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

[Centz]

Yeah I’ve read that, wasn’t sure. However I think the biggest part of it was not letting it rest at 167°F for 10 minutes and probably rinsing the grains with too much water which may have raised the pH.
This time I only rinsed with about 5 quarts of water at 169° which I very carefully monitored. Then I used some pre-boiled water at about 190° to raise the wort volume to about 5.5 gallons. I’m just about to pitch the yeast right now.

1/13/19 Update

Well after 2 weeks in the keg here are results.

Left: US05 fermented in carboy water bath basically no temp control.

Right: Nottingham fermented in temp controlled conical and I used gelatin and cold crashed for several days.

View attachment 607075

I love Nottingham in my Brown Ales and really like this yeast, however it really mutes and rounds out this recipe. The US05 is brighter, crisp and seems to have a dryer finish. Both of these beers finished at 1.010 and ended up 5.25%. I forgot my efficiency was better with lower gravity brews and forgot to adjust. I rarely brew anything under 6%.

I’m really not into lagers or light abv such as this beer, but I wanted something for a quick turn around. The US05 batch is by far so much better beer!

Cheers!!

Hi,

glad to hear the US05 worked well. It happens I have lots of that and I might use it just as you did. I have one perhaps trivial question. In the original recipe it says to use 1 package of Nottingham both for 5 an 10 gal. I want to go for a 10 gal batch. If I use US05, shouldn't I use 2 packages? I guess this is what you did by using one Nottingham and one US05 one per 5 gal batch, right?

Cheers

 

[jturman35]

Correct be safe and pitch one pack per 5 gal batch.

 

[Centz]

Correct be safe and pitch one pack per 5 gal batch.

Great!
Another question I have right now these malts: Pale Ale, Chrystal, Munich, Amber
I was planning to substitute Vienna with Munich, but do I need to buy the Dextrine? or can I swap it with any of those I have? From this (https://www.brew.is/files/malt.html) I see that dextrine, Carapils and Chrystal are rather similar, is it correct? IF so can I just increase the amount of crystal?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Angelo

 

[iQuestor]

Yeah I’ve read that, wasn’t sure. However I think the biggest part of it was not letting it rest at 167°F for 10 minutes and probably rinsing the grains with too much water which may have raised the pH.
This time I only rinsed with about 5 quarts of water at 169° which I very carefully monitored. Then I used some pre-boiled water at about 190° to raise the wort volume to about 5.5 gallons. I’m just about to pitch the yeast right now.

Update: today is 8th day in fermenter. The Notty yeast tore through this batch in like 2 days. I took a hydro sample and it read 1.012 so I think it’s done. Had some floaters in too though. Noticed when it filtered into fermenter there was a lot of foam so. Wondering if these are proteins from that?

At any rate the sample tasted great and didn’t have the aftertaste I had in my last batch!!! I dry hopped with .5oz of cascade. I’ll let that gel for 3 days then I’ll bottle condition most but will fill my growler first and force carbonate it for a sampling next weekend.

 

[NewJersey]

How do you guys think doubling this would turn out? Imperial blonde ale?
Anyone already done it?

 

[oldwhiskers]

Well I finally got around to brewing this. It turned out well and had a pretty mild and balanced taste. Some friends tried it and their first comments were "It's not bitter, I like it!" I will have to keep this around for an easy drinker. The picture shows the bubbles streaming up and it had lasting foam on top and good lacing down the glass.

 

[JLeuck64]

How do you guys think doubling this would turn out? Imperial blonde ale?
Anyone already done it?

I think that is a GREAT idea! I have made this recipe around 6 times now and feel like I have it dialed in with my equipment and my tastebuds. Ready for a new challange and am really optimistic that it should be easy to make an Imperial Blonde. It will take me a while before I can get after it... for sure this spring or early summer I think ( ; I've had a high ABV Blonde before... think it was from pFriem... but I do remember it tasting awesome!

 

[smktms]

I have been meaning to brew this one for months now, had the ingredients at home for ages, finally got around to brew it today. Also, this was my first ever fully solo brewday. Went really smoothly, hit all the numbers. Except I still messed up the recipe a bit, even after preparing for this for quite some time. Swapped the amount of Vienna and CaraPils. Not a big deal I guess. Used WLP090, curious to see how it turns out!

