Batch 48: Pacific Pale Ale
     
 
 
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Original
Gravity
Final
Gravity
Alcohol
By Volume
Mash
Efficiency
Primary Secondary Keg
1.053 1.011 5.5 % 64 % 14 days 0 days 14 days

 

rewed on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008
I wanted to brew another batch of Pacific Pale Ale and compare the difference in taste using homegrown hops. My neighbor brought over about 2.5 oz of an unidentified type of hops he grew this summer. They were slightly yellowish green with a nice aroma when crushed and I'll use an ounce for the hop steep at flameout. I'm using the yeast cake of Fermentis Safale US-05 from the previous batch 47. The grains were double crushed again using the motorized mill. The caramel malt is a half pound of 120L Briess malt. The bittering hops are pellets and flavor are whole hops from Freshops. The ambient temperature for fermentation is 60 F in the basement so no further control is necessary. The primary fermeter is a glass carboy. I'm planning not to dry hop in the secondary so we can really get a sense of the homegrown hops.

All Grain
5.00 gal Batch Size
6.41 gal Boil Size

 

Amount Item Price
11.00 lb Munton Maris Otter (3 L) $11.88
1.00 lb Muntons Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2 L) $1.72
0.50 lb Briess Crystal Malt - 120L (120 L) $0.83
0.50 oz Centennial Hops (8.60 %) at 30 min $0.80
0.50 oz Chinook Hops (11.10 %) at 60 min (First Wort Hop) $1.00
1.00 oz Unknown Hops (6.80 %) at 30 min (Aroma Hop-Steep) $0.00
1.00 tsp Irish Moss at 30.0 min $0.10
1 pkgs Fermentis Safale US-05 (US-05) $0.00
    $16.33

 

Time Step
2:30 PM Sanitized equipment
2:45 PM Heated 4.25 gal strike water to 190 F, preheated mash tun
3:30 PM Doughed in at 167 F, mashed at 154 F for 60 min, 152 F for 30 min, 151 F for 0 min
  Heated 4.00 gal sparge water to 188 F
4:30 PM Lautered 7 gal of wort, 1.030 @ 130 F = 1.043 SG, 64% Mash Efficiency
5:30 PM Boiled, added hops on schedule
7:00 PM Heat exchanger and wort wizard, cooled to 65 F
7:15 PM Pitched yeast, 1.052 @ 66 F = 1.053 OG (Estimate: 1.063 OG)
7:30 PM Cleaned equipment

 

acked to Secondary on Sunday, December 7th, 2008
Secondary fermentation was skipped and no dry hops were used so the Pacific Pale Ale was racked straight to the keg.

 

egged on Sunday, December 7th, 2008
The Pacific Pale Ale was racked into a 5-gallon keg straight from the primary. I wanted to have the previous two batches ready to taste at the same time for a side by side comparison to see the difference with the unknown homegrown hops. The keg is going straight into the kegerator at 40 F to carbonate at 12 PSI.

Measurements:
1.011 @ 60 F = 1.011 FG
5.5% ABV

 

asted on Sunday, December 21st, 2008
This batch is still a bit green without any time conditioning in a secondary fermenter. There is a stark contrast betweeen this batch and the previous one and I think it's safe to assume the homegrown hops are not cascade. I cannot pinpoint the variety but it seems to be more of a lager style English hop variety. The aroma is earthy and not at all floral or citrusy. The colors are a closer match with this batch being slighty darker from the different caramel malt used. The taste is nothing like the prvious batch an could almost pass as a lager even though the same yeast was used. There is a slightly skunky after taste but initially it is crisp and clean with more bitterness and less hop flavor that would be expected in a pale ale. Overall this beer is very drinkable and it is surprising to note that a single change in hops can change the entire beer.