Light ale recipe thoughts

[Oliver]

Hi all,

Today my last few bottles of homebrew went into the fridge.

With the exception of two bottles of No.19 Imperial (Wrist-Thick) Stout and the remaining bottles of the Millennium Ale I have no homebrew in stock.

This is a truly sad state of affairs and must be remedied.

I have known this time was coming, and have thought about what to brew next. I need a refreshing, easy-to-brew summer beer that will be ready to drink soon after bottling and can all be consumed in a short timeframe.

As such, I have been pondering re-brewing a partial mash version of my No.31 Lumley's Light Ale, the recipe for which I took from Home Brewing - The CAMRA Guide.

Lumley's Light Ale
2.3kg light dried malt
600g cane sugar
60g Goldings hops
1 packet Safale premium ale yeast

OG 1041 FG 1008 ALC/VOL 4.7% (In hindsight, this seems a bit high to me.)

No information about the AA of the hops was recorded.

Total boil time was 1.5 hours.

Tasting notes record this beer being "a great homebrew", "well-balanced", "light and delicious" and "easy drinking".

The recipe from the book suggests OG of 1036, FG or 1005, alcohol of 4.2% and bitterness of 25 IBUs.

So, here's my partial mash version of the same beer. Any thoughts appreciated.

Lumley's Light Ale
1.20 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) 38.7 %
1.50 kg Light Dry Extract 48.4 %
0.40 kg Sugar, Table 12.9 %
80.00 g Goldings, East Kent [4.30 %] 60 mins 24.2 IBUs
Safale US-05

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body

Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated FG: 1.008 SG
Estimated IBU: 24.2 IBUs
Est ABV: 4.5%

[barrelboy]

Oliver, Oliver, Oliver. How could you let this happen? Running out of home brew, running out of beer and you knew this was going to happen! I'd be getting a basic Coopers kit and kilo up and running before your suggestions so you'll have something to drink real soon.
Cheers BB

[warra48]

Recipe looks OK to me as a base to work from. Estimated OG agrees with my calculations.

I don't know what volume you boil, but if it's a full volume boil of about 30 litres, then the IBU will come in at about 44 IBU, rather than the 24.2 in your post, using 80 gr of EKG at 4.3% AA.
Do you plan to use only a 60 minute single addition? How about using 50 gr at 60 minutes, and 30 gr at say 10 minutes? That would give you about 33 IBU for a full volume boil, and give you some nice hop flavour and aroma.

[Oliver]

Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing, BB

Warra, thanks for the feedback.

I should have mentioned: the batch size was 23 litres but the boil volume was about 6.5 litres, with the extract and sugar added after the boil.

I am tempted to ask for my Christmas present - a urn - early so that I can get some good brews happening without having to frig around with smaller boils on the stovetop and the adjustments that entails.

Oliver

[warra48]

OK, I understand the IBU situation with that size boil.

In the interim, BigW sell 19 litre SS pots for about $20. Surely you can sneak that in under the radar, and leave your Christmas wish list intact?

[Oliver]

Good plan. My birthday's four days after Christmas, so I need to keep something up my sleeve!

Oliver

[jello]

What happened to going AG Oliver?? I thought that was a sure thing.

[Oliver]

It is, but gotta get the equipment. Damn work has been getting in the way of brewing - not to mention drinking - of late. Plus I've been crook as a dog for the past few weeks.

At least I'm doing partials

Oliver

[jello]

Don't work your life away.

Get into it So glad I did.

[emnpaul]

If it were me I'd sub the JW Trad Ale Malt for Golden Promise, just because I like GP and it's a bit more English. Well, Scottish but who cares. It's nice.

[drsmurto]

A bit late but here is my regular 'light' ale - Link

It's AG but there is an extract version in the discussion thread here - Link

If doing a partial i would mash munich malt and add a tin of wheat extract to get the desired OG.

2.9% and pleasantly hoppy without being in your face. Mates don't know it's a light beer unless told.

[Oliver]

A bit late but here is my regular 'light' ale - Link

It's AG but there is an extract version in the discussion thread here - Link

Never fear, my Birko urn arrived this week so I will be doing an AG, if not this weekend some time before Christmas!

I will post about my exploits, and the recipe I decide on.

Cheers guys.

Oliver

[drsmurto]

I am brewing another batch of my light maber ale in preparation for the festive season.

Also need to use up some of my homegrown hops since I have cones developing on the plants and still have a freezer full of last years flowers.

Xmas day sees me travelling to a few towns to see various family members so having something light AND flavoursome to drink is part of my strategy to stay hydrated and sane.

[bullfrog]

...maber ale...

Surely that'd be a maber lae!

[milliner1986]

...maber ale...

Surely that'd be a maber lae!

Obviously wasn't on the lights then.

[BribieG]

Hi Oliver
I see from the other thread you're now about to urn (is that a verb?)

I've made a light quick ale that's suited to the visiting rellies as well: in August I was down in Newcastle and drank mightily of Murrays Whale Ale which I thought was excellent. It's an American Wheat, not too hoppy but smooth as a baby's bum and very sessionable. I've always been put off German wheats because they taste like bandaids to me but this is a different thing altogether. So I had a stab at a similar beer and well pleased with the results.

Dead simple recipe for a AG cherry popper as well:

I used San Diego Superyeast but any American Ale would be fine, also some Stella hops I scored at the QLD home brew conference but, again, any similar high alpha would be fine, or sub Green Bullet to 22 IBU - Murrays use NZ hops.

[Oliver]

I think I have my two first AG/BIAB brews decided: Dr Smurto's Light Amber and BribieG's Dead Simple Ale (aka AG Cherry Popper).

Surely I can't go wrong

Cheers,

Oliver

[bilgerat]

Im just about to keg my first AG, a fine tasting Kolsch, Ive been having a taste test after taking samples for checking SG.

My next two brews are Dr Smurtos Golden Ale and Light Amber Ale, Im not sure what hops to use on the Golden Ale, Cascade or Amarillo Im new to brewing and AG so any comments re hops etc most welcome.

[rotten]

Isn't the golden ale amarillo? Apart from that use what you like. Once you brew it that recipe is yours.
Cheers

[big dave]

Amarillo for the Golden Ale. It is a beer that raises eyebrows.