Chinook Pale Ale

clibit · Oct 14, 2015

Just put a mash on for an evening small batch brew. Bloody work phone calls throughout milling and mashing in, messed with my mash temperature, which I've now just about sorted. I'm making a hoppy, bitter pale ale with Chinook and some English hops. I added the first hop addition to the kettle straight after the mash and before I added the sparge water.

Batch Size (L): 8.0
Original Gravity (OG): 1.049
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.81 %
Colour (SRM): 8.1 (EBC): 16.0
Bitterness (IBU): 50
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 75
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

1.400 kg Maris Otter Malt (84.95%)
0.114 kg Caramalt (6.92%)
0.100 kg Wheat Malt (6.07%)
0.034 kg Crystal Extra Dark (2.06%)

15.0 g Chinook Pellet (12% Alpha) @ FWH
15.0 g Northdown Leaf (7% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes
10.0 g Chinook Pellet (12% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes 80C steep
10.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (5% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes 80C steep

3.0 g Irish Moss @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
3.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) @ 0 Minutes (Mash)
2.5 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)
3.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)

Mash at 66ÃÂ°C for 60 Minutes.
Ferment at 20ÃÂ°C with Muntons Ale yeast

GHW · Oct 14, 2015

The only time I've tried chinook was in bottled old hoppy hen. Can't say I particularly liked it, it's put me off trying it. Hoppy, but more dank/earthy than I hoped for from a USA 'c' hop. Not sure if that's a single hop ale or not though.

clibit · Oct 14, 2015

I'm experimenting to see if mixing it with the English hops works. Northdown is quite fruity. I think Marble Lagonda IPA uses Chinook and English hops, mainly guesswork cos there's no info available, but I did read once somewhere that it uses Chinook. I love that beer on cask.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEP6fR8C934/UAwC4F9L7CI/AAAAAAAAEWU/-oI9uTb-Lcs/s1600/lagonda.jpg

GHW · Oct 14, 2015

I guess you get nowhere without trying these things, eh?

Halfacrem · Oct 14, 2015

clibit said:
I'm experimenting to see if mixing it with the English hops works. Northdown is quite fruity. I think Marble Lagonda IPA uses Chinook and English hops, mainly guesswork cos there's no info available, but I did read once somewhere that it uses Chinook. I love that beer on cask.

I'm just drinking a bottle of Fuller's Wild River, which has Chinook in it (as well as Willamette, Liberty and Cascade). Very fine beer it is too!

clibit · Oct 14, 2015

I also love Buxton Moor Top, which is a very pale 3.6% ABV beer with loads of Chinook.

http://www.buxtonbrewery.co.uk/our-beers/moor-top-3-6-abv/

Hops_and_Dreams · Oct 14, 2015

Halfacrem said:
I'm just drinking a bottle of Fuller's Wild River, which has Chinook in it (as well as Willamette, Liberty and Cascade). Very fine beer it is too!

I tried that recently, really surprised me in a good way! Definitely up there in favourite commercial beers.

clibit · Oct 14, 2015

Well I got exactly 8 litres at 1050. Nice chilled brewing session in the kitchen. Mash started at 5.15, after milling and heating mash water, boil ended 7.30. Left it cooling in sink and when I went back at 8.15 it was below 20C so transferred to FV, aerated and pitched the yeast. :thumb:.

It's tasting extremely bitter and the sugars haven't started fermenting out yet! Maybe I over-did the IBUs.....! Maybe I'll dilute a bit at bottling. Will see how it goes.

clibit · Oct 15, 2015

Nice thick krausen at 7.30am today. :thumb:

I read up about the Munton's standard ale yeast late last night, a bit late perhaps! It's a fast starter and a fast finisher apparently, and quite low attenuator at around 70%. So my FG is likely to be higher than I thought. Which might not be a bad thing given the high apparent bitterness. Very mixed comments about it around the brewing forums. Some people really like it for the sweetness it leaves behind, and the esters, and others advise you not to touch it. We'll see. Is it the standard Munton's kit yeast? Quite likely i guess.

bowman159 · Oct 15, 2015

I like the sounds of that Chinnock, EkG and northbound combo. Bitterness with an interestingly English feel to it. Not to floral. Keep us pinto pace. Be interested in how it turn s out.

clibit · Oct 15, 2015

Will do. :thumb:

clibit · Oct 18, 2015

Down to 1018 after 4 days, 64% attenuation so far, expecting 70% which would get it to 1015. Tastes promising, it's got the tart citric bitterness I was after from the Chinook.

clibit · Oct 20, 2015

Gave the FV a quick swirl last night, and the lid was bulging again this morning, so hopefully the gravity is still dropping.1015 or below and I'll be happy. :thumb:

bowman159 · Oct 20, 2015

How was it smelling? You always get a great big waft from a swirl. Ã°Å¸ËÂ

clibit · Oct 20, 2015

Smells fabulous. Piney. :thumb:

clibit · Oct 23, 2015

Now at 1016 after 9 days, may be at final gravity, will check it again Monday.

clibit · Oct 26, 2015

Been 1015 for the last two days, I expected 1015, so I've moved the FV into the fridge to cold crash prior to bottling to help withj clarity and get as much sediment out as possible. The beauty of small batches, which fit in the kitchen fridge, and being the only adult in the house, nobody to put a stop to it! Probably bottle Wednesday, as I intend to brew again Wednesday and may use the yeast cake.

clibit · Oct 29, 2015

Just bottled this 15 days after brew day and I am pretty excited cos it tastes ace at this stage. It's got that sharp, spicy bitterness, its pale and light, there is some sweetness from the caramalt and the high FG, and there is some fruitiness from the Northdown hops. The Chinook is dominant but the English hops have not been overwhelmed, you can taste the EKG and the Northdown.

This isn't one for those who like the sweet, caramelly, malty type of beer, it's focused on the bitter hit, and very refreshing straight from it's cold crash in the fridge.

Can't wait to start drinking it in a couple of weeks time, I reckon this is one to drink fresh, as soon as it's carbonated.

Also, I bottled 7.5 litres, from 8 litres in the FV, so no BIAB trub issues here for some reason. I think the fineness of the muslin bag I use keeps the vast majority out.

bowman159 · Oct 29, 2015

That sounds like you got a winner there. Nearly tasting it here from your description mmm.

JapanBrew · Oct 30, 2015

I like that idea of cold crashing in the fv. Does it hurt the yeast for bottling?

Chinook Pale Ale

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