Suggestions - house Pale Ale

[rkehlet]

I would like to brew a simple pale ale. Not to hoppy or bitter, I guess more the UK type than US. I would like it to be fresh with high drinkability but not a light pale , malty aromas are welcome. Further I want to use it as a base recipe that can be varied with additions of hops, fruit etc. Any recipe suggestions are very welcome. I am most interested in the grains and mash schedule and of course yeast and fermentation schedule.

 

[Auger]

I do an ESB as my staple house pale. I've tried it with a few different yeasts, even did 1056 and dry-hopped it to turn it into an APA. I don't have the recipe offhand, but it's pretty similar to this one:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=257082

Best Bitters and ESBs are pretty simple to brew, but can be very good, and leave a lot of options for experimentation like you're looking for.

 

[303Dan]

Try using a more "malty" base malt like Maris Otter or Vienna. Also, try some Munich or maybe some Aromatic or Melanoidin malt for some enhanced malt aroma/flavor if that's what you're going for. Then maybe a little Crystal malt if that's your thing.

As far as yeast goes, if you're going for that English style, I'd stick to one of the common English strains (wyeast 1098, 1968, etc) and make sure you're fermenting in its ideal temp range. I prefer mid 60s for both of those strains.

 

[rkehlet]

The ESB sounds great. However how will it go with a higher Carbonation say 2.5 - 3.0 ? I read somewhere that levels above 1.5-2.0 would result in undesired off taste?
@303dan I will stick to the UK strains. been doing some brews with WLP001 but would like more Esters.

 

[Kharnynb]

Do Vienna smash with a milder hop like mittelfruh.

Ferment with Nottingham dry yeast

 

[rkehlet]

Vienna Smash - interesting did some Maris Otter smash earlier. I want to use liquid yeasts - what to replace with the Nottingham?

 

[biermann1]

I would like to brew a simple pale ale. Not to hoppy or bitter, I guess more the UK type than US. I would like it to be fresh with high drinkability but not a light pale , malty aromas are welcome. Further I want to use it as a base recipe that can be varied with additions of hops, fruit etc. Any recipe suggestions are very welcome. I am most interested in the grains and mash schedule and of course yeast and fermentation schedule.

what you describe nails pretty much what I just brewed, but it's a Belgian Pale Ale. $25.95 a kit at Homebrew Supply.

 

[hbhudy]

I would do a simple 80-20 Marris Otter-Vienna with East Kent Golding and Nottingham dry yeast. Mash around 154 to keep some body in the final product as notty can eat a lot more than one might think.. This recipe can change to an APA by changing to 2-Row and switch hops to a US "C" hop

 

[Kharnynb]

Vienna Smash - interesting did some Maris Otter smash earlier. I want to use liquid yeasts - what to replace with the Nottingham?

london ale yeast would be closest, but I wouldn't go liquid yeast for a vienna smash, the main thing with a smash is to let the hops/grain speak, notti or US-05 is much better here as it is more neutral and good bang for buck.

 

[rkehlet]

I ended up doing a Maris Otter / EKG SMASH, using WlP Burlington Ale as yeast. It's in secondary atm. but tastes excellent already. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[rkehlet]

Further I did a 50:50 split when transferring to secondary and added cherry juice boiled down from fresh cherries.