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

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Hi rstrider,
While I respect that you think the IBUs may be a little high, this beer, even at 25 IBUs is definitely not a Pale Ale, and nowhere near an IPA. Depending on your tastes, if it's a little too hoppy, you may want to consider changing the hop schedule so you can adjust the bitterness, flavor, and/or aroma additions. For me, I substitute the final Centennial addition with Ahtanum, which is a little milder. Just for reference, the BJCP IBU scale for a Blonde Ale is 11-28; Pale Ale is 30-50; and an IPA is 40-70. So in terms of style, Centennial Blonde is right where it's supposed to be. The wonderful thing about brewing your own, is you can tweak to suit your tastes, and I think backing off to 0.20 oz is one way. The other might be adjusting the schedule to accentuate the bittering, flavor, or aroma as desired. Cheers!
Ed


Right what I'm getting at is if I were to pick this up blindly without knowing any details a blonde ale would not be my first choice of classification. In a blonde ale I'm looking for something balanced to malt forward and not hoppy. This is not that imo. It is pretty hop forward with the original recipe. When I think of blonde ale I think of something in the ballpark of a craft take on macro brew. Yes that teeters in the cream ale category for sure. However, this is not that. While it may match the BJCP classification on paper if I was judging this in a comp it would definitely get dinged for bitterness. I'm not a BJCP judge but I'm lucky enough to know an active one as well as very accomplished brewers that would tend to agree. Where I'm located (FL Panhandle) a good craft blonde would be Gulf Coast Brewery blonde ale or the Props brewery Blonde Bomber. I think if I took this brew to an event with patrons looking for macro brew they would appreciate the free beer but would tend to agree this is a tad much on the bitterness. I'm not arguing that this is not a good brew, as it really is and is enjoyable at that, I'm just stating this would not be my first choice of classification when it comes to a blonde ale. My other concern is the grain bill. Why have such a busy bill if the hops cover it up? With something that busy I'd want it to stand out more and that's just going to be tough to do at 25 ibus. I would shoot for mid to lower ibus to let that grain bill shine. Yes I've already dropped the IBUs for the next go around. As in all recipes they are a baseline for us to follow/tweak to our tastes.
 
I apologize if this has been asked, I"m planning to brew this hopefully next wed. I will be using the original recipe for 5 Gal batch. I bought enough ingredients to do 2 batches. This will be my 2nd batch that I have done. Do to poor water, my first batch didn't come out as good.

Question is, Has anyone swapped the hops around, making cascade the bittering and Centennial the aroma and flavor? From what I have read Centennial should give more of a lemon note. I know I always tend to get the Grapefruit note from cascade. According to Beersmith, I would have to add another .25 oz of cascade on the second add, all the times stay the same.
 
I apologize if this has been asked, I"m planning to brew this hopefully next wed. I will be using the original recipe for 5 Gal batch. I bought enough ingredients to do 2 batches. This will be my 2nd batch that I have done. Do to poor water, my first batch didn't come out as good.

Question is, Has anyone swapped the hops around, making cascade the bittering and Centennial the aroma and flavor? From what I have read Centennial should give more of a lemon note. I know I always tend to get the Grapefruit note from cascade. According to Beersmith, I would have to add another .25 oz of cascade on the second add, all the times stay the same.

That's exactly what I did after a little research. I kept the IBUs the same though. Mine turned out very good. My daughter in law who is very picky about beer loves it. She says it's like drinking liquid sunshine. There is most definitely a discernable mild grapefruit & orange flavor going on and it's not the least little bit harsh. I consider this recipe by BM, a gateway drug for those who don't like beer.
 
At only 3 weeks in the bottle the IBUs will continue to mellow over the next few weeks.

And I stand corrected lol Yes this brew needed a little bit of age (around 6 weeks in the bottle at room temp) but it's finally right where it's supposed to be. It's mellowed out and turned out extremely well rounded. I was wrong and stand corrected! Anywho I will be brewing this again in the near future. Also Nottingham fermented at 64F worked perfectly! Anywho thanks for the recipe!
 
Daughter in law brought me an empty growler, asked for a refill. I have a nice German Pils, this Blonde ale and a Kölsch on tap. After giving her a sample of each, I asked her which she wanted? she wanted this Blonde ale. And this is her second refill of blond ale. She's pretty picky about the beer she drinks, so there you have it.
 
Alright, I've decided to finally brew this. Its been on the front page of the recipe forums since before I became a member, so I guess it's just a matter of time until you brew this beer.

I didn't have any 10L crystal so I had to use 20, which I cut down slightly and added just a touch of wheat.

Looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about. :)
 
Alright, I've decided to finally brew this. Its been on the front page of the recipe forums since before I became a member, so I guess it's just a matter of time until you brew this beer.

I didn't have any 10L crystal so I had to use 20, which I cut down slightly and added just a touch of wheat.

Looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about. :)

I doubt you'll be disappointed.
 
Ha! I have a bag of specialty grain with no markings on the bag. I can’t find my recipe sheets I printed off. After a few months I had no idea what they were for.
Saw this thread again and decided to buy grain for a 5 gallon batch.
Duh, my unmarked bag I’m pretty sure is for a 10 gallon batch!
At lest it will be next brew day.
Always a hit!
Cheers
 
I wanted to share more feedback on this. I’m currently at the brewery with the head brewer. They blind tasted this. I asked them what style they thought this would fall under. They said the hop bill and ibus reminded them of a session pale ale. So there ya have it lol I wasn’t totally wrong. Anywho we all agreed that the ibus should be dropped to the 17-20 range TOPS to let the malt bill shine through since it is a tad busy. At the same time we all agreed this was a great lawnmower brew! I hope this feedback helps! Thanks for the recipe Biermuncher!
 
So I brewed this on May 28th, and I have people coming over for a back yard socially distanced birthday party on June 6th. What do you think the odds are that I can keg it that morning, force carb at 35psi or so for 3 minutes of shaking, and have it settled and chilled by the evening? :) lol.
 
It's a quick turnaround brew, but that will be lighting quick and a Little to green in IMHO ! If so serve it later in the party after they have had a bunch of the BMC !
 
It's a quick turnaround brew, but that will be lighting quick and a Little to green in IMHO ! If so serve it later in the party after they have had a bunch of the BMC !

I guess I'll have to take a small sample and see how green it is. Might not be worth pre-mature kegging. I'll have to tell guests that all I've got on tap are IPAs and they can BYOB if they don't like it.
 
Brewed this up for the first time yesterday and followed the original recipe. The Nottingham yeast has taken off!
20200607_165126.jpg
 
I haven't read nearly the whole thread but maybe someone can take pity on me... I did the original recipe to the letter except swapped in US-05 since I'm familiar with it
I just kegged this after 13 days in the fermenter. Sample tastes good. I'm not much of a BMC guy but have been craving some lighter "lawnmower beer" recently so figured I would get this one in the rotation.

Anyhow, brew day went great, hit every number right on the money with the one minor exception that my mash registered 149 degrees instead of 150. My FG is 1.005. 87% attenuation, 4.6 ABV. I think that is a littler drier that most people's turns out?

Also it isn't super clear at this point; even the hydro sample is noticeably hazy compared to most in the thread. I haven't done anything to fine it. Could hit it with some gelatin I guess.

I'm planning to take it to a party next weekend; it will have about 10 days in the keg by then.

Assuming I don't hate the taste (don't think I will) I'm thinking of doing a 10gal batch and splitting it between the US-05 and the Notty. Has anyone done this? If so what did you get for FG and clarity between the two?
 
Hi,
I've not split a 10 gal batch, but I've done two versions...one with US-05 and several with Notty. There was a slight taste difference between the US-05 (Chico) and Notty. While both are very good, I preferred the Nottingham as a little more full. As for the clarity, I usually fine mine with gelatin in the keg and both came out very clear. If you're taking a keg to a party, you may want to consider doing an airless transfer into the keg you're taking. It doesn't matter how careful you are, if you move the original keg, you'll stir up sediment and it'll get a little cloudy. That said, if you can transport your keg a day or so early and get it cold without moving it afterward, you should be fine.
Ed
 
Thanks...
I'm planning to just take a pint or two off the current keg the day before to get most of the remaining trub out and make sure it tastes good; after that if a little gets stirred up in transit I won't be too worried about it.
My experience with US-05 is that to really clear completely without gelatin takes longer than I'm usually willing to wait, and I was just wondering if I'd expect that to continue with this beer as well, and how it might compare directly with Nottingham in identical processes.
I'm still debating hitting this one with gelatin just to be sure.
 
