Grainbill:
10.0 lb Maris Otter
2.5 lb Rye Malt
1.0 lb Crystal Malt 60°L
0.5 lb Carapils®/Carafoam®
0.5 lb Wheat Malt
Hop schedule:
1 oz Columbus (15.0%) - added first wort, boiled 60 min
1 oz Amarillo (8.5%) - boiled 5.0 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - boiled 5.0 min
1 oz Amarillo (8.5%) - dry hop
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - dry hop
The beer was fermented with California Ale V (WLP051), a NorCal strain known for fruity flavors and full body.
The finshed product is a hazy dark amber color with a fluffy white head that dissipates into a patchy cap as the beer warms. The aroma is floral hops with caramel and a touch of rye earthiness. The taste is of malt sweetness up front, followed by well-balanced hop bitterness and a medium-dry finish. Spicy, buiscuity flavors linger. The yeast strain did indeed make for a full-bodied beer, but it’s well carbonated.
I submitted 1.5 to the California State Homebrew Competition, where it received a score of 34/50 (“Very Good”).
Overall, a tasty beer and one whose recipe I’m sure to revisit.