 

[JLeuck64]

I made 11gal of this Blonde today. Fermenting with Wyeast 1098 British Ale this time, this will be the third yeast I've tried with this recipe ( ;

Following up on my experience using this yeast. It worked very well! I became curious when reading about others who were trying Imperial's House yeast and reporting good success and was excited to find out it crosses over to Wyeast 1098. I use that strain to make an IPA and always have plenty on hand. So a batch with 1098 seemed like a no brainer. I was pleasantly surprised how well this recipe improved with Wyeast 1098, definetly my best attempt to date. Sadly though, 11 gal went to quickly ) :

 

[doogie]

I'm getting ready to brew this a second time and I don't have any Nottingham yeast on hand, but I have US-05, S-04, and W- 34/70 on hand. Any suggestions, or should I head out to the (not so local) LHBS for some Notty?

 

[carlk47]

I'm getting ready to brew this a second time and I don't have any Nottingham yeast on hand, but I have US-05, S-04, and W- 34/70 on hand. Any suggestions, or should I head out to the (not so local) LHBS for some Notty?

Us-05 will work great as will either of the others. You will notice a minor flavor difference between them but us-05 should get you closest to original.

 

[jlinz]

Us-05 will work great as will either of the others. You will notice a minor flavor difference between them but us-05 should get you closest to original.

I did the recipe with 05. It was good.

 

[Trainman28]

I had great results with us05.

 

[JunkTruck]

Has anyone tried this with Falconers Flight 7 C's?

How did it turn out? Is it still mellow enough for BMC drinkers?
Going to make this for a gathering next month, I have 2oz of 7C's on hand.


I also have an oz of Ahtanum and an oz of Amarillo.

I might even do a double batch and try the 7c's in one and the A hops in the other.

I have no experiance with any of these hops but I have em on hand and was thinking of trying them out.

I know it won't be a real Centennial Blonde but thought it might be a good brew to use up the hops i have on hand and the 7c's blend might be " close ish "

thoughts?

 

[RedlegEd]

Has anyone tried this with Falconers Flight 7 C's?

How did it turn out? Is it still mellow enough for BMC drinkers?
Going to make this for a gathering next month, I have 2oz of 7C's on hand.


I also have an oz of Ahtanum and an oz of Amarillo.

I might even do a double batch and try the 7c's in one and the A hops in the other.

I have no experiance with any of these hops but I have em on hand and was thinking of trying them out.

I know it won't be a real Centennial Blonde but thought it might be a good brew to use up the hops i have on hand and the 7c's blend might be " close ish "

thoughts?

Hi. I can't speak to Falconer's Flight, but I can tell you that I've made two or three version of this beer finishing with Ahtanum, and it makes a truly remarkable, easy drinking beer. Ahtanum is a very mild hop with a floral nose and a slight citrusy taste. It also has a very low AA% (~3.5%,) so don't use it to bitter as it takes a lot. I usually substitute Ahtanum in the last addition (0.5 oz @ 5 minutes.) If you did a credible job brewing the beer whether with BM's original recipe or with Ahtanum, I can pretty much guarantee the BMC drinkers will be more than happy to drink it. It's one of my daughter's favorite beers. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[JunkTruck]

Hi. I can't speak to Falconer's Flight, but I can tell you that I've made two or three version of this beer finishing with Ahtanum, and it makes a truly remarkable, easy drinking beer. Ahtanum is a very mild hop with a floral nose and a slight citrusy taste. It also has a very low AA% (~3.5%,) so don't use it to bitter as it takes a lot. I usually substitute Ahtanum in the last addition (0.5 oz @ 5 minutes.) If you did a credible job brewing the beer whether with BM's original recipe or with Ahtanum, I can pretty much guarantee the BMC drinkers will be more than happy to drink it. It's one of my daughter's favorite beers. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[JunkTruck]

Thanks RedlegEd i'll for sure take that advise and run one of the batches with the Ahtanum at the end.

I just might still try a 7c's or partial 7c's just for kicks to see how it turns out

cheers!

