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

[NoTrubble]

Actually I must confess that I have to change my mind about my previous opinion regarding this beer tasting like ****. After a week or so more aging this beer is actually quite delicious and the hop bite has weakened to a rather smooth yet enjoyable ale that I can fully appreciate even at 70 degrees F. Thank you BM for the recipe. I will be doing this one again!

 

[sloose]

This beer will always be in my house. It's delicious. I will be dry hopping every batch in the future. I did aside by side of the plain Jane version (exact original recipe) versus the cascade dry hopped version and the dry hopped was awesome. The original is a 10/10, with a dry hop it's a 12/10.

 

[he-brews]

I brewed this a couple weeks ago, did a 5 gal. batch and now it's gone!! I added 1 lb. of rice syrup solids to it and it turned out unbelievable. I'm doing a second batch today and thought about leaving the rice out and using amber malt? any thoughts??

 

[sloose]

I brewed this a couple weeks ago, did a 5 gal. batch and now it's gone!! I added 1 lb. of rice syrup solids to it and it turned out unbelievable. I'm doing a second batch today and thought about leaving the rice out and using amber malt? any thoughts??

Follow the original recipe exActly. Adjuncts like rice aren't necessary IMO unless you are cloning BMC beers. 2 row does an awesome job.

 

[NoTrubble]

It actually tastes a lot better now that I quit smoking too. I think that has a lot to do with it as well. I need to buy more supplies so I can make about 10 gallons of this before I have to move and loose my brewhaus facility. :0(

 

[llama_boy]

It actually tastes a lot better now that I quit smoking too. I think that has a lot to do with it as well. I need to buy more supplies so I can make about 10 gallons of this before I have to move and loose my brewhaus facility. :0(

Congrats on kicking the habit. Smoking really does cloud your senses. It always amazes me to see chefs who smoke.

I saw your previous post about it tasting like **** and bit my tongue. Glad the beer turned out well in the end. I need to get this on tap again.

 

[b-boy]

Actually I must confess that I have to change my mind about my previous opinion regarding this beer tasting like ****. After a week or so more aging this beer is actually quite delicious and the hop bite has weakened to a rather smooth yet enjoyable ale that I can fully appreciate even at 70 degrees F. Thank you BM for the recipe. I will be doing this one again!

I had the same experience when I first brewed this. I let it condition for a few weeks and it mellows right out. I don't drink it young anymore.

 

[orion7144]

Just curious if the people who recently have said they did not like it then changed their mind are bottling or kegging?

 

[Guidry]

Well, I transferred to the keg last night and for the second time in a row, this brew has taken on an off flavor at the end. I can only describe it as a combination of soapy and metallic. Last batch did the same thing, but I was thinking it might have been something left in the keg. This one is tasting like this out of the carboy.

Really beginning to irritate me. The taste is one thing, but not being able to figure out where its coming from is the real irritation.

 

[cublue]

My first guess would be sanitation. Something is not finding all the way. Could be any step: mash, boil, or transfer. As you are using glass carboy, which I assume are meticulously rinsed, I would look to any plastic that comes in contact during the process. Also, did you do these recipes back to back and got the taste? or have a beer in between on all the same equipment that turned out fine?

 

[Mojzis]

Well, I transferred to the keg last night and for the second time in a row, this brew has taken on an off flavor at the end. I can only describe it as a combination of soapy and metallic. Last batch did the same thing, but I was thinking it might have been something left in the keg. This one is tasting like this out of the carboy.

Really beginning to irritate me. The taste is one thing, but not being able to figure out where its coming from is the real irritation.

If you post your process and equipment someone is bound to figure out whats going on.

 

[Guidry]

OK, I've posted my process and equipment in a separate thread as to not hijack this one. Anyone who feels like trying to help, my new distress thread is at:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/consistent-off-flavor-my-centennial-blonde-375255/#post4698398

 

[daggers_nz]

bottled this today. Man, this tastes amazing. Carbonated at 2.5 volumes as I wanted a bit of head

 

[NoTrubble]

Yeah I think the other thing was the Target hops I had on hand. I used those in another recipe here and it has the same powerful hoppy flavor even when I tuned the recipe down a notch. I expect that this beer will turn out well with age too.

Hopefully I can brew this one again soon but I have to pack and move during christmas. (sucks)

 

[Brizzo]

I did this one tonight, 5 gal all grain. This is on the heels of the bee cave brew haus pale ale I did this past week. It wii be nice to have both in kegs soon. I had a couple hic ups but I hit my og/fg and the wort was probably the clearest I have ever seen. It's fermenting away at 65 now in the basement.

 

[jtkratzer]

Wrapped up my brew day in under 6 hours...not really impressive, but I was pleased considering a had a completely stuck mash with my HERMs...that's never happened before and I tried two new things today, one of which was probably idiotic. First, I used a paint strainer bag and wrapped my false bottom to see if it kept more grain and crud in the MLT and the second, which was dump all the grain into the MLT while I was filling it from the bottom rather than wait until all the strike water was pumped in and then mix the grain in. Oh well, I nailed the OG and everything worked out.

Pumped to see how this tastes using MO instead of 2-row.

 

[crushingblackdoom]

Wrapped up my brew day in under 6 hours...not really impressive, but I was pleased considering a had a completely stuck mash with my HERMs...that's never happened before and I tried two new things today, one of which was probably idiotic. First, I used a paint strainer bag and wrapped my false bottom to see if it kept more grain and crud in the MLT and the second, which was dump all the grain into the MLT while I was filling it from the bottom rather than wait until all the strike water was pumped in and then mix the grain in. Oh well, I nailed the OG and everything worked out.

