Tips for very simple pale ale recipe

[Zeno990]

Hello

I'm going to do my first AG brew, and thought I should try a very simple recipe based on the ingredients I happen have. Do you think that it would be acceptable to try this recipe? I'm going to use the BIAB method..



Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 23,00 L
Boil Size: 26,33 L

Boil Time: 60 min


Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6,00 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (5,9 EBC) Grain 92,31 %
0,50 kg Carared (39,4 EBC) Grain 7,69 %
30,00 gm Simcoe [12,00 %] (60 min) Hops 33,9 IBU
28,30 gm Goldings, East Kent [4,00 %] (10 min) Hops 3,9 IBU
1 Pkgs Safale American (DCL Yeast #S-05) Yeast-Ale


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1,065 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1,010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1,015 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1,005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6,44
% Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0,65 %
Bitterness: 37,8 IBU Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 14,4 EBC

 

[HalfPint]

Looks solid to me except you're going into the IPA zone a bit with your gravity. If I were you, I might back off of the 2 row a bit and only use 1/2 lb of the Cara or maybe some crystal 20 or 40. Also, you could think about using S-04 since you're going with the EKG and a British pale ale type thing.

 

[Zeno990]

thanks for the comments! I will cut back a bit on the Pale Malt and carared, and increase bitterness somewhat as well.

 

[HalfPint]

Here are the BJCP style guidelines for an English Pale Ale. This should give you somewhat of an idea of where your OG and IBU's should be.

http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category8.php

Also, check this recipe out https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f64/boddingtons-bitter-21131/ It's not a really simple grain bill, but the hopping is simple and it's all EKG.

If you don't necessarily want to go with a complex grain bill, you could try this minus the oak and sub the EKG you have https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f77/oaked-smash-ag-56314/ or this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/bee-cave-brewery-haus-pale-ale-31793/.

 

[piteko]

I think that the grain bill is high too but, if you are going to lower it, I suggest that you take a density reading for the first worth that comes out from your filtering and take a reading of the whole worth at, let's say, 2/3 of your filtering. If you will have some extraction problem (e.g. grain bill milled too thick, etc.), these readings will let you see that you're going too under, so you can stop sparging and point to have less beer but with the right OG.

But, even if you take a density reading only at the end of the filtering and you discover you are too low, just start boiling and wait for the hopping: I saw that, with my boil, my worth gains 1 point every 5mins, so I would start with the Simcoe when I'm at about OG -12 points (60/5=12).

Hope it helps
Piteko

 

[Zeno990]

great, thanks for all the tips. It is not important to me that it a get a genre-correct pale ale, though. I just want get a feel for the process the first time around and a good tasting beer. I don't mind a more IPA-ish variant..

 

[piteko]

I just want get a feel for the process the first time around and a good tasting beer.

1) keep the procedure as simple as you can (medium color, medium OG, medium hop bitterness and flavour);
2) super sanitize and clean;
3) control fermentation temp not to go too low or too high (stay in the 18-23°C range);

if you stay focused on these three simple things, you may end up with a batch different from what you expected, but it will still be a good beer. And an extra tip: take note of everything you do, it will help you a lot in the future batches.

Cheers!
Piteko

 

[MetallHed]

Here's one I just did. I have no idea how it tastes yet, just threw the ingredients together in BeerTools and did it. I adjusted to make it fit in the "American Pale Ale" guidelines.

2.5 Gallons (69% efficiency)

3 lb. American 2-row
4 oz. American crystal 40L
1 lb. Flaked corn

.5 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 60 min.)
.25 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 30 min.)
.25 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 2 min.)

38 IBU
6 HCU (~5 SRM)
SG 1.044
FG 1.010
4.4% v/v (3.4% w/w)

Mashed at 153* for 60 minutes