US vs. England Beer

[yellowthere]

so I was making an English Ale on Sunday, I fucked up my starter, then decided to just add additional rehydrated US-05 instead. Once I headed down that road, I just said fuck it and started to clean out some Amarillo hops out of my freezer. Then of course I added some more English hops to compensate for the American hops. I have no idea what this will be like, but the fermentation smells awesome. It should not be an overwhelmingly English or American pale ale. I can't wait to taste it.

By the way, I don't sparge because I'm a lazy. 55% isn't so bad, that's what I told myself all the time in school.

Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.71 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 8.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 58.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 55.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.50 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 88.46 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
0.50 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.30 %] (60 min) (First Wort HopHops 16.4 IBU
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.00 %] (30 min) Hops 10.7 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [9.30 %] (15 min) Hops 7.2 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (15 min) Hops 7.7 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [9.30 %] (10 min) Hops 5.3 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (10 min) Hops 5.7 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (5 min) Hops 2.6 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (5 min) Hops 3.1 IBU
1 Pkgs English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) Yeast-Ale
1 Pkgs Safale US-05 Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 13.00 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 41.60 qt of water at 157.6 F 153.0 F

[brewerTristan]

I think it'll be great. The best IPA I've made yet used a mix of English and U.S. ingredients. I see no reason for adhering to the style guidelines, unless you are brewing for competition or trying to "match" some other beer.

I actually prefer English hops to the American citrusy hops. So for my recipe I used all E.K.G., then fermented with Safale 05, which brought out the hops like no English yeast can equally do. For the grain bill I used regular 2 row, but added some biscuit and crystal 120 as one might do in an English IPA. Turned out great! Good luck to you.

[BigNastyBrew]

Do you really get 55% efficiency?

I'm with you on screwing style...to an extent. As a new AG brewer, I choose to brew to style because if my process allows me to hit a small window of numbers AND produce good beers, I feel I am learning more.

But that's just me.

[Nate Diggler]

It'll be good... I make a "TransAtlantic ESB" that I use alternating Cascade and EKG (dryhopped with homegrown Cascade).

[Phil_L]

That recipe reads like some of the "american" beers brewed here.

I often chuck a little american in my brewing at a local micro, not refering to americans under 5'1" tall.

mind, it would be handy to help dig out the mash.


(be aware that S04 can chuck up a ton of diaceytl, if not roused, or oxygenated well.)

[Nate Diggler]

Yeah, I think S-04 is the Whitbread strain, needs a swirl every day to get it to finish... one of my favorites because it's easy and good. I'll be using it in my Black IPA this weekend.

[yellowthere]

I get 55%. Again, I don't sparge at all. Mash in, recirculate for 5-10 min, then drain. Done. Super easy.

This beer is awesome. The bitterness is super smooth. A great session beer. I ended up doing a low level of carbonation to be closer to the English style. The smell is all EKG, nice EKG taste, but all this with a SLIGHTLY citrusy taste of Amarillo. It took a few weeks to age, but this is nice. I'll probably make this one again.

-Yellow