half lager malt half pale malt - help on what to brew?

[drmick]

Hi All

planning on brewing something tomorrow - got 2.5kg of lager malt and 2.5kg of pale malt to use up so was going to use that for my grain bill, got some crystal malt as well that I can add in if thats needed. Hopwise I have in varying amounts (most about 50g) - Northdown, fuggles, styrians, challenger (100g+), saaz (100g), target (100g), amarillo (100g), bramling cross (100g), cascade (200g), northern brewer, goldings, and progress.

So any suggestions on what to brew - I like quite hoppy things but drink pretty much anything.

Cheers
Michael

[trucker5774]

Pretty much open ended with that choice. My preference would be to throw some crystal with it and use the amarillo and/or the cascade with loads of late additions for a citrus pale

[pas8280]

Pretty much open ended with that choice. My preference would be to throw some crystal with it and use the amarillo and/or the cascade with loads of late additions for a citrus pale

Have to agree with trucker amarillo is nice with cascade but you don't have to add the crystal keep it pale and citrusy for me,

[Befuddler]

50/50 pale and lager will get you a similar profile to US two-row.. with all those Amarillo and Cascade hops, you have the basis of a belting APA. As suggested above, put the vast majority in late. Omnomnom...

[drmick]

I'm sold - amarillo and cascade it is. How about

90 minutes
35g Cascade

10minutes
50g Cascade
50g Amarillo

Post boil (~80C)
15g Cascade
50g Amarillo

according to BeerEngine that will be about 50EBU. Does that sound a sensible hop additions or should I add more? And what about dry hopping, never dry hopped before but could easily pick up a tea ball or something similar from Tesco. Yeast will have to be SO4 as that is all I have.

[trucker5774]

Sounds good to me. I would perhaps use less or no 90 min hops. You probably realised from my preference for the crystal, I like them a little sweeter. I go around 30 IBU, but remember who you are brewing for. It would be poo if we all made the same beer

Do you have any bottled beer around from which you could salvage some alternative yeast?

[drmick]

I think I might drop the early hops a bit and add them at the end instead - looking through BYOBRA most of the things I like in there are between EBU30 and 40, so 50 might be a bit too much.

Sadly the only yeast I have is SO4 or T58, the T58 I got for making wheat beer (next on list once get an order of grain prepared) so I think SO4 is my only option.

[Befuddler]

I think I might drop the early hops a bit and add them at the end instead - looking through BYOBRA most of the things I like in there are between EBU30 and 40, so 50 might be a bit too much.

Sadly the only yeast I have is SO4 or T58, the T58 I got for making wheat beer (next on list once get an order of grain prepared) so I think SO4 is my only option.

If you're using s04, you wont need the crystal. 50 ibus is fine for an american pale, but you want to get them all from late additions for maximum hop flavour. I'd probably use the whole 300g of cascade and amarillo, but I'm a total hop gannet.

[mysterio]

S04 works really well in all pale ale/lager malt beers, do NOT use T58, also agree with Befuddler re: hopping

[drmick]

just checked the freezer and have an extra ~20g of amarillo will add that as well - so going to add

10mins
150g cascade
50g amarillo

0mins
50g cascade
70g amarillo

Not concerned about using up 300g+ of hops, just makes more room to get some more........