What's your all-time favorite pale ale recipe?

[blakelyc]

Hi folks:

It occurred to me today that I have never brewed a pale ale. I have always thought of them as boring, but I know that probably isn't fair.

So what's your favorite pale ale recipe? Perhaps something that you always have around not because it is crazy innovative or saving-the-whales complicated, but because it is just damn good. Extract, all-grain, i am good for everything. I'll brew up as many recipes as I can over the winter

Help me learn how to appreciate the (not so) lowly pale ale!

-Blake

 

[Yooper]

I don't like pimping my own recipes, but I do love this one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/da-yoopers-house-pale-ale-100304/

 

[Booshman]

Just opened the first bottle of this today after a long wait. Its pretty good, very hoppy.

http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/New BB Recipes/1014 Rye Pale Ale Recipe.pdf

 

[Jayhem]

I have a very simple AG recipe that is my personal favorite homebrew.

5.5 gal batch
7.25 lb 2 row pale
1/2 lb crystal 60
2 lb vienna


0.7 oz Magnum @60
0.5 oz perle @20
2 oz cascade@5
1oz cascade dry hop 10 days

US-05 yeast

Mash at 152F

OG 1.048
FG 1.011

Think Sierra Nevada with a more malty body and better lacing in the glass.

My favorite session ale.

 

[nberna19]

I like to keep it simple (and steal from Firestone Walker who only make outstanding beers):

80% 2 Row
15% Light Munich
5% Carapils

This is the grain bill for their Mission Street Pale Ale. I like it bc it contains no Crystal malts which allow the hops to really stand out while at the same time the Munich contributes some malt backbone and the tiniest hint of malt sweetness. As for hops just use your favorite(s); in this case FW uses Cascade and Centennial. Really makes for a great and simple Pale Ale

 

[Herky21]

Choco-Honey Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
Type: All Grain Date: 10/18/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal Brewer: KJR
Boil Size: 6.61 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 70 min
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.4 %
Bitterness: 41.5 IBUs


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 88.4 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.3 %
6.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.2 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.1 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer [3.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 12.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [4.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 4.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 3.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [15.60 %] - Boil 6.0 min Hop 8 11.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Galaxy [13.00 %] - Boil 6.0 min Hop 9 9.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml] Yeast 10 -
1.50 oz Belma [12.10 %] - Dry Hop 6.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
1.20 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00 %] - Dry Hop 6.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Mashed at 155 for 60 minutes. Batch strike: 164 degrees with 6-7 drops of lactic acid.
Est Color: 13.8 SRM

 

[TopherM]

If you can get your hands on some Citra, here's the best beer I make, IMO:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/honey-mango-apa-325065/

 

[Jayhem]

mmmmm APA! Every time I savor one of my Pale Ales I wonder "why do I even mess around with other styles?" I friggin love APA with Cascade, Willamette or if you get lucky and feel like paying crack prices for hops: Citra or Amarillo!

 

[RyboFlav]

Hop flavour and aroma of an IPA, but without all the bitterness. Delicious!

OG: 1.050
FG: 1.012
IBU: 36

70% 2-row
25% munich
5% crystal 40

All hop additions are a 50/50 split of amarillo and centennial:
1.5oz @ 20min
1.5oz @ 10min
1.5oz @ 1min
Dry hop with 1oz for 7 days

Mash at 154, ferment at 68 using WLP001 or similar

 

[Jayhem]

Hop flavour and aroma of an IPA, but without all the bitterness. Delicious!

OG: 1.050
FG: 1.012
IBU: 36

70% 2-row
25% munich
5% crystal 40

All hop additions are a 50/50 split of amarillo and centennial:
1.5oz @ 20min
1.5oz @ 10min
1.5oz @ 1min
Dry hop with 1oz for 7 days

Mash at 154, ferment at 68 using WLP001 or similar

This sound tasty! I always miss the Amarillo hops though. Does that much Munich Malt give it a really sweet heavy body?

 

[Revvy]

I haven't done this one in years..Although the color's not right, this simple beer tastes really really close to Bell's Amber Ale. And it is ridiculously simple. Sadly I haven't been able to get this right converting it to all grain.

