With a Rauchbier bubbling away in the fridge and the prospects of it being ready for drinking looking like the last week of December (boo), I have need to get something going for a couple of reasons.

  • I’d like to have something fresh for T-giving
  • I’d like to brew with the hops I grew this year

Since I don’t have a ton of hop cones or a ton of time, I thought I would brew a simple blonde ale.

Ingredients

10 lbs. 2-Row Brewers Malt
.5 lbs. Honey Malt
.5 lbs. Dextrine Malt
1 oz. Willamette Pellets 5.00 %AA (Boiled 60 minutes)
Yeast: White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Note: The cones that I grew are Magnum hops and I am not sure of the alpha acid content, but I think throwing them all in at the start of the boil will make for some nice clean bittering. I put Willamette hops in the recipe in case you want to brew it or when I want to brew it again.

Predictions

Original Gravity: 1.050
Terminal Gravity: 1.011
Color: 5.66 °SRM
Bitterness: 23.1 IBU
Alcohol (%volume): 5.1 %

I anticipate a 60 minute boil with a 6.5 gallon pre-boil volume and leaving a half gallon in the kettle (break material and what not).

Ferment at 65°F for 2 weeks. Bottle condition for 2 weeks. I should be good to go for Thanksgiving 2010.