Need an opinion on my APA recipe!

[wisbob79]

This will be my first full boil batch (finally got a 10.5 gal brew kettle)! I bought a Brewer's Best APA kit, but I have some other ingredients around that I would like to put into the recipe. Here's what I'm thinking:

6.6 lbs Munton's Light LME
1.5 lbs NB Pilsen LME
2.0 oz Cascade (60 min)
.25 oz Cluster (60 min)
1.5 oz Willamette (5 min)

According to BeerSmith, this should give me a pretty nice brew, but it doesn't have common sense. What think you, dear reader?

Bob

 

[janitorjerm]

That's a lot of hops at 60 minutes. I'd shorten it down to an ounce at 60 and do the rest of additions after 20 minutes.

 

[btgold29]

Here is the hop schedule I use for a 12 gallon batch of my house Pale Ale.. The Cluster Is Awesome!

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
22 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 93.6 %
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 2 4.3 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 2.1 %
1.70 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [12.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 32.7 IBUs
2.00 oz Cluster [8.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 18.4 IBUs
2.00 oz Cluster [8.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 8.7 IBUs
2.00 oz Cascade [6.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 3.8 IBUs
2.00 oz Cascade [6.40 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 9 -
1.50 oz Centennial [10.50 %] - Dry Hop 10.0 Days Hop 10 0.0 IBUs

 

[wisbob79]

OK, adjusted my hop schedule and now have this:

6.6 lbs Munton's Light LME
1.5 lbs NB Pilsen LME
1 lb Crystal 20L (steeping grains)
1 oz Cascade (60 min)
.5 oz Cascade (30 min)
.5 oz Cluster (30 min)
.5 oz Cascade (5 min)
.5 oz Cluster (5 min)
1.5 oz Willamette (5 min)

According to BeerSmith, this puts me at 45.8 IBU which is top end of the APA style per BJCP.

 

[TimBrewz]

That is a much better APA hop schedule. You will get a lot of earthy Willamette aroma from that. I am assuming American Ale Yeast?

Happy Brewing,
Tim

 

[wisbob79]

The kit came with a pack of Notty, which is what I was planning on.

 

[TimBrewz]

That will go well with the Willamette.

 

[Brulosopher]

Did you brew it? I'd consider moving your 30 min additions to 20 min, for more hop presence.

 

[wisbob79]

Haven't brewed yet, I'll move the 30 minute adds to 20 and try that. Thanks for the suggestions folks!

 

[skibb]

Just curious - why bitter with cascade?

 

[wisbob79]

Honestly skibb...because that's what the kit calls for. This is only my 3rd batch so I have a tendency to follow the instructions...mostly. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[skibb]

Well, if that's what the kit calls for I'd follow it - then you can make your own impressions of the ingredients after tasting the beer. But my personal opinions on cascade for bitterness are that it's a waste of an aroma hop, and I prefer using hops like Magnum and Warrior b/c they are cleaner and I can use a much smaller quantity of hops to get the same amount of bitterness.

 

[wisbob79]

Here's what I have:

1 oz Cluster
2 oz Cascade
1.5 oz Willamette

I want the best tasting beer I can get, so I'm open to suggestion!

 

[Brulosopher]

Here's what I have:

1 oz Cluster
2 oz Cascade
1.5 oz Willamette

I want the best tasting beer I can get, so I'm open to suggestion!

Of those hops, use the cascade. My guess is it's about 6.2% AA? That'll be fine.

 

[wisbob79]

Sounds good! I'm going to brew on Tuesday night, my fingers are crossed that my first PA comes out well!