Sierra Pale Ale

Classification: pale ale, Sierra Nevada clone, all-grain

Source: Mark Redman (brewman@vivid.net), HBD Issue #1975, 3/4/96

This is what this group is all about! I recently posted a request for a recipe which clones Sierra Nevada Pale ale, and the response was fantastic. Most of the recipes were very similar, so I would imagine they are pretty close to the real thing. Anyway, the resulting beer was just amazing! I've been all-grain brewing for a few years, and most of my ales have been attempts to reproduce traditional English ales (Hugh Baird malt, Kent Goldings and Fuggles hops, British yeast, etc), but I've always felt something was "missing". I realize now that it is my preference for American style ales. Whether it is the Cascade hops or the Chico yeast, I don't know, I just prefer the taste. Anyway, for those of you who enjoy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but have never tried to brew it, here's my resulting recipe.

The resulting beer was above my expectations. Great hop aroma, nice lingering bitterness with a balance of malt flavor. I didn't dry hop, but the aroma is still very strong, so unless is disappears after a few weeks I won't bother with the dry hopping. If I close my eyes, I would swear I'm drinking the real thing. Anyway, thanks for all the input from you folks, it was great. There is no way I could have received such great info without this digest!

Ingredients:

8 lbs. Great Western domestic 2-row malt
3/4 lb. 50L crystal malt
1/2 lb. CaraPils malt
1 oz. 8.3 AAU whole Perle hops (75 min. boil)
1/2 oz. 6.0 AAU whole Cascade hops (15 min. boil) (Total IBU is about 33)
1 oz. whole Cascade hops (steep while cooling)
1 pint starter, Wyeast #1056 (Chico)

Procedure:

1 1/2 tsp gypsum (my water is rather soft) in mash. Lactic acid added to sparge water for pH 5.7.

122 degree protein rest for 30 min (I know I could have skipped this, but I have never used this malt before), 155 degree saccharification rest for 60 min., mash out at 168 degrees for 10 min. Sparge, boil, pitch, etc.etc. My pre-boil yield is about .033 pts/gal/lb, but since I whirlpool and settle the wort after chilling, then rack off from the trub, my yield drops to about .027 due to the amount of wort left behind in the kettle.

Specifics:

OG: 1.052
FG: 1.010