With July 4th just two days behind us, I decided to post my “patriotic” pale ale recipe today. This is an American-style pale ale recipe I have been working on since I first started brewing back in 1991. It’s designed to to be nice and hoppy (although not such that it rivals American IPAs or double IPAs), showcasing the citrusy character of American hops. There are four hop additions in the kettle, plus it is dry hopped, so you get plenty of hop flavor and aroma along with the bitterness (44 IBU total). However, it’s also restrained enough (at 5.3% ABV) that it could almost pass as a session beer. The biggest keys to having this recipe turn out well is to use fresh hops with great aroma and pitching the right amount of yeast (see the yeast starter suggestion in the recipe).
There are four versions of this recipe below, two all-grain recipes (one using English units, the other using metric units) and two malt extract adaptations (English and metric). The extract recipes call for some base malt to be steeped along with specialty grains, improving the aroma of this beer compared to how extract pale ales are usually formulated.
Patrick Henry Pale Ale
All-grain (English units)
by Chris Colby
DESCRIPTION
This is my basic American-style pale ale. I’ve brewed this recipe — slightly tweaking it every time — over 30 times and it’s a great “go-to” beer. I really like the combination of Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo late hops and I use this combo in most of my other pale-ale-like beers, including my sweet potato ESB. The only non-standard part of this recipe is the tiny amount of chocolate malt added. This changes the hue of the beer slightly, and can be omitted if you want.
INGREDIENTS (for 5 gallons)
Water Profile
< 50 ppm carbonate (HCO3–)
~125 ppm calcium (Ca+2) *
* use 3:1 ratio of CaSO4 to CaCl2
Malts and Other Fermentables
(for an OG of 1.052 at 70% extract efficiency and an SRM of 11)
9 lb. 8 oz. US 2-row pale malt
8.0 oz. crystal malt (40 °L)
3.0 oz. crystal malt (60 °L)
1/8 oz. chocolate malt
Hops (for 44 IBUs total)
Simcoe hops (13 IBUs)
0.375 oz. (at 13% alpha acids) boiled for 60 minutes
Centennial hops (14 IBUs)
0.50 oz. (at 10% alpha acids) boiled for 30 minutes
Cascade hops (9 IBUs)
0.625 oz. (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Amarillo hops (3.7 IBUs)
0.25 oz. (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Cascade hops (0 IBUs)
0.625 oz. (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Amarillo hops (0 IBUs)
0.25 oz. (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Cascade dry hops
0.75 oz. in secondary fermenter
Amarillo dry hops
0.50 oz. in secondary fermenter
Yeast (to attenuate to FG 1.011, for an ABV of 5.3%)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale)
or Fermentis US-05 yeast
(a 1.5-qt. yeast starter for liquid yeasts)
Processing Aids and Other
1 tsp. Irish moss (boiled for 15 mins)
1/4 tsp. yeast nutrients (boiled for 15 minutes)
5.0 oz. corn sugar (to prime bottles for 2.6 volumes of CO2)
PROCEDURE
Make yeast starter 2–3 days ahead of time. Heat 12.7 qts. of brewing liquor to 163 °F and mash in grains. Mash at 152 °F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes if you can do so without losing too much heat from your mash tun. Heat or add boiling water to mash out to 168 °F. Recirculate wort until clear, then run off. Sparge steadily over 90 minutes to collect about 7 gallons of wort. Vigorously boil wort for 90 minutes, to yield a post-boil volume around 5.5 gallons. Add hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrients at times indicated. Chill wort, then rack to fermenter. Your yield should be about 5.25 gallons. Aerate wort thoroughly and pitch sediment from yeast starter. Ferment at 68 °F. After fermentation stops, let beer settle for 2–3 days, then rack to secondary fermenter with dry hops. Dry hop for 5–6 days, then rack to keg or bottling bucket, for a yield of 5 gallons. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO2.
