#Gents Pale Ale

I take part in a weekly Beer and Cigar appreciation night known as "Fellowship Of Gentlemanly Gentleman". Although week to week we set a loose theme on what Beers we bring to the table, we in general enjoy the hoppy pale ales and double IPA's. I was kicking around an idea for a hop focused but low gravity pale ale after having Flossmoor's "Special Bitter" and Rogue's "Yellow Snow". Both these beers are low gravity with a heavy heavy dose of American hop variety's. Instead of doing a few large charges, i decided to do many small "layering" charges. Using a balance of three different hops in smaller amounts to create hop complexity. I would say the Gents would claim Amarillo as a favorite hop, but they are hard to obtain right now. So I am subbing Ahtanum in its place. Along with Summit and Cascade, this beer should be a dank citrus piney hop bomb. Mashing at 156 and using Faked Barley to keep the body from being to thin. Also using CaraMunich for a little toasty sweet malt. This will be my first time using Wyeast 1272 American Ale II, which will add a small tart fruity character. I normally use 1056 in my pale ales, which ferments clean. As usual, any constructive criticism or advice will be appreciated.

Michigan Brew Haul

San Diego Care Package + Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Thanks to BA Engebrits for another awesome box of SD brews. It was nice to get my hands on a few KBS but not nice on the old wallet.

How to do a multi rest infusion mash

This is for fellow Home Brewer Blake who was curious how I do protein rests or multiple rest mashes with a cooler mash tun. Since I do mash in a LARGE cooler I can not raise the mash by direct heat. This involves a few extra calculations if your doing more than a single infusion.

To get started we need to know several variables, grain mass, grain to water ratio(lb to qt) and ambient temp of grain. I am going to use my Czech Pils mash program as an example.

Ambient temp of my grain is 65F, which will change throughout the year. This is important to know since you will be raising your first rest from this temp. I am using 1 qt of water for every lb of grain. There is a almost 14 lbs of grain. Since I am using continental pilsner malt we want to do a protein rest at 130F for 30 minutes and Sac rest at 154 for 60 minutes. I did not mash out but we will go ahead and pretend I did for the sake of this example.

First Rest:

Infusions Temp = (0.2/1)(130 - 65) + 130
So we divide the ration by .2 to get .2. Target Temp - Ambient Temp is 65.

Infusion Temp = (.2)(65) + 130 or 13 + 130

So out first infusion is 14qt at 143F. This should allow for us to meet our target temp of 130F.

Second Rest:

Crank your burner up during the first rest and get your water to a boil. We are going to ad smaller amounts of near boiling water to move our temperature to the saccharification rest temp of 154F.

amount of boiling water = (154 - 130) x (2.8 + 14) / (210 - 154)

(Sac Rest temp - protein rest temp) X (grain mass + water) / (infusion temp - sac rest temp)

or

amount of boiling water = (24)(16.8) / 56

or

amount of boiling water = 403 / 56 or the amount of boiling water is 7 qt to reach 154F.

Third rest:

No we are going to end conversion by mashing out or bringing the mash up to 170F.

So far we have added 14qt + 7 qt for a total of 21 qt of water. This is the main reason I do not mash out unless I have enough room in my tun. Sometimes on larger beers this is not a possibility but I just lauter with 170F water to compensate.

amount of boiling water = (170 - 154) X (2.8 + 21qt) / (210 - 170)

or

amount of boiling water = (16) X (23.8) / (40)

or

amount of boiling water = 380 / 40 or 9.5qt of near boiling water to reach 170F.



So far we have added 32.8qt of water to the tun or 8 gal. This is why I often forgo a mash out and just start the lautering process.

If you want a great introduction please go to HOW TO BREW , this is where I learned this equation. John Palmer gives a very understandable introduction to the mashing process.

More Brew Day Pictures

Brew Day Pictures

Rye Pale Ale Recipe

Style: American Pale Ale
Batch Size: 5.5
Boil: 60 min
Efficiency: 70% (first time with the rye)
OG: 1.056
FG: 1.014
IBU: 53 (but I am First Wort Hopping, so maybe 45)
SRM: 12
ABV: 5.6%

8 lbs 2-Row 63.4%
2 lbs 8 oz Rye 19.8%
1 lb Carapils 7.9%
8 oz Crystal 40L 4%
8 oz Rice Hulls 4%
2 oz Black Malt 1%

.75 oz Cascade FWH
.50 oz Magnum 60 min
.50 oz Cascade 15 min
.50 oz Cascade 5 min
1 oz Cascade Flame Out
1 oz Cascade Dry 5 days before bottling

Mash at 152F for 60 minutes 1.25qt to lb of grain
Spike Mash according to your water chemistry to control PH

I wanted to keep this recipe as straight forward as possible. The 2 oz of 540SRM black malt is strictly for color. It should not impart much flavor. Originally I wanted to have spicy Saaz and spicy/citrusy Cascade fight it out in the aroma department. I could not get Saaz in time, so it looks like it will be a single hop in aroma/flavor realm. Which I am OK with, I am interested to see how the rye flavor goes with Cascade blast. I know I am heavy handed with the hops, thats how I get down, you can lower the IBU to your tastes. I also figured that the rye would absorb .30 gal of water per lb and figured that into my water volumes. Finally, I did not want to make this one too boozey, keep it drinkable.

As always, any experienced criticism will be taken seriously. Thanks!