Recomend a balanced brew please

[Damfoose]

I have a free cornie to fill and a free sunday to brew SWIMBO is excited about getting a brew on as well. This will be my second AG brew so im still trying to figure it out.

So with this in mind i would like a strong 5.5% to 6% brew with a balanced malty to hop taste not to bitter. If any one has such a recepie I would be most thankfull. So would be the wife

[richard_senior]

Perhaps a sort of standard 'bitter' recipe?

4kg Maris Otter
150g Crystal Malt
200g Brown Sugar or spraymalt (added during the boil)

40g Challenger in the boil
20g Goldings or fuggles last 15 mins

I'd use safale S-04, you'll get a slightly 'thicker' finish

[fivetide]

You can't really go wrong with 80-90% pale malt, and 20 -10% crystal. Sustitute 5% pale for torrified wheat if you'd like to aid head retention.

A tried and tested hop combination is Fuggles for bittering, East Kent Golding for aroma. Go for about 25-30 IBUs in Fuggles, then about a third of the weight of Fuggles in EKG at 15 minutes from the end and the same to steep. That will give you a nice balanced bitter and the grain bill will alter ABV.

Actually, at the strength you're suggesting, you could even follow Ollosson's Inglenook winter ale recipe, maybe? That comes in at 6% with a malty 6.9Kg pale, 700g crystal. 620g torrified, plus 56g 6.2AA challenger to boil and 10g goldings towards the end of the boil.

[Damfoose]

After being pointed in the right directions to what I should be looking for I have been having a play with beersmith and come up with the following, Brew house efficency will have to be worked out but opinions would be appreciated.

Type: All Grain

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 90.09 %
0.50 kg Crystal Light - 45L (Crisp) (88.7 EBC) Grain 9.01 % ( can up this to bin the barley )
0.05 kg Roasted Barley (Thomas Fawcett) (1199.7 EBC) Grain 0.90 %
40.00 gm Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (90 min) Hops 31.4 IBU
28.30 gm Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] (20 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
35.00 gm Progress [6.25 %] (20 min) Hops 10.5 IBU
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.04 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.21 %
Bitterness: 41.9 IBU Calories: 465 cal/l
Est Color: 25.0

[fivetide]

I'd drink it!

Why not dump those Styrians in when you turn the heat off after 90 mins though. Seems a shame to boil 'em in when you've got other stuff doing the job, and it'll smell great cooling (not to mention drinking).

[Damfoose]

That is what I was going to do bung the styrans in at about 80C and leave for 20 min to naturally cool a little for 30 min then back on with the chiller.
Also with an answer like that their be my sunday brew. Kegged it brewery is in buisness....

[Aleman]

I'm with 5 on the Styrians . .. The progress is very similar to Fuggles

I wouldn't bin the barley

And I'll expect a bottle or two

[Damfoose]

I'm with 5 on the Styrians . .. The progress is very similar to Fuggles

I wouldn't bin the barley

And I'll expect a bottle or two

Right oh I shall ensure you get a few bottles

[richard_senior]

I personally shy away from recipes that use more than 4kg of MO. Because I'm as tight as a gnats chuff
If I want more ABV I chuck in sugar because it's cheaper
But there's little doubting that just chucking in the extra kilo of grain will result in a better beer
Also, Styrians KICK ASS! I thought at first that I'd tire of the 'unique' flavour, but after much experimenting, I think it's the very last thing in life that I'll tire of.