—
Patrick Henry Pale Ale
All-grain (metric units)
by Chris Colby
DESCRIPTION
This is my basic American-style pale ale. I’ve brewed this recipe — slightly tweaking it every time — over 30 times and it’s a great “go-to” beer. I really like the combination of Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo late hops and I use this combo in most of my other pale-ale-like beers, including my sweet potato ESB. The only non-standard part of this recipe is the tiny amount of chocolate malt added. This changes the hue of the beer slightly, and can be omitted if you want.
INGREDIENTS (for 19 L)
Water Profile
< 50 ppm carbonate (HCO3–)
~125 ppm calcium (Ca+2) *
* use 3:1 ratio of CaSO4 to CaCl2
Malts and Other Fermentables
(for an OG of 1.052 at 70% extract efficiency and an SRM of 11)
4.3 kg US 2-row pale malt
230 g crystal malt (40 °L)
85 g crystal malt (60 °L)
3.5 g chocolate malt
Hops (for 44 IBUs total)
Simcoe hops (13 IBUs)
11 g (at 13% alpha acids) boiled for 60 minutes
Centennial hops (14 IBUs)
14 g (at 10% alpha acids) boiled for 30 minutes
Cascade hops (9 IBUs)
18 g (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Amarillo hops (3.7 IBUs)
7.1 g (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Cascade hops (0 IBUs)
18 g (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Amarillo hops (0 IBUs)
7.1 g (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Cascade dry hops
21 g in secondary fermenter
Amarillo dry hops
14 g in secondary fermenter
Yeast (to attenuate to FG 1.011, for an ABV of 5.3%)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale)
or Fermentis US-05 yeast
(a 1.5-L yeast starter for liquid yeasts)
Processing Aids and Other
1 tsp. Irish moss (boiled for 15 mins)
1/4 tsp. yeast nutrients (boiled for 15 minutes)
140 g corn sugar (to prime bottles for 2.6 volumes of CO2)
PROCEDURE
Make yeast starter 2–3 days ahead of time. Heat 12 L of brewing liquor to 73 °C and mash in grains. Mash at 67 °C for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes if you can do so without losing too much heat from your mash tun. Heat or add boiling water to mash out to 76 °C. Recirculate wort until clear, then run off. Sparge steadily over 90 minutes to collect about 26 L of wort. Vigorously boil wort for 90 minutes, to yield a post-boil volume around 21 L. Add hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrients at times indicated. Chill wort, then rack to fermenter. Your yield should be about 20 L. Aerate wort thoroughly and pitch sediment from yeast starter. Ferment at 20 °C. After fermentation stops, let beer settle for 2–3 days, then rack to secondary fermenter with dry hops. Dry hop for 5–6 days, then rack to keg or bottling bucket, for a yield of 19 L. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO2.
—
Patrick Henry Pale Ale
Extract Adaptation (English units)
by Chris Colby
DESCRIPTION
This is my basic American-style pale ale. I’ve brewed this recipe — slightly tweaking it every time — over 30 times and it’s a great “go-to” beer. I really like the combination of Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo late hops and I use this combo in most of my other pale-ale-like beers, including my sweet potato ESB. The only non-standard part of this recipe is the tiny amount of chocolate malt added. This changes the hue of the beer slightly, and can be omitted if you want.
