This is my brew for the bar at the Northern Craft Brewers event on Saturday 13th April. I opted to brew a Cascadian Dark Ale. The recipe is based on my AG#5 Nebulous Pitch Black Ale, this time with more of an effort with the dry hopping.
Original Gravity (OG): 1.048
Final Gravity (FG): 1.010
Alcohol (ABV): 5.1%
Colour (SRM): Dark (EBC): Dark
Bitterness (IBU): 64.8 (Average)
Mash 1:
0.500 kg Black Malt (cold steeped with 2.5L liquor)
Mash 2:
3.800 kg (84%) Golden Promise Pale Malt
0.400 kg (9%) Caramalt
0.200 kg (4%) Munich
0.120 kg (3%) Pale Wheat Malt
15g Galena (12.0% Alpha) @60 minutes from the end (boil)
5g Simcoe (15.0% Alpha) @30 minutes from the end (Boil)
10g Simcoe (15.0% Alpha) @20 minutes from the end (Boil)
20g Simcoe (15.0% Alpha) @10 minutes from the end (Boil)
65g Simcoe (15.0% Alpha) @5 minutes from the end (Boil)
100g Centennial (11.0% Alpha) T90 pellets in secondary for 3 days (dry hop)
Water treatments: Campden tablet (HLT), 1 tsp gypsum (mash). My weighing scales aren’t great and I only need 3-4g, which is a tsp (approx). Same rule for the epsom salts in the boil. I ordered some 0.1-100g scales last week so that once I’ve looked at my water treatment in a little more detail, I’ll be able to weigh the salts more accurately.
Strike temp of 77C, 11.0L liquor for 4.5kg grain. Mashed in at 68C, a degree higher than my target as my mash tun loses a bit of heat (single step infusion). Mashed for 60 minutes and temp dropped to 67. Fly sparged at 84C for strike temp of 78C, 18.5L liquor (the 2.5L cold steeped liquor making up the total to 21L). The boil was scheduled for 60 minutes. Galena added as the wort was coming to the boil, followed by additions of Simcoe at 30, 20, 10 and 5 minutes before the end of the boil.
I collected 23L of wort post boil with SG of 1.051, and added 2L cool boiled water (liquoring back) to bring the OG to 1.048. Pitched US-05 at 20C.
My only mistake of the day was calculating the IBU using the Simcoe AA% as 12.2 when it was supposed to be 15%. No big deal, the average IBUs were 57 and will now be more like 65. Also, having had a hydrometer emergency I had to rush oer to HopZine Rob’s house and borrow one. I’ve since purchased two new saccharometers which I’ll be taking good care of.
Updated 21/03/13 – SG 1.026
Once I reach the target 1.010 I’ll transfer to secondary and dry hop with at least 100g of Centennial pellets. My first attempt with pellets. It’ll then be transferred to a bag-in-a-box from which it will be dispensed to the good folk at the Northern Craft Brewers meet.
Went with 4 day dry hop with 50g Centennial t90 pellets in primary.
Updated 30/03/13 ) Racked to a polypin today, gravity 1.010, primed with 12g sugar. Roll on the 13th April.
broadfordbrewer 
Good luck Dave, hope it’s as good as Nebulous’s last outing 🙂
Cheers Phil. It’s the younger more fragrant brother of Nebulous. Nebulous the Younger?
Sounds great! Before reading this, I wouldn’t have thought to use Golden Promise as a base malt in such a hoppy beer but I bet it would give a fantastic balance. I like the label as well. Can’t wait to hear how it comes out.
Thanks Shawn. I use GP as a base for most of the beers I brew, but have dabbled with Pilsner and a Belgian Pale Ale malt (as well as Maris Otter). I think the additions of caramalt and munich (others would do) plus using a higher mash temp seems to work out ok. What would you use?
I’ve never made a CDA before, but I use US 2-row base for my IPAs so that would be my default. Of course American base malt is very neutral, and I’ve relied on crystal malts in the past to bring more flavor to those beers – something I recently vowed not to do again. 🙂 So on my next hop-forward recipe, I may change things up a bit.
I’ve used MO, GP, and Optic as base in my British-style bitters and (sure you’ll agree) there’s just no substitute for that nutty, biscuity flavor of UK malts. Now you’ve got me thinking about how well that flavor could go with a more American-style hoppy brew. I think it sounds excellent, Dave. Cheers!
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