This beer isn't bad, but it's not really for me. But my friends will drink the **** out of it.

Is it just my batch, or does it have a slight peppery spice to it? It's almost like a weaker, thinner Saison.
 
Anyhow, brew day went great, hit every number right on the money with the one minor exception that my mash registered 149 degrees instead of 150. My FG is 1.005. 87% attenuation, 4.6 ABV. I think that is a littler drier that most people's turns out?

Also it isn't super clear at this point; even the hydro sample is noticeably hazy compared to most in the thread. I haven't done anything to fine it. Could hit it with some gelatin I guess.

I brewed this recipe for my first time last weekend, and today I took my first hydro sample to see where it's at (assuming its at fg).

Mine has dried out to 1.006, so a few points low... But that's typical for me with most of my brews (Never really have figured out why). I figure my palate won't taste that difference of 0.4% alc so I try not to let my brewing OCD kick in. Lol

My hydro sample is also slightly cloudy but not surprising after only a week in primary.

It'll likely remain cloudy as I never use gelatin nor do I cold crash.

I'll likely bottle next weekend (after 2 weeks in primary)

It looks good though, nice color. Haven't tasted the sample yet... I like to cool the samples a bit to get a better idea.

This isn't my typical brew, but I'm looking forward to enjoying a few bottles in the summer... Once summer arrives... Been a cool and wet June here in the Okanagan valley.

Thanks BM for the recipe.
 
Ok so I couldn't resist and just tapped mine at 5 days in the keg. US-05 and didn't do anything to fine it.

Crisp and refreshing? Check (and probably will get better as it clears)
Clear? Nope... still as cloudy as the day I put it in the keg. I was hoping to at least be able to see through the glass by now, but not so much.

Anyhow... could fix it with gelatin I guess but not sure I care enough to bother. It will start to clear on its own.
Can't put my finger on it; it is definitely very drinkable right now but I think still just a little green... I'm sure it will get even better over the next few days. Even if it never changes a bit I'll happily drink it all up so that is always good.

I definitely like it enough to make a Notty version and will probably go straight to 10gal next time.
 
Well the haze does not appear to be reducing at all. It is still basically opaque.
I'm starting to wonder if it is something else...?
 
I did this recipe in 2 batches, both with noittingham. First one has been pegged for a week now, but plan on letting it sit for a few more days before trying it. The second on i just kegged. I did make a change with this, I swapped the hops around (cascade as the bittering and the centennial as the flavoring and aroma). Both came in a little dryer than expected.
 
I did this recipe in 2 batches, both with noittingham. First one has been pegged for a week now, but plan on letting it sit for a few more days before trying it. The second on i just kegged. I did make a change with this, I swapped the hops around (cascade as the bittering and the centennial as the flavoring and aroma). Both came in a little dryer than expected.

Mine (swapped hops & Notty) just keeps getting better and better in lager temps.
 
I'm all set to brew this for the first time on Tuesday. Wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a water profile? I use 100% DI and build up from there. I'm planning to go with the yellow balanced profile from brun' water unless anyone has a better suggestion. Thanks and cheers!
 
Had a great brew day today, doing my first batch of this recipe. Did a 3 G batch, and some how blew right past my OG and hit 1.046. But hey, whats a little extra alcohol between friends right!? Hydrometer sample tasted VERY promising and was the clearest I've ever made. Really looking forward to trying one of these in a few weeks. Thanks @BierMuncher for sharing the recipe.

Cheers!
 
Hi Jeff,
If it keeps getting better, you might as well get a few more growlers for your DIL as that liquid sunshine will just keep getting brighter! :yes:
Ed

I accidentally froze the keg. (Temp probe in the wrong place in my keezer). After slowly thawing (temperature probe in the right place) and blowing off about a 1/2 pint of junk out of the bottom of the keg. I would put the beer up against any pilsner and I bet it would win. Seriously it's that good and clear as a bell.
 