INGREDIENTS (for 5 gallons)
Water Profile
< 50 ppm carbonate (HCO3–)
~125 ppm calcium (Ca+2) *
* use 3:1 ratio of CaSO4 to CaCl2
Malts and Other Fermentables
(for an OG of 1.052 at 70% extract efficiency and an SRM of 11)
2 lb. 5 oz. US 2-row pale malt
4.25 lbs. light dried malt extract
8.0 oz. crystal malt (40 °L)
3.0 oz. crystal malt (60 °L)
1/8 oz. chocolate malt
Hops (for 44 IBUs total)
Simcoe hops (13 IBUs)
0.375 oz. (at 13% alpha acids) boiled for 60 minutes
Centennial hops (14 IBUs)
0.50 oz. (at 10% alpha acids) boiled for 30 minutes
Cascade hops (9 IBUs)
0.625 oz. (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Amarillo hops (3.7 IBUs)
0.25 oz. (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Cascade hops (0 IBUs)
0.625 oz. (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Amarillo hops (0 IBUs)
0.25 oz. (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Cascade dry hops
0.75 oz. in secondary fermenter
Amarillo dry hops
0.50 oz. in secondary fermenter
Yeast (to attenuate to FG 1.011, for an ABV of 5.3%)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale)
or Fermentis US-05 yeast
(a 1.5-qt. yeast starter for liquid yeasts)
Processing Aids and Other
1 tsp. Irish moss (boiled for 15 mins)
1/4 tsp. yeast nutrients (boiled for 15 minutes)
5.0 oz. corn sugar (to prime bottles for 2.6 volumes of CO2)
PROCEDURE
Make yeast starter 2–3 days ahead of time. Place grains in a large grain steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 4.1 qts. of brewing liquor to 163 °F and dunk grain bag. Steep grains (this is actually mashing, since you have base grains in the grist) at 152 °F for 45 minutes. While grains are steeping (mashing), bring 2.5 gallons of water to a boil in your brewpot. Also, bring 2.0 qts. of water to 170 °F in a soup pot. Lift grain bag and let it drip into steeping pot, then place grain bag in colander over brewpot. Pour grain tea through bag (to filter out bits of grain) then rinse grain bag with 2.0 qts. of 170 °F water. Adjust volume of wort to at least 3.5 gallons, stir in roughly half of the dried malt extract and boil for 60 minutes. Add hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrients at times indicated. Stir in remaining malt extract during final 15 minutes of the boil. (See our article on how to make kettle additions.) Chill wort, then rack to fermenter. Add cool water to make about 5.25 gallons. Aerate wort thoroughly and pitch sediment from yeast starter. Ferment at 68 °F. After fermentation stops, let beer settle for 2–3 days, then rack to secondary fermenter with dry hops. Dry hop for 5–6 days, then rack to keg or bottling bucket, for a yield of 5 gallons. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO2.
—
Patrick Henry Pale Ale
Extract Adaptation (metric units)
by Chris Colby
DESCRIPTION
This is my basic American-style pale ale. I’ve brewed this recipe — slightly tweaking it every time — over 30 times and it’s a great “go-to” beer. I really like the combination of Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo late hops and I use this combo in most of my other pale-ale-like beers, including my sweet potato ESB. The only non-standard part of this recipe is the tiny amount of chocolate malt added. This changes the hue of the beer slightly, and can be omitted if you want.
INGREDIENTS (for 19 L)
Water Profile
< 50 ppm carbonate (HCO3–)
~125 ppm calcium (Ca+2) *
* use 3:1 ratio of CaSO4 to CaCl2
Malts and Other Fermentables
(for an OG of 1.052 at 70% extract efficiency and an SRM of 11)
1.0 kg US 2-row pale malt
1.9 kg light dried malt extract
230 g crystal malt (40 °L)
85 g crystal malt (60 °L)
3.5 g chocolate malt
Hops (for 44 IBUs total)
Simcoe hops (13 IBUs)
11 g (at 13% alpha acids) boiled for 60 minutes
Centennial hops (14 IBUs)
14 g (at 10% alpha acids) boiled for 30 minutes
Cascade hops (9 IBUs)
18 g (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Amarillo hops (3.7 IBUs)
7.1 g (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 15 minutes
Cascade hops (0 IBUs)
18 g (at 7% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Amarillo hops (0 IBUs)
7.1 g (at 8% alpha acids) boiled for 0 minutes
Cascade dry hops
21 g in secondary fermenter
Amarillo dry hops
14 g in secondary fermenter
