Pale Ale, thoughts..

[scooterism]

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 27.84 l
Post Boil Volume: 25.00 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l   
Bottling Volume: 22.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 10.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 21.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.1 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
23.00 l               Gold Coast Water                         Water         1        -             
3.00 kg               Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (5.9 EBC)           Grain         2        62.5 %        
1.50 kg               Vienna Malt (6.9 EBC)                    Grain         3        31.3 %        
0.15 kg               Acid Malt (5.9 EBC)                      Grain         4        3.1 %         
0.15 kg               Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (59.1 EBC)    Grain         5        3.1 %         
10.00 g               Target [7.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min    Hop           6        9.0 IBUs      
10.00 g               Target [7.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min          Hop           7        8.2 IBUs      
1.22 Items            Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)        Fining        8        -             
20.00 g               East Kent Goldings (EKG) [4.60 %] - Boil Hop           9        3.9 IBUs      
10.00 g               Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Steep/Whi Hop           10       0.0 IBUs      
1.0 pkg               SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast         11       -             
0.50 tsp              Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days)        Other         12       -             


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 4.80 kg
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 12.57 l of water at 73.1 C          66.7 C        60 min        

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 20.13l) of 75.6 C water

 

[mtb]

1.045 OG is on the low end for a pale ale, are you after a low ABV?

 

[klangers]

Yeah I'd be gunning for a higher mash temp to balance out the low OG.

 

[mtb]

Higher mash temp will increase unfermentable sugars and subsequently the finishing gravity, meaning an even lower ABV. Did you mean a lower mash temp? Doing so will reduce body but also reduce FG and increase ABV.

 

[klangers]

Yeah, higher mash temp mainly to get some body in there. Lower ABV but a more balanced beer IMO.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Ditch the acid malt and replace with wheat

 

[scooterism]

68 for a mash temp?

Lose the Acid

And does the hop schedule look ok?, I've never FWH'd before..

And generally new to Ale's..

 

[Vini2ton]

Of course there's so many variable brewing factors, but an OG of 1.045 is fine I reckon. A movement of 40 makes a wonderful beer. Pale ale means what?

 

[rude]

Acid malt for mash ph
150g seems high without checking on Brun

 

[captain crumpet]

Up the crystal a bit or even add some dark crystal. chuck all your target in together as FWH. Personally i would mash this at 70 and add a few hundred grams of sugar during ferment to dry it out.

 

[manticle]

Adding sugar will just up the abv. High mash temp will give dextrinous mash which sugar won't change

 

[GalBrew]

Up the crystal a bit or even add some dark crystal. chuck all your target in together as FWH. Personally i would mash this at 70 and add a few hundred grams of sugar during ferment to dry it out.

That is contradictory advice. How about we forget the sugar and mash a little cooler eh?

67deg will be fine. Pay attention to your yeast and you should get to 1.010 FG.

 

[manticle]

Ditch the acid malt and replace with wheat

2 different grains used for 2 different reasons.

I'd question whether the acid is totally necessary (and by question I mean has the OP actually checked) but wheat won't contribute the desired effect.

 

[Midnight Brew]

Looks like you are leaning towards the English side of pale ales of bitters, special bitters and esb's. I tend to encourage to brew to what you prefer as opposed to try and meet a style. I think your grist looks good, but here are some things to think about:

Do you want a session ale that's full of flavour but low on alcohol? If so maybe drop the OG to 1040 and mash at 70 but keep the BU to OG ratio at around 0.7 to 0.8.

Do you want a regular strength beer? Mash at 66-67 depending on yeast strain. I noticed you use Nottingham, something I don't have experience with but if you know the characteristics of the yeast you are using you can manipulate the mash temperature to meet your target.

Pale ale wise I think you need a bit more bitterness, 21 IBU to 1.045 is less then half BU/SG ratio, in the ballpark of milds not pale ales

 

[captain crumpet]

Adding sugar will just up the abv. High mash temp will give dextrinous mash which sugar won't change

That is contradictory advice. How about we forget the sugar and mash a little cooler eh?
67deg will be fine. Pay attention to your yeast and you should get to 1.010 FG.

More body while trying to keep the abv at desired level. The recipe is a british pale/bitters no? It is common practice for this style. Why hate on sugar?

 

[manticle]

No one is hating on sugar.

 

[S.E]

No one is hating on sugar.

Yes you was

 

[Midnight Brew]

More body while trying to keep the abv at desired level. The recipe is a british pale/bitters no? It is common practice for this style. Why hate on sugar?

Yes but if low alcohol, less then 4%abv you want to retain body without alcohol. So high mash temp and 100% malt gets you to that. I think sugar has its place but in a low alcohol beer you need all the body you can without adding bodyless character that simple sugars give.

 

[S.E]

Yes but if low alcohol, less then 4%abv you want to retain body without alcohol. So high mash temp and 100% malt gets you to that. I think sugar has its place but in a low alcohol beer you need all the body you can without adding bodyless character that simple sugars give.

The bodyless character you speak of will thin and balance a dextrinous wort though. It is or at least used to be common practise.

 

[manticle]

It will add some balance/counterpoint, yes. It won't dry it out as suggested though (ie: make the FG lower).

Different if you replace some of the malt for sugar.