I brewed the following:
8.25 lbs Pale 2-row
0.75 lbs White Wheat
0.33 lbs Honey Malt
0.25 lbs Torrified Wheat
0.25 lbs Acid Malt
1.25 oz Willamette @ 60 min
2.00 oz Willamette @ 5 min
Single infusion, BIAB full volume. Mashed in @ 150°F, held for 60 minutes, temperature dropped to 147°F by the end.
1 packet WLP002 @ 66°F 7 days, raised to 70°F for 6 more days.
Kegged, force carbonated @ 8psi & 33°F for 9 days before sampling.
O.G. 1.050 (74% efficiency)
F.G. 1.010 (80% apparent attenuation)
IBU: 21 (calculated)
Appearance: burnt golden, pours a bit hazy, 1/2 finger head, nice foam retention
Aroma: Moderate English esters, earth, honey, mild caramel and citrus in the background
Taste: Fairly clean with some hints of the English yeast, subtle honey sweetness, biscuit, orange like citrus, a bit of noble spice. The palate starts out with some sweetness but is quickly balanced on the end by a pleasant bitterness from the Willamette hops.
Feel: Mild carbonation, not thick but not overly thin, immensely drinkable.
A little more "English" and less sweet than 805. I'll have to try them side by side to see how close they are but this is an awesome recipe. An easy drinking 5.3% Blonde that is interesting enough for craft brewers but approachable enough for BMC drinkers. Probably one of the most delicious beers I've brewed. The WLP002 seems to have added a substantial amount of english character to the aroma, I'm not sure if Firestone Walker is actually using WLP002 for this. If I entered this in a competition I would probably submit it as an english style beer over an American blonde.
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