# A.p.a. Grain Check Please!



## SJW (23/11/04)

5000g Maris Otter
450g Caramel/Crystal Malt
300g Caramalt
250g Munich (light)

Cascade for bittering & Chinook for Taste.


I was just wondering how the grain bill looked and was wondering if i should be using CARAPILS aswell or instead of Caramalt?

This is for 25 litres 

STEPHEN


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## AndrewQLD (23/11/04)

Hi Stephen

I would drop the crystal down to 250 g ( unless you like over the top toffee flavour) and you should'nt need carapils but maybe 200g wheat malt for body and head.

And why not go all cascade, makes a nice spicy citrusy taste and aroma.

Andrew


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## SJW (23/11/04)

Good call with the Wheat malt & Crystal Andrew.
I will go all Cascade. That has to be the best smelling hops ever, I love it. I have got a couple of plugs left over from an extract APA in the fridge and i love sticking the old beak in for a sniff. GREAT STUFF.


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## tdh (23/11/04)

You seem to have a lot of crystal/cara malts (12.5%). The maris Otter malt has plenty of its own flavour already and I'd recommend the 300g of Caramalt as the only crystal malt, I'd even drop the Munich malt at 250g, an insignificant amount IMHO.
Wheat malt can aid head retention but adding body is a new one to me. Carapils is better at body and head retention, try 90% MO, 5% Caramalt and 5% Carapils.
And gee, whilst I'm on the soapbox, I reckon Chinoook is a very ordinary bittering hop as is Cascade. Try Hallertauer Northern Brewer, Hallertauer Perle or Simcoe for your bittering and keep Cascade for flavour and aroma.

tdh


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## Gulf Brewery (23/11/04)

tdh said:


> I reckon Chinoook is a very ordinary bittering hop as is Cascade. Try Hallertauer Northern Brewer, Hallertauer Perle or Simcoe for your bittering and keep Cascade for flavour and aroma.


hear hear brother. I reckon to much of these almost gets catty

Pedro


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## chiller (23/11/04)

Pedro said:


> tdh said:
> 
> 
> > I reckon Chinoook is a very ordinary bittering hop as is Cascade. Try Hallertauer Northern Brewer, Hallertauer Perle or Simcoe for your bittering and keep Cascade for flavour and aroma.
> ...


 Cascade is a very inferior bittering hop because of the balance of Alpha to Beta acid content and the cohumulone % of alpha acids. 

In terms of the Cohumulone % Cascade is very similar to Pride of Ringwood.

From my own experience bittering above 20 IBU for the sixty minute addition with either of these hops can impart a rather haarsh flavour. 

Simcoe while having an Alpha acid in the 14% range has an extremely good Cohumulone % of Alpha acid. It can be used with confidence to give a smoth bitterness and stay well within the style parameters of an APA. 

As TDH has indicated Marric Otter has a stronger malt profile and a definate sweetness.

If you follow his suggestion you will achieve a very drinkable APA. Just one other thought on hops -- Chinook will dominate your beer no matter where you add it. My suggestion is keep it at a relatives house well away from anything you intend to brew.  

As a yeast suggestion try the WhiteLabs 008 East Coast Ale. It is a very smooth clean yeast aptly suited to the style.

Steve


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## bonk (23/11/04)

or use amarillo instead of cascade (if you can get it) i think it tastes better then cascade and packs more citrus/pineapple/ etc etc , IMO.


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## big d (23/11/04)

i rather like chinook but as suggested it is overpowering.you either love it or hate it.


cheers
big d


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## Jovial_Monk (24/11/04)

I second the suggestion of Amarillo. I am sure it is derived in part from Cascade but it is a much better hop, nice clean aroma, AA% of 7.1% makes it a great all purpose hop.

And why not drop all the crystal/caramalt and add a small amount of crystal rye "just for shits and giggles" 100g should do it

Jovial Monk


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## tdh (24/11/04)

1.7% of crystal rye?!?!?!? Why bother?

tdh


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## Jovial_Monk (24/11/04)

The crystal rye will darken the ale. A little rye goes a long way, anyway

JM


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## tdh (24/11/04)

It's only 100-200 EBC though and the flavour aint that strong. The DA has brewed with it at 5% and SFA!

tdh


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## Guest Lurker (24/11/04)

chiller said:


> [-- Chinook will dominate your beer no matter where you add it. My suggestion is keep it at a relatives house well away from anything you intend to brew.


 Bugger the relatives, leave the chinook at my place, I like the stuff.

PS I used 7.5% crystal rye in my porter and Im still struggling to taste it.


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## Jovial_Monk (24/11/04)

OK, then add 750g flaked rye instead/as well as the crystal rye. The flaked rye gives the most bang for the buck of all the ways of adding rye flavor

JM


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## tdh (25/11/04)

But flaked rye ain't a crystal malt!!!

tdh


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## Jovial_Monk (25/11/04)

Hmmm and that is a crime?

Nice thing about a flaked adjunct: toast it in an oven the night b4. then it is not a crystal malt, it is BETTER than a crystal malt 

JM


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## MAH (25/11/04)

Sorry for the thread hijack



Jovial_Monk said:


> Nice thing about a flaked adjunct: toast it in an oven the night b4. then it is not a crystal malt, it is BETTER than a crystal malt



If you don't like crystal malts, why do you sell them? Are there any other products that you think are crap, but are happy to sell to customers?


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## roach (25/11/04)

h34r: fire in the hole h34r:


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## Jovial_Monk (25/11/04)

If someone likes crystal malt of course I will sell them crystal malt. I have even sold dextrose (gasp!)

Jovial Monk


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## tdh (25/11/04)

JM, you're as dull as dextrose.

tdh


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## chiller (25/11/04)

tdh said:


> JM, you're as dull as dextrose.
> 
> tdh


 Or is that DCS??  

Steve


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## GOLIATH (26/11/04)

Hey SJW,

Just go with what info is credible!

There are enough fairy tales regarded as facts in brewing already.

Regards
Dave


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