Matilda Bay Alpha Ale

[Kevnlis]

Kegged and bottled this yesterday..


Used
3 kilos LLME
1 kilo LDME
100g Dark Crystal
20g Super Alpha @ 60 min
20g Amarillo @ 20 min
20g Cascade @ 0 mins
20g Cascade Dry hopped in Keg.

That is probably exactly what I would have done with the Cascade. Let us know how it tastes please.

[DJ]

will do Kev..

Mmmmm... Cascade and Amarillo...

[DJ]

Tried this last night.. Whilst nice, I am slightly disapointed...

Not bitter enough and not hoppy enough either, but nice all the same..
Being my first extract brew, I'm pretty hapy with it. Easy to drink.. Pretty much a session beer for me..


Next time (this weekend hopefully!!), I think I'll go


3 kilos LLME
1 kilo LDME
100g Dark Crystal
30g Super Alpha @ 60 min
25g Amarillo @ 20 min
15g Amarillo @ 0 mins
30g Cascade @ 0 mins
20g Cascade Dry hopped in Keg.

[Kevnlis]

Skip the 60 min addition and use all late additions of Amarillo and Cascade to make up the bitterness. How many grams of each of those hops have you got left?

[James L]

Having tasted it last night, I would put more emphasis on the 60 minute boil to make up the majority of the bitterness and use cascade to create the flavour and aroma.

I couldn't taste any amarillo.

I reckon they used centennial for bittering and a little centennial and cascade for flavour and aroma. Although as soon as i opened the beer i got smacked with a strong cascade aroma, About 5 minutes after opening the beer and pouring , there was no real sign of the cascade, and all that came through was the flavour of a much meatier hop just as centennial. I have never used super alpha in my beers, but i have used centennial and cascade, and my brew came pretty close to this beer flavour profile (although i did end up using too much centennial).

After reading what was on the bottle, and considering they are trying to produce an IPA using hops from the pacific northwest, i'd be surprised if they used a NZ hop... My guess cascade and centennial. and maybe amarillo (although i couldnt taste/smell it).

Also, to get the sharp hop bitterness... use a maximum of 10% crystal..

[DJ]

I have 50g of cascade
About 20g of amarillo but can get more..

What would you suggest Kev?

[DJ]

Thanks James.. it definately has amarillo as p er my previous post, Matilda Bay confirmed it themselves.

Can you post the brew you were refering to??

[Kevnlis]

Are you doing a full batch boil? That will have a huge impact on a beer style like this!

You don't actually have enough to get bitterness from all late additions so try something like:

20g SA @ 60 min
20g Amarillo @ 15 min
10g Cascade @ 15, 5, and flame out
20g Cascade dry hopped

[James L]

It was a bit of a mish mash, but it was something relatively simple...

i think i was:
steep 200-250g cracked crystal (20SRMS) @ 66 for 30 minutes (strain grains and add liquid to pot and make total boil volume up to 4L).

4L boil, 500g malt in 4L water.
1 oz of centennial(10%) at 60
1 oz cascade(5.5%) at 20
1 oz cascade at 5...
which gives 45 IBUs (for a 22L batch),

or you can reduce the cascade at 20 to 1/2 ounce and add 1/2 ounce of centennial at 20 to give:

1oz centennial 60
1/2 oz centennial 20
1/2 oz cascade 20
1 oz cascade 5

which gives about 50 IBUs (for a 22L batch).

add 3.5kg of liquid malt at last 5 minutes of boil.

this will end up giving you an alc % of about 5.3, and a bitternesss ratio of about 0.87 which is a little high. (i would suggest the first hop schedule). OG of 1055 and FG of about 1014...

See how you go...

[James L]

The thing i did wrong first time round was add 2oz of centennial at 60 minutes which gave me 82 IBUs... when i first tasted it my mouth almost turned inside out from the biterness. But it has mellowed quite alot, but i think for the IPA style, the the first hop schedule that i ahve given you should be fine...

You can mix and match with the amarillo or the cascade, just remeber the compensate for the higher AA% of the amarillo, but it shouldnt't make much difference for the late additions.

[DJ]

Are you doing a full batch boil? That will have a huge impact on a beer style like this!

No I'm not... Using a partial boil using the formula provided in the other forum...

[Kevnlis]

That fine DJ, it will still work, though with this style it is not at all the best way to do it.

[DJ]

That fine DJ, it will still work, though with this style it is not at all the best way to do it.

For my own knowledge may I ask why?

[Kevnlis]

Yes, in a nut shell.

During the boil, certain hop components bond with the malt components and they are more homogeneous in the brew when a full boil is done. You also lose a lot of the flavour and aroma components when doing smaller batch boils. You will still get the bitterness and some aroma/flavour so don't worry too much.

[James L]

if he gets the malt/water ratio correct in the boil, there should be no dramas.

[Kevnlis]

if he gets the malt/water ratio correct in the boil, there should be no dramas.

Are you sure?

Have a go, do two batches the same but do a full boil for one and a partial boil for the other. You will taste the difference!

[Will]

Gave this ago, except I left the amarillo out. After being in the bottle for about 15 days I sampled it yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. At first I thought it wouldn't balance well but the hops and malt have come together nicely and it's got a nice cascade flavour that you'd expect in an Alpha. Not quite as bitter but still good. I'm very happy with this brew and I'll be sure to be making some more.