All Grain Recipe: #19 JZ's American Pale Ale

You know what I haven't made yet? An APA. Seriously. I've made three IPAs and a load of other stuff, but not one good old fashioned Pale Ale.

Since I've been having some process issues and have been worried that my efficiency is too high, I'm changing things up. Thus the need for a simple beer, where I can focus wholly on my process. I'm switching to a single batch sparge BIAB, which should get me mid to upper 70s efficiency. Compare this to the 90+ efficiency double batch sparge BIAB that I've been using, but I feel like has been giving me slightly grainy or astringent flavors in some of my beers (not all, just some).

I've also picked up some 5.2 pH Stabilizer from Five Star. I never picked it up because it seemed too expensive, but when you do the math it turns out to cost about 25 cents per batch. That's perfectly reasonable. I don't want to buy a pH meter or add acid or acid malt to my mash, I just want it to work, and that's what this is supposed to do. Here's hoping.

I'm also standardizing my mineral additions. Hoppy beers get 3 grams of calcium chloride in the mash and 3 grams of gypsum in the boil. The calcium chloride in the mash is to get at least 50 ppm of calcium to aid in conversion, while the gypsum is there for flavor in hop forward beers. Lighter or maltier beers (low IBUs and little to no late hopping) will get a simple 4 grams of calcium chloride in the mash. No exceptions - I don't want differences in mineral additions between batches to confuse my results.

Next, I'll be adding gelatin to the secondary to help drop out yeast. Currently, it takes 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator to get a halfway clear beer. I hope that the addition of gelatin finings will speed that up. To use gelatin, combine a half cup of distilled or RO, chlorine-free water with about 1/4 - 1/2 TSP (that's teaspoon) for a 3 gallon batch, or 1/2 to 1 TSP for a 5-6 gallon batch. Heat it slowly until nice and evenly mixed and at around 150 - 170 F. DO NOT BOIL. Pour it into secondary (make sure the gelatin is at least 100 F at this time, don't let it cool more than that) and rack your beer on top of it. Let it sit for a week on the gelatin and gently rack off for bottling.

Finally, I'm setting 2.3 volumes of CO2 as my standard. I will not go over 2.3 volumes unless the style demands it (Hefeweizens or Belgians, for example). I've found that when bottle conditioning, the carbonation I get from a calculation for 2.3 volumes is different than one would expect from kegging to the same CO2 level, so I should aim for lower carbonation rather than higher.

As for the recipe itself, I'm using JZ's American Pale Ale recipe from The Jamil Show American Pale Ale episode. I estimated 75% brewhouse efficiency. I ended up getting 78% extract efficiency and 74% brewhouse efficiency after losses to flameout hops. I also dry hopped even though the recipe didn't call for it.

Here's my recipe, followed by the original 6 gallon recipe.

American Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

Type: All Grain	Date: 6/30/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 12.000 qt
Boil Size: 18.180 qt	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Brew Pot, Full Boil All Grain (5 Gallon)
End of Boil Volume 12.480 qt	Brewhouse Efficiency: 74.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 9.800 qt	Est Mash Efficiency 74.0 %
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU 4 lbs 14.4 oz Pale Ale Malt, US (3.0 SRM) Grain 3 84.0 % 3.7 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.0 % 3.7 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.0 % 3.7 oz Crystal/Caramel Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.0 % 6.00 g Magnum [14.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 21.7 IBUs 7.00 g Cascade [6.40 %] - Aroma Steep 30.0 min Hop 12 0.0 IBUs 7.00 g Centennial [9.20 %] - Aroma Steep 30.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 7.00 g Centennial [9.20 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 6.0 IBUs 7.00 g Cascade [6.40 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 4.2 IBUs 1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35.49 ml] Yeast 14 - 3.7 oz Crystal/Caramel Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.0 % 3.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Boil 90.0 mins) Water Agent 8 - 3.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 1 - 1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 - 10.00 g Cascade [6.40 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs 10.00 g Centennial [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs 0.25 tsp Gelatin (Secondary 1.0 weeks) Fining 17 -
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.052 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.2 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.1 %
Bitterness: 31.9 IBUs	Calories: 173.5 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 8.1 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: BIAB Single Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 5 lbs 13.3 oz
Sparge Water: 12.061 qt	Grain Temperature: 76.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Tun Temperature: 164.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE	Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 8.400 qt of water at 163.6 F 154.0 F 53 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 20 min 168.0 F 0 min
Sparge Step: Drain mash tun, Batch sparge with 1 steps (12.061qt) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes:
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Bottle	Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 57.42 g	Carbonation Used: Bottle with 57.42 g Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 77.0 F	Age for: 28.00 days
Fermentation: My Aging Profile	Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Things to do differently in this batch, copied from the notes on batch #18. * Don't fuck with the stove temperature, just let it ride. Use the same equipment profile. Also, let's try a single rinse. Transfer first runnings to 10 quart pot. Heat all sparge water, about 3 gallons, to about 180 F and mix grain in for 10 minutes. Move the first runnings from the 10 quart pot to the bucket and measure volume & gravity. Once sparge is complete, pour into bucket and measure volume & gravity. Assume 75% efficiency estimate for this experiment. In the past, I've gotten 77%, 77%, 80%, 85% and 86% efficiency after 2nd runnings, with an average of 81%. It might only be a coincidence, but batch #8 might be the best beer I've made so far and it used a low efficiency mash with a single sparge (58% after sparge), and had tons of mistakes. Many of my beers since then have had a harsh flavor that is difficult to identify. I plan to make an APA that is closer to the style of Mirror Pond rather than Sierra Nevada. I'm using pale ale malt instead of 2-row and carbonating a little lower.

Here's the original, 6 gallon recipe.

American Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

Type: All Grain	Date: 4/13/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 24.000 qt	Brewer: Jamil Zainasheff
Boil Size: 28.571 qt	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
End of Boil Volume 26.000 qt	Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 24.000 qt	Est Mash Efficiency 72.9 %
Ingredients
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 11 lbs 4.8 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 85.0 % 12.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.6 % 12.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.6 % 8.0 oz White Wheat Malt (3.1 SRM) Grain 4 3.8 % 19.00 g Horizon [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 26.6 IBUs 14.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Aroma Steep 30.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs 14.00 g Centennial [9.00 %] - Aroma Steep 30.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs 14.00 g Centennial [9.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 4.9 IBUs 14.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 3.3 IBUs 1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35.00 ml] Yeast 10 -
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.056 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.056 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.6 %
Bitterness: 34.7 IBUs	Calories: 187.2 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 6.2 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body	Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs 4.8 oz
Sparge Water: 14.824 qt	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE	Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 19.950 qt of water at 164.0 F 152.0 F 90 min
Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 14.824 qt water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Bottle	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 142.71 g	Carbonation Used: Bottle with 142.71 g Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F	Age for: 28.00 days
Fermentation: My Aging Profile	Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Yeast options are White Labs WLP001, Wyeast 1056 or Safale US-05.
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