Inspiration
Iteration is my continued goal of brewing that illusively light coloured, yet hoppy, full flavoured and mid-low ABV American Pale Ale. This version was based off of The Kernel's (based in London, England) unbelievably refined, balanced and yet boldly flavoured Pale Ales. What I love about the beers that I've tried from The Kernel is their commitment to simplicity and balance - showcasing single ingredients in a way that I never thought could be so diverse or complex on their own. It truly is a testament to understanding your ingredients as a brewer, and how even the most basic recipe can produce the most flavourful Pale Ale given proper techniques and handing.
This beer was based off of research through forums and websites online to best (essentially) clone The Kernel's Citra Pale. What I hope to learn through brewing this beer is:
Hops: How Citra stands alone in a beer? (I'm pretty sure this is a given to be delicious).
Hop Schedule: How hopping with an incrementally larger portion of hops throughout the boil compares to, for instance, whirlpool additions?
Malt: How Marris Otter alone tastes in a Pale Ale? (This will be my first time using MO as the base for a Pale Ale/ IPA)
Yeast: How US-05 compares to other yeast strains I've been using for Pale Ales and IPAs lately (e.g. 1056, 644, 1318, 1028, 1332)? And even more than that, how dry yeast compares to liquid yeast. I've literally never used dry yeast - when I was a novice brewer, I always heard through anecdotes (e.g. Sam Calagione) that dry yeast was inferior to liquid yeast - so I'm excited to give it a go! Especially as it is rumoured to be the house strain of The Kernel.
Tasting notes below..
This beer was based off of research through forums and websites online to best (essentially) clone The Kernel's Citra Pale. What I hope to learn through brewing this beer is:
Hops: How Citra stands alone in a beer? (I'm pretty sure this is a given to be delicious).
Hop Schedule: How hopping with an incrementally larger portion of hops throughout the boil compares to, for instance, whirlpool additions?
Malt: How Marris Otter alone tastes in a Pale Ale? (This will be my first time using MO as the base for a Pale Ale/ IPA)
Yeast: How US-05 compares to other yeast strains I've been using for Pale Ales and IPAs lately (e.g. 1056, 644, 1318, 1028, 1332)? And even more than that, how dry yeast compares to liquid yeast. I've literally never used dry yeast - when I was a novice brewer, I always heard through anecdotes (e.g. Sam Calagione) that dry yeast was inferior to liquid yeast - so I'm excited to give it a go! Especially as it is rumoured to be the house strain of The Kernel.
Tasting notes below..
The Recipe
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 2.8 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 5 gallons
Efficiency: 73% (brew house)
Statistics
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 5.5%
IBU (tinseth): 60
SRM (morey): 5.8
Fermentables
5.45 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (100%)
Hops
0.4 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: First Wort
0.1 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 20 min
0.2 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 15 min
0.4 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 10 min
0.6 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 5 min
1.5 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days
Mash Guidelines
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min
2) Sparge, Temp: 170 F, Time: 15 min
Yeast
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Water Profile
Ca2: 75
Mg2: 0
Na: 0
Cl: 45
SO4: 130
HCO3: 0
Notes
Brewed on July 19th
Fermentation begins at 66F for the first 12 hours (including lag), and slowly rises to 68F
Dry hopped on July 28th
Cold crashed on July 30th
Bottled on August 2nd
Tasted August 10th. Delicious. Truly a reflection on how simple ingredients can lead to great, cohesive beers. Definitely something I look forward to brewing again. In the future, I may use a couple of adjuncts to increase body in the beer. But otherwise, this is just about where I want it to be. The main factor in producing these beers successfully (at least for me at the moment) has been in handling of the beer from post-fermentation to bottling/ kegging. The more the beer contacts oxygen, the more readily the flavour degrades. It's interesting to see how through attempting to brew these light coloured, hop-forward pale ales has led me to realize that perhaps the grassy flavours I was tasting in previous batches could very well have been exacerbated by (sufficient for most other beers made, though unsatisfactory) handling practices for these beers. Looks great too.
Batch Size: 2.8 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 5 gallons
Efficiency: 73% (brew house)
Statistics
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 5.5%
IBU (tinseth): 60
SRM (morey): 5.8
Fermentables
5.45 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (100%)
Hops
0.4 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: First Wort
0.1 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 20 min
0.2 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 15 min
0.4 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 10 min
0.6 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 5 min
1.5 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days
Mash Guidelines
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min
2) Sparge, Temp: 170 F, Time: 15 min
Yeast
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Water Profile
Ca2: 75
Mg2: 0
Na: 0
Cl: 45
SO4: 130
HCO3: 0
Notes
Brewed on July 19th
Fermentation begins at 66F for the first 12 hours (including lag), and slowly rises to 68F
Dry hopped on July 28th
Cold crashed on July 30th
Bottled on August 2nd
Tasted August 10th. Delicious. Truly a reflection on how simple ingredients can lead to great, cohesive beers. Definitely something I look forward to brewing again. In the future, I may use a couple of adjuncts to increase body in the beer. But otherwise, this is just about where I want it to be. The main factor in producing these beers successfully (at least for me at the moment) has been in handling of the beer from post-fermentation to bottling/ kegging. The more the beer contacts oxygen, the more readily the flavour degrades. It's interesting to see how through attempting to brew these light coloured, hop-forward pale ales has led me to realize that perhaps the grassy flavours I was tasting in previous batches could very well have been exacerbated by (sufficient for most other beers made, though unsatisfactory) handling practices for these beers. Looks great too.