Belgian Pale Ale Hopping Schedule Help

[Kithara]

I'm looking to make this a relatively low bitterness, high flavor pale ale. The trouble is I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on my hops. Here's what I have so far:

3 gallon batch

3 lbs. Pilsner malt
1 lb. Vienna malt
1 lb. wheat extract
Yeast: Wyeast French Saison 3711

60 min: 0.5 oz Amarillo, 0.5 oz Citra

30 min: 0.5 oz Amarillo, 0.5 oz Citra

0 min: 1 oz Amarillo, 1 oz Citra


The problem is I'd like to use Galaxy to add a few more IBU's, and I think it would mesh well flavor-wise, but I don't think I'll be able to get in time for this batch. So my second choices are between Centennial, and Simcoe.

I'm open to any other suggestions, both on my current hop schedule and if anyone has any thoughts on dry hopping as well that would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[chickypad]

You're going for "relatively low bitterness"??? I don't know the exact AA of your hops but if I plug in what I've got in inventory into Beersmith I have you at 142 IBU's already.

 

[Kithara]

With just the hops put in BeerSmith I get a similar number, but with the other items it drops down to the 40's. Regardless, I don't know why I plugged the recipe in twice to Beersmith and it spit out two different results. I suppose it makes my question a bit unnecessary except for the fact of which one you might consider as a late aroma addition.

If I can't get any Galaxy, would you recommend Centennial or Sterling? Thanks again.

 

[chickypad]

I plugged your whole grainbill into Beersmith to get those numbers. You can also tell by just eyeballing it - a full ounce of relatively high alpha hop at both 60 and 30 in a 3 gallon beer is a lot of bittering. No way it's in the 40's.

The 0 minute addition of amarillo and citra is an aroma addition - I guess you're asking what to add to that? Sterling would be more common in a Belgian but centennial would be a more common combo with those two. Personally, I would let the yeast be the star here, I love 3711. I'd do a smaller bittering addition at 60 with something, then do late addition with sterling only. But obviously it's your beer, I've seen a number of saison recipes with American hops.

 

[dcp27]

if you're looking for low bitterness high flavor, why don't you just hop burst it? move your 60 to 15mins and your 30 to 5mins and leave the 0 as is, by my calc that puts you around 40 IBUs also. with those hops you're wasting them using at 60 & 30 anyway

 

[mnstorm99]

Here is a belgian/american pale ale I did last year. I thought it left a great mix of citrus aroma but it also had a slight brett character that played nicely as well. I do think you need less @ 60 minutes and move the 30 minute addition to 15 minutes or less for a good flavor and aroma.

My $0.02

 

[elkshadow]

When I plug it into a recipe maker, I get 4.3%ABV with 128 IBUs.

I make 3 gallon batches and I can tell you for sure that's WAY too much hops at 60 min. I'd do what dcp said. Give yourself about 10 or 15 IBUs at 60 min then hop burst at 15, 10, 5 and flameout.

 

[reed1911]

My personal opinion only here, forget using the Citra and Amarillo for bittering hops. They would work just fine, but they really shine later in the boil as flavor and aroma hops. Use a neutral high alpha like Magnum for the 60 min and save all that goodness for later in the boil.

 

[Kithara]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I don't know where I messed my numbers up on BeerSmith originally, but I'm glad everyone pointed that out. I think a hop burst sounds just about the right speed. Thanks again!