Dirty Blonde - Did I screw up?

[Scuba_Steve81]

I hope I didn't screw up!

This is only my second all grain/BIAB batch, so I am still pretty unfamiliar with my grains.

I wanted to make a blonde, but I also wanted to try chocolate malt. Hence the Dirty Blonde!

The issue is, I was plugging the recipe into my calculator. When I came to the Colorado Pale Ale Malt, that option wasn't available. So I used the color rating of 37, and found what Pale Ale Malt also had the same rating. It was a 6 row.

I now just have a hunch, that I was suppose to use a 2 row... Then again, this is just a guess though. I dont even know what the difference between the two are...

So did I screw up the flavor/style?

Here is the recipe. Any other comments/suggestions? Grain is already bought and milled together btw, but suggestions for next time are also welcome. I am subbing Safale US-05 for the yeast as well because my LHBS doesnt carry much liquid. Is that ok?

Thanks in advance!

8 oz American - Caramel / Crystal 60L 34 60 4.2%
10 oz American - Victory 34 28 5.3%
4 oz. American - Chocolate. 29 350 2.1%
10.5 lb Colorado Pale Ale Malt 37 2 88.4%
Subbed 10.5 lb Pale Ale Malt 6 Row?

0.4 oz Magnum 15 Boil 60 min
0.5 oz Crystal 4.3 Boil 10 min
Adjusted bittering hop to compensate for different AA ratings
13.2g Magnum 13
14g Crystal 3.3

1 tsp Irish Moss Fining Boil 15 min.

White Labs - San Diego Super Yeast WLP090
Subbed Safale US-05 instead...

 

[chickypad]

The 37 is not the color of the pale ale malt, it looks like the ppg (gravity pts/lb/gallon). Almost all malts are made from 2-row barley unless they specifically say 6-row - if it said pale ale malt I highly doubt it was 6-row. The 05 yeast will be fine for an American ale. With the medium crystal and chocolate in there I'd say it's going to be an amber.

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

So, how bad did I screw it up tastewise?

 

[Sadu]

You'll have to taste it to find out

I just brewed a brown porter with some chocolate malt - took a gravity sample after a week and the chocolate smell is amazing.

Next time, if you aren't sure what you are doing, try to use ingredients that complement the style. Porters are a great match for chocolate malt. Blonde ales - maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, I have no idea. Personally I wouldn't risk a batch to find out, I'd rather have a great blonde and a great chocolate porter. When I get a bit more experience I'll definitely be up for trying interesting combos but for now there's more than enough fun to be had using tried and true recipes.

 

[Sadu]

Also US-05 goes great with a blonde ale, just brewed one of those as well using that yeast. Fermented at 65f / 18c using a temp controller, real easy to drink, nice flavour, no weird aftertastes.

 

[myelo]

So did I screw up the flavor/style?

Well, you sort of screwed up the style when you decided to use 2% chocolate malt in a blonde I bet it will taste fine, it just won't look or taste like a blonde.

A tiny bit of chocolate malt (<1%) will add some brown color. Think deep gold or reddish. By the time you get up to 2%, you are going to get some roasty chocolate coffee taste in addition to a darker brown color. I don't really care about sticking to style guidelines so I think it will be good ... but just realize if you were aiming for a blonde you are't going to get that.

 

[JKaranka]

It's almost like a strong bitter but without the bitterness. Add some hop extract to bring the IBUs up and sorted :-D

 

[chickypad]

So, how bad did I screw it up tastewise?

Like myelo said, if you really wanted a blonde then yeah you screwed that up. If you don't care about that and are just experimenting I think you'll end up with an amber colored ale that may drink between an amber and a brown, i.e. a little less caramely/sweet and a little more roasty than a typical amber ale. Who knows, might be your favorite beer.