Light 3.4% Ale - All Grain

[SuperBroo]

This is a nice 'lawnmower' beer, and you can have a few without getting all luvy duvy, hugging your mates, bragging about your old footy days etc

Just tasted this a few days ago, and its quite nice for a light beer, and really simple on the ingredients...
Its not my recipe, not sure where it came from.

Name - Light Ale 3.4%
Style - American Pale Ale.
Type - All grain.
Calories - 111.
Colour - 3.3 SRM.
IBU's - 32.50.
Efficiency 75%.

Boil size - 28 L.
Batch size - 21 L.
Esimated OG - 1.034.
Estimated FG - 1.008.

3 Kg pale malt.
0.1 Kg Caramalt / crystal.

Mash 60 Mins at 66 dec c.
Mashout 10 mins at 78 deg c.
Sparge at 83 deg c to reach preboil volume of 28 Litres.

28g Cascade 5.5% 60 mins Boil.
28g Cascade 5.5% 15 mins Boil.
10g Amarillo 8.5% at flameout. (Optional, but nice).

1 Pkt US05 American Ale yeast.

21 Days fermentation at 20 deg c.

[warra48]

Looks good.

I also regularly brew a mid strength beer, but in my case it's an English Mild. Easy drinking, lots of flavour, without getting off your face.

Mild
Batch Size: 22.50 L
OG: 1.037 SG FG: 1.011 ABV 3.38%
Estimated Color: 13.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 26.1 IBU
Mashed at 69ºC

3000.00 gm Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 83.33 %
250.00 gm Crystal Medium (73.6 SRM) Grain 6.94 %
200.00 gm Crystal Malt - 60L (Thomas Fawcett) (60.0 Grain 5.56 %
100.00 gm Wheat Malt, Dark (Weyermann) (7.0 SRM) Grain 2.78 %
50.00 gm Carafa Special T2 (583.8 SRM) Grain 1.39 %
6.00 gm EKGoldings [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 3.3 IBU
23.00 gm First Gold '06 [7.90 %] (60 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
14.00 gm EK Goldings Plug [4.30 %] (10 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
1 Pkgs London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) Starter

Next time I'll cut the Crystal back a little, and add about 100 gr Amber Malt, and mash at 70ºC.

[Planner]

Next time I'll cut the Crystal back a little, and add about 100 gr Amber Malt, and mash at 70ºC.

Warra

I've been searching for an hour now, with no luck. I am interested in the effect that mash temp has on the beer. My limited knowledge is that a higher mash temp (70ish) produces a fuller bodied beer, is this correct? and is this the reason you've mashed at 69 for this recipe?

At some point I will look at a midstrength or light beer again. I did a couple of knb versions last summer with limited success.

Planner

[bullfrog]

Hey Planner,

This chart is one that I've printed off and have on the wall in my brewery/garage and tells you what mash temperatures will do what.



It's from Palmer's How To Brew (original and some explanation can be read here: http://www.realbeer.com/jjpalmer/ch14.html.) Hope it helps.

[warra48]

That chart is accurate.

The reason I'm looking to mash at 70ºC for my next Mild is to generate some extra body. This is desirable, because of the low amount of grist used to produce the wort compared to a higher alcohol brew.
A higher mash temperature leaves the wort with less fermentables, so you retain mroe body.
A lower mash temperature encourages more fermentable wort, hence a drier and higher alcohol result.

Having said that, I normally mash at about 66ºC for my APAs, AIPAs, IPAs, Best Bitters, Hefeweizens, Pils etc.
I only mash higher for my low/mid alcohol brews.

[Planner]

Thanks bullfrog

I have seen that chart and read that chapter of how-to-brew, although the introduction to chapter 14 on howtobrew.com really had me scratching my head (whats with all the cutting of twigs) http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter14.html This version of the graphic has been expanded to include a mash target, spanning 64 to 69deg

Still struggling to get my head around what mash temp should be used when formulating recipes. After searching (and reading) for an hour, I think I understand less than I did yesterday. Will continue to read.

Planner

Thanks Warra, it took me 10min to type reply (damn work), in the meantime you had provided exactly the info I wanted.

[Planner]

Grog

I'm looking for an "easy drinker" and don't mind a light beer. I've done quite a few knb brews with cascade and amarillo,so I've a good idea how yours will taste.

Gunna have a go at this soon

16l batch
14l boil
2300g pale malt
100g wheat malt
20g dark crystal
10g PoR 60min
10g PoR 20min
CPA yeast

IBU 25.0
OG 1034
FG 1009
Alc 3.3%

Fairly basic, I admit, but its a light variation of a knb brew I've been really enjoying lately. Might have to get back into the cascade taste, to clear out the 600g still packed away in the freezer.
An advantage to me of the light beer recipe is, with a concentrated boil I can get a reasonable batch volume by diluting into the fermenter.

Planner

[drsmurto]

Just about to drain the keg of light amber i have on tap at the moment.

My best effort yet and my lowest ABV yet.

1.65 kg Munich I (Weyermann) (14.0 EBC) Grain 48.53 %
1.00 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (5.9 EBC) Grain 29.41 %
0.40 kg Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 11.76 %
0.25 kg Carabohemian (Weyermann) (200.0 EBC) Grain 7.35 %
0.10 kg Chocolate Malt, Pale (Bairds) (800.0 EBC) Grain 2.94 %
5.00 gm Amarillo [8.60 %] (60 min) Hops 5.7 IBU
15.00 gm Cascade [6.80 %] (20 min) Hops 7.5 IBU
15.00 gm Galaxy [15.00 %] (20 min) Hops 18.1 IBU
15.00 gm Cascade [6.80 %] (0 min) Hops -
15.00 gm Galaxy [15.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Windsor Yeast (Lallemand #-) Yeast-Ale
Mashed at 69-70C

I dry hopped this with 10g of amarillo.

21L
OG 1.036 (finished at 1.014 giving an abv of only 2.9%)
IBU 31

[SuperBroo]

Cheers Doc,
Am collecting all these light recipes...

[chadjaja]

Or you can have too quick a run off and miss out on a few gravity points like I did today

Still will be a healthy 4.2% or so depending on FG but its another way to a lighter beer LOL

[SuperBroo]

Let us know how it tastes mate