Pilot Batch Pale Ale

This was our first effort as all grain brewers, mistakes were made, but the beer is surprisingly drinkable. The inspiration for this one was simple, to make a beer we couldn't screw up.

Keep it simple stupid is great advice for your first all grain brew. Nothing imperial, nothing with crazy adjuncts, nothing with complex techniques, a simple low gravity beer with a manageable hops schedule. You're going to feel rushed, you're going to forget things, having everything ready beforehand and printing a brew sheet will help keep you focused and on task.

(read more after the break)

The recipe:
7 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 88.6 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) 5.7 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 5.7 %
0.25 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min 14.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min 9.3 IBUs 
0.75 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min  5.6 IBUs
0.75 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min  6.7 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056)

Mash:
Mash In Add 11.94 qt of water at 162.7 @ 152.0 for 60 min Sparge:
Batch sparge with 4.75gal of 168.0 F water

Stats:
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated FG: 1.010 SG 
Estimated Color: 5.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 36.2 IBUs 

boil for 60 minutes estimated fermentor volume 5.0 gallons.

All things considered this went smoothly. I aged a 1 gallon portion of this on some frozen sweet cherries I purchased at target, after a week I pulled the plug and bottled that portion because I wanted it to be ready to take to STL for the 4th of July for Kyle. It tasted good just not nearly as cherry dominant as I'd hoped or as the color suggested.