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Hail to the Spring


Vital Statistics:

Batch Number:43
Style:Pale Ale
Brew Date:17 April 2011
Original Gravity:1.048 (11.91 °Plato)
Final Gravity:1.006 (1.54 °Plato)
ABV:5.5%
ABW:4.3%
Calories per pint:205
Estimated IBU (Rager):42.2
Estimated IBU (Tinseth):33.8
Mash Temperature:152°
Mash Efficiency:77%
Days in Primary:27  
Days in Secondary:0 (kegged on 14 May 2011)
Ferm. Temp. Notes:64-66°
Yeast Used:1056 American Ale
Apparent Attenuation:88%
Real Attenuation:71%
Rating:3.90
Entirely Consumed:Yes (finished 22 August 2011)
Availability:100 days
 Recipe:

9 lb 2-row pale malt
6 oz Crystal 60°
6 oz Cara-Pils

7 AAU (14g @ 14.5% AA) Columbus @ 60
5 AAU (26g @ 5.4% AA) Cascade @ 20
5 AAU (26g @ 5.4% AA) Cascade @ 5
5 AAU (25g @ 5.6% AA) Challenger @ 0 (flame-out)

Whirlfloc tablet @ 15

Wyeast 1056 - American Ale
General Notes:

Used yeast cake from batch #39.
Tasting Notes:

Tasting notes taken 17 June 2011, 34 days after kegging. Poured from tap into a pint glass.

Appearance: light yellow-orange hue with a mostly clear body (just a very light haze). Head is a solid finger of frothy white foam with moderate retention that leaves a pretty good lace on the glass -- must be the Cara Pils at work. (4)

Smell: light aroma of citrusy hops with a touch of light malt aroma. Unfortunately there is also a hint of skunkiness which is probably a result of being exposed to sunlight during fermentation. (3.5)

Taste: light, somewhat sweet malt flavor with a pretty decent bitterness. Hops are quite citrusy but the overall effect is quite well-balanced. In the future I might dial back the bitterness a little bit, but for the most part it is quite good. (4)

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good amount of carbonation and a very decent creaminess. (4)

Drinkability: a refreshing beer with plenty of flavor, though not too heavy to appreciate in a session. (4)

Overall score 3.9 (B+). Like I said, this is a solid little pale ale that doesn't require much tweaking except maybe scaling back the bitterness level a little bit. Those Columbuses really seem to do the job!
Hops Table
Hop Variety Addition Time AAU AA% Quantity (g) Type IBU (Rager) IBU (Tinseth) Notes
Columbus 60 7.00 14.5 14 Pellet 28.2 21.4  
Cascade 20 5.00 5.4 26 Pellet 10.2 9.3  
Cascade 5 5.00 5.4 26 Pellet 3.8 3.1  
Challenger 0 5.00 5.6 25 Pellet 0.0 0.0 Flame-out.