Help with my Alt - 45 minute hop boil?

[Mayday99]

Hello All,

Just got a German Alt kit from Northern Brewer and I am a little puzzled by the directions:

Fermentables:

1 lbs. crushed weyermann caramunich II
6lbs. Briess Munich LME
1lbs Amber DME

1 oz Perle 5.7% AA 60 min
1 oz Perle 5.7% AA 45 min
1oz Spalt 4.5% AA 15 min

The 45 minute boil seems odd. Will this extract more flavor than going 60 min? I also put this through brew calculus and the beer is coming out way on the hoppy side.

I planned to do 1.5 oz perle for 60 minutes to reduce the bittering a little bit, and save me some hops I might need later. Luckily I picked this kit up right before the price went up $10.

My question is, am I missing anything by skipping the 45 minute boil? Are you able to extract flavors boiling that long? Also, I think the hops provided will give too much bittering, I am looking to have something similar to Long Trail ale if anyone is familiar with it.

Thanks everyone for your insights, I have learned a lot from this group so far!!

 

[homebrewer_99]

IMO the 6 lbs of malt and 1 oz of 5.7AA is overhopped...

The addition at 45 mins (actually counting down from 60) will just add more bitterness.

 

[Redweasel]

There is such a thing as overhopped?

 

[Mayday99]

There is such a thing as overhopped?

Hah! I love the hoppy brews myself, but I am trying something different here. Yeah, I think for this style there maybe such a thing. Don't know if you ever had Longtrail (it is brewed in Vermont and available on the east coase) they produce an alt ale that is really well balanced and crisp. That is what I am going for here.

 

[Redweasel]

Good luck! Yeah, I guess i would not enjoy a extra hoppy alt.

 

[Mayday99]

Here's what I decided to do:



hops
time ozs variety form a.a.
60 1.25 Perle pellet 5.7
15 1.0 Spalt Spalter pellet 4.4
1 0.5 Willamette leaf 4.5


Will shoot for 5.5 gallons and do 3lbs LME late addition. Should bring about 5.2%ABV and +/- 30 IBU, which will be pretty close to Long Trail. I added the Willamette because I have extra, and to give a bit of spiciness. I also like to have leaf hops because they do a good job filtering out the junk when I transfer to my fermenter.

Plan to ferment around 60-62 (thats what temp my brewing closet is right now) and then cold condition in the garage for a couple weeks. Garage is about 42 degrees, I like taking advantage of it. I have a Czech Pils sitting in a cooler that I am able to keep at a constant 36 with a couple of frozen water bottles.

This will be a nice one to have on hand for people who don't enjoy my hoppier beers.