Thoughts on Cascade Pale Ale Recipe?

[rhys333]

I’m interested in brewing the following partial mash recipe for Cascade Pale Ale. The recipe is commercially available as a kit, though unfortunately the supplier is unable to ship to my area. Since the ingredients are pretty straightforward and the recipe seems to be very popular, I’ve decided to assemble ingredients locally and give it a go.

The only changes I plan to make are to substitute DME in place of LME, and scale up from 5 gal US to 6 (23L). I may also add a little extra grain and/or DME to boost ABV to somewhere around 5.5% (the original recipe works out to 4.5 – 5% by my calculations).

Wondering does anybody has any thoughts/recommendations? I’ll be using a 5 gal kettle and BIAB method....

Cascade Pale Ale (5 gal US batch):
- 3.3 lbs LME (substitute light DME instead)
- Grains: 4 lbs 2-row malt; 8oz Carapils (dextrine malt); 8oz Caramel 10 L. Steep/mash at 151-154 for 45 – 75 mins.
- Hops: 3 oz Cascade (1oz @ 60 mins; 1oz @ 15 mins; 1oz @ 2 mins)

 

[Omahawk]

Looks like you'll make a tasty, hop-forward ale here. Three things that come to my mind:

1) I haven't done the calcs, but you're on the light end of the SRM scale for a Pale Ale. You have light colored specialty grains, and they're in small proportions (about 5% each). It's not a problem, it'll just be a PALE pale ale.
2) DME will have more gravity yield than LME (something like 20% more). Just take this into account in your calcs when you substitute.
3) Depending on the Alpha content of your Cascades, you are likely on the low end of the bitterness range for an American Pale Ale (even before you bump up the starting gravity with the extra DME). And, making this higher gravity beer will bring down your bitterness / gravity ratio even more. Consider this as you tinker - if you're striving for some decent bitterness, you might want to add some more bittering hops in the kettle (or double your 15 minute addition?).

All of these things said, it looks like you'll make a fine beer with this recipe. What are you using for yeast?

 

[meltroha]

Do .5 @ fwh & .5 @ 60, I love the depth fwh adds

 

[rhys333]

Looks like you'll make a tasty, hop-forward ale here. Three things that come to my mind:

1) I haven't done the calcs, but you're on the light end of the SRM scale for a Pale Ale. You have light colored specialty grains, and they're in small proportions (about 5% each). It's not a problem, it'll just be a PALE pale ale.
2) DME will have more gravity yield than LME (something like 20% more). Just take this into account in your calcs when you substitute.
3) Depending on the Alpha content of your Cascades, you are likely on the low end of the bitterness range for an American Pale Ale (even before you bump up the starting gravity with the extra DME). And, making this higher gravity beer will bring down your bitterness / gravity ratio even more. Consider this as you tinker - if you're striving for some decent bitterness, you might want to add some more bittering hops in the kettle (or double your 15 minute addition?).

All of these things said, it looks like you'll make a fine beer with this recipe. What are you using for yeast?

Thanks for the input. To answer your question about yeast, I'm considering Danstar Nottingham ale yeast, though the original recipe calls for Safale US-05.

I had been wondering if the SRM was a little on the light side as well. I don't want it to end up too pale. If I substitute Caramel 60L in place of the 10L, will this bring me into the correct colour range?

As far as bitterness goes, I don't want it to end up too sharp on my first attempt, so I'm hoping to keep it in the 40-50 IBU range. I had planned to increase from 3oz to 4oz for the 6 gal batch, though perhaps I can push it to 5oz and double the 15 min addition as you suggest. Am I correct assuming this will mainly increase hop flavor without getting too bitter?

 

[Omahawk]

Thanks for the input. To answer your question about yeast, I'm considering Danstar Nottingham ale yeast, though the original recipe calls for Safale US-05.

I had been wondering if the SRM was a little on the light side as well. I don't want it to end up too pale. If I substitute Caramel 60L in place of the 10L, will this bring me into the correct colour range?

As far as bitterness goes, I don't want it to end up too sharp on my first attempt, so I'm hoping to keep it in the 40-50 IBU range. I had planned to increase from 3oz to 4oz for the 6 gal batch, though perhaps I can push it to 5oz and double the 15 min addition as you suggest. Am I correct assuming this will mainly increase hop flavor without getting too bitter?

The C60 will add a significantly different flavor to the malt bill than the C10, it's not just a color difference. I personally wouldn't use it in my Pale Ale. What you have with the C10 works, it's just a light colored beer. I tend to add a pound of Munich (10 L) to most of my APA grain bills, but that's just my preference.

A 15 minute addition is the traditional "flavor" addition. 4-5 oz of cascades can make a great, hop flavored beer without being bitter. You're right that more late hops add more hop flavor and aroma and will add less bitterness than early kettle additions. I'm like you and like the flavor, not bitterness. IBUs in the upper 30s to mid 40s always work for me.

When you get your Cascades and know the alpha, do your IBU calcs and figure out times and amounts for hop additions. 1 oz @ 60, 2 oz @ 25, 2 oz @ flameout MIGHT give you your desired bitterness and would be tasty.

 

[rhys333]

The C60 will add a significantly different flavor to the malt bill than the C10, it's not just a color difference. I personally wouldn't use it in my Pale Ale. What you have with the C10 works, it's just a light colored beer. I tend to add a pound of Munich (10 L) to most of my APA grain bills, but that's just my preference.

A 15 minute addition is the traditional "flavor" addition. 4-5 oz of cascades can make a great, hop flavored beer without being bitter. You're right that more late hops add more hop flavor and aroma and will add less bitterness than early kettle additions. I'm like you and like the flavor, not bitterness. IBUs in the upper 30s to mid 40s always work for me.

When you get your Cascades and know the alpha, do your IBU calcs and figure out times and amounts for hop additions. 1 oz @ 60, 2 oz @ 25, 2 oz @ flameout MIGHT give you your desired bitterness and would be tasty.

I don't want to mess too much with a recipe that already works, so I'll stay with the C10 and not worry about colour. The recipe does call for a full 60 min extract boil, so maybe this will darken the colour a little. I can always switch things up next time I suppose. Might try your method of adding 1 lb munich as well.

 

[Omahawk]

I don't want to mess too much with a recipe that already works, so I'll stay with the C10 and not worry about colour. The recipe does call for a full 60 min extract boil, so maybe this will darken the colour a little. I can always switch things up next time I suppose. Might try your method of adding 1 lb munich as well.

It'll be good without the Munich, too, or with less (0.5 lb?). Don't let my preferences influence you on this one .....

I did some quick calcs assuming you add 4 lbs ultra light DME, 4 lbs 2-row, 0.5 lb carapils and 0.5 lb C10 and it came out at 4.1 SRM and 1.050 SG (assuming 70% efficiency from your grains - a reasonable assumption for BIAB). That'll work.

This hop schedule comes in at about 38 IBU (Rager), assuming 5.5% alpha on the Cascades:

1 oz Cascade at 5.5% alpha at 60 min
2 oz Cascade at 5.5% alpha at 15 min
2 oz Cascade at 5.5% alpha at 1 min

Happy brewing! Keep the fermentation temp in the mid 60s for the first 2-3 days, then let it rise to room temp and it'll turn out great!