Sierra Nevada Pale Ale recipe hack

Beerbelly

Beerbelly

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I've brewed the recipe on their website a couple times, and mine always came out much darker using the exact ingredients and amounts they show.
So I decided to try lightening it up by creating the C60 malt amount by using half C20 and half C40, and I'm very happy with the results; it's virtually a twin in aroma, flavor, bitterness and head retention.
I'm still chasing how they get theirs so clear though, and could use some recommendations.
Mine's on the left:

20230628_122759.jpg
20230628_122955.jpg
 
Beerbelly said:
I've brewed the recipe on their website a couple times, and mine always came out much darker using the exact ingredients and amounts they show.
So I decided to try lightening it up by creating the C60 malt amount by using half C20 and half C40, and I'm very happy with the results; it's virtually a twin in aroma, flavor, bitterness and head retention.
I'm still chasing how they get theirs so clear though, and could use some recommendations.
Mine's on the left:

View attachment 25813 View attachment 25814
Click to expand...
Love ya work man!
Looks tasty as all get out!

Gelatin might help clear it for you.

Add it once the beer is cold for best effects.
 
Beerbelly said:
I've brewed the recipe on their website a couple times, and mine always came out much darker using the exact ingredients and amounts they show.
So I decided to try lightening it up by creating the C60 malt amount by using half C20 and half C40, and I'm very happy with the results; it's virtually a twin in aroma, flavor, bitterness and head retention.
I'm still chasing how they get theirs so clear though, and could use some recommendations.
Mine's on the left:

View attachment 25813 View attachment 25814
Click to expand...
What have you tried to clear it?
 
Beerbelly said:
I added gelatin to the keg.
Click to expand...
It should work, how much time have you given it?

Also, try this. Pour a little in a glass. Does the haze go away once the beer warms up?
 
"I'm still chasing how they get theirs so clear though"
Time? That is how you clear a lager. I assume it would work with an ale too as long as you are not using techniques to suspend the yeast.
 
Sandy Feet said:
"I'm still chasing how they get theirs so clear though"
Time? That is how you clear a lager. I assume it would work with an ale too as long as you are not using techniques to suspend the yeast.
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Time and/or fining agents. I use biofine clear. Most beer will clear in 2 days.

Big breweries like that use a centrifuge and huge bright tanks.

I believe Sierra Nevada bottle conditions Thier pale ale too
 
There are a lot of moving parts to getting a beer clear. Adding 10-15 grams PVPP and a whirlfloc tablet in the last 10 minutes helps drop proteins and polyphenols. Cooling the wort quickly after the boil helps drop excess proteins. Cold crashing (faster is better) and then there is finings post fermentation.

Gelatin works best when the beer is near or slightly below freezing. I found 33F (.5C) is the safest and avoids the freezing of the beer. If you have extremely tight control, 30F (-1C) is thought to be the ideal temperature according to Charlie Bamforth. I crash cool the beer for 48 hours before adding gelatin. I boil water, remove it from heat and add a full pack of gelatin to the cold beer. It takes about a week to get very clear and about 2 weeks to become polished. I don't clear in the keg, but I do clear fully carbonated beer. If you're going to clear a carbonated beer, be careful of beer foaming up over the top of the fermented/keg.

You can also try Biofine Clear. That is used similar to gelatin. You can also use PVPP post fermentation, but it's a bit of a PITA. As with anything added post fermentation, precautions are needed to prevent oxygen ingress. Post fermentation oxygen is the enemy of good beer.

I wrote this a while ago and I need to update it, but it does have good info in it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/...y=0-YVmiIPwXQO5C18PvKehchQ&rtpof=true&sd=true

Using these methods, I get beer that looks like this:


upload_2023-6-29_6-46-30.jpeg
 

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HighVoltageMan! said:
There are a lot of moving parts to getting a beer clear. Adding 10-15 grams PVPP and a whirlfloc tablet in the last 10 minutes helps drop proteins and polyphenols. Cooling the wort quickly after the boil helps drop excess proteins. Cold crashing (faster is better) and then there is finings post fermentation.

Gelatin works best when the beer is near or slightly below freezing. I found 33F (.5C) is the safest and avoids the freezing of the beer. If you have extremely tight control, 30F (-1C) is thought to be the ideal temperature according to Charlie Bamforth. I crash cool the beer for 48 hours before adding gelatin. I boil water, remove it from heat and add a full pack of gelatin to the cold beer. It takes about a week to get very clear and about 2 weeks to become polished. I don't clear in the keg, but I do clear fully carbonated beer. If you're going to clear a carbonated beer, be careful of beer foaming up over the top of the fermented/keg.

You can also try Biofine Clear. That is used similar to gelatin. You can also use PVPP post fermentation, but it's a bit of a PITA. As with anything added post fermentation, precautions are needed to prevent oxygen ingress. Post fermentation oxygen is the enemy of good beer.

I wrote this a while ago and I need to update it, but it does have good info in it.




Using these methods of epoxy flooring Utah, I get beer that looks like this:


View attachment 25818
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This is the grain bill from the Celebration clone recipe in the July/August 2017 Zymurgy issue.

12 lb. (5.44 kg) UK pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) 60° L crystal malt
8 oz. (227 g) 80° L crystal malt
8 oz. (227 g) dextrin malt
2 oz. (57 g) chocolate malt

I plan to bump the recipe up to 11 gallons and am thinking the following:

- I don't see any reason for dextrin malt in the recipe so I will leave it out. With the specialty grains and starting OG I think this beer will have plenty of mouthfeel.

- 2 lbs of crystal 60 and 1 lb of crystal 80 seem like WAY too much so I think I will go with 1.5 lbs of crystal 60 and stay at .5 lb of crystal 80

- I think I will stay with only 2 oz of chocolate malt for 11 gallons unless the color doesn't seem red enough and then I will cold steep the other 2 oz and strain into the boil

Thoughts ?
 
I didn't intend for this beer to be so clear, with 23% flaked, 9% wheat malt, and some lactose to boot. It ended up cold crashing at 1.5C for a week and poured this clear almost from day one. No whirlfloc, and no gelatin. Counter flow chiller may account for some protein dropping out as well, but the long cold crash is the biggest factor.
20230707_181857.jpg
 
Craigerrr said:
I didn't intend for this beer to be so clear, with 23% flaked, 9% wheat malt, and some lactose to boot. It ended up cold crashing at 1.5C for a week and poured this clear almost from day one. No whirlfloc, and no gelatin. Counter flow chiller may account for some protein dropping out as well, but the long cold crash is the biggest factor.
View attachment 25916
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Agree. Time clears all* beer

*Almost. That Wayner's pale ale never did clear. Indeed, the yeast slurry from that batch that I saved in a mason jar didn't even clear.
 
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