I’ve brewed a couple of extract kits and now I’d like to experiment and brew a pale ale but using the following recipe. Many of the ingredients are what was recommended by my local homebrew shop based on what I told them and what they had.
This is my first do it your own recipe (based on research on other NB recipes and homebrew books).
I would appreciate critical feedback. Thanks!
Heat 3 gallons of water.
Steep 2lb beglian caramel pils (crushed) for 20 minutes/until water reaches 170°F. Remove
bag and discard
Bring to a boil and add 3.15 lbs Pilsen malt syrup and 3 lb briess sparking amber dry malt extract.
Return wort to boil
Add 1 oz chinook hops and boil for 60 minutes.
Add 1 oz warrior hops 45 min before the end of the boil.
Add 1 oz cascade hops 15 min before the end of the boil.
Add 1 tsp Irish Moss 10 min before the end of the boil.
Cool the wort.
Fill primary fermenter with 2 gallons of cold water, then pour in the cooled wort. Leave any thick sludge in the bottom of the kettle.
Add more cold water as needed to bring the volume to 5 gallons.
Aerate the wort.
Add yeast (Safale US-05)
*** dry hop 1 oz cascade after racking to secondary fermentor ***
the 2 lbs of Belgian caramel pils might be a bit much. I’d cut that down to around 3/4-1 lbs. and I would cut out the Warrior and keep the emphasis on the Chinook & Cascade. personally, I would cut out the Amber extract & replace with Extra Light Dry and use 1/2 lb Crystal 60 for color & malt flavor. you’ll get better color & flavor control using light extracts & utilizing steeping grains for color & flavor. but if you have your mind set, it looks like it will make a tasty beer!
Why don’t you move the warrior back to 60 minutes and cut it back a little? A 45 minute addition is a tweener - too early for flavor/aroma, less efficient for bittering. If you want the warrior flavor, move it forward, say to 15 minutes, for bittering back to 60. Warrior is usually used for bittering, while Chinook is considered dual purpose - I think if it were me, I’d bitter with the Warrior and use the Chinook and Cascade together from 20-0 minutes for flavor and aroma. Chinook has a rugged piney burr to it. It’s strong and distinctive, but I like it and it goes well with Cascade.
+1 to this. Warrior will give you clean, subtle bittering, and the chinook/cascade combo will impart a citrusy resiny quality.
I also think that 2lb of carapils is a lot. cut down to .5-1lb MAX. The other poster makes a great suggestion on the crystal malt in moderation, but if you were intent on using extracts you mention, I would personally go .5 lb on the carapils.
Update on the recipe. The batch came out just ok. Nothing spectacular. I was expecting more of a hop profile. It was more sweet than expected.
I would like to try the recipe again and try a Belgian Abbey/Trappist yeast. Thoughts? Any recommendations on types of yeast? One of my local breweries, Port City, provides their yeasts. I’m guessing it would be the strain from this beer: http://www.portcitybrewing.com/beer/optimal-wit/
