By Anonymous (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Goal

I am designing a new recipe for my next brew. I had designed the house ale around my wife’s likes and dislikes. It is a tasty beer and I like it, but it is very “in your face.” It is full bodied, which was a goal, but it does so by being sweet and heavy. Two is my limit.

Over the holidays, I made “Hey, Zeus!” I used medium English crystal, rather than light and added some pale chocolate, as well. I was thinking of something like Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, but ended up with something much more like an American Brown Ale. I was concerned she would not like it, since she hates English Brown Ale, but by the time we kicked the second keg, she preferred it to the house ale.

Now I have a brew day coming up and I am trying to come up with a new recipe that incorporates these new taste preferences, as well as my own desire for a drier, more subdued beer.

This will definitely be an ale, not a lager. I have no experience lagering and Gretchen has a mental block against them that goes back to her Army years while stationed in Germany.

There is an interesting overlap at the high end of the American Pale Ale and the low end of the American IPA. That range of original gravity (OG) is from 1.056 to 1.060 specific gravity (SG) and the corresponding final gravity (FG) range is 1.010 to 1.015 SG. If I target an OG of 1.058 SG, that gives me a margin of error. If I use a yeast with good attenuation, I should be able to get into the FG range.

Just continuing this style intersection, the international bittering unit (IBU) range is 40 to 45.

The color range in the intersection is surprisingly large at 6 to 14 on the standard reference model (SRM). This gives colors that range from amber through copper. I like some color in my beers, so if this one tended towards the darker end of that range, I would be happy.

This beer should be clean, mildly malty, with some caramel sweetness and a dry finish. For this beer, I do not think dried or stone fruit flavors or roast flavors would be appropriate. Though a hint of chocolate seems called for.

This beer should be highly aromatic, hop forward and focused on American citrus hops.

I do not see any special ingredients — like fruits or spices — in this recipe.

The Fermentables

I really like Maris Otter. It has a rich malty flavor. It has nice plump kernels that crush easily. I have heard that it is very forgiving of process issues and my experience certainly reinforces that.

Since I knew this brew day was coming up, I went ahead and ordered 11 pounds. I have a bit left over from previous brews — maybe a pound — if I need some more.

I normally buy Crisp from Rebel Brewer, just to have the same maltster for my base and specialty malts since I like their light crystal. This time I bought from Northern Brewer who does not specify a maltster. They simply label it as English Maris Otter. This makes me think that either the maltster varies from time to time, or that it is a lesser maltster. This is especially interesting, since the Pale Chocolate I ordered is clearly labeled as Fawcett, who makes an excellent Maris Otter as well as a medium crystal, though Northern brewer simply labels theirs as English, again.

I used medium crystal and pale chocolate in the holiday ale, so I will be using them here, as well. The specialty malts in the house ale constitute 12% of the grist. I find this to be too much, so I think I might drop that by two-thirds to 8%. I will determine the ratio of the two by the amounts I need to get the desired color.

My brewhouse efficiency generally averages about 70%. In order to hit an OG of 1.058 SG with my system, I need about 13 pounds of grain. Since the specialty grains are 8% of that, they will total about a pound. If I split them 3 to 1, the beer should be about 13 SRM or light copper in color.

That gives me the following malt bill:

• English Maris Otter 4 °L : 12 pounds
• English Medium Crystal 55 °L : 0.75 pounds
• Fawcett Pale Chocolate 215 °L : 0.25 pounds

These are all well-modified malts, so a single-infusion mash should be sufficient. I have been averaging 155 °F. I like the body, but think it may contribute to the sweetness and heaviness, as well. I do not want to go too low, but I believe I might try 152 °F this time.

The Water

I have moderately hard water at 140 ppm total hardness as Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃) with about 50 ppm Calcium (Ca) — about half the recommended amount — and very low amounts of the other interesting brewing ions: Magnesium (Mg), Chloride (Cl), Sulfate(SO₄), and Sodium (Na). I normally feel that I have to do something to it, no matter what style I am brewing.

Here are the specifics:

• Ca : 51 ppm
• Mg : 3 ppm
• Na : 1 ppm
• SO₄ : 10.5 ppm
• Cl : 3.4 ppm
• Bicarbonate (HCO₃) : 143.4 ppm
• Cations : 2.83
• Anions : 2.70
• Total Hardness : 140 ppm
• Alkalinity : 119 ppm

Since this is a Pale Ale, I would like to use something like Randy Mosher’s Ideal Pale Ale water, or at least Martin Brungard’s balanced version of it.

