Saaz Summer Ale

[DaveyT]

Howdy
I'm looking at using a few things up and also producing something nice and pale for when the sun comes out. I've got 60g of Saaz hops but finding little help on t'internet to cobble together a recipe. I'd really appreciate some feedback on this one. I haven't been able to brew for months and I don't want to squander this chance (although I do want to dabble a bit - always a dilemma).
I'm currently looking at something like this:

Saaz Summer Ale
Extra Pale Malt Extract 1200g
Wheat malt extract 100g

EKG 25g 60min
Saaz 20g 10min
Saaz 20g Steep

Final volume: 12l
OG: 1.038
FG: 1.010
IBU: 30ish (I reckon; I'm on a Mac now so not near Beer Engine)

It's a user-upper; I've got other malt extract, but any more will be darker and mess up the colour. I haven't gone for all my Saaz but there's a bit more, as I said. I read somewhere that phenols can be a problem using lots of late Saaz with very bitter beers. I'm not sure what that means, tbh.
I'm also thinking about sticking in some honey after a day's fermenting (along a pilsner tip) but frightened I might produce 12l of something undrinkable.
Thanks for any input; I'll leave this in your capable hands.

Cheers
David

[Beer O'Clock]

Use the rest of the Saaz to dry hop. I love Saaz.

[RichardG]

I've done an AG Saaz recipe recently myself. 25Ltr brew using 95% pale with 5% wheat malt to an OG of 1045. I used EKG for bittering like you, and Saaz for late additions at 15mins, 5mins, and 30 min 80c steep using Brewlabs Somerset 1 yeast. I'm at work now so can't give you the actual figures at the moment, but I can do later if it'll help. The sample from the FV was very promising and it's in a keg now, but is at least a week away from being conditioned, so I can't give you more on that at the moment. Having said that it's got to be worth a go.

[DaveyT]

Hello
Thanks for the input; highly appreciated.
Richard - I wouldn't mind having a look at those figures, if you don't mind. Sorry if it puts you out at all.
I'm considering upping the wheat to 150g (10%) and the honey to 180g (11%). This would raise the OG to about 1.045 (I think; I forgot to write this dow - there's always something). I'd be interested to see your IBUs for a beer of that gravity, Richard. With the hop schedule as it is, I'd get 28 IBU.
Beer O'clock - I can't use a secondary as my FV is 25l and the beer will oxidise if I try. Do you know of any other way I can get similar effects? Maybe making a hop tea and sticking it into the priming solution when I bottle? Bit of a long shot, but it did spring to mind. Perhaps even a 5min addition. I've recently made a wheat ale with Saaz and they have really impressed me. I even got SWMBO to come and inspect the leftovers as they smelt sublime.
The yeast I'm looking at is US-05 which is partly the reason why I fancy getting the honey in; to counter the dryness. I tried a Hophead recently and couldn't help thinking that honey would really lend itself to something similar, which is my motivation for this, tbh. Wondering if it might give a nice pilsner edge.
Again, thanks for the help.

David

[Beer O'Clock]

Beer O'clock - I can't use a secondary as my FV is 25l and the beer will oxidise if I try. Do you know of any other way I can get similar effects?

There is no need to use a secondary to dry hop. Just wait until the first, vigorous stage of the fermentation has died down a little. Then add the hops in a sanatised, weighted muslin bag. Just put them into the FV. Leave them in there for at least a week, then remove the bag at the same time as you transfer to barrel or bottles.

[DaveyT]

I got this going this morning. I had a window of opportunity and had to take advantage of it.
In the end I didn't have 60g of Saaz that I calculated (used twice, 20g in each seemed quite easy). Perhaps my scales are dicky; they have a habit of jumping between one number and another with a margin of 2 or 3g. I'm wondering whether all my recipes have been slightly off up until now. Crap.
I used 21g for flavour and 24g for aroma. Was ummming and arring over 5g dry hop but I didn't think the risk of getting it right in terms of bacteria was worth 5g of flavour.
I also forgot to add the extra litre of water, so going into the fermenter the OG is slightly higher than it ought to be at 1.043. I'll take the gravity before and after I add the honey tomorrow to see the difference. I'll have to then add a litre of water which will put everything out, but I'm past caring. It's in the FV and looking pretty tasty, that's the main thing.
Really appreciate the input, guys.

All the best
David

[Beer O'Clock]

Hops have an antiseptic property that should ease your worries. Just sanatise your bag and bung 'em in.

[v-zero]

Just as an aside, if you're away from your main PC, it's still possible to do all your brewing calculations... hopville.com has a 'beer calculus' page that allows you to input your recipe and get everything you need. I actually use it exclusively, I don't have any software installed.

[RichardG]

DaveyT, apologies for the delay in giving the recipe, have been brewing over the weekend so haven't got onto the forum. I realise you've done your brew now, and I'm sure it'll be fine, but for interest, my recipe was as follows:-

AG, brew length 25Ltrs, 75% efficiency;

Pale malt 95% (4731g)
Wheat malt 5% (249g)

Goldings 90mins 24IBU's (52g)
Saaz 15mins 3IBU's (20g)
Saaz 5mins 1IBU (15g)
Saaz 30mins 80c steep (15g)

Don't worry to much about the IBU figures (the total IBU's were 33 on an OG of 1.045). It really doesn't make much difference when the hops only in for 15mins or less. I steeped the final hops, but you could dry-hop if you preferred. The yeast used was Brewlabs Somerset 1. Water treatment was 2 Camden tablets in the liquor (40ltrs), CRS as required, and one teaspoon of gypsum in the mash and boil.

[DaveyT]

Hops have an antiseptic property

Thanks - I'd forgotten all about that. I've been thinking about this for a while now, so it's a relief to have an answer. I'll give it a whirl in the near future.

hopville.com has a 'beer calculus' page that allows you to input your recipe and get everything you need

Excellent! I'm sick of dodging between them then forgetting something vital. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the recipe, Richard. Very informative and it confirms what I was suspecting which is always helpful.
It's looking tremendous. I added the honey yesterday even though it probably doesn't need it. It's been going great guns ever since and the area around it smells amazing. I'm quite taken to Saaz. This won't be my last experiment with them, that for sure.

David