Brewing American pale ale at home

Name: Brewing American pale ale at home
Yield: 20 L
Ingredients: 4.65 kg Pale ale malt; 0.28 kg Carapils; 0.27 kg Crystal malt (CaraAmber); 11 g Magnum; 28 g Cascade; 30 g Cascade; 20 g Centennial; 50 g Cascade; SafAle US-05: 10–16 g (0.35–0.56 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (50–80 g/hl)

Golden with citrus and floral aroma from Cascade hops.

Base recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal), calculated with the Brauwerkstatt beer creator. With one click you can adapt it to your batch size, bitterness, colour or alcohol content.

Adapt in the beer creator

Typical figures

Alcohol	4.5–6.2 %
Bitterness	30–50 IBU
Colour	10–20 EBC (5–10 SRM)
Carbonation	5.0 g/l (2.5 vol)
Yeast	SafAle US-05 (top-fermenting)
Fermentation temperature	18–20 °C (64–68 °F)
Brewing water	more sulphate than chloride (accentuates the hops)

Recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal)

Original gravity: 12.5 °P (SG 1.050)
5.4 % vol
37 IBU
13 EBC (6.6 SRM)
Final gravity: 2.6 °P (SG 1.010)

Grain bill

Pale ale malt	4.65 kg (10.25 lb)	89 %
Carapils	279 g (9.8 oz)	5 %
Crystal malt (CaraAmber)	272 g (9.6 oz)	5 %

Hops

Magnum 13.0 % α	11 g (0.39 oz)	60 min
Cascade 6.0 % α	28 g (0.99 oz)	10 min
Cascade 6.0 % α	30 g (1.06 oz)	Whirlpool
Centennial 9.5 % α	20 g (0.71 oz)	Whirlpool
Cascade	50 g (1.76 oz)	Dry hops

Yeast

SafAle US-05: 10–16 g (0.35–0.56 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (50–80 g/hl)

Mash schedule

66 °C (151 °F) · 60 min

Brewing water

Mash water	18.0 L (4.76 gal)
Sparge water	11.5 L (3.04 gal)
Total water	29.5 L (7.79 gal)

Brewing steps

Clean and sanitise everything that touches the wort after the boil.
Measure out 29.5 L (about 7.8 gal) of water and treat it with the brewing-water calculator. For hoppy beers rather more sulphate than chloride (for example sulphate 150, chloride 60 mg/l).
Split the water: mash water 18 L (about 4.8 gal), sparge water 11.5 L (about 3 gal).
Heat the mash water to 69 °C (156 °F) and mash in 4.65 kg (10.3 lb) Pale ale malt, 0.28 kg (0.62 lb) Carapils and 0.27 kg (0.6 lb) Crystal malt (CaraAmber) (gives about 66 °C / 151 °F).
Rest: 66 °C (151 °F), 60 min. Iodine test at the end: no blue colour = starch converted.
Measure mash pH 10–15 min after mashing in (cool the sample to 20 °C / 68 °F). Target 5.4–5.5.
Mash out: heat to 78 °C (172 °F) and hold for 10 min.
Rest 10–20 min, lauter slowly and sparge with 11.5 L (about 3 gal) water at 78 °C (172 °F).
Boil the wort for 60 min. At the start of the boil add 11 g (0.39 oz) Magnum.
10 min before the end of the boil add 28 g (0.99 oz) Cascade.
10 min before the end of the boil add Irish moss (about 2 g / 0.07 oz, soaked beforehand).
After the boil cool to about 80 °C (176 °F), add 30 g (1.1 oz) Cascade and 20 g (0.71 oz) Centennial, stir a whirlpool and steep for 20 min.
Chill to 18 °C (64 °F), measure original gravity (target 12.5 °P), run 20 L (about 5.3 gal) into the fermenter, aerate well and pitch the SafAle US-05 (amount see yeast).
Primary fermentation 7–10 days at 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
When fermentation is nearly finished: dry hop with 50 g (1.8 oz) Cascade for 3–4 days. Dry hops add aroma but no bitterness.
Measure final gravity (target about 2.6 °P). Priming sugar per bottle from the carbonation calculator (target 5 g/l), then bottle.
Bottle-condition for 2 weeks at room temperature, then keep cool. Drink fresh – hop aroma fades over time.

Notes

Dry hops: 50 g (1.8 oz) Cascade.

Created with the beer creator (brewhouse efficiency 70 %, final gravity about 2.6 °P).