Adapted from Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale Ale
Specifications
- Target OG 1.051 (75% eff, 5.5 gallon)
- Target FG 1.011 (75% att)
- Target ABV 5.25%
Ingredients (5 gallon)
- 4 gallons strike water, plus 4 gallons + 1 cup for sparging
- 8 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
- 2 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
- 0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
- 2 oz Saaz (~4% Alpha Acids)
- 1 packet Nottingham (Danstar) or Safale S-04
- 5 oz sucrose (table sugar)
Mash
Mash for 60 minutes. Keep mash as close to 152 °F as possible, keeping the grains between 148 °F and 154 °F.
Boil
Boil for 60 minutes, skimming early and often to prevent boil-over..
- 1.0 oz Saaz (60 min)
- 0.5 oz Saaz (30 min)
- 0.25 oz Saaz (15 min)
- 1 Whirlfloc tab (10 min)
- 0.25 oz Saaz (5 min)
Ferment
Leave in a near-room-temperature location (65 °F to 70 °F). The solution will begin to bubble as the yeast activates, pushing gas through the tube.
Bottle
Combine the priming sugar with 1 cup filtered water, heating and stirring gently to combine. Rack from fermenter into cooled (70 °F) mixture.
Using the Northern Brewer Priming Sugar Calculator with 5 gallons of beer with a pre-cold-crash temperature of 68 °F we get 2.9vols with 142g (5oz) of table sugar. This is according to more sources higher than typical for a pale ale, but I like it more..
Bottle condition three (3) weeks near room temperature (68 °F to 70 °F). After three (3) weeks, store cooler if possible. Refrigerate at least 48 hours before drinking, preferably one or two weeks.
Log
- 2015-APR-03: Adapted; swapped out Cascade with Saaz
Batch #038
- 2017-MAR-26: First monster-mill crush, set to 38 mil; used 2/3 store-bought bulk drinking water, 1/3 kitchen-filtered tap. Math says strike water 164.1F; 4 gallons HLT water to 172.5F; into tun plus 10 minutes (lid on) was 161.2F; stirred heat stick until 164.3; mash-in plus 5 minutes = 152F, measured pH 5.35 adjusted; end of mash was maybe too low (~147)F; fermenter at 1.045 (corrected); pitched with Safale S-04. Recipe was wrong and had an extra 5 cups of sparge water, which would explain lower efficiency for the first two batches. Will also try to set the monster mill down to 30-35 mil next time. Also note that the Saaz was only 2.5 AA so this will be very low IBU.
- 2017-APR-12: Racked to secondary.
- 2017-APR-29: Bottled with 142g of Zulka and 1 cup of water. 51 bottles. Calculated ABV 4.75%
Batch #032
- 2016-MAY-15: April Session Pale Ale; used half a pound of Victory malt instead of Crystal 10L; using to collect hop remnants; strike water 165F calculated; 4 gallons HLT water to 170F; add to tun 163.5F; after 5 minutes (lid on) was 162.1F; mash-in down to 149.8F; 147.8F after 60 minutes; pitched with Nottingham about 5.5 gallons at 1.056 (corrected)
Hop Remnants
- 0.28 Chinook - Dual-purpose; spicy, heavy, piney (good for pale ale and imperial pale ale)
- 0.4 Amarillo - Dual-purpose; grapefruit and orange
- 1.0 Centennial - Dual-purpose; stronger than but similar to Cascade (good for pale ale and imperial pale ale)
- 0.32 Mount Hood - Aroma; spicy, rich and fresh (good for light lager, bock, and hefeweizen)
Boil Additions
- 60 min: 0.28 oz Chinook (11.8% AA) + 0.2 oz Amarillo (8.8% AA) + 0.5 oz Centennial (10.2% AA)
- 30 min: 0.5 oz Centennial
- 15 min: 0.2 oz Amarillo
- 10 min: Whirlfloc
- 5 min: 0.32 oz Mount Hood (5.6% AA)
Result
Hoppier, maybe heavier (from the Victory?) not as good as original Saaz recipe
Batch #027
- 2015-MAY-30: First garage brew; still used kitchen water. Followed recipe about as well as can be expected; strike water 165F calculated; 4 gallons HLT water to 172.5F; into tun at 166.6F; after 5 minutes (lid on) was 165F; mash-in down to 154.4F; decided was too high; lid off measuring every 5 minutes; 152.6F after 20 minutes; end of mash 148F; garage breaker popped with both sticks on, so boil itself took forever to start; almost exactly 5 gallons into fermenter at 1.049 (corrected)... very close to recipe! Pitched with Safale S-04.
- 2015-JUN-13: Racked to secondary and cold-crashed.
- 2015-JUL-18: Bottled with 5 oz table sugar and 1 cup of water. 48 bottles exactly!