Suggestion for for my old man (user upper)!

[dean_wales]

Need to put together an all grain kit for my dads birthday present on Thursday. Hes not fussy but I want it to be a nice pint.

Last beer he made was very strong and very pale (it was a pilsner but he decided to shorten the brewlength dramatically!) So this one would be goo if it was the opposite. Under 5% alcohol and above 25 EBC colour.

I have only pilsner base malt in and dont want to go and buy pale. Have the following speciality grains - caravienna, aromatic, all three of the english crystal malts, pale wheat malt and special B.

Hops wise its magnum, bobek, hersbrucker or cascade.

Yeast I have are all dried T58, S33, WB06, Notty or SO5.

He would prefer a British session ale but given the ingredients maybe I should suggest some lower gravity Belgian Pale? That would be new to me too as I have only ever made 6% or above Belgians.

Dean.

[dean_wales]

OK so I have come up with two recipes from stock - opinions please!

Stuarts Birthday Ale!

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.049 SG
Estimated Color: 34.2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 31.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %

Ingredients:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.50 kg Pilsen (Dingemans) (3.2 EBC) Grain 1 84.9 %
0.50 kg Crystal Malt (Dark) (300.0 EBC) Grain 2 9.4 %
0.30 kg Crystal Malt (130.0 EBC) Grain 3 5.7 %
50.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 4 26.4 IBUs
30.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 5.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml] Yeast 6 -
20.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days Hop 7 0.0 IBUs

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, No Mash Out

Ferment at 20c with Danstar Nottingham.


Stuarts Birthday Belgian!

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.049 SG
Estimated Color: 22.1 EBC
Estimated IBU: 22.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %

Ingredients:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.50 kg Pilsen (Dingemans) (3.2 EBC) Grain 1 85.7 %
0.25 kg Aromatic Malt (Dingemans) (37.4 EBC) Grain 2 4.8 %
0.25 kg Caravienne Malt (43.3 EBC) Grain 3 4.8 %
0.25 kg Special B (Dingemans) (290.6 EBC) Grain 4 4.8 %
35.00 g Bobek [5.25 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 5 17.7 IBUs
0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 6 -
30.00 g Bobek [5.25 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 5.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafBrew Specialty Ale (DCL/Fermentis #T- Yeast 8 -

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out

Ferment at 20c with T-58

Both ales are within the style guidelines for the appropriate beer type but obviously the first ale is a bit of a mongrel on the ingredients front. He wouldn't mind if it was nice though! Just not sure about the combination of cascade and dark crystal flavours.

Dean.

[mark4newman]

Hi

I would go for Stuarts Birthday Ale!

However, I would replace the 90mins cascade, with Magnum to get the same IBUs. And then use this cascade at the end, probably at flame out or there abouts.

Also I would probably cut down a bit on the dark crystal, but that is my taste.

Ohh, and I like notty fermented at 18C, but again that is my preference for notty.

Just my thoughts for what they are worth...

[dean_wales]

Thinking about it the farmhouse is more like 18c than 20c so yes that will be the temperature range!

I don't know with the ale recipe what to do about hopping as I have no traditional hops in stock. I could use magnum for bittering I suppose, that would help reduce the Cascade character - I want it to be a malty ale and not overly hoppy. Particularly if its a very cascade hop character. Would Bobek or Haller be anymore suitable?

[far9410]

Hi

I would go for Stuarts Birthday Ale!

However, I would replace the 90mins cascade, with Magnum to get the same IBUs. And then use this cascade at the end, probably at flame out or there abouts.

Also I would probably cut down a bit on the dark crystal, but that is my taste.

Ohh, and I like notty fermented at 18C, but again that is my preference for notty.

Just my thoughts for what they are worth...

+1