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

[captainkirk83]

Thanks for the input. I don't want to mess up my first ag by rushing to bottles.
Especially since I know once it is bottled I won't be patient

 

[orion7144]

I was in a bind so I poured half of two cornys together. They were this with notty and half of the 15 min boil recipie. All I can say is WOW. Combined one corney to the other then went to a gathering. I like both brew separate but dam.

 

[Cider123]

I want to make this because I'm looking for a refreshing light ale but I'm just not excited by the hops. I do not like the citrus taste of Cascade and cascade-like hops at all.

I do want to be mindful to replace it with a hops that with provide some additional flavor. I don't want it to just come out like a BMC. I was thinking of using some german hops like Hersbrucker or maybe Mt.Hood or Liberty. I would use Beersmith to get the amounts needed for the IBU's listed in the recipe. It wouldn't be the Cent Blonde anymore, but I would hate to make 5 gallons and not like the taste.

 

[justkev52]

Belma hops are nice and mellow.

 

[jtkratzer]

Just brewed this yesterday with 1056, cant wait to try it! Looks to be one of the lightest colored beers I've brewed.

1056 is my favorite yeast I've tried out of it, Notty, and WLP001.

Ageing will almost always provide an even better result. While fermentation can be done in one week, its usually a good idea to let it clear up, settle and consume secondary products of fermentation.

I wouldn't pop a bottle until at least 2 weeks. Of course I've opened at one week in the past (hasn't everyone?), but that's just one beer less when it peaks. IME anyway.

No need to secondary this beer. Let it sit in the primary for two or three weeks. It will clear just fine. I've had this after a month in primary and grain to glass in less than 8 days. Both were delicious, but the longer primary definitely resulted in a clearer beer. The only way I would do 8 days again is give it one more day than I did the first time in primary, cold crash, and force carb at higher pressures than I did the first time to get it clearer and fewer pulls of yeasty beer from the bottom of the keg.

I want to make this because I'm looking for a refreshing light ale but I'm just not excited by the hops. I do not like the citrus taste of Cascade and cascade-like hops at all.

I do want to be mindful to replace it with a hops that with provide some additional flavor. I don't want it to just come out like a BMC. I was thinking of using some german hops like Hersbrucker or maybe Mt.Hood or Liberty. I would use Beersmith to get the amounts needed for the IBU's listed in the recipe. It wouldn't be the Cent Blonde anymore, but I would hate to make 5 gallons and not like the taste.

This beer is stupid cheap to make, especially if you're doing all grain. If you don't like it, everyone else will. This beer is delicious. Nothing crazy. The hops are just enough to let you know you're not drinking an MGD or comparable. I like having this beer around all the time.

 

[Mojzis]

No need to secondary this beer.

Just to clear things up, allow time for secondary products of fermentation to be consumed is what was written. Not secondary this beer.

 

[sloose]

If you were to compare it to a commercial brew. What would be the closest? I have to brew a for a wedding in March and they requested a blonde..

Like a lighter, less hoppy Sierra Nevada ... Or a Sam Adams pale ale (not Boston pale ale)... Except with much more flavorful American hops instead of fuggles and EKG ...

I re brewed this weekend, but after a few high gravity Belgians we screwed up the grain bill, so I threw the hop schedule in the wind and made something different. It's certainly no longer the blonde I wanted!!

 

[daggers_nz]

I'm ploughing through my crate of this, it's damn good to have around in the summer. I might make it again soon with 1056

 

[nonameisgood]

I made a batch of your Centennial Blonde partial extract (with Nottingham pitched dry) recipe on Dec 12, 2012, and christened it "12 Blondes". 5 days in the primary, 5 in the secondary, kegged at 31 psig, chilled until I served it on Dec 24. It was perfect and the party crowd loved it.

So I'm brewing another batch, but, because of this or that, ended up adding a two pounds more light DME with a quart of water after a couple of days. It gets kegged tomorrow, and I'll tell y'all about it if it is awesome.

 

[orion7144]

I posted a while back of the split batch I did with notty and us-05 and I liked the 05 much better. The notty was good but I like the cleaner taste of the 05. I have a split batch of cream of three crops done the same way so it will be interesting to see how that comes out.

 

[Spraentart]

I did a one gal batch of this recently to try it out. The beer has been in bottles for 1.5 weeks and seemed to be carbed pretty decently already. I may pop another one this weekend to see where it is at. I also did a 5 gal extract batch that is fermenting away in my closet. Notty was a slow starter (not sure if this was because of room temp.) but it has been going like crazy since. I have the ingredients to do my first BIAB and I just got my 9 gal kettle today so I'm pretty excited to do that. I should be brewing that one in a week or so when it isn't so cold outside.

 

[reibrew]

I'm missing a few ingredients but I'm hoping I can sub in some stuff:

my lhbs doesn't stock cara-pils. Can I sub in .75# more two row?

Also, no centennial hops. Can I sub with cascade instead? I also have some few month old EKG kicking around.

S-05 works with this as well, correct?

Thanks!

 

[orion7144]

I'm missing a few ingredients but I'm hoping I can sub in some stuff:

my lhbs doesn't stock cara-pils. Can I sub in .75# more two row?

Also, no centennial hops. Can I sub with cascade instead? I also have some few month old EKG kicking around.

S-05 works with this as well, correct?

Thanks!

The centennial is what makes this what it is.

 

[reibrew]

Hmm. Any similar hops I could use?

 

[sneeron]

I make this as a lawn mower beer. Awesome cold refreshment from the cooler on a hot day type of beer. I have made it with Nottingham and 1056 -- Notti took it dry, 1056 left a little more body but a very neutral palate for the hops to come thru perfectly for a session beer. Notti was really easy. So take what you want and both are excellent beers ,hard to fail with this one!

 

[dickproenneke]

Just brewed this today as a partial mash and pitched notty. OG sample tasted real good. Thanks BM!

 

[Mojzis]

Hmm. Any similar hops I could use?

If cascade is all you have then use it. Cascade and centennial are about as similar as it gets. Centennial is just...well some describe it as cascade on roids. It won't be the same exact beer but it is good none the less. I've done all cascade with this before with good results. And 05 works very well with this beer and many others...

 

[reibrew]

Just emailed my lhbs owner, he's going to order up notty and centennial next week!

Sweet!

 

[sloose]

I'm missing a few ingredients but I'm hoping I can sub in some stuff:

my lhbs doesn't stock cara-pils. Can I sub in .75# more two row?

Also, no centennial hops. Can I sub with cascade instead? I also have some few month old EKG kicking around.

S-05 works with this as well, correct?

Thanks!

No carapils or centennial ?! What kind of brew shop Is that ? Tell me where it is so I know never to go there!

Carapils or dextro malt is for body and head retention. 2row has none of those properties. Centennial is pretty crucial IMO to this beers wonderful flavor. I use centennial in about 80% of my brews now. You could use EKG but it will certainly change the flavor ..

S05 works great in this beer, as will any clean fermenting yeast. I use this beer as a starter for my big beers with S05.

 

[Brizzo]

My lhbs doesn't carry Vienna, but will special order it for 16 bucks for a 10 lbbag and 2 week delivery. Crazy

 

[sloose]

My lhbs doesn't carry Vienna, but will special order it for 16 bucks for a 10 lbbag and 2 week delivery. Crazy

That's an ok price as specialty grains go. I guess I'm spoiled in my area. Craft breweries that are any good are rare, but our homebrew stores are beyond excellent.

 

[BigPicture]

I love this hobby. I love this recipe. I was just thinking how great this is, changing things up, Grain, Hops, Yeast, Time. It really is endless.

The biggest kudos are reserved for you guys. Not only has BierMuncher given us a fantastic starting point, but all you guys have given me suggestions on how to change things up & still end up with a wonderful beer.

Don't be afraid! Experiment! :rockin:

Now I just have to try more styles! Drink more beer!

AND............... I'm becoming a better brewer. Holy Smokes! Who'd a thought?

 

[cblack85]

The centennial is what makes this what it is.

Was thinking about brewing this with Magnum and Falconers 7 C's, will that overpower the malt bill, or is it worth it to go ahead a get some Centennials and Cascades and follow the original recipe?

 

[daggers_nz]

I just had a bottle of mine tonight, left it in the fridge for 24 hours and the hop taste and aroma is a lot more noticeable than say, a bottle left in the freezer to cool quickly

point of this post - I really enjoyed it, and I will be making this again very soon

 

[Hammertime1]

First time poster, longtime lurker.
After not brewing for about 5-6 years, I began the search for a decent recipe and found this site. Needless a lot has changed in that period of time! Of course I HAD to have a fermentation chamber, so built the cheap EBAY temp controller, a stir plate and....
I thought A simple recipe would be the best to get back into the hobby again, and found this one. Made a version of this and it is great! Smooth, no unwanted aftertaste, yummy. This will be in the new rotation.
Kudo to BM.

 

[captainkirk83]

Bottled this 3 days ago. Already is crystal clear and looks delicious. I'm drooling just thinking about it

 

[jflongo]

I'm doing this tomorrow. The only change I'm making is at the 20 min boil, i'm bumping up cascade to 0.5 oz, to add a little more IBU. This will be my FIRST All Grain with my new 5G mash tun.

 

[Bombeque]

Ok so Im brewing this again. But the brew supply shop only had "Centennial type" hops this time. I have a third of an ounce of the real deal left from last time and was thinking of using those as the late addition and using the Centennial type hops for the bittering addition. Anyone brew this using those type hops?

 

[jflongo]

Bottled this 3 days ago. Already is crystal clear and looks delicious. I'm drooling just thinking about it

Crack one open then, Star Wars man

 

[captainkirk83]

Crack one open then, Star Wars man

It is star TREK. nerd. ......sarcasm

I think I will