Scaled to 10 gallons for a batch today; trying to keep everything the same (US05 for now) except just adding some whirfloc.
I meant for it to be the same, however, even adjusting for the increased efficiency I normally get with 10 gallons I still undershot; planned for 83% and the calculator says 89%... wow. Another adjustment for next time I guess.
 
Scaled to 10 gallons for a batch today; trying to keep everything the same (US05 for now) except just adding some whirfloc.
I meant for it to be the same, however, even adjusting for the increased efficiency I normally get with 10 gallons I still undershot; planned for 83% and the calculator says 89%... wow. Another adjustment for next time I guess.

In the middle of the night, my wife's rottweiler cracked open the tap and finshed my keg of this Blone:( The drip tray was full but he did a great job cleaning up the floor. Poor guy staggering around, then passed out on the couch. Wife laughed and said he was thisty.
 
I put two bottles in the fridge after two weeks conditioning, and a day later,poured one to check it out.

The glass was empty in record time and I proceeded to pour the second bottle.

Damn good beer.

I'm leaving the rest for one more week before chilling, but seriously... This is a tastey beer. If anyone is on the fence about brewing it, give it a go.
 
My second batch is a few days in the fermenter, and from the time it got down to pitching temp, I could see the coagulated stuff that is a result of the whirfloc being added... so I think this version is going to be clearer for me.
 
Well guys, it has been quite a while since I brewed, but I am thinking of doing a mash friday nite and then doing my boil etc early on saturday morning. My question is this, do I brew the first entry of this 145 page post, or is there a current version that everyone feels is the best version? f I remember correctly, BierMuncher's origional recipes were loved by everyone.
 
Personally, I started with the original. I have done 2 batches recently, one as the original, and the second one I swapped the hops around. For my taste, I like the original best after it was keged for 3 weeks. I have not tapped into the second one as of yet( give me about 15 min)
 
Well guys, it has been quite a while since I brewed, but I am thinking of doing a mash friday nite and then doing my boil etc early on saturday morning. My question is this, do I brew the first entry of this 145 page post, or is there a current version that everyone feels is the best version? f I remember correctly, BierMuncher's origional recipes were loved by everyone.

I swapped the hops (same IBU's) it was the bomb dot com. Until my wife's rottweiler cracked the faucet in the middle of the night and finished my keg plus emptied my CO2 tank.
 
I swapped the hops (same IBU's) it was the bomb dot com. Until my wife's rottweiler cracked the faucet in the middle of the night and finished my keg plus emptied my CO2 tank.
You need to photoshop in a puddle of blonde ale in your profile pic - sorry for your loss
 
Well, it may not be my favourite style, but i had friends over on the weekend and they went through the whole keg. Making another batch, with a few modifications. I didn’t have dex so I used a lb. of wheat instead, just to get a little head retention. Ended up with an OG of 1.059 though.
 
I am curious on II’m the only one....
I kegged the original receipe, however it wasn’t till about 4/weeks in the keg ( Keezer temp at 40F) That it really cleared and the malty tast subsided. After the 4th week, it was pretty good.

I did another batch where I reversed The hops, but am noticing the same effect. It’s been 3 weeks in the keg, getting clearing and the malty taste is settling down.

I used brunwater for water adjustment using the yellow scale ( think that is what It is called).

it may be my taste buds....
 
Mine was very much like that. It was good, but nothing like most of the pictures. Quite hazy and had some body to it. It was definitely gone long before four weeks though

I did another batch, and other than the OG going higher than intended due to a much improved extract efficiency in my 10 gallon process, the only change was that I added whirfloc in the boil. I'm kegging half of it today and can already tell that it is going to come out a lot more clear right from the start vs. the first batch.
 
Made 5 gallons of this BIAB as my first brew experience. It's a bit over 2 weeks in the bottles now, still needs some more time for the carb to build up. Definitely tasty and easy to down in a matter of minutes if you're thirsty. Mine came out darker than most of the photos, likely due to using Crystal 15 instead of 10, which my LBHS didn't have. I had let my milled grains and hops sit out for a couple months at room temp before I was able to find the time to brew, so I'd imagine this would be even better with fresh ingredients. Looking forward to brewing this again and giving whole leaf hops a try for a bit more aroma.
 
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