 

[Hiphop]

Hey all I was planning on brewing 11 gallons of this weekend. I’m planning on doing 5-5.5 gallons the centennial blonde recipe and 5-5.5 with same recipe but with Vintner's Harvest Boysenberry purée. Will 1 can of this purée work for 5-5.5 gallons of this. After some research I found they say to factor about 1 to 2 pounds of puree to 1 gallon of finished beer. So a can is 49oz (3 lbs). Should I get a second can or just the one will do? I understand flavor is subjective but just wanted to hear other more experienced opinions. Thank you for your help!

 

[RedlegEd]

Hey all I was planning on brewing 11 gallons of this weekend. I’m planning on doing 5-5.5 gallons the centennial blonde recipe and 5-5.5 with same recipe but with Vintner's Harvest Boysenberry purée. Will 1 can of this purée work for 5-5.5 gallons of this. After some research I found they say to factor about 1 to 2 pounds of puree to 1 gallon of finished beer. So a can is 49oz (3 lbs). Should I get a second can or just the one will do? I understand flavor is subjective but just wanted to hear other more experienced opinions. Thank you for your help!

Hi Hiphop! First, let me tell you right up front that I'm going to speak heresy for the fruity beer purists out there. I've brewed with purées before, as well as real fruit, real vanilla, etc. What I've found is the results are not as good, or as predictable, as using a flavor concentrate. There are several brands that produce really good flavors that you can add to your beer. When using real fruit or purées, you generally add them to a secondary. They typically have a lot of sugar, which restarts the fermentation process, and tends to dry out the beer. You might get some of the fruit flavor, but any sweetness gets fermented out and it may be really dry and/or sour. Using a flavor concentrate, however, you can finish your beer, then carefully add a measured amount to a known sample size until you hit the flavor profile you (or your significant other) really likes. Then you just scale up the dose to the amount of beer you want to flavor. Another benefit is you already know how the beer tastes before you doctor it up. If it's a crappy beer to start with, adding flavoring (or fruit/purée) just makes it a fruity, crappy beer. Anyway, I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck on your brew. You've chosen a really good blank slate to start with as this beer is one of the best. Let me know if I can give you any more information. Ed

 

[Hiphop]

Hi Hiphop! First, let me tell you right up front that I'm going to speak heresy for the fruity beer purists out there. I've brewed with purées before, as well as real fruit, real vanilla, etc. What I've found is the results are not as good, or as predictable, as using a flavor concentrate. There are several brands that produce really good flavors that you can add to your beer. When using real fruit or purées, you generally add them to a secondary. They typically have a lot of sugar, which restarts the fermentation process, and tends to dry out the beer. You might get some of the fruit flavor, but any sweetness gets fermented out and it may be really dry and/or sour. Using a flavor concentrate, however, you can finish your beer, then carefully add a measured amount to a known sample size until you hit the flavor profile you (or your significant other) really likes. Then you just scale up the dose to the amount of beer you want to flavor. Another benefit is you already know how the beer tastes before you doctor it up. If it's a crappy beer to start with, adding flavoring (or fruit/purée) just makes it a fruity, crappy beer. Anyway, I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck on your brew. You've chosen a really good blank slate to start with as this beer is one of the best. Let me know if I can give you any more information. Ed

Ed,

Your extremely detailed reply is incredibly helpful and exactly what I was looking for. Very interesting about the flavor profile after the addition of the fruit purée. I was prepared for the increase in ABV and second fermention after the addition of the fruit. Do you have any recommendations for brand of flavor concentrations? I have had one bad experience with a prepackaged kit with a lemon concentrate so I have stayed away from fruit beers which has been very hard and frustrating because they make some absolutely incredible beers!

 

[RedlegEd]

Ed,

Your extremely detailed reply is incredibly helpful and exactly what I was looking for. Very interesting about the flavor profile after the addition of the fruit purée. I was prepared for the increase in ABV and second fermention after the addition of the fruit. Do you have any recommendations for brand of flavor concentrations? I have had one bad experience with a prepackaged kit with a lemon concentrate so I have stayed away from fruit beers which has been very hard and frustrating because they make some absolutely incredible beers!

Hi. Glad you found it useful. I've got three recommendations right off the top of my head. the first is 000Flavors. They have a wide variety of concentrated flavorings. I used them when I made a Creme Brulee and Bananas Fosters dessert beers (I used a Scottish Ale as a base.) I also recommend OliveNation for their extracts (I made a killer Coconut Chocolate Stout using their extracts.) Finally, Apex Flavors (Silver Cloud) also has some great extracts and flavoring.

