Modern Homebrew Recipes (18 page)

168°F (76°C) 10 minutes

Kettle volume:

13 gallons (49 L)

Boil Length:

75 minutes

Final Volume:

11 gallons (42 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Sensory Description:
Dry and bitter with an expressive hop notes that had a piney and citrusy character. The fruity qualities were somewhat subdued, or perhaps overshadowed by the hops. It reads more as a pale ale than a blonde ale, but it isn’t a big pale ale.

Formulation notes:
The hops were given a 20 minute steep prior to chilling, which clearly extracted more bitterness than recipe software estimated. Meridian is described as a hop that has lemon and blueberry flavors; it seems woody and citrusy to me. I was looking for some interplay between the lime character in Centennial and the fruit flavors in Meridian, but it came off a bit more ‘Pacific Northwest’ than I was expecting (in that it played up the more “evergreen” type flavors). I’d probably use different varieties if I was looking for a blonde ale. But in a west coast blonde? These hops are just fine.

Variations:
I like the balance of this beer, but not really as a blonde ale. In the days of session IPAs, it follows a similar intent without making something difficult to drink. Meridian was an unusual hop, and it might not be to everyone’s taste, so I’d play around mostly with the hop varieties. If you want this to be more like a blonde ale, don’t use an extended steep of the hops; chill immediately after boil ends. Or wait 10 or 15 minutes after the boil ends to add the hops if you
do
intend to use an extended steep.

NEW WORLD BLONDE

Another take on an American blonde ale, this time playing up the tropical fruit combination of Galaxy and Citra hops. It is a bit lower in gravity than other blonde ales, and is a favorite of mine in the summer. These three blonde ales, taken together, are meant to show how you can vary recipes to come up with distinctly different beers. This type of information is also discussed in the “variations” section of most recipes, but here are some concrete examples. Concrete blonde examples (ha!).

Style:
Blonde Ale (Classic BJCP Style)

Description:
Beautiful gold color with a clean malt background and the flavor and aroma of tropical fruit.

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaCl
₂
in mash

Mash technique:

Step Infusion, mashout, no sparge

Mash rests:

131°F (55°C) 15 minutes

152°F (67°C) 45 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

8 gallons (30 L)

Boil Length:

90 minutes

Final Volume:

6 gallons (23 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Sensory Description:
The malt flavors are pure and clean, and the hops are noticeable but don’t scream at you. The overall character is elegant, clean, and juicy, with a distinct tropical impression. A nice summer beer, especially if the gravity is kept low. The no sparge technique improves the quality of the malt flavor, and the late steep of hops keeps the bitterness restrained while adding a wonderful hop aroma.

Formulation notes:
The efficiency of this recipe is lower because it is a no sparge recipe; sparging will make a stronger beer, closer to 5%. The hops need to be handled specially as to not extract too much bitterness. Put the boiling hops in mesh bags and remove them at the end of the boil so the bitterness doesn’t continue to be extracted as the beer stands hot.
Let the beer chill to 185°F (85°C) before adding the post-boil hops (also in bags). Let steep for 10 minutes, then remove.

Variations:
If you’d like to play up the hop aroma more, this beer can easily be dry-hopped with an equal mix of Citra and Galaxy. Start with 1 oz (28 g) for 3 days. Repeat if more hop aroma is desired. It’s not meant to be a hoppy style, but you can take it that direction if that’s your preference.

ORDINARY BITTER

I put this recipe together as a tribute to Michael Jackson after he passed away because he was known to enjoy an honest pint of ordinary bitter. This is a simple recipe that relies on ingredient quality above all else.

Style:
Ordinary Bitter (Classic BJCP Style)

Description:
Bready, caramel, and toffee malt flavor with a firm bitterness and a fruity yeast character. Wonderful on cask.

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaSO
₄
in mash

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, crystal malts added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

149°F (65°C) 60 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

8 gallons (30 L)

Boil Length:

60 minutes

Final Volume:

6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:

Start at 63°F (17°C), allowing to rise to 68°F (20°C)

Sensory Description:
Has the bready, biscuit malt, floral, woody hops, and fruity ale character so classic in English bitters. Enjoy fresh after it has dropped bright. Lovely on cask without a sparkler. I often serve it directly from the cask on gravity feed without a beer engine. Serving at cellar temperature (55–58°F /12–14°C) allows the malt and fruity qualities to open up and better support the hops.

Formulation notes:
The British base malts have more of a bready, biscuit flavor; blending them adds complexity. The darker crystal malts give some extra color, as well as dark caramel and toffee flavors. The percentage of crystal malts isn’t that high, so don’t expect a lot of body and sweetness. Yeast adds a supportive fruitiness, but the hops come through with their floral, fruity, and woody qualities. This style is traditionally dry-hopped when served on cask. The Fuller’s yeast strain (Wyeast 1968 or White Labs WLP002) is a superb cask strain; it flocculates very well.

Variations:
I really like this recipe the way it is, but there is some variation in crystal malts between maltsters. The crystal isn’t a dominant flavor, so you can really use just about any British maltster. Some of the very dark ones can be a touch burnt, so I prefer to add them at
vorlauf
rather than in the mash.

PRIDE OF WARWICK BITTER

I tend to name my English beers “Pride of Warwick” after my hometown in New York. Of course, we pronounce it “war-wick” instead of “warrick” like they do in England. The balance of the beer is similar to draught Bass ale, although the flavors are different.

Style:
Best Bitter (Classic BJCP Style)

Description:
A dry interpretation of the style with flaked maize to provide some roundness and depth, which is a traditional English approach.

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaSO
₄
in mash, 0.5 tsp CaSO
₄
in boil

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, dark grains added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

151°F (66°C) 60 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

7 gallons (26 L)

Boil Length:

75 minutes

Final Volume:

5.5 gallons (21 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Sensory Description:
Bready, dry, and lightly minerally with fruity, floral, and woody hop character. The malt has biscuit notes, but also a rounded flavor that implies sweetness while remaining dry. The bitterness level is prominent but not extreme. This beer is easy to drink and best enjoyed at cellar temperature.