Grain Bill
1.5 lbs. Munton’s Crystal 60l
6 lbs. Amber Dme.


Steep of Crystal 60
3 gallons steep to 165 deg for 30 minutes. rinse with quart of warm water. Add approx 2 pnds. DME. Bring to boil. 2 ounces hops at 60. Remaining DME @ 20. Moss at 15. 1 oz. Hops at flameout.

Boil & Hops
2.0 oz Cascade 5.9 % at 60 min.
1.0 oz. Cascade 5.9% at flameout.

Chill to 70 to 75 degrees. Add water to fermenter to target O.G. (1.062) or 5 gallons.

Pitch with US 05

(If you harvest some Bell's yeast and use that instead, you'll get even closer.)

 

[signmastr]

My favorite...
Amarillo Pale Ale
5.5gal
10lbs 2 row
8oz Cara-pils
8oz Crystal 60L
1oz Cascade @ FW
1oz Amarillo @ 20
1oz Amarillo @ 5
Safale US-05

 

[pwkblue]

I like to keep it simple (and steal from Firestone Walker who only make outstanding beers):

80% 2 Row
15% Light Munich
5% Carapils

This is the grain bill for their Mission Street Pale Ale. I like it bc it contains no Crystal malts which allow the hops to really stand out while at the same time the Munich contributes some malt backbone and the tiniest hint of malt sweetness. As for hops just use your favorite(s); in this case FW uses Cascade and Centennial. Really makes for a great and simple Pale Ale

I have settled on a similar grain bill for a standard Pale Ale..I have brewed it several times with different hops...such a great foundation to feature hop flavor and aroma..with a enjoyable malt flavor and nice white head.

7lb 2-row
1lb munich
8oz crystal 60
8oz Carapils

I hop it at 60,15, 5, and FO to get the IBU's at the high end of the Pale Ale range.
I've used Centennial/Cascade (very good), Amarillo/Simcoe(perhaps the best beer I've ever brewed), and have it with Motueka and Nelson Sauvain ready to bottle right now.

 

[nberna19]

I have settled on a similar grain bill for a standard Pale Ale..I have brewed it several times with different hops...such a great foundation to feature hop flavor and aroma..with a enjoyable malt flavor and nice white head.

7lb 2-row
1lb munich
8oz crystal 60
8oz Carapils

I hop it at 60,15, 5, and FO to get the IBU's at the high end of the Pale Ale range.
I've used Centennial/Cascade (very good), Amarillo/Simcoe(perhaps the best beer I've ever brewed), and have it with Motueka and Nelson Sauvain ready to bottle right now.

Couldn't agree more with you, the grain bill really allows the hops to shine while at the same time has a really tasty maltiness; and I've never had a whiter, fluffier head on a beer before. Lately I've been omitting early hop additions and going with late hop additions only (20 mins, 10 mins, and 0 mins). This way you really max out on hop flavor and aroma while still reaching the 40 to 50 IBU range. Just kegged an all Nelson Sauvin pale ale with this technique and recipe and it's easily one of my favorite homebrews thus far

 

[pwkblue]

Lately I've been omitting early hop additions and going with late hop additions only (20 mins, 10 mins, and 0 mins). This way you really max out on hop flavor and aroma while still reaching the 40 to 50 IBU range. Just kegged an all Nelson Sauvin pale ale with this technique and recipe and it's easily one of my favorite homebrews thus far

I have not tried the hop bursting on a pale ale...that might be fun to try!

I am planning a few small 2.5 gallon experimental brews with this grain bill in the coming months playing with different hop combinations...and different yeasts.

 

[RyboFlav]

This sound tasty! I always miss the Amarillo hops though. Does that much Munich Malt give it a really sweet heavy body?

It is probably maltier and sweeter than your average APA, but that actually works out well since there is so much hop flavour. It's all about the balance.

 

[nberna19]

I have not tried the hop bursting on a pale ale...that might be fun to try!

I am planning a few small 2.5 gallon experimental brews with this grain bill in the coming months playing with different hop combinations...and different yeasts.