If you decide to go this route, be sure to heed their mixture recommendations as a little bit goes a very long way (hence my recommendation to try it on a sample before dosing the batch.) As an example, I only put about 10ml flavoring in a 5 gal batch (which is about 0.05%.) Remember, you're not making a fruit drink or cider, you're making beer. Done properly, it'll have a mild fruity nose with a very subtle hint of fruit flavor behind the beer. Hope this helps. Ed

 

[Hiphop]

Hi. Glad you found it useful. I've got three recommendations right off the top of my head. the first is 000Flavors. They have a wide variety of concentrated flavorings. I used them when I made a Creme Brulee and Bananas Fosters dessert beers (I used a Scottish Ale as a base.) I also recommend OliveNation for their extracts (I made a killer Coconut Chocolate Stout using their extracts.) Finally, Apex Flavors (Silver Cloud) also has some great extracts and flavoring.

If you decide to go this route, be sure to heed their mixture recommendations as a little bit goes a very long way (hence my recommendation to try it on a sample before dosing the batch.) As an example, I only put about 10ml flavoring in a 5 gal batch (which is about 0.05%.) Remember, you're not making a fruit drink or cider, you're making beer. Done properly, it'll have a mild fruity nose with a very subtle hint of fruit flavor behind the beer. Hope this helps. Ed

I very much appreciate your help with the websites where you have had success. That creme brûlée beer sounds fantastic and I might need to bug you on that recipe one day I’m feeling adventurous. Now the question I have for you is will the extract or flavoring change the color of the beer? I know it’s silly but I strongly believe that presentation of the beer will even in the smallest amount effect the experience of drinking this beer. I’m really really hoping that it won’t turn the blonde ale into a coolaid color but would love to see a more natural reddish purple hue but not the end of the world. Would kegging the beer be any different with the flavoring? How would I mix in the flavoring after its been carbonated? I will be doing like you said where I do a small premeasured amount of flavoring in a cup with a measured amount of beer and gradually increase til I find the right amount that we like. Thank you again for all your help. Honestly it’s been super helpful

 

[RedlegEd]

Hi. Yes, the Creme Brûlée beer was really good and well received. I’ll be happy to share the recipe. The flavorings & extracts may have a little color, but not enough to change the color of your batch (i.e. it’s not like food coloring.) I also keg, so your question is appropriate. I normally add the flavoring when I’m kegging. Once it’s carbed, and you want/need to tweak the flavor, you can take the keg off the gas, bleed the pressure off, and add what you want. Just keep everything clean and remember not to add too much. I also thought of another benefit to using extracts over fruit. I’ve found my real fruit beers never really clear, whereas the beers with extracts will normally drop brite. Ed

 

[KBradt83]

What is the best way to produce a 5-6% ABV version of this recipe?

 

[deadwolfbones]

What is the best way to produce a 5-6% ABV version of this recipe?

1. Reduce the water volume.

or

2. Increase the malt volume (proportionally).

Use a brewing calculator like www.brewersfriend.com to figure out exact amounts.

 

[doogie]

1. Reduce the water volume.

or

2. Increase the malt volume (proportionally).

Use a brewing calculator like www.brewersfriend.com to figure out exact amounts.

I went with 10 pounds of Pilsner and a half pound each of Munich (10L) and Pale Cookie malts.

I also increased the IBUs to around 30-35. Came in right at 6%

 

[madscientist451]

Hi. Yes, the Creme Brûlée beer was really good and well received. I’ll be happy to share the recipe.

I'd be interested in that as well, thanks for the info on the flavorings.

 

[RedlegEd]

Hi all. Rather than hijack Biermuncher's thread, I've moved the information to a new thread here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/creme-brulee-beer.664253/

Ed

 

[BarLee]

I just brewed this on Saturday with Nottingham and it is bubbling like crazy. Had to go blow off tube. Is this normal? Checked gravity and right on. Is Nottingham an aggressive yeast. Excited to try this. Will 2 weeks be enough fermenting?

 

[oldwhiskers]

I've used Nottingham a lot and that's been my experience.