First Session attempt.. thoughts?

[Gumbo]

So I threw together this recipe for a hoppy session APA (or whatever.) I've never attempted a very low ABV pale ale. What do you think about this? Oh, its a half batch (2.5 gal) BIAB, which is what I've been using to experiment recipes with, maintaining all grain with stovetop convenience, so don't let the small additions throw you off. According to BeerSmith, I'll start at 1.045, make 38 IBU's, and get 4% ABV with WLP002 (fermented mid 60's to keep it cleaner). I don't want to over do the IBU's with such a low gravity, and I'm looking to maintain good malt flavor and mouthfeel for such a small beer.

2 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 64.7 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.8 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 11.8 %
8.0 oz Munich Malt (12.0 SRM) Grain 4 11.8 %
0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 -
0.50 oz Amarillo [8.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 13.7 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 20.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Amarillo [8.80 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 8 1.6 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 9 2.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49 ml] Yeast 10 -
0.50 oz Amarillo [8.80 %] - Dry Hop 6.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 6.0 Days

Thanks in advance.

 

[JLP]

IMHO, while the IBUs may seem like a small addition, your going to over power your beer's malt flavor more than you think. I would cut all of your hop additions in half because that would be a jumping off point for a full 5 gallon batch for me if you want a malt forward APA.

 

[Gumbo]

Thanks for the response. I do want a beer with enough malt flavor so that its not too thin, but I do love the hops. I'm hoping the maris otter and the Wlp002 will ease any tendency for the hops to overpower this one. I'll have to look into it further I guess because I certainly don't want that. The IBU/SG calculates to .84. I've been under the impression that 1.00ish equates to a rough balance. Is this ok to assume?

 

[JLP]

You are correct that the best ratio for perfect balance is 1.0 IBU/OG. You can find the OG and IBUs for many for many beers online, so that way you can find the ratio you prefer for each style. That way you do not have to brew beer just to learn your personal tastes. I recommend that you get the book, Designing Great Beers. It has a bunch of different styles, and how to brew them in it. It gives you the ideal IBU/OG based on how many beers went on to the second round of the NHC. For American Pale Ales at the NHC the average was an IBU/OG of 0.91 while commercial examples sampled was 0.89.

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[TopherM]

I do ALOT of APAs, and I tend to keep my bittering hop addition pretty low (typically about 0.5 oz of a 5-7AA hop), then focus more on late additions.

I agree with the post above. Drop those additions to 0.25 oz of each. I would also move them back to 15/5. Those 1 minute additions are kinda a waste of $$$.

I'd keep the dryhop additions at 0.5 oz of each. No such thing as too much aroma in my book!

 

[Gumbo]

Btw, the 1 min addition is a quasi whirlpool actually while cooling.

Update: Spot On, Baby!!

Thanks for the responses. I'm hard headed and went with my original recipe, hit the 1.045 OG, giving a 3.7% ABV according to BeerSmith. JLP's advice about bittering did give me pause, but as this was my first attempt/experiment, I wondered that the fact that all the hop additions were late in the boil, and the OG/IBU ratio might be ok for a starting point, I threw caution to the wind.

I thought I'd go as low as I dared with ABV and then adjust grain according to maltiness next go around. I have to say.. this turned out fantastic! As a session ale as small as it is, its thinner of course (I'm a DIPA fiend), but the balance is great. Malt flavor from the Maris Otter is present and the Simcoe/Amarillo taste is delicious. Lacing in the glass is beautiful as well. I'm planning on filling a keg with this very soon to keep on tap. My inspiration for this was Founder's All Day IPA, and taste-wise, I exceeded my expectations this time.

 

[JLP]

Glad it turned out tasting great. It sounds like you ended up with an IPA?

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[corninyourpoo]

Gumbo--quick question for ya' from a noob: how long did you cook the grains and at what temperature? Or I should really say, what was your process, and if I wanted to make a 5 gallon batch, would you simply double the amounts to achieve the same results? I don't have a mashing system yet, so any changes you would make for a basic stove set up? Basically i can do grain socks in hot water on the stove... Thanks!!

 

[Gumbo]

I did this as a BIAB actually, just using a paint strainer bag from home depot to mash and then boil during hop additions. I like this method for small batches. Easy, quick, and on the kitchen stove. I mashed at 157F for 75 min. Yeah, when I rebrew this for a full batch, I'll just double everything and then tweak the numbers if need be in BeerSmith.

 

[Gumbo]

JLP: I guess you could say low gravity IPA, or hoppy pale..

 

[MindenMan]

How about MIPA, Mild IPA?