#1
SEYMOUR CITRA GOLD (2013)
6 US gallons = 5 Imperial Gallons = 22.7 Litres
A light, crisp, refreshing, citrusy and hoppy golden ale. Originally formulated for Uncle Joshua as a user-upper recipe, but has since been brewed by dozens of members here and on other forums truly worldwide. An easy-drinking crowd pleaser if there ever was one.
GRAINBILL:
97% = 8.54 lb = 3.87 kg, Pale Malt of your choice, preferrably UK
3% = .26 lb = 118 g, Oats (from your kitchen: porridge, flaked, rolled, quick, pinhead, steel-cut, Scotch, etc)
MASH at 150°F/65.6°C for 90 minutes
BOIL 60 minutes, adding a pinch of gypsum, add a little orange or clementine peel at 5 min remaining, if you got it.
HOPS:
.4 oz = 11 g, Magnum, 60 minutes
.65 oz = 18 g, Citra, 15 minutes
.65 oz = 18 g, Citra, dry hops added to secondary fermentation
YEAST:
"Chico"/American Ale/US05/Wyeast 1056/WLP001: ferment warm around 70°F/21°C, don't filter nor use any clarifying agents, some chalky haze is nice.
APPROXIMATE STATS:
OG: 1043
FG: 1011
ABV: 4.1%
IBU: 30
COLOUR: 4°SRM/8°EBC
#2
#3SEYMOUR CITRA DARK (2014)
6 US Gallons = 5 Imperial Gallons = 22.7 Litres
For awhile now, I've been brainstorming how to build upon the success of SEYMOUR CITRA GOLD. After some trial-and-error, I think I've nailed it. It's bigger, browner, breadier, bad-ass-ier and admitedly expensive-er to brew. Categorize it however you want: American Brown Ale, Black IPA, modernized India Porter, Dry-Hopped Demon Juice… whatev's, I don't care. I think you'll agree it's a cool fusion of new and old, English and American, strong and sessionable, complex and easy-suppin'.
Place your orders early. If this CITRA DARK recipe proves half as popular as CITRA GOLD, there's gonna be a run on Citra hops at your local homebrew supplier. My apologies to the porridge oats industry: I still think you're lovely…it's not you, it's me.
GRAINBILL:
75% = 9.3 lbs = 4.22 kg, UK PALE MALT (e.g. Maris Otter or Golden Promise, the freshest possible)
12% = 1.49 lb = 676 g, TORRIFIED WHEAT (NOT wheat malt)
5% = .62 lb = 281 g, RYE MALT
2% = .25 lb = 113 g, UK DARK CRYSTAL MALT
1.5% = .19 lb = 86 g, UK PALE CHOCOLATE MALT (NOT US Chocolate Malt)
4.5% = .56 lb = 254 g, UK BLACK PATENT MALT (this is essential, DO NOT substitute Carafa, De-bittered Black, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, etc.)
MASH @ 148°F/64°C for 60 min. Optional: stir-in a pinch of Calcium carbonate (chalk, to simulate limestone well-water, it also balances acidity from the dark malts.)
VORLAUF and SPARGE slowly to collect 7.5 US Gal/6.2 Imperial Gal/28.4 L pre-boil.
BOIL hard, uncovered for 60 min. Optional: add a pinch of gypsum to make the hops pop.
HOPBILL:
1.5 oz = 43 g, UK CHALLENGER, First Wort Hops (add to empty kettle, then sparge wort onto them. These also serve as your bittering hop.)
1 oz = 28 g, UK PROGRESS, 15 minutes remaining
1 oz = 28 g, UK PROGRESS, at flame-out (steep until chilled)
6 oz = 170 g, CITRA, dry-hops added to fully-fermented beer, steep 1-2 weeks before bottling/kegging. Yes, you read that correctly.
RACK to fermentor, then AERATE (a Ditch-style drill-powered paint-stirrer works great,) then PITCH yeast starter.
YEAST: Brewer's Choice.
Ideally, ferment with an historic top-cropped English ale yeast for a complex combo of fruity/spicy/woodsy traits. Some of my favourites are the Ringwood Brewery Dual-Strain (NOT the same as problematic single-strain Wyeast Ringwood 1187) or Adnams Brewery Dual-Strain (one of which is Wyeast 1335/White Labs WLP025, another good option) but I know those can be tough to score. Your favourite bold & high-attenuating UK ale yeast will work fine. Hell, invent your own dual-strain yeast. McEwans Scottish strain (Wyeast 1728/White Labs WLP028) or Fullers strain (Wyeast 1968/White Labs WLP002) would be great. Use Whitbread-B/S-04 or Nottingham if you must. But I don't wanna hear about any of you using "Chico"/Sierra Nevada/American Ale/Wyeast 1056/WLP001/US-05 on this beast.
FERMENT @ 69°F/20.5°C, allowing plenty of time for full attenuation. I'm serious guys, wait to get amongst it (don't tell Ditch!) I need you to hold your horses on this one, so the yeast can chomp through everything and all that roasted malt can mellow. Think weeks, not days. Once you're sure it's done, wait some more, then add your dry hops and wait some more. Trust me, you'll see.
APPROXIMATE STATS:
OG: 1057
FG: ≤1013
ABV: ≥5.7%
IBU: 45 (this beer has EXTREME hoppy flavours and aromas, but isn't extremely bitter.)
COLOUR: very dark reddish brown with creamy beige foam, everlasting with lace.
SEYMOUR EL REY A.P.A. (2014)
5 US gallons = 4.2 Imperial gallons = 19 Liters
My arrogantly named American Pale Ale brewed for the Alpha Brewing Co. Pale Ale contest, October 2014. Pride goeth before the fall, it only won 2nd place. This is a great hop combo no matter how you construct your grainbill.
GRAINBILL
80.5% = 7.5 lbs = 3400 g, Pale Malt
7.5% = .7 lb = 318 g, Wheat Malt
5% = .47 lb = 213 g, Crystal Malt
3.5% = .33 lb = 150 g, UK CaraMalt (substitute Munich if you must)
3.5% = .33 lb = 150 g, CaraPils/Dextrine Malt
MASH at 148°F/64°C for 60 min
HOPS for 60 min boil
.5 oz = 14 g, El Dorado, First Wort Hops
.5 oz = 14 g, El Dorado, 15 min
.5 oz = 14 g, Hallertau, 15 min
3 oz = 85 g, Citra, dry-hopped post-fermentation for 1 week
YEAST
American Ale yeast, fermented at 64°F/18°C. Yes, you caught me using Chico again. Shhhh! That's because it's Alpha's "house yeast".
STATS
OG: 1053
FG: 1011
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: 36
Colour: light golden amber