Help with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone

[Jordancwilk]

I'm starting this clone recipe for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale next, and I don't know how to determine what the OG should be. Should I make a starter with 1056 or is this beer small enough to just use the smack pack? Recipe below:

Ingredients:

5 gal
• 8 oz. caramel malt, 30° Lovibond
• 6 oz. DeWolf-Cosyns cara-pils malt
• 6 lbs. light malt syrup
• 1.5 oz. Perle hops (8.2% alpha acid) for 60 min.
• 2.5 oz. Cascade hops (5.4% alpha acid): 1 oz. for 15 min., 1 oz. for 5 min., 0.5
oz. pellets (dry hopping).
• Wyeast 1056 (American ale)
• 11/4 cup dry malt extract

 

[photobru]

This calculator will give you an estimated OG.

This one will help with the pitch rate.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

O.G. should be around 1.058 - 1.059.

I'd also say an ounce too much of Perle and an ounce too much of Cascade. Try an ounce of Nugget (60 min) as your bittering and Perle at 15min, and Cascade at flame out. Finish with a dry-hop of 1/2 -1 oz Cascade.

This beer is small enough and not too complex. I would just use US-05. No need to spend the extra money.

Side note... I see you're doing an extract, which is fine. I seem to have the best luck with this clone using extract. However, if you want to achieve the desired light color, may I suggest reserving the majority of your syrup for a late extract addition so you don't caramelize the extract.

Good luck, man!

 

[Jordancwilk]

O.G. should be around 1.058 - 1.059.



I'd also say an ounce too much of Perle and an ounce too much of Cascade. Try an ounce of Nugget (60 min) as your bittering and Perle at 15min, and Cascade at flame out. Finish with a dry-hop of 1/2 -1 oz Cascade.



This beer is small enough and not too complex. I would just use US-05. No need to spend the extra money.



Side note... I see you're doing an extract, which is fine. I seem to have the best luck with this clone using extract. However, if you want to achieve the desired light color, may I suggest reserving the majority of your syrup for a late extract addition so you don't caramelize the extract.



Good luck, man!

Wow, this is really helpful. I've already bought the ingredients and yeast, but I'll take your advice on the hops and late extract addition.

If I use the yeast in the recipe do you think this beer is small enough to not need a starter?

 

[Jordancwilk]

This calculator will give you an estimated OG.

This one will help with the pitch rate.

This is great, thank you! Bookmarked for sure.

 

[Calder]

My understanding of the beer is that (for 5 gallons), it is:

- 1 lb C60 + 2-row (or light extract).
- Magnum @ 60
- Perle @ 30 (not really sure this has much impact)
- Cascade for flavor and aroma.
- No dry hop, but a 2 ozs Cascade hop steep at 0 minutes.
- 35 IBUs
- OG 1.056
- Chico Yeast (1056 od S-05).

 

[atoughram]

My hop schedule is 21.9 IBU's of Magnums for 90 minutes and 12.9 IBU's of Cascades for 90 minutes. 5.2 IBU's of Cascades for steep/whirlpool and then an ounce per 5 gal of Cascades dry hopped for a week.

Side by side taste test's are close.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

If I use the yeast in the recipe do you think this beer is small enough to not need a starter?

Although it wouldn't hurt, you shouldn't need a starter.

 

[frank_wood1966]

O.G. should be around 1.058 - 1.059.



I'd also say an ounce too much of Perle and an ounce too much of Cascade. Try an ounce of Nugget (60 min) as your bittering and Perle at 15min, and Cascade at flame out. Finish with a dry-hop of 1/2 -1 oz Cascade.



This beer is small enough and not too complex. I would just use US-05. No need to spend the extra money.



Side note... I see you're doing an extract, which is fine. I seem to have the best luck with this clone using extract. However, if you want to achieve the desired light color, may I suggest reserving the majority of your syrup for a late extract addition so you don't caramelize the extract.



Good luck, man!

Best advice given there about the late extract addition!

 

[sillbeer]

We did 10 gallons today of the Sierra Madre, (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone) and our OG was 10.48. Recipe through Northern Brewer.

- Destin

 

[Jordancwilk]

I brewed this today, and reduced the cascade by 1 ounce. Held half of the extract for late addition, an my OG was 1.052. Can't wait to see how this one turns out!

 

[shortyz]

this is my goto. i throw in extract at flameout.

 

[brewkinger]

this is my goto. i throw in extract at flameout.

Hopefully you split the extract addition and add some earlier in the boil to help with hop utilization.

Overall the recipe looks good.
I do an all grain clone that I have tweaked a couple of times.
I prefer Perle only for bittering and all Cascade additions are whole leaf and I dry hop for 10 days with an additional oz.
I gave a few bottles (bottled in empty SNPA bottles) to a friend and his wife and they accused me of simply removing the label.
It upset me at first until it occurred to me that I am close to nailing it.
Mine comes in at 1.054

 

[Jordancwilk]

It sure seems happy today: View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1427154537.063733.jpg

(And yes it is in my bathtub)

 

[Jordancwilk]

A few follow up questions about this one:

Is 1.014 a decent FG? Used liquid yeast and no starter. OG was 1.052

Second question, when dry hopping do you recommend just putting the pellets directly in the primary? Or in a Muslim bag?

 

[blackbeer]

14 is pretty good but you might want to raise the temp a little to see if you can rouse it a bit.

i throw the pellets right in the primary at the end

 

[1977Brewer]

1. 1.014 is fine. Make sure it's stable before you package.
2. I dry hop in 1 gallon paint strainer bags. Works great.

 

[Jordancwilk]

2. I dry hop in 1 gallon paint strainer bags. Works great.

This may be a dumb question, but I'm assuming any bag (paint strainer or otherwise) still needs to be sanitized first?

 

[1977Brewer]

This may be a dumb question, but I'm assuming any bag (paint strainer or otherwise) still needs to be sanitized first?

No dumb questions, only dumb answers.


Every time, all the time. Sanitize everything you put in in your beer, post boil. Except hops.