Bryan's Cali-Belgique Pale Ale

An all-grain recipe based off of BYO magazine's Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone, with some dark crystal added to darken things up a bit. Northern Brewer hops provide the bittering charge (since I had them on hand). The curve ball (thought up by my brother Bryan) is the Belgian yeast strain: WLP500 (the Chimay strain). I'm excited to try a Belgo-American Pale Ale, especially after all the not-Belgian-enough Belgian IPAs I've had. Brew date: 5/16/11.

Brewer:	Matthew R.		Email:	mathstew@gmail.com
Beer:	Bryan's Cali-Belgique Pale Ale		Style:	American Pale Ale
Type:	All grain		Size:	5.5 gallons
Color:	15 HCU (~9 SRM)		Bitterness:	38 IBU
OG:	1.053		FG:	1.011
Alcohol:	5.4% v/v (4.3% w/w)
Water:	RO water with a heavy pinch of gypsum added.
Grain:	7.75 lb. American 2-row .75 lb. American crystal 40L .5 lb. British Crystal 70/80
Mash:	89% efficiency
	Mash in at 155*F for 60 minutes. Higher mash temperature intended to offset the attenuation properties of the Belgian yeast strain to leave some residual malt character a la SNPA. Add 1 tbs of 5.2 mash enzyme.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.039	7.5 gallons
	1 whirfloc tab added 15 minutes before flameout.
Hops:	.625 oz. Northern Brewer (9.5% AA, 60 min.) 1 oz. Cascade (5.4% AA, 15 min.) 1 oz. Cascade (5.4% AA, 0 min.) 1 oz. Cascade (aroma)
Yeast:	WLP500, saved/washed yeast from a previous starter. 3 quart starter grown on a stirplate. 24 hrs in fridge, decanted, pitched.
Log:	1 oz "aroma" addition is a 7 day dry hop addition. Added in knotted weighted pantyhose.
Carbonation:	Keg and slow carb to 2.4 volumes.
Tasting:	Wonderful beer. Perfumey yeast matched with American hops. Much easier style to nail than a Belgian IPA, as less hops allow the yeast to shine more. My crystal malt combination was an attempt to clean out my old grains, if I were to do this one again I'd just go C60 for all the specialty grain. Also, while I love northern brewer as a bittering hop, I would rather have something high alpha and American in this recipe (warrior, columbus) providing the bittering charge. The yeast strain was nice, but I would prefer something a little more spice-forward (like WLP550). All in all, great beer and a recipe that I will revisit.

Recipe posted 05/14/11.