Gabel Road Home Brewery

What Should You Brew First? Part II

Recently I wrote a post about the easiest beers that a beginning homebrewer can make. I knew I had a basic Pale Ale recipe in my archives somewhere but couldn't find it. Until today!

To recap the earlier post, an American Pale Ale is a classic American beer. It was the most brewed style by craft brewers and homebrewers alike in the late 1980's to early 1990's when IPA began to creep into the landscape.

This is a simple all-grain recipe that will result in a tasty pale ale that lets the beginner concentrate on the mashing process. Hallertauer hops may not be traditional for ales, but damn is it good!

Ingredients:

• 7-8 pounds, English 2-row malt
• 1/2-1 pound, crystal malt (Simpsons Crystal Dark - 135L)
  
• 3 ounces, Fuggles hops (60 min)
• 3/4 ounce, Hallertauer hops (:30/:15/flame out)
• ale yeast (Wyeast #1056)
  

Procedure:

You'll get good yield and lots of flavor from English malt and a single step infusion mash at 150 degrees. Mash for 60 minutes. Boil for 60 minutes. Add the Fuggle hops at 60 minutes. The finishing hops (Hallertauer) are added in increments of 1/4 ounce at 30 minutes, 1/4 ounce in last 15 minutes, and 1/4 ounce at flame out.

Specifics:

• O.G.: up to 1.050
• F.G.: up to 1.020
• IBU : 50 to 61
• SRM: 8