Martin Brungard’s Pale Ale Profile:

• Ca : 165.0 ppm
• Mg : 18.0 ppm
• Na : 25.0 ppm
• SO₄ : 300.0 ppm
• Cl : 55.0 ppm
• HCO₃ : 180.0 ppm
• Cations : 10.8
• Anions : 10.8
• Total Hardness : 487 ppm
• Alkalinity : 149 ppm
• RA : 20
• SO₄/Cl Ratio : 5.5

In order to achieve these mineral concentrations, I have to treat my water with mineral salts, as follows:

• Gypsum (CaSO₄) : 1.56 grams/gallon
• Epsom Salt (MgSO₄) : 0.58 grams/gallon
• Canning Salt (NaCl) : 0.23 grams/gallon
• Calcium Chloride (CaCl₂) : 0.11 grams/gallon
• Pickling Lime (Ca(OH)₂) : 0.07 grams/gallon (mash only)

With the grains I plan to use, this should give me a room temperature mash pH of 5.3, which is generally considered to be in the ideal mash range.

I brew five-gallon batches. That means I want five gallons of finished beer in my keg. To get that, I plan on having 5.5 gallons in the fermenter and 6 gallons in the kettle at the end of the boil. I have been shooting for a 15% boil-off rate, which means I loose about 1 gallon per hour. Since I normally do a one-hour boil, I need to start the boil with 7 gallons in the kettle.

I batch sparge. In theory, the best efficiency results from getting equal wort quantities from the mash runoff and the sparge runoff. So, I use 3.5 gallons of sparge liquor and a little more mash liquor to account for the amount absorbed by the grain and the amount required to fill the dead space in the mash tun.

The interesting thing this time is that I have switched from a false bottom to a tube screen. I felt I was getting too many chunks into the kettle and worry about astringency. The thing is that I do not know what the dead space is now.

If I assume 5 gallons of mash water and 3.5 gallons of sparge water, I need to add the following salts in the mash and sparge liquor, respectively:

• CaSO₄ : 7.8 grams / 5.9 grams
• MgSO₄ : 2.9 grams / 2.0 grams
• NaCl : 1.2 grams / 0.8 grams
• CaCl₂ : 0.6 grams / 0.5 grams
• Ca(OH)₂ : 0.3 grams / (mash only)

The Hops

Since this is an American Ale, I want to focus on the citrus aroma of the C hops. The classic choice is Cascade, which I plan to use as an aroma addition at the end of the boil. I also have some Citra left over from the last batch of the house ale that I will use to dry hop in the keg. Just to make the ordering easier, I will add any left over hops to the keg as dry hops, as well.

I do not really want to diverge from the American hop theme with the flavor hop addition, either. However, I want to provide a little variety to add some complexity to the hop profile. I plan to use Centennial as the flavor hop.

To round out the hop schedule, I will use US Magnum hops for bittering. They provide a balanced flavor and minimal aroma contribution.

I want to get 82% of my IBUs from the bittering hop addition at 60 minutes, 12% from the flavor hop addition at 15 minutes, and the remaining 6% from the aroma hop addition at 5 minutes. The dry hops total to 0.33 ounces per gallon. I use Tinseth to calculate bitterness and am targeting 45 IBUs, which is the top end of the range I have identified.

Here is the hop schedule:

• US Magnum, 13.1% AA, 60 minutes : 1 oz
• Centennial, 8.1% AA, 15 minutes : 0.5 oz
• Cascade, 6.4% AA, 5 minutes : 1 oz
• Centennial, 8.1% AA, Dry hopped : 0.5 oz
• Citra, 11.4% AA, Dry hopped : 1.5 oz

The Fermentation

I love Wyeast 1968 London ESB / White Labs WLP002 English Ale yeast. I would definitely call it my favorite, however for this beer I want something that finishes a little drier. As it turns out, Wyeast 1098 British Ale / White Labs WLP007 English Dry Ale yeast has very similar behavior and characteristics, except that it finishes a little drier.

The typical attenuation for this yeast is about 75%, which would give me an FG of 1.014 SG. That is in the target range. However, I have heard of people getting as much as 80% attenuation with this yeast, which would put me closer to 1.010 SG, which would be very nice and still in the target range.

I like to add a little yeast nutrient at the end of the boil. I do not know if it is actually necessary, but it has become a habit of mine.

The gravity of this beer calls for 238 billion yeast cells. Initially, these packages have about 100 billion cells. Based on the date on the packages, my yeast calculates to about 84 percent viability, which means I will need 3, since I do not plan to make a starter.

I would like a fairly subdued ester profile and relatively few higher alcohols, so I will be fermenting at the low end of the yeast’s preferred temperature range. The range is 64 to 72 °F. In order to stay safely within the ideal range, I will target 66 °F.

I ferment in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. At the moment, my cellar is quite cool so I will use the ambient air to provide cooling capacity and a FremWrap heater controlled by a Johnson A419 Temperature Controller whose probe is taped to the side of the carboy under some bubble wrap. I have taken to doing this, rather than using a thermowell, as it leaves the top of the carboy available for a blow off tube if needed.

