Re-Brewing a Blonde Ale

[Prymal]

Hey all,

I am going to re-brew a blonde ale and would love some help changing up the hops. This beer has been well received by both my LHBC and my regular beer drinkin' friends.

The biggest comment I get is that it smells like Juicy Fruit gum. I would like to move away from that flavor toward something a little more crisp. below is the recipe

9.00 gal RO Water Water 1 -
8.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
4.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -

8 lbs Brewer's Malt, 2-Row, Premium (Great Western) (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 86.5 %
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 5 10.8 %
4.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.7 %

0.25 oz Magnum [13.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 14.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [6.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 2.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [8.70 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 3.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [6.40 %] - Aroma Steep 20.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [8.70 %] - Aroma Steep 20.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs

1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 12 -
1.00 tsp Gelatin (1 Day after Kegging) Fining 13 -

 

[Pie_Man]

If you're trying to brew a Blonde Ale to style, I would probably drop the flavor and aroma hop additions and use a single 60 minute hop addition with a low alpha American hop like Willamette, Cascade, Mt. Hood, and/or Crystal. While it's a subtle beer, it should be more malt focused and malt balanced. I'd probably add a little (about 5% or less) of crystal 10 or 15 for a little malt sweetness.

 

[Prymal]

The honey malt adds more then enough sweetness for this beer. I plan to drop the whirlpool hops but leave the 5 min addition. I am really looking for a nice combination of hops that is more earthy/spicy with a hint of citrus. Any suggestions would be great. Maybe chinook and cascade or chinook and willamette? What do you think?

 

[dabeers]

I have Motueka as the sole flavor/aroma hop in a belgian blonde I am ready to keg, and a saison I brewed today. As these are not ready so I cannot speak to the results, but from what I have read I think this is a nice unique hop that will give a good but subtle flavor to a blonde that can be enjoyed by BMC drinkers and craft drinkers alike. From what I read the aroma may be lemon/lime, slight tropical fruit, slight spice (has saaz lineage). I like your grain bill, can bitter with magnum for enough ibus and then late addition of motueka. Perhaps others can comment.

 

[Pie_Man]

The honey malt adds more then enough sweetness for this beer. I plan to drop the whirlpool hops but leave the 5 min addition. I am really looking for a nice combination of hops that is more earthy/spicy with a hint of citrus. Any suggestions would be great. Maybe chinook and cascade or chinook and willamette? What do you think?

Sorry, I meant to say to sub the honey malt for the light crystal, if you were going for a traditional Blonde.

Based on what you're going for, I would actually bitter with something like Amarillo or Cascade and use Willamette or Fuggles as the 5 min addition. In a light beer style like this, you'll still get a nice citrus note from the bittering addiiton balanced with the fruity, floral earthy character of Willamette. I brew an American Wheat with the Amarillo, Willamette combo that's pretty well received. You can also add a little Saaz or Perle hops with the Willy if you want a little more spice character.