Justin Rawleigh’s American Pale Ale

Justin Rawleigh’s American Pale Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.053   FG = 1.009
IBU = 50   SRM = 5   ABV = 5.8%

By Justin Rawleigh of Gilbert, Arizona, winner of the Arizona Spring Classic (Tempe, Arizona – 217 entries)

Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) North American 2-row brewers malt
14 oz. (397 g) Munich I malt
10 oz. (283 g) Carapils® malt
8 oz. (227 g) acidulated malt
4.5 AAU Centennial hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.9% alpha acids)
2 oz. (57 g) Mosaic® hops (0 min.)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® hops (0 min.)
2 oz. (57 g) Mosaic® hops (dry hop in primary day 1)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® hops (dry hop in primary day 3)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® hops (dry hop in secondary or keg)
Imperial Yeast A24 (Dry Hop) yeast blend
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Two or three days before brew day, make at least a 2-qt. (2-L) yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.

This recipe uses RO water. The mash has a half-teaspoon of gypsum added. On brew day, mash in the malts at 152 °F (67 °C) in 17 qts. (16 L) of water, and hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water until 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort is collected.

Boil the full volume of wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops at times indicated in the recipe. The whirlpool hops are added at flameout, stirred, and allowed to steep for 17 minutes before chilling. Chill to 68 °F (20 °C).

Oxygenate, then pitch the yeast starter. Start fermentation at 68 °F (20 °C), allowing to rise to 72 °F (22 °C) until fermentation is complete (about one week). Add the Mosaic® dry hop addition after fermentation starts, and first Simcoe® dry hop addition after three days. The final dry hops are added after fermentation is complete. Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate.

Justin Rawleigh’s American Pale Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.053   FG = 1.009
IBU = 50   SRM = 5   ABV = 5.8%

Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) pale liquid malt extract
5 oz. (142 g) Munich dried malt extract
10 oz. (283 g) Carapils® malt
1 tsp. lactic acid, 88%
4.5 AAU Centennial hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.9% alpha acids)
2 oz. (57 g) Mosaic® hops (0 min.)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® hops (0 min.)
2 oz. (57 g) Mosaic® hops (dry hop in primary day 1)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® hops (dry hop in primary day 3)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® hops (dry hop in secondary or keg)
Imperial Yeast A24 (Dry Hop) yeast blend
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Two or three days before brew day, make at least a 2-qt. (2-L) yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.

Use 6.5 gallons (25 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C).

Place the malt in a mesh bag, and steep in the hot water for 30 minutes. Remove the mesh bag, then turn the heat off. Add the malt extracts and stir thoroughly to dissolve the extract completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the full volume of wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops at times indicated in the recipe. The whirlpool hops are added at flameout, stirred, and allowed to steep for 17 minutes before chilling. Chill to 68 °F (20 °C).

Oxygenate, then pitch the yeast starter. Start fermentation at 68 °F (20 °C), allowing to rise to 72 °F (22 °C) until fermentation is complete. Follow the dry hopping and packaging schedule from the all-grain recipe.

Tips for success:
If you cannot source the Imperial Yeast A24 (Dry Hop) yeast blend, you could also try to co-inoculate two yeast strains to create your own blend that could hopefully get you in the same ballpark. BYO suggests White Labs WLP644 (Saccharomyces “Bruxellensis” Trois) co-inoculated with White Labs WLP095 (Burlington Ale) yeast as a best fit scenario for the Imperial Yeast A24 blend.