Pale Ale taste?

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.

panzerd18

Well-Known Member
Joined
6/8/14
Messages
519
Reaction score
103
Hi all,

Just wondering what gives Pale Ale that distinctive taste. Such as Fat Yak or Coopers Pale Ale?

Is it the hops used? If so what type of hops are commonly used in Pale Ales to give it that distinctive taste?
 
Theres a broad range of tastes associated with pale ales, the two youve mentioned have completely different hops, coopers pale is por while fat yak is cascade and nelson sauvin iirc. Only thing I could suggest is try and copy the hops used in your favourite beers and see what you like.
 
Depends on the type of pale ale.

American - definitely hops, more late additions and dry hopping.

English - more the yeast and the esters it produces as a by product of fermentation.
 
Malt, hops, yeast and water. They're all important, how important each is depends on what you're brewing, and what you're trying to achieve. Each has a vast array of options, and then there's carbonation levels that can totally transform a beer

To my taste, the 2 beers you picked are so different that they only share significant commonality in comparison to other styles.
 
I did some more research and have realised that Pale Ale, just means pale in colour and using a top fermenting yeast.

Sorry for being such a beginner, I find Fat Yak to have a distinctive flavour. I'm not really sure which ingredient it comes from.
 
It would assume it would be the Nelson Sauvin hops that give the yak its distinct flavour. I reckon they have toned it down recently anyway.

Give them a go in your next brew….but take it easy !! They can be a bit much if you go too hard !

Good luck.

CF
 
If you like Fat Yak there is a Fatter Yak recipe on the recipe db that, per the reviews, is a souped up close copy, but closer to the original than current version. I haven't brewed it as I personally don't like Nelson Sauvin, or Fat Yak (lightbulb moment).

But for pale ales of its ilk, the distinctive taste is the hops, hopping schedule supported by the malt backbone. The yeast and water are likely minor components.

If you can, get hold of Randy Mosher's 'Tasting Beer'. It's a great source to help in critically assessing the aroma,appearance and crucially flavour of different beers. If you then find out what's in a beer you've tasted and made notes on, you can start to appreciate what those ingredients might be bringing.

The best way though is to find a simple recipe you like and then start playing with it, keeping notes as you go. That way you learn heaps but still have a beer that your fairly certain to enjoy
 
I did some more research and have realised that Pale Ale, just means pale in colour and using a top fermenting yeast.

Sorry for being such a beginner, I find Fat Yak to have a distinctive flavour. I'm not really sure which ingredient it comes from.
well done for doing your own research...that's more than many new members do. You will find most on here more than happy to help those that help themselves.
 
Albainian said:
well done for doing your own research...that's more than many new members do. You will find most on here more than happy to help those that help themselves.
I have found this website, http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

However I would like a book, as I find it hard to read pages and pages on a computer screen. I
 
The John Palmer book is an excellent read

The kindle version is about US$10 on amazon

The paper copy is about A$23 from bookdepository,com (including shipping) and about A$23 on booktopia.com.au, but you have to pay $6.50 shipping

You may find a copy in your local LHBS, but probably for a bit more
 
'Pale Ale' does not just have to be pale in colour...... 'Pale Ale' refers to the base malt?

I serve a pale ale at home that has some munich in it and its not 'Pale' but mostly Pale Ale Malt!

You see recipes around for Dark Pale Ale, just a small amount of a grain that makes it dark!

Am I wrong?

Beercus
 
beercus said:
'Pale Ale' does not just have to be pale in colour...... 'Pale Ale' refers to the base malt?

I serve a pale ale at home that has some munich in it and its not 'Pale' but mostly Pale Ale Malt!

You see recipes around for Dark Pale Ale, just a small amount of a grain that makes it dark!

Am I wrong?

Beercus
Yes

Dark Pale Ale is an oxymoron

Pale Ale refers to the colour fo the beer, but only by comparison to the popular Porters and other dark beers around in the early 1700s when it first started to appear. Stout, Porter, brown ales etc, etc are all made predominantly from pale ale malts, but none are pale ales

But if you want to make a black pale ale, go right ahead and enjoy. Its just a name
 
If you've been drinking Australian beer most of your life (which are lagers generally), I think what you maybe tasting is in fact the taste of the ale yeast, being fruity and estery as they say. Yeast is an important element in the overall taste of beer.
 
Vini2ton said:
If you've been drinking Australian beer most of your life (which are lagers generally), I think what you maybe tasting is in fact the taste of the ale yeast, being fruity and estery as they say. Yeast is an important element in the overall taste of beer.
Would I be wrong in saying that Coopers Ales have a yeasty taste?
 
They have that nature yeah. Some beers are hard to peg down in that lager ale thing. The yanks have one called cream ale which sits on the fence. Whitelabs even have a lager/ale blend for that one and I think maybe coopers do l/a blend in some of their kit yeasts if memory serves. It is confusing when you read a cream ale recipe that asks for a lager yeast. One must drink more to understand.
 
Vini2ton said:
They have that nature yeah. Some beers are hard to peg down in that lager ale thing. The yanks have one called cream ale which sits on the fence. Whitelabs even have a lager/ale blend for that one and I think maybe coopers do l/a blend in some of their kit yeasts if memory serves. It is confusing when you read a cream ale recipe that asks for a lager yeast. One must drink more to understand.
Haha, I'd be upset if anyone picked my cream ale as an ale in a blind tasting, it holds up quite well against the pale tasteless lagers the seppos consider beer.
 
beercus said:
'Pale Ale' does not just have to be pale in colour...... 'Pale Ale' refers to the base malt?

I serve a pale ale at home that has some munich in it and its not 'Pale' but mostly Pale Ale Malt!

You see recipes around for Dark Pale Ale, just a small amount of a grain that makes it dark!

Am I wrong?

Beercus
With absolute respect Beercus, this is almost as silly as a black India pale ale. It's either pale, amber or dark/brown. Like having a Belgian dark golden ale, or a dark/black helles (German for 'light'). I would say it's an amber or a dark/brown ale.

Having said that, the guidelines for a pale ale go up to about 25-28EBC which is pretty dark - definitely a solid amber/red. It's still just called a pale ale though. :)
 
Adr_0 said:
Having said that, the guidelines for a pale ale go up to about 25-28EBC which is pretty dark - definitely a solid amber/red. It's still just called a pale ale though. :)
Adr thanks for the respect!

After putting together a APA in beersmith recently which is at about 22EBC, it is clearly not 'Pale'.... So this is where my assumptions come from.....

Beercus
 

Latest posts

Back
Top