I had a 5 gallon recipe I found online for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Since I do not brew 5 gallons yet, I converted to a 1 gallon recipe.
This is what I have:
2.6 lb 2 row
3 oz Crystal 45
2 oz Acid Malt
1 oz Cascade (.4 oz @ 60, .2 oz @ 10 min and .4 oz @ 1 min)
I went to the local home brew supply to pick up the ingredients.
This is the first time I buy individual ingredients as I only have one brew under my belt.
Here’s my plan.
Heat 1.25 gallons of water to 155 then add my grains (in a mushlin bag) and steep for 30 minutes at 150. Figured once I add the grains the temps will drop some, hence the initial 155 degree temp. Will remove the grains and drain. Bring wort to a boil and add the hops as noted above.
I would like for the more experienced brewers to review and let me know if my plan is ok.
I also was told to add .5 grams of calcium chloride and .8 grams of gypsum. I will be using spring water.
Also, i used an IBU calculator and at the times noted, the IBU’s are about 50. Would like to get closer to what SNPA is (38). If I add the hops at 30, 10, 1 the IBU’s drop to 40.
Unlike steeping for an extract batch, what you will be doing is an all-grain mash(you probably know that already). The temperature is critical. With a P.A., you don’t want a lot of unfermentable sugars, so a mash temp of 146-150 is more typical. Make sure you have an accurate thermometer, and insulate your mashing kettle(wrap it in a sleeping bag is typical), to keep the temp in the range you want it. And it would probably be best to hold the mash for 60 minutes, rather than 30. Then sparge(rinse)to get as much of the sugars out as you can.
The acid malt is added to adjust the mash pH, and since you don’t know where your water is starting, you may not need it. But if it’s already in your purchased grainbill, then “oh well”.
Adjusting the timing of your hop additions is a great way of adjusting IBUs. But you’ll probably want to keep a little in at the 60 minute mark. Those are your primary bittering hops. I’d check what 0.2oz at 60, 0.4 at 20 and 0.4oz. at 0 minute will do for your IBUs.
Good luck! Hope it turns out the way you want it to. :cheers:
I’ve read about all grain and it is something I want to eventually proceed to but at the moment it’s not something I feel comfortable doing.
When I was at the brew store I talked to one of the workers there and he said to place the grains in the mushlin bag and when the water gets to the desired temp to place the bag in and steep for 30 minutes at the said temp. So that was my plan. Did not want to do an all grain mash.
So, I guess my question is can I simply steep these grains at 145-150 for 30 -45 minutes, then discard?
I may adjust the hops as Jim noted and go with .2 for 60. Just dont want it to turn out overly hoppy. Have not acquired a taste for IPA’s yet so I’m trying to keep the IBU’s in the 35 to maybe 45 max.
Unless you are using some extract, Liquid Malt Extract or Dry Malt Extract, (LME and DME), you are brewing an all grain recipe. Most all grain recipes use a 60 minute mash. A shorter 30 minute mash can be done. I’m not an all grain brewer, but can offer some reading before you begin. It will be easy to find more information with a Google search for 30 and 15 minute mash times.
You won’t extract much of the sugar out of the grains without doing a mash and you won’t end up with beer at the end without the sugars. Lookup “brew in a bag”. That may be what your homebrew shop guy was talking about. If you just want to steep the grains you’ll need to add DME to get some sugars in the wort.
Decided to hold off brewing this batch. Will need to order a BIAB bag. So will move forward next weekend. Guess I’ll brew an Am Wheat since I have the kit.
I start out with about 1-1.5 qt per pound of grain, mash at 145-155 depending on recipe. To sparge I pull the bag out, set it in a strainer on top of the kettle, and sparge with 1 qt/pound at 170*. I usually get about 70% efficiency, sometimes higher 75%ish, sometimes lower (62% on one batch).
I sent the recipe I found to the home brew store and that’s the recipe they provided. Since then, I found some calculator’s to scale down the original recipe.
This is what I came up with:
1.77 lb 2 row
.14 crystal 40. The original recipe show c 10 but I don’t think the home brew store had any.
1 oz cascade (.4 @ 60, .2 oz @ 10, .4 oz @ 1)
I may weigh out the 2 row to 1.77 lb instead of 2.6 lb.
I’m planning on following the BIAB method.
I just realized the crystal and acid malt are combined in one bag. Would it be ok if I just weighed out 1.77 lb or will that screw up the entire recipe?
Have not worried about OG or FG since I am only brewing 1 gallon batches.
I plugged in the original recipe and scaled it down to 1 gallon on brewgr.com.
That calculator shows a OG of 1.053 and a FG of 1.010.
I put the recipe into brewers friend’s calculator and the OG and FG are the same so I would shoot for that.
I’ll probably get a refractormeter in the new future just to have on hand.
