Back to basics: SNPA clone

[Matt in Birdham]

I must brew this about 5 times a year (in fact I brewed nothing else virtually, for the first few years). Still trying to nail it, and to be honest I never really have in terms of a clone, but usually its a decent beer. Time to brew something simple again, without a ridiculous amount of hops in.

This time I went back to the most popular recipe on the internet forums, which is just pale & crystal 60, although I did use a little less C60 to compensate for using darker MO malt.

Decent enough brew day, apart from a slight confusion over the mash pH. Somehow I was getting 5.6 on my first reading (which really shouldn't have been right) but I added another 50g acidulated anyway, and then got a reading of 5.3 5 minutes later.. not too bothered as apparently SN target a 5.3 room temp mash anyway.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 27.96 l
Post Boil Volume: 23.96 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l
Bottling Volume: 23.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 17.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 38.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 kg Maris Otter (Crisp) (7.9 EBC) Grain 1 94.3 %
0.30 kg Crystal Malt - 60L (Thomas Fawcett) (118 Grain 2 5.7 %
11.40 g Magnum [12.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 16.9 IBUs
15.00 g Perle [6.70 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 4 9.1 IBUs
0.91 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 -
30.00 g Cascade [6.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 8.8 IBUs
70.00 g Cascade [6.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 3.0 Hop 7 3.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg San Diego Super Yeast (White Labs #WLP09 Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: NO SPARGE
Total Grain Weight: 5.30 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 32.66 l of water at 71.9 C 67.2 C 75 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 7 min 75.6 C 10 min

Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:
------
CRS 25ml, 2g Gypsum


Ca+2 Mg+2 Na+ Cl- SO4-2
mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l
114.5 3.0 13.0 80.1 147.5

started with 50g acidulated, mash pH was 5.6 after 10-15 mins, so added another 50g acidulated and got a mash pH of 5.3 5 mins later - doesn't seem quite right. Will assume a mis-measurement first time, which means that the second measurement is roughly in line with calcs & 100g acidulated.

cooled to 21, had reached 20 after 1 hour stand

oxygenated 60S pure O2

Pitched full (undecanted) 1l of WLP090 starter @ 1.040 (approx 0.75 m/ml/p)

nearly 24l @ 1.053 after starter added

Fridge set for 19

Great colour on this one - I'd say pretty bloomin close to SNPA itself:



23 litres in the FV @ 1.053 - 2 points higher than the recipe but a little closer to SNPA: