My First Apa

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

wbosher

Well-Known Member
Joined
20/8/12
Messages
1,331
Reaction score
132
Hi guys,

Just used Beersmith to attempt designing my own recipe. This will only be my 2nd AG (BIAB) brew so would probably be better off using someone elses recipe, but I want to try my own.

Here is what I've got:


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 31.19 l
Post Boil Volume: 25.82 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 21.00 l
Bottling Volume: 19.30 l
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 19.2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 37.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 94.3 %
0.30 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (236.4 EBC) Grain 2 5.7 %
30.00 g Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 22.9 IBUs
20.00 g Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 4 9.2 IBUs
20.00 g Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 5.5 IBUs


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 5.30 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 34.43 l of water at 70.7 C 66.7 C 75 min
Mash Out Add -0.00 l of water and heat to 78.0 C 78.0 C 10 min





What do you think? Not too sure about the hops, just guessing really. I only have Cascade so that's all I'm using at this stage. I want something fairly bitter, but not slap in the face bitter (not yet anyway ;) ).

All of the sliders in Beersmith are bang in the middle for an APA so I assume that it should be ok, just after some feedback from more experienced brewers, which is almost everyone here.

Any constructive criticism welcome.
 
Personally I'd add an extra 20g at 0 minutes, and another 20 for dry hopping. Other than that it looks pretty darn good.
 
Looks pretty good for a first up effort.

See how it goes, and adjust for your next one.

Just one thing for me, I think the Crystal 120L would be Dark Crystal? If so, I'd cut it back to about 200 to 250 gr, or change some of it to a lighter Crystal. I like to mix my Crystal malts from light, medium, and dark, usually about 100/100/50 gr or so, for a little extra complexity.

If you want some more hop character and flavour, keep your IBUs the same, but reduce the 60 minute addition to about 20 gr, and add more at 10 or 5 minutes to build the IBUs back up.
Dry hopping wouldn't be out of place in an APA.
 
I agree 300g seems a tad too much dark crystal
 
looks pretty good, but if it was me i'd be tempted to drop the crystal altogether, and leave the 60min addition, up the 20min to 30g, and hold the 10min addition to flameout and up it to 40g.

What you've written will make a very good beer indeed though, so if you want, brew yours and tweak from there.
 
Im with warra. Layer light with dark crystal or just use Thomas fawcett medium crystal (which is really nice Crystal) and maybe add 5% wheat malt for head and body, and 20% munich 1 to make it show a bit of bread/nutyness behind the hops. You will get a much more drinkable beer if you back off the bitterness to 25 IBU. If you dry hop try some noble german hops just for 3 days after fermentation has reached FG. I like hopping from 20 minutes to get bitterness then at 5 min and steep at 80 degrees for 20 while it all settles.
If you go ahead with your plan with all that dark crystal you might be balanced with higher IBU's...maybe.

Good luck mate

Gav
 
looks pretty good, but if it was me i'd be tempted to drop the crystal altogether, and leave the 60min addition, up the 20min to 30g, and hold the 10min addition to flameout and up it to 40g.

An APA without crystal...Nathan, go to the naughty corner :lol:

I like to get about half of my bitterness from the first addition and the rest from big, late/whirlpool additions in an APA.

Bairds medium crystal works very well for me.
 
Have to agree there, sub the dark crystal for light or med, pop in some wheat and definitely dry hop.

Should taste good!
 
An APA without crystal...Nathan, go to the naughty corner :lol:


i think im probably already in the naughty corner mate ;)

but seriously, i reckon APA's can be made quite nicely without crystal. I throw some in if i have some, but i'll gladly brew them all year long without using it if i happen to have run out.

typical grain bill for me is in percentages:

90/5/5 Base, Carapils, Munich 1. Occasionally i'll swap out either the carapils or munuch 1 for wheat.

hop it until the ibu's match the gravity. Tasty as...
 
My LHBS only supplies medium crystal (105), this wasn't available in Beersmith. Only had 80 or 120, I thought 120 was closest. Probably should have mentioned this.