Yeast (to attenuate to FG 1.011, for an ABV of 5.3%)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale)
or Fermentis US-05 yeast
(a 1.5-L yeast starter for liquid yeasts)
Processing Aids and Other
1 tsp. Irish moss (boiled for 15 mins)
1/4 tsp. yeast nutrients (boiled for 15 minutes)
140 g corn sugar (to prime bottles for 2.6 volumes of CO2)
PROCEDURE
Make yeast starter 2–3 days ahead of time. Place grains in a large grain steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.9 L of brewing liquor to 73 °C and dunk grain bag. Steep grains (this is actually mashing, since you have base grains in the grist) at 67 °C for 45 minutes. While grains are steeping (mashing), bring 9.5 L of water to a boil in your brewpot. Also, bring 1.9 L of water to 77 °C in a soup pot. Lift grain bag and let it drip into steeping pot, then place grain bag in colander over brewpot. Pour grain tea through bag (to filter out bits of grain) then rinse grain bag with 1.9 L of 77 °C water. Adjust volume of wort to at least 13 L, stir in roughly half of the dried malt extract and boil for 60 minutes. Add hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrients at times indicated. Stir in remaining malt extract during final 15 minutes of the boil. (See our article on how to make kettle additions.) Chill wort, then rack to fermenter. Add cool water to make about 20 L. Aerate wort thoroughly and pitch sediment from yeast starter. Ferment at 20 °C. After fermentation stops, let beer settle for 2–3 days, then rack to secondary fermenter with dry hops. Dry hop for 5–6 days, then rack to keg or bottling bucket, for a yield of 19 L. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO2.
Chris, is that supposed to be 1/8 of a ounce of chocolate malt (3.5 grams) or is it supposed to be 1/8 of a pound (2 ounces) of chocolate malt?
1/8 of an ounce is just 3.5 grams in a 5 gallon batch. That doesn’t sound right…
It’s an 8th of an ounce (3.5 g). It is only for color adjustment (which is slight) and you can leave it out if you’d like.
Anyone made this and have tasting notes to share? I am thinking of brewing it.
Hey Chris, I am going to brew this soon, but just got a pump and want to do hop whirlpooling. Any opinion on how to change the recipe for whirlpool hopping?
Do you want to add all of the hops in the whirlpool, or just the late hops? If the latter, just move the 15-minute hop additions and the hops added at knockout to the whirlpool. You might want to up the bittering hop addition slightly because you’ll lose some bitterness by shifting some of the hops from 15 minutes to whirlpool. (On the other hand, you’ll get a little more aroma out of them.)
Alternately, you could just add the hops added at knockout (the 0 minutes hops) in the whirlpool and leave the other additions as is.
I don’t really know what I want because I’ve never whirlpooled before. I am just trying to get more hop flavor. I will probably move 15 min and later to whirlpool and see how it goes if you think that will do it.
Are you using whole hops or pellets for this recipe? What IBU formula do you use? I’m using Ray Daniels formulas from Designing Great Beers, and have come up with a heavier malt bill as well as different hop additions (less hops) to achieve the same IBUs you list. Do you like Daniel’s formulas in general? I’m hoping to brew this recipe this weekend. Thanks!
I use a hop utilization curve similar to Tinseth’s and this gives me good results on my system. If Daniels works better for you, use his curve. Also, with regards to the grain bill. Those are the weights of the grain I use and I’m usually within a couple points of my target original gravity. Depending on your extract efficiency and ingredients, you may need to make adjustments.
I found my mistake with my grain bill calculations….I was using my post mash/pre-boil volume in Daniels’ formula instead of my post boil volume. I reworked it and got the same bill that you list in the recipe. Thanks for the help. Just another “learning moment” in my journey of homebrewing. And thanks for this website. It’s been an invaluable resource to me.
this is a truly a great pale ale. it beats anything on the market that i have been able to find. the hops are spot on without being over[powering. i’ve brewed it several times and it always turns out great.this is my go to pale ale.