Attempt at an American Ale?

Heals · Post by **Heals** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 6:05 am

Might throw this one down next week, let me know what you think. Still trying to further myself from kit cans, I'm wanting to make a nice simple standard ale, somewhat of a base brew that isn't too fancy, doesn't cost too much and is basically something simple, within the style yet still delicate in flavor.

So yeah, hows this...

2.5kg LDME
90g WME
90g Crystal (steeped for 90mins @ 62deg)
160g Carared (steeped for 90mins @ 62deg)
24g Cascade (60min)
10g Williamette (20mins)
12g Williamette (5mins)

Made up to 20L.

The reason for the smaller batch is that I've just moved into kegging and seriously can't be arsed bottling the extra few litres that I can't fit into the keg! I figure the extra litre will be enough to make up the trub and a few spec grav tests...

Beersmith tells me I'll end up with the color at about 7.9 SRM and it should sit on about 23.4 IBU's, which seems nice for me as I'm not a HUGE hop head. I like my hops but I don't particularly like them to punch me in the face! Mind you given the amount of malt going in, do you think I should perhaps up the Cascade to about the 30g mark?

Also - any suggestions on yeast? I was just going to use a standard pack of US-05...

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 7:12 am

Everything looks good to me, including the yeast choice.

Heals · Post by **Heals** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 7:44 am

I've been tempted to purchase a liquid yeast from down south but I just don't know how much better I can expect the results to be given the hefty difference in price...

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 7:53 am

It is well worth the price IMHO. But I harvest the yeast for reuse, even if I didn't I would still use liquid.

Heals · Post by **Heals** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 7:54 am

Alrighty, well just for shits and giggles, which liquid yeast would you recommend to me based on the recipe?

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 8:08 am

WHite Labs WLP001 or Wyeast 1056.

Heals · Post by **Heals** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 9:02 am

Awesome, cheers.

I might give them a go, but I'm going to need to sort out this splitting thing to get the most out of it!

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 9:16 am

Heals wrote:Awesome, cheers.

I might give them a go, but I'm going to need to sort out this splitting thing to get the most out of it!

Build a stir plate and get a 2L conical, along witrh some other lab equipment and some big 50ml test tubes

It is actually alot easier than people think to split liquid yeast, it just requires that you are VERY clean!

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 1:51 pm

Kevnlis wrote:WHite Labs WLP001 or Wyeast 1056.

they are very, very similar to US-05, if not the same.

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Sunday Dec 09, 2007 1:58 pm

They are the same strain, so they say, but a different result in my experience.

If you don't like that idea give White Labs WLP810 or Wyeast 2112 a go.

James L · Post by **James L** » Monday Dec 10, 2007 1:33 pm

to make it a little cheaper, you could use a bittering hop with the higher aa% so you arent using as much of your flavouring hop to bitter the beer. you could try centennial for bittering rather than cascade as you'd only really need to use about 10-15g... and centennial is supposed to be quite similar to cascade with the citrusy flavours/smells.

Its up to you... but apart from that, it looks a goer...