Nath, I've already got the grains so the crystal it's in this time at least, but advice taken on board (shit I sound like a CEO :lol: )

General consensus seems to be lower the 60 min in favour of later addition, what about this:

---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 19.2 EBC SRM RANGE: 9.8-27.6 EBC
IBU: 30.6 IBUs Tinseth IBU RANGE: 30.0-45.0 IBUs
OG: 1.053 SG OG RANGE: 1.045-1.060 SG
FG: 1.013 SG FG RANGE: 1.010-1.015 SG
BU:GU: 0.574 Calories: 427.1 kcal/l Est ABV: 5.3 %
EE%: 70.00 % Batch: 21.00 l Boil: 31.19 l BT: 60 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------


Total Grain Weight: 5.30 kg Total Hops: 80.00 g oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.20 ------
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD WATER CHEMICALS BEFORE GRAINS!!<<<<<<<
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 94.3 %
0.30 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (236.4 EBC) Grain 2 5.7 %


Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 34.43 l of water at 70.7 C 66.7 C 75 min
Mash Out Add -0.00 l of water and heat to 78.0 C 78.0 C 10 min

---SPARGE PROCESS---
>>>>>>>>>>-RECYCLE FIRST RUNNINGS & VERIFY GRAIN/MLT TEMPS: 18.0 C/18.0 C
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD BOIL CHEMICALS BEFORE FWH
Remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.042 SG Est OG: 1.053 SG
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
20.00 g Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 15.3 IBUs
20.00 g Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 4 9.2 IBUs
40.00 g Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 5 6.1 IBUs




As for dry hopping, I have pretty much no sense of smell so this would probably be wasted.
 
From an ingredients point of view, that looks delicious!

Appears to have some "interesting" things re: sparge process though.

Your mash indicates full volume mash (biab), but then you go on to mention sparge, recycle first runnings steps (usually assosciated with 2v/3v brewing). Are you doing a recirculating BIAB?

Also mentions FWH in process notes, but you aren't adding any.

Other than that, it'll be a great beer.
 
Ignore sparge stuff and I don't even know what FWH is, it just appears in the Beersmith print out. Just a very straightforward BIAB.
 
Ignore sparge stuff and I don't even know what FWH is, it just appears in the Beersmith print out. Just a very straightforward BIAB.

no worries mate, in that case it'll be a really good beer!

Let us know how it turns out!

Cheers,

Nath

BTW, FWH is First Wort Hop (which means adding hops to the runnings after the mash, but before or during the ramp to the boil). In a BIAB setting, this would be after you hoist the grains...
 
no worries mate, in that case it'll be a really good beer!

Let us know how it turns out!

Cheers,

Nath

BTW, FWH is First Wort Hop (which means adding hops to the runnings after the mash, but before or during the ramp to the boil). In a BIAB setting, this would be after you hoist the grains...

Cheers, will do. I've got Tuesday off work so plan to do it then with no kids around. :)
 
hop it until the ibu's match the gravity. Tasty as...

One more question about this. When you say match the gravity, is that the pre-boil or the estimated post boil gravity?

BTW, FWH is First Wort Hop (which means adding hops to the runnings after the mash, but before or during the ramp to the boil). In a BIAB setting, this would be after you hoist the grains...

Also, what does this achieve as opposed to adding to the boil?
 
Hey mate,

OG. Hop it until your IBU's match the last two digits of your og.

eg: 45IBU's for 1.045 OG.

FWH, differs from a bittering addition in the sense due to it being added when the wort is between 60ish (mash temp) and high 70's if doing a mashout, is it gets longer time at utulization temps on its way to the boil, plus the boil itself.

Most believe that fwh gives a smoother bittering profile, and despite what you would think, some (many) also believe it promotes more aroma too.
 
One more question about this. When you say match the gravity, is that the pre-boil or the estimated post boil gravity?

Doesn't really matter which you use. It's the ratio between the two you need to keep constant when changing your hopping regime if you do not want to change the perceived bitterness level.
Thus 25 IBU in SG 1.050 equals 25/50 equals .50
and 30 IBU in SG 1.060 equals 30/60 equals .50


Also, what does this achieve as opposed to adding to the boil?

Well, FWH are there thoughout the boil. You simply add the hops at the start of draining your wort into the kettle, rather than at the 60 minute mark. Although it is debated, it is alleged FWH provide a smoother bitterness than a 60 minute addition.
 
Hey mate,

OG. Hop it until your IBU's match the last two digits of your og.

eg: 45IBU's for 1.045 OG.

So with this in mind, maybe I should boost the IBU a little in this recipe. As is, it only comes to around 30, but the OG is expected to be about 1.053.
 
So with this in mind, maybe I should boost the IBU a little in this recipe. As is, it only comes to around 30, but the OG is expected to be about 1.053.

Yes, 30 IBU is a little low for an APA with an expected OG of 1.053.
 
So with this in mind, maybe I should boost the IBU a little in this recipe. As is, it only comes to around 30, but the OG is expected to be about 1.053.

if it was me??

definitely. But i like my ales hoppy. I don't reckon you'd notice much hops with a balance value close to .5(ish)
 
Back
Top