Extremely Pale Ale Recipe... Please Critique?

[superslomo]

So, I'm trying as an experiment to figure out whether I can make a very pale beer that will appeal to my in-laws and Coors drinking acquaintances, while still having some personality...

This is going to be a full boil, starting with a hair over 5.5 gallons, give or take.

So, this is the working recipe thus far, but not really settled on anything yet:

Steeping 8 ounces of carapils up to 170, then a 30 minute boil, including a late addition of 6 pounds Pilsen DME just brought back to a boil to dissolve and then flameout.

Hop bill will be 1 ounce of hallertauer for 30 minutes, 1 ounce of saaz for aroma for five minutes boiling.

Whirlfloc at 15 minutes, just for the heck of it, and thinking I'm going to use the California Lager yeast.

 

[unionrdr]

Steeping I think should be more like no more than 160F for 30 mins. Remove grain bag,bring to boil. Stir down resulting hot break that usually only lasts about 3 minutes. Add half the dme to do hop additions. If you want bittering,it'll need longer than a 30 minute boil to get more than a little bit. Maybe .5oz Haulertauer for 45 minutes,then the other half ounce at 20. Saaz at 12 or 15 minutes left. Just my 2c...

 

[superslomo]

Homebrew calculus is not correct on those numbers, then?

 

[unionrdr]

Well,ime,30 minutes doesn't give much bittering. But it does depend on how much you like. & adding half the malt extract at the end will give lighter color & cleaner flavor. And 170F steep temp is right at the max temp. We did it at 160F for 20 mins. But I think no more than 160F for 30 mins would be better for steeping.

 

[superslomo]

homebrew calculus puts it at 25 IBUs, which is in spec for the style at 0.47 BU:GU. I wasn't certain though whether you really need the full sixty minute boil to get everything out of it that you would like.

Also, the calc doesn't seem to change color at all based on a late addition versus a pre-boil addition of either DME or LME... yet the common wisdom here is that it does indeed make a pretty substantial difference.

Go figure.

 

[unionrdr]

It def makes a color difference,especially with LME. I do think that calculation is for 60 minutes. So yeah,if it is,you'd have to to get the numbers.

 

[superslomo]

it definitely changes the IBU when you change the boil time, boil volume, and gravity... I was figuring it would work.

I guess I'll just take it on the chin, do a 60 minute boil, add the DME or LME at the tail-end and take what comes

 

[ChaosStout]

I wouldnt use LME at all if you want it really pale. My hefeweizen turned out deep copper colored with late addition LME. I currently have a belgian Wit im getting ready to bottle and used all DME at the start of the boil. Turned out a nice light gold color

 

[dcp27]

a 30min boil & hop add is perfectly fine, esp if its for coors fans. id add at least some of the extract at the start, dunno if its actually necessary, but its pretty rare to see a recipe with no additions til the end.

 

[unionrdr]

Once again,I save the LME till the end,& use half the DME in the boil for hop additions. This makes the gravity lighter,not to mention the partial boil,giving more utilization,if math is to be strictly believed. Works well for me,& I get some good long lasting hop flavors.

 

[pjcampbell]

Do you think that you need to bother with the steeping grains if you are looking for a very light and dry/light bodied beer?

 

[unionrdr]

The 8oz of Carapils will just help it give better head. 6lbs of malt in 5.5 gallons is fine.

 

[edw6buffalo]

Definetly steep the grains, i tried with out steeping once and the brew was still drinkable but had almost no mouthfeel. Sounds like a good reciepe to me, let us know how it turns out.

 

[superslomo]

Yeah, the whole idea of the steeped grains was possibly some flavor, but mainly the mouthfeel and head retention from the carapils/carafoam.

I'm thinking unless it makes a HUGE difference in color, I'm going to just do it with LME, and boil for 60... calculating the IBUs with split late additions requires math and tools I just don't have, so I'd rather just be on the safe side.

Bigger question: California Common yeast, or US-05? I love the convenience of US-05, and it's a monster in my experience... works at all kinds of temps and is cheap, but I don't want to write off any alternatives.

 

[unionrdr]

I'd bet on the Safale US-05 myself. My wife used it on her 1st,a Belgian Wit. Worked just as well dried as my Cooper's ale yeast did in a small starter. But the us-05 was cleaner insomuch as no fruity esters at the same temps. Depends on what you want in the way of flavors from different yeasts.

 

[superslomo]

I wouldn't have figure on it for a wheat beer yeast, at least not something belgian or hefe... too clean/straight in character. Interesting.

 

[dcp27]

Yeah, the whole idea of the steeped grains was possibly some flavor, but mainly the mouthfeel and head retention from the carapils/carafoam.

carapils doesn't add any flavor and its already included in all extracts so you'd just be doubling up. id go with a different light crystal instead

Bigger question: California Common yeast, or US-05? I love the convenience of US-05, and it's a monster in my experience... works at all kinds of temps and is cheap, but I don't want to write off any alternatives.

i don't think you can go wrong in either case, if you got temps in the 60s, id just go with S05. if you want some flavor from your yeast tho, id go with something else

I wouldn't have figure on it for a wheat beer yeast, at least not something belgian or hefe... too clean/straight in character. Interesting

you're correct in that. IMO, it sounds like a horrible idea and completely removes the ingredient that gives those beers its flavor.

 

[unionrdr]

Well,the thing is here that Belgian wits aren't looking for the same esters as German wheat's. This one had zest & spices,so it was more like a Shock Top clone.

 

[superslomo]

I know the American Wheat that NB sells spec's the US-05 for a dry alternative. I actually liked it way better with 05 than with the American Wheat from Wyeast... did one Honey wheat with 05, one honey wheat with the wyeast.