Background:
I'm not a huge fan of blonde ales, but they sure are easy-drinking and of course a great introduction to craft beers in general. But I was pressurized into brewing this by my wife, after someone (ahem .. KK) enticed her with a blonde ale brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops. The conversation went something like, "Why don't you brew something NORMAL like this, instead of all your experimental beers and sour beers??" (Add some angst and scary looks to that).
As per many of the ales brewed this year, I used a kveik yeast strain because I love them so much.
Grain Bill:
77% US Pale Ale (2 Row)
10% White wheat
10% Crystal 10
3% Acidulated malt
Hops:
28g Cascade @ 60 mins
28g Willamette @ hopstand
28g Simcoe @ dry hop
Water Profile:
52ppm Ca2+
Hops:
28g Cascade @ 60 mins
28g Willamette @ hopstand
28g Simcoe @ dry hop
Water Profile:
52ppm Ca2+
4ppm Mg2+
8ppm Na+
82ppm SO4-
60ppm Cl-
30ppm HCO3-
Mash:
65C for 60 mins
Mash pH 5.34
Mash:
65C for 60 mins
Mash pH 5.34
Fermentation:
Voss (Kveik) yeast
Pitched and fermented at 30C
 |
| Initial racking from the fermenter showed an absolutely clear beer! |
Tasting notes:
Appearance - The beer pours with a decent white head, and light yellow with fair clarity when held to the light. There is still a colloidal haze to the beer likely from polyphenols/hops.
Aroma - A hint of fruitiness from the yeast, and a moderate hop presence with citrus and grapefruit character. The hop aroma is on the strong side for a blonde ale, and nearer that of an American pale ale.
Taste - There is a perceptible malt presence which is again restrained, and finishes with a very slight residual malt sweetness that is balanced by just enough bitterness. The pine character of Simcoe hops is also present on tasting. When allowed to warm, the characteristic orange-like esters of Voss kveik yeast begins to shine through.
Mouthfeel - Moderately light body with medium carbonation. No astringency but there seems to be a dry, mineral note right at the end.
Impression and Improvements:
This is a pale ale with a balanced and restrained approach to both hops and malt. It still needs improvement in appearance and balance though.
For future repeats, I will try fining with Polyclar in order to decrease the colloidal haze. Haze is not a huge problem other than in the aesthetic sense, but it'd be nice to have a brilliantly clear beer more akin to commercial lagers. Also, I'm not too pleased with the colour; I think it'll be nicer with a lighter shade of gold. It's a little weird, since the grain bill really doesn't add much in terms of colour. Instead of Crystal 10 I'll try using Carapils next time, and perhaps source for Acidulated Malt that is lighter in colour.
The grapefruit character is nice, but out of balance for the style - I'll do a hopstand addition for Simcoe instead of dry hopping. Finally, the water profile needs tweaking. I suspect that this style will fare better with a higher Cl- to SO4- ratio, in order to increase the smoothness and reduce the mineral notes.
Appearance - The beer pours with a decent white head, and light yellow with fair clarity when held to the light. There is still a colloidal haze to the beer likely from polyphenols/hops.
Aroma - A hint of fruitiness from the yeast, and a moderate hop presence with citrus and grapefruit character. The hop aroma is on the strong side for a blonde ale, and nearer that of an American pale ale.
Taste - There is a perceptible malt presence which is again restrained, and finishes with a very slight residual malt sweetness that is balanced by just enough bitterness. The pine character of Simcoe hops is also present on tasting. When allowed to warm, the characteristic orange-like esters of Voss kveik yeast begins to shine through.
Mouthfeel - Moderately light body with medium carbonation. No astringency but there seems to be a dry, mineral note right at the end.
Impression and Improvements:
This is a pale ale with a balanced and restrained approach to both hops and malt. It still needs improvement in appearance and balance though.
For future repeats, I will try fining with Polyclar in order to decrease the colloidal haze. Haze is not a huge problem other than in the aesthetic sense, but it'd be nice to have a brilliantly clear beer more akin to commercial lagers. Also, I'm not too pleased with the colour; I think it'll be nicer with a lighter shade of gold. It's a little weird, since the grain bill really doesn't add much in terms of colour. Instead of Crystal 10 I'll try using Carapils next time, and perhaps source for Acidulated Malt that is lighter in colour.
The grapefruit character is nice, but out of balance for the style - I'll do a hopstand addition for Simcoe instead of dry hopping. Finally, the water profile needs tweaking. I suspect that this style will fare better with a higher Cl- to SO4- ratio, in order to increase the smoothness and reduce the mineral notes.
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