Brian Phelps Pale Ale
Brewed: 8/28/2022 Kegged: 9/4/2022

This (2022) is the 7th year that I'm doing the Great Cycle Challenge, on which the past few years, I've pledged to ride 1000 miles in September (before covid ... it was June).
As a result of "training" for this event every year, I've gotten to a point where I'm cycling over 5000 miles a year.
Which, is a lot of cycling.
Being a part of the Great Cycle Challenge, there are some people that I interact with on facebook and on strava who are also a part of the challenge.
At some point, I got into a friendly "competition" with a guy from Michigan named Brian Phelps.
It isn't much of a competition, he kicks my butt. My strava goal is to hit 5000 miles. His this year is 7000 miles (and I have no doubt he'll hit it)
I cycle pretty much all year, so early in the year, with Michigan weather being less than ideal, I have lots more miles than he does. He'll leave comments on my rides about having to catch me.

He catches me, though. This year he passed me in mid-July, and I have been chasing him ever since.
The really amazing thing about Brian Phelps is that he's 18 years older than me. He is cycling 7000 miles in the year that he turned 70 years old.
He's super human! I decided to make a beer named after him. This is it!

For more information on this beer and/or Brian, see Sheppy's Blog: Brian Phelps
Brian Phelps Pale Ale --- Batch 1 (318) |
Style | American Pale Ale | Batch Size | 5.50 gal | |||
Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 6.60 gal | |||
Brewhouse Efficiency | 65.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
Recipe Gravity | 1.055 SG | Estimated FG | 1.012 SG | ||||
Recipe Bitterness | 49.2 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 5.7 % | ||||
BU : GU | 0.898 | ||||||
Recipe Color | 6.1 SRM |
|
|||||
Measured OG: | 1.055 | Measured FG: | 1.011 | ||||
ADF: | 79.3 | Measured ABV: | 5.8 |
Ingredients
Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8.02 gal | Denver, Colorado | Water | 1 | - | - |
12.00 g | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) | Water Agent | 2 | - | - |
3.00 g | Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) | Water Agent | 3 | - | - |
2.00 g | Calcium Chloride (Mash) | Water Agent | 4 | - | - |
1.00 tsp | Lactic Acid (Mash) | Water Agent | 5 | - | - |
10 lbs | Base Malt 2 Row (Proximity) (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 6 | 80.0 % | 0.78 gal |
2 lbs | Vienna (Proximity) (3.5 SRM) | Grain | 7 | 16.0 % | 0.16 gal |
8.0 oz | Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) | Grain | 8 | 4.0 % | 0.04 gal |
1.000 oz | Galena [10.30 %] - Boil 40.0 min | Hop | 9 | 32.1 IBUs | - |
1.00 Items | Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) | Fining | 10 | - | - |
1.000 oz | Citra [13.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 11 | 9.0 IBUs | - |
1.000 oz | Talus (HBC 692) [6.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 12 | 4.2 IBUs | - |
0.500 oz | Mosaic (HBC 369) [11.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 13 | 3.8 IBUs | - |
1.0 pkg | Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] | Yeast | 14 | - | - |
0.50 tsp | Gelatin (Bottling 5.0 hours) | Fining | 15 | - | - |
1.000 oz | Citra [12.00 %] - 0.0 Days Before Bottling for 0.0 Days | Hop | 16 | 0.0 IBUs | - |
1.000 oz | Talus (HBC 692) [6.20 %] - 0.0 Days Before Bottling for 0.0 Days | Hop | 17 | 0.0 IBUs | - |
Mash Profile
Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
---|---|---|---|
Saccharification | Add 32.06 qt of water at 159.0 F | 152.0 F | 45 min |
Heat | Heat to 158.0 F over 10 min | 158.0 F | 15 min |
Mash Out | Heat to 170.0 F over 7 min | 170.0 F | 10 min |
If steeping, remove grains,
and prepare to boil wort
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=141,Mg=18,Na=21,SO4=310,Cl=55,HCO3=104
Acid addition based on BeerSmith predicted pH. Should lower to 5.4.
Mash and boil as directed
Chill to as close to 60 degrees as possible. Ferment a couple days in the low 60's and then let the fermentation rise to ambient temperature.
Keg. Add geletin after a day or two in the refridgerator.
Carbonate and drink.
Brewing Record
Brew Date: | Strike Temp: | |||||
Mash Temps: | ||||||
Pre-boil OG | (1.050 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (6.60 gal) | |||
Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
Fermentation | ||||||
Day 1: | ||||||
Day ... | ||||||
Day ... |
Brewing Notes
8/28/2022 Got ingredients from Tom's Thursday. Brew day today went well. Had to boil an extra 20 minutes to get to Pre-boil. OG right on plan. Up at 4am. Started mash at 4:15. Pitched right at 9am.
8/29/2022 Fermentation slow to start. Tilt says 1.053 at 62 degrees.
8/30/2022 Tilt says 1.044 at 64 degrees. Bubbling away. Turning up set temp to 65.
8/31/2022 Tilt says 1.028 at 66 degrees. Earlier, I set the controller to 66. Will probably turn off temp control by end of day.
9/4/2022 Tilt said 1.011 at 70 degrees. Poured a sample that looked fairly clear. Had some time and empty kegs so I decided to keg today. 1.011 FG. Nice hoppy flavor. Added in the dry hops right into the keg. ABV at 5.8%.
9/10/2022 Been drinking, but carbonation just now getting where it needs to be. Nice tropical and citrus hop flavors and aroma. Starting to look less hazy.
10/14/2022 Still nice and hoppy. Very clear now. Don't think it will last much longer.
10/17/2022 Killed the keg tonight. This makes room in the beer fridge for Mr. Awesome. Great hoppy pale ale from start to finish.
8/28/2022 Got ingredients from Tom's Thursday. Brew day today went well. Had to boil an extra 20 minutes to get to Pre-boil. OG right on plan. Up at 4am. Started mash at 4:15. Pitched right at 9am.
8/29/2022 Fermentation slow to start. Tilt says 1.053 at 62 degrees.
8/30/2022 Tilt says 1.044 at 64 degrees. Bubbling away. Turning up set temp to 65.
8/31/2022 Tilt says 1.028 at 66 degrees. Earlier, I set the controller to 66. Will probably turn off temp control by end of day.
9/4/2022 Tilt said 1.011 at 70 degrees. Poured a sample that looked fairly clear. Had some time and empty kegs so I decided to keg today. 1.011 FG. Nice hoppy flavor. Added in the dry hops right into the keg. ABV at 5.8%.
9/10/2022 Been drinking, but carbonation just now getting where it needs to be. Nice tropical and citrus hop flavors and aroma. Starting to look less hazy.
10/14/2022 Still nice and hoppy. Very clear now. Don't think it will last much longer.
10/17/2022 Killed the keg tonight. This makes room in the beer fridge for Mr. Awesome. Great hoppy pale ale from start to finish.