Pumped to see how this tastes using MO instead of 2-row.

Brewed up a 10 gal batch of this today. My 1st 10 gal brew. Did an overnight mash to cut some time off my day. What an amazing success! Hit all my numbers dead on, quick heats,waking up and firing your SPARGE water rather than your mash water is awesome! I'm using S04 + starter on this one with similar hope of it being done & delicious by NYE. Been wanting to brew this one.
Hafta confess though. I upped the base malt a few pounds and asjusted the recipe to suit. And I tossed about an ounce of roasted barley into one of my tuns after vorlauf.
My blonde just got dirty :]

 

[he-brews]

I wanna say that i made this batch exactly to the recipe about 2 weeks ago and kegged it last night, honestly the first one i made and the only thing i changed was a a pound of rice syrup solid DME and I can say I think i like the last one i made better

 

[jtkratzer]

I wanna say that i made this batch exactly to the recipe about 2 weeks ago and kegged it last night, honestly the first one i made and the only thing i changed was a a pound of rice syrup solid DME and I can say I think i like the last one i made better

No need for rice or any other adjuncts with this beer. The recipe as posted is always a crowd pleaser, but I read good results with MO and wanted on try that as I'm into seeing how different grains affect flavors.

 

[jtkratzer]

Brewed up a 10 gal batch of this today. My 1st 10 gal brew. Did an overnight mash to cut some time off my day. What an amazing success! Hit all my numbers dead on, quick heats,waking up and firing your SPARGE water rather than your mash water is awesome! I'm using S04 + starter on this one with similar hope of it being done & delicious by NYE. Been wanting to brew this one.
Hafta confess though. I upped the base malt a few pounds and asjusted the recipe to suit. And I tossed about an ounce of roasted barley into one of my tuns after vorlauf.
My blonde just got dirty :]

Having a three vessel HERMS system, my sparge water is ready as soon as I go from mash temp up to sparge temp, usually less than 20 degrees and that goes quickly with a 5500w element.

 

[241]

Just wrapped up my first all grain brew in a bag (BIAB) using this recipe.

I started with 7.5 gallons. Mashed in at 158, mostly stable 150 F temps in my boil kettle for 60 minutes, had to bring it up 3 F near the end. Pulled the bag afterwards and let it drain over a bucket for 15 minutes while I brought my wort to a boil.

Then I squeezed the bag nice and good and added remaining runnings from the grains. Followed the rest of the directions for hop additions, added a half whirfloc with the last hop addition at 5 minutes, cooled and siphoned to the fermenter while the notty hydrated. Pitched and now sitting in the fermenter.

Love the color and clarity from the hydrometer sample I got. Tasted great.

If I would have changed anything I would have started with more water to account for trub and boil off. Still dialing that in. Would have started with 8 gallons.

Never used notty, how long does it take to really get going?

I attached a pic collage from the day...

 

[241]

Never used notty, how long does it take to really get going?

Never mind, already going nuts

 

[NoTrubble]

So I originally consumed this too early which made me think it was ****. Now after aging it for a while I find that I'm almost out of it! And to top that off it's too cold outside to do another one right now.

 

[HBrew71]

So I originally consumed this too early which made me think it was ****. Now after aging it for a while I find that I'm almost out of it! And to top that off it's too cold outside to do another one right now.

I have noticed that this one (actually most beers) always peek after about three weeks in the keg. I usually make another batch when it is ripe because this one goes fast. Little cold weather wont stop me

 

[NoTrubble]

I don't have adequate temperature controlled room for making beer during winter. I got a stuck fermentation on my Tripel X recipe I made a couple of weeks ago. I got a heating pad on low underneath of it. Hopefully it will finish out even though it may take some time. The tell tale signs of yeast activity are starting to show again as the primary is clouding back up with slight action on top. I'm hopeful.

 

[dallasdb]

I don't have adequate temperature controlled room for making beer during winter. I got a stuck fermentation on my Tripel X recipe I made a couple of weeks ago. I got a heating pad on low underneath of it. Hopefully it will finish out even though it may take some time. The tell tale signs of yeast activity are starting to show again as the primary is clouding back up with slight action on top. I'm hopeful.

How cold were you fermenting when it got stuck?

 

[NoTrubble]

We got a sudden cold snap and the carboy dropped down into the low 60s. It was kinda cold crashing out and clearing up which is why I thought it was done. It's back up to around 74-76F after getting it off the floor while maintaining the heating pad under it. It's nice and cloudy once again! :0)

 

[egsb]

Brewed this for Christmas and it was a big hit at the party. Will certainly brew again, thanks!

 

[sloose]

We got a sudden cold snap and the carboy dropped down into the low 60s. It was kinda cold crashing out and clearing up which is why I thought it was done. It's back up to around 74-76F after getting it off the floor while maintaining the heating pad under it. It's nice and cloudy once again! :0)

I usually ferment this I'm the low 60s in a swamp cooler to keep it as clean flavored as possible. 60s shouldn't stop an ale fermentation ... I'm my swamp cooler in the winter months I can easily hold 60F with 12 hour ice block changes In the rope tub.

 

[Brizzo]

I was getting ready to cold crash this as my hydro sample was 1.010. I had some weird flavors, sharp yeast bite and something else that I can,t describe. I brought it upstairs and warmed up to 70. Ferm seemed to take off again so I am wondering if it wasn't quite done yet. I thought 1.010 was pretty low. I will probably end up dry hopping this too in a couple weeks.