Testing out Beersmith on the Hopped Pale Ale

Did the same Beersmith analysis, looking back at the first recipe. 

It estimates the specific gravity to be around 1.040.  Our adjusted estimated beginning was 1.039, so we are probably close.

ABV estimate, assuming final gravity is 1.010 is 3.52-3.77% ABV.

IBU's are 26.2, which it actually thinks is below the range for an American Pale Ale.  We'll see about that.  FWIW, if we'd have boiled 2 gallons in the pot, rather than 1.5, IBU's jump to 35.9. 

The color is 8.2 SRMs, whatever those are.  Looks like a burnt light brown, darker than khaki.  5 SRM's are the lightest for this style, so we're a little darker than the lightest pales can be.

I'm pretty happy with our results, on our first batch, compared to what the program thinks we should have accomplished.

Recipe #1 - Modified Pale Ale

Recipe #1 - 10/25/2009 - Ron's House

6 oz Crystal Malt Grains (steeped in grain bag)
6 oz Caramel Malt Grains (steeped in grain bag)
2 lbs Light Dried Malt Extract
3.3 lbs Canned Lightly Hopped Malt Extract (1 Can)
1 oz. Chinook Hops (11.4% Alpha Acid) @ 60 min.
.5 oz. Cascade Hops (7.5% Alpha Acid) @ 15 min.
1 oz. Chinook Hops (11.4% Alpha Acid) @ 5 min.
.5 oz. Cascade Hops (7.5% Alpha Acid) @ 5 min.
1 vial liquid Ale Yeast
Publix brand spring water
Dry Hop TBD
1 tsp. Irish Moss
Recorded Original Specific Gravity 1.14

Malt grains were steeped for 50 minutes at 155 degrees, in their grain bags, then squeezed and discarded.

Wort brought back just to a boil, before removing from heat. Canned malt extract and two pounds of light dried malt extract were added, with constant stirring to prevent sticking.

Wort brought back to heat, and brought back to a boil. 1 oz Chinook Hops added at the 60 minute mark, for bittering.

.5 ounce of Cascade hops and 1 tsp of Irish Moss added at the 15 minute mark.

1 ounce of Chinook and .5 ounce of Cascade added at the 5 minute mark (aroma).

At 0 minutes (i.e., after 60 minutes of hop boil), the pot was covered, and an ice water bath was prepared in the sink to reduce wort temperature. After 35-40 minutes, wort temperature was approx 80 degrees. A hydrometer reading was taken, and the wort was poured through a strainer into 3 gallons of cold spring water. Liquid was topped off up to 5 gallons.

Liquid Ale Yeast pitched into carboy, and vigorously shaken.

Due to high specific gravity reading, an additional quart of water was added to the carboy. Carboy then affixed with fermentation cap and placed in it's resting area to ferment.

- Ron