Avant Garde American Pale Ale

Avant Garde American Pale Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.060 (14.7 °P)  FG = 1.012 (3 °P)
IBUs = 45  SRM = 10  ABV = 6.3%

This beer won a gold medal in the first round of the 2008 NHC competition.

Ingredients
6.5 lb (2.9 kg) Maris Otter malt
1 lb (0.45 kg) Vienna malt
0.75 lb (340 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
0.25 lb (113 g) crystal malt (80 °L)
0.5 lb (226 g) wheat malt
1 lb (0.45 kg) white sugar
1 oz (28g) Amarillo® whole hops 8% AA (first wort hop)
0.5 oz (14 g) Columbus whole hops 14% AA (15 min.)
0.5 oz (14 g) Columbus whole hops 14% AA (10 min.)
0.5 oz (14 g) Simcoe® whole hops 12% AA (5 min.)
1 oz (28 g) Amarillo® whole hops 8% AA (2 min.)
0.5 oz (14 g) Simcoe® whole hops 12% AA (0 min.)
White Labs WLP060 American Blend yeast

Step by Step
Mill grains and dough-in using RO water until a medium thickness mash is achieved. Treat mash with 1 tsp calcium chloride. Hold mash at 150 °F (66 °C) until conversion is complete. Add first wort hops to kettle. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) RO water treated with 2 tsp phosphoric acid, collecting 6.5 gallons (24.6 L). Bring wort to a boil.

After the hot break, add the sugar. Boil for 75 additional minutes, adding the hops per the hopping schedule. Allow the wort to rest for 5 minutes, then chill rapidly to 68 °F (20 °C). Rack to fermenter, leaving break material behind. Oxygenate, pitch the yeast, and ferment at 70 °F (21 °C). Fermentation should be done in less than a week, but don’t rush it.

After the beer has dropped bright, rack to a keg and force carbonate, or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes.

Avant Garde American Pale Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

Substitute 6 lbs (2.7 kg) of light-colored American liquid malt extract or 4.8 (2.2 kg) lbs of very pale dry malt extract for the Maris Otter, Vienna and Wheat malts. Mill the crystal malts and put them in a grain bag. Steep the bag in the 6.5 gallons (24.6L) of strike water (RO water treated with 1 tsp calcium chloride) at 155 °F (68 °C) for 30 minutes. Lift the bag from the water and rinse gently with hot water. Let the bag drip into the kettle while adding the malt extract and the first wort hops. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Follow the main recipe from there.