I am now a believer in the hop bursting technique after using it on my last few pale ales and IPAs. Sounds like an interesting experiment, let us know how it goes

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

I'm a big fan of taking what is basically a Mirror Pond clone (my favorite APA) with a little extra munich, only using glacier and cascade in the boil (rather than just cascade) and hopbursting and dryhopping the bejeesus out of it with cascade/willamette and then adding a lb of honey at high krausen to dry it out. Delish.

 

[Jayhem]

Am I one of the only ones who prefers to dry hop my APA? I love that hop aroma!

 

[peterj]

Hi folks:

It occurred to me today that I have never brewed a pale ale. I have always thought of them as boring, but I know that probably isn't fair.

So what's your favorite pale ale recipe? Perhaps something that you always have around not because it is crazy innovative or saving-the-whales complicated, but because it is just damn good. Extract, all-grain, i am good for everything. I'll brew up as many recipes as I can over the winter

Help me learn how to appreciate the (not so) lowly pale ale!

-Blake

I just recently realized the same thing, so I did some research and came up with this recipe:

75% 2-row
20% Vienna
5% Crystal (I did 2.5% 40L and 2.5% 80L)

0.4 oz Magnum at 60
0.5 oz Citra and 0.5 Centennial (type) at 15 and 5
1 oz Citra DH for 7 days

Mashed at 154 for 60 minutes. Used US-05 in the mid 60's F.

It's still in the fermenter so I can't vouch for the taste, but when I put the dry hops in on Wednesday it smelled FANTASTIC! Really looking forward to it!

This thread was helpful for me: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pale-ale-technique-recipes-347341/. I used the first recipe in there almost exactly except slightly different hops. I think EdWort's Haus Pale Ale uses that grain bill as well.

 

[blakelyc]

So I looks like on average the grains bills look like this:

70%-80% two-row
15%-25% Munich or Vienna
5% carastuff

With more hop treatment than I would have guessed! Lots of cascade and centennial going around, but I like the idea of being able to use a variety of hops because I have been wanting to spend some time coming to understand then AU/NZ varieties. The descriptions for au Helga hops sounds very interesting.

Any thoughts? Does that sound about right?

-Blake

 

[Piratwolf]

After some test runs, google "Tasty AP" from Mike "Tasty" McDole. Just brewed it--easily the best APA I've had, hands down. Including commercial. And I'm always my own harshest critic. Had friends over four of em basically killed my keg in 2 hours in spite of three other beers on tap. Took some to the local and people (not knowing it was my Homebrew) were raving.

Thanks, Tasty!

 

[lumpher]

my house apa is close.

8 lbs 2-row
2 lbs vienna
1 lb c10 0r 20

centennial bittering
cascade flavor
1/2 each aroma
cascade dry-hop

for about 42 ibu

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

I think a little crystal (10 to 40) is great in a pale ale. Munich or Vienna do a great a job as supplements (i use them), but a lot of the commercial examples that I enjoy seem to be basically just 2row and crystal.

 

[BrewPilot74]

I love the cascades / orange pale ale recipe that's on this site. I've made it twice, the second time I added a pound of honey malt. Love this beer.

 

[pwkblue]

I have been wanting to spend some time coming to understand then AU/NZ varieties.

-Blake

I'm playing with NZ hops now...actually drinking my first very green barely carb'd bottle of an american wheat with Motueka and Nelson Sauvain. Great hops combo...I can't wait for my Pale Ale with the same hops to be ready

 

[Jayhem]

All this talk about APA and I'm down to my last 24 bottles of mine and haven't brewed a replacement Pale Ale yet! Better get on that this week!

 

[blakelyc]

Which reminds me, Jayhem... I was gonna ask you... What type of character do the perle hops add to your recipe? Not questioning the choice, just wondering since perle showed up a few times on the "favorite under appreciated hops" thread. I have never used any and wouldn't be able to pick it out if I had to.

 

[Golddiggie]

My [current] favorite is my MO SMaSH (Maris Otter and EKG). It's a recipe I do my best to always have available. Which means brewing it fairly often (before the last keg goes into chill and carbonate, it's on deck or about to be brewed again. I'll probably be brewing it again as my first batch of 2013. Thinking that it could be time to pull out the big fermenting sanke (50L) and whip up either 9 or 12 gallons of the stuff (I fill 3 gallon kegs). :rockin: