Recommend me some grain: Pale Ale

[thisispants]

I've just tasted my first BIAB effort, and wow. What a difference grains make. Significantly taster than my extract brews. It was an English Pale Ale recipe I made up using mostly Marris Otter grain. Delicious!

Anyway, I'm keen to write an American Pale Ale recipe next, however I'm not sure what grain should make up the majority of the bill.

I've been using this site... www.cheekypeakbrewery.com.au for my grains..... If anyone wants to get some karma points, can you see what grain they stock that would be good suitable for a large percentage of the grain bill?

Would the Briess: 2 - Row Base Malt be suitable for a pale ale?

I'll use crystal for about 5% of the bill, and maybe some Munich light for head retention.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Black n Tan]

Just stick with the Maris Otter, works great in an APA and many others.

 

[boybrewer]

Sounds good what you already have .Briess is a good base malt for pales . To make an American pale hop it with some Amarillo , chinook , cascade or centennial with US05 ferment around 18*C .

 

[thisispants]

So I can just use Marris Otter for an APA as well? I thought it was just for English beers?

Interesting indeed....

 

[lukiferj]

You can definitely use MO for US beers. I do quite often. Will just be a bit maltier than if you use aussie ale/pils or us 2 row. Not a bad thing if that's what you like. Hops and yeast will make a bigger difference than base malts to the style.

 

[Black n Tan]

Absolutely. MO works in so many beers, it my preferred base malt for many styles. Briess would be good too in an APA, but buy yourself a bag of MO, you will use it. You don't need an american malt to make an APA.

 

[going down a hill]

Marris is King!

 

[thisispants]

I guess my only concern is that the English ale I just made tastes nothing like an APA.... I assume, as someone here has already mentioned, that the yeast and hops will make more of a difference than the grain?

I hopped the English ale with East Kent Golding and Cascade.

If I use US05 and cascade and Centennial..... would it come out extremely different?

 

[Black n Tan]

What yeast did you sue in your English ale? Did you use crystal? An APA is hop focused with malt in a supporting role. So you need to use a good quantity of american hops, like the Cascade and Centennial you have suggested, and use a neutral yeast.

 

[thisispants]

I used us04 for the English ale. I did use crystal as well.

 

[Spiesy]

Would the Briess: 2 - Row Base Malt be suitable for a pale ale?

I'll use crystal for about 5% of the bill, and maybe some Munich light for head retention.

Munich prob won't do a tonne for your head. Some CaraPils or wheat will, but a little Munich will add some heightened bready maltiness.

Briess 2-Row is great in an APA.