The unit is in heating mode. The set point is the “cut out” temperature, and the differential is set to 2 °F. This means, since the cellar is cold, that the temperature of the beer falls until it is 2 °F below the set point. Then the thermostat turns the heater on until it reaches the set point. That means that the beer will ferment at 66 ± 1 °F if I set the controller for 67 °F.

I will start with a 3-piece airlock but I will have a blow off tube available if necessary.

When the kräusen starts to fall, I will begin to increase the temperature by 1 °F per day until the beer temperature reaches 70 °F to provide a 48-hour diacetyl rest. This corresponds to 71 °F on the controller. Then I will turn off the heater and allow the temperature to drop so that they yeast falls out of suspension. After at least 5 days of cold crashing, I will keg the beer, adding the keg hops at that time.

Clarification and Carbonation

To help clarify the beer, I will be using Irish moss in the boil as well as cold crashing the yeast in the carboy after fermentation. However, the keg hops will cause quite a haze that only time will repair.

I will force carbonate the beer to 2.4 volumes of CO₂. Since I need to give the hop haze time to settle out, I will use the “set it and forget it” method, sampling after no less than a week, though it will probably be at its best at about two to three weeks.

Recipe: Anonymous¹ American Ale

Here is the finished recipe:

Brewhouse Efficiency: 70%
Pre-Boil Volume: 7 gallons (26.5 L)
BG: 1.049 SG (12.1 °P)
Original Volume: 6 gallons (22.7 L)
OG: 1.057 SG (14 °P )
FG: 1.014 SG (3.6 °P)
ADF: 75%
Bitterness (Tinseth): 44 IBU
ABV: 5.8%
Color (Morey): 13 SRM (25 EBC) — Deep amber / light copper
Boil Duration: 60 minutes
Calories per 12-ounce Serving: 192 (111 from Alcohol, 81 from Residual Extract)

Ingredients

FERMENTABLES
English Maris Otter	12 lb (5.443 kg)	92.3%
English medium Crystal	0.75 lb (0.340 kg)	5.8%
Fawcett Pale Chocolate	0.25 lb (0.113 kg)	1.9%
HOPS
US Magnum, 13.1% AA, 60 minutes	1.00 oz (28 g)	35.4 IBU	80%
Centennial, 8.1% AA, 15 minutes	0.50 oz (14 g)	5.4 IBU	12%
Cascade, 6.4% AA, 5 minutes	1.00 oz (28 g)	3.4 IBU	8%
Centennial, 8.1% AA, Dry hopped	0.50 oz (14 g)	0.08 oz/gal
Citra, 11.4% AA, Dry hopped	1.50 oz (43 g)	0.25 oz/gal
YEAST
Wyeast 1098 British Ale, or White Labs WLP007 English Dry Ale	219B Cells	75% Attenuation
OTHER
Irish Moss, 15 minutes	1 tsp
Yeast Nutrient, 10 minutes	0.5 tsp
CaSO₄	7.8 grams	5.9 grams
MgSO₄	2.9 grams	2.0 grams
NaCl	1.2 grams	0.8 grams
CaCl₂	0.6 grams	0.5 grams
Ca(OH)₂	0.3 grams	(mash only)

Mash

Perform a single-infusion mash at 152 °F for 60 minutes at 1.5 quarts per pound. Sparge to collect 7 gallons.

Fermentation

Ferment at 66 °F. Perform a diacetyl rest. Cold crash.

Packaging

Dry hop in the keg and force carbonate the beer to 2.4 volumes of CO₂. Allow to mature for 2 to 3 weeks.

References

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Daniels, Ray. “Six Steps to Successful Beer.” Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles. Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 2000. 7-8. Print.

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Manning, Martin P. “Recipe Formulation Calculations for Brewers.” BrewingTechniques Online. Brewing Techniques, Jan. 1994. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. <http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue2.1/manning.html>.

Morey, Daniel. “Approximating SRM Beer Color of Homebrew Based on Recipe Formulation.” BABBLE Homebrewing Club of Lake County. BABBLE Homebrewers. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. <http://www.babblehomebrewers.com/attachments/article/61/BeerColor.pdf>.

Morey, Daniel. “Hop Schedule Guidelines: Award Winning Homebrew and Classic Beer Style Recipes.” WitSok’s Page. MoreBeer!™, Dec. 2000. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://api.ning.com/files/…/hopusage.pdf>.

Palmer, John J. “Reading a Water Report.” How to Brew – By John Palmer. Brewers Publications, 18 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-1.html>.

Schwartz, Ken. “Quickie Water Chemistry Primer.” The Brewery. 22 Aug. 2004. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://brewery.org/library/wchmprimer.html>.

White Labs. “FAQ for Homebrewers.” White Labs. White Labs. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. <http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_FAQ.html>.

Zainasheff, Jamil. “Mr. Malty’s Pitching Rate Calculator™ V4.02.” Mrmalty.com. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. <http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html>.