that bad right now...just a little sweeter and not as strong.

John

 

[Grasslands]

Alright, no joke kids. The zest (and maybe a little squeeze) of 3-4 meyers lemons at 3 minutes before flameout will turn this beer into liquid gold (as if it wasn't already).

 

[54BelAir]

Brewing this up this weekend. Planning on the extract version, as I haven't made it to all grain yet.

Would this recipe benefit from a partial mash instead of using all extract? My guess it that the answer would be yes. I have never done a partial mash, but now seems like a good as any to start.

 

[FireBrew63]

Brewing 10g. of this today! This stuff is great for the summer, not that we've seen summer here in the NW like the rest of the nation. Already have 10g. fermenting right now from last weeks brew day.

 

[Toad32]

I have brewed a couple 5g batches of this one. I am digging the fast turn around!

It is also a great beer to experiment with my water. Its a fairly simple straight forward beer and it really lets small adjustments shine through.

I adjusted the different batches quite differently and got two unique beers. I went slightly too malty on the first batch...and slightly on the bitter side (for the type) on the second. I need to land in the middle to get it where I want it. But this is a great beer to familiarise myself with water chemistry adjustments.

It also goes over GREAT with non-beer drinkers as well. The BMC folks can step into this and really start to appreciate what a real ale can taste like without being shocked in the process.

Hats off to ya BM...this is a real winner!

 

[smagee]

Brewing this up this weekend. Planning on the extract version, as I haven't made it to all grain yet.

Would this recipe benefit from a partial mash instead of using all extract? My guess it that the answer would be yes. I have never done a partial mash, but now seems like a good as any to start.

I'm inclined to say that *any* recipe can benefit from partial mashing, simply because it gives you more control over the final outcome. However, a beer this simple can certainly be good as a gateway into PM batches because it's relatively easy to do. So I guess I'd say that I can't see any reason that you *shouldn't* do it as a PM .

 

[54BelAir]

I'm inclined to say that *any* recipe can benefit from partial mashing, simply because it gives you more control over the final outcome. However, a beer this simple can certainly be good as a gateway into PM batches because it's relatively easy to do. So I guess I'd say that I can't see any reason that you *shouldn't* do it as a PM .

That's what I figured. Hopefully this will be a short stop on the way to all grain.

 

[kyle6286]

I converted this into a partial mash:

Type: Partial Mash
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Equipment: Brew Pot (5 Gallon) + igloo cooler(2 Gallon)

Ingredients
3.00 lb AHS - Extra Pale Liquid Malt Extract (2.3 SRM) Extract 42.86 %
2.25 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 32.14 %
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 10.71 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 7.14 %
0.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 7.14 %
0.30 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (55 min) Hops 11.0 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (35 min) Hops 7.7 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 3.1 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.041 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.02 %
Bitterness: 22.8 IBU
Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 3.7 SRM

Mash
60 min
5.50 qt of water at 166.8 F
Mash temp 150.0 F

Sparge
10 Min
Sparge Water: 1.98 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

*** add LME at flame out(15 min)

I'll let you know how it turns out!

I think I'm going to try my first partial mash using this recipe. I can't wait! Did this turn out good? I saw that you added your first hops at 55 mins. I thought 45 min was the first hop addition.