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What is your best APA recipe?


Scottie

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After Nick bumped the OS Lager Challenge thread I thought I would post this. There always seem to be plenty of members here looking to move onto kits and bits and I reckon that he Australian Pale Ale can is the best platform.

As I said in my APA never fails thread this Can is foolproof.

So here is "one of my top 3 best ever kit brews" .

 

Styx River Pale

1.7kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale

1.5kg Coopers Wheat Malt Extract

150g Pale Crystal (80EBC)

100g LDM

Galaxy 15g @ 15 minutes

Willamette 15g @ 15 minutes

Galaxy 20g @ 8 minutes

Willamette 15g @ 8 minutes

Galaxy 10g @ 0 minutes

Willamette 15g @ 0 minutes

The boiled wort (3 litres) was rested for 30 minutes before straining into the FV atop the Can & Extract.

 

Coopers re-cultured yeast pitched at 18'C, fermented at 18'C. In the FV for 15 days.

 

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After Nick bumped the OS Lager Challenge thread I thought I would post this. There always seem to be plenty of members here looking to move onto kits and bits and I reckon that he Australian Pale Ale can is the best platform.

As I said in my APA never fails thread this Can is foolproof.

So here is my "my best ever kit brew" .

 

Styx River Pale

1.7kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale

1.5kg Coopers Wheat Malt Extract

150g Pale Crystal (80EBC)

100g LDM

Galaxy 15g @ 15 minutes

Willamette 15g @ 15 minutes

Galaxy 20g @ 8 minutes

Willamette 15g @ 8 minutes

Galaxy 10g @ 0 minutes

Willamette 15g @ 0 minutes

The boiled wort (3 litres) was rested for 30 minutes before straining into the FV atop the Can & Extract.

 

Coopers re-cultured yeast pitched at 18'C, fermented at 18'C. In the FV for 15 days.

 

Your Stella IPA was a winner, so i'd better have a go at the Styx river APA.

 

You are dead right about the APA, Coopers have many great kits, but the APA is is the cream of the crop, just in front of the EB and IPA.

 

As far as the my best recipe, i dont think you can beat the simplicity of an APA with 500gm of LDM, dry hopped to the sihthouse with Cascade.

 

Simple, quick and cheap, and giving them a good nudge is not a problem.

 

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I've only really ever brewed APAs as in American pale ales. This recipe from my brew day thread is definitely my best recipe. It is an all grain one but I'm sure it could be quite easily converted to extract.

 

 

5.3kg JW Traditional Ale Malt

.25kg Munich I malt

.25kg Wheat malt

.20kg Caramalt

 

75 min boil

Hops 20g Cascade added as a FWH addition

10g Super Galena @ 60 mins.

20g Cascade @ 20 mins.

20g Willamette @ 10 mins.

\xbd Whirlfloc @ 10 mins.

10g Cascade @ 5 mins.

Also will dry hop with 25-30g Cascade on day 4 or 5 of ferment.

US-05 yeast, ferment at 18C.

 

You could probably sub a couple of tins of LME for the ale malt. The Munich isn't really necessary - it was only added because I was trying to use up ingredients.

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I agree with Nick regarding the Cascade. I have used this kit with lots of different hops but you can't beat cascade; heaps of cascade.

 

I have even made a partial mash beer with the APA kit and just hopped it with cascade [love]

 

Simple but tasty.

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I agree with Nick regarding the Cascade. I have used this kit with lots of different hops but you can't beat cascade; heaps of cascade.

The first chapter in my soon to be released book "Nick's guide to very average brewing" says, the worse the kit the more cascade[lol] .

 

 

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I agree with Nick regarding the Cascade. I have used this kit with lots of different hops but you can't beat cascade; heaps of cascade.

The first chapter in my soon to be released book "Nick's guide to very average brewing" says, the worse the kit the more cascade[lol] .

I have just ordered a truckload for when I do the OS Lager kit.

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I did not realise that we had so many single hoppers around here, is there a best beer using Cascade thread looming?[whistling .

Another one of "one of my top 3 best ever kit brews" also using the Pale Ale kit ([surprised [surprised) was my Little Creatures Pale Ale (almost) clone. It uses 50g of Cascade & 25g of Citra and for about 7 months was rated as my best brew ever.

 

I have said that I have closed the door on K&K, and Kits and Bits brewing, but if Hairy would be so kind as to share his partial mash recipe, the one that is hopped to the high heavens with Cascade; then I would love to have a crack at it.

 

It would be my first partial Hairy and therefore some fairly prescriptive instructions would be required.

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I did not realise that we had so many single hoppers around here

I went through a stage where I did a heap of single hopped beer. It gives you a good idea of what the hops are like.

 

if Hairy would be so kind as to share his partial mash recipe' date=' the one that is hopped to the high heavens with Cascade; then I would love to have a crack at it.[/quote']

I will look for it when I get home. That one is in Beersmith which I don't use anymore but I think I still have access to it.

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I love the APA and upon renewing my love of home brewing, proceeded to knock out mega lires of it..Only problem is now that I have been initiated to the world of Hops, I find it plain Jane[roll] One of my favourites is the Fruit Salad Ale with an addition of Cara Munich Grain to kick of the wort. My other favourite APA as follows..

1.7 Coopers APA

375g Dex

375g LDME

250g MaltoDex

2 litre boil

15g Nelson Savin Steeped 15min

15g Cascade Steeped 10min

23 Litre

Kit Yeast @ 20deg

Dry Hop ( Chux ) 30g Cascade.

Ferment 18 - 20 deg

The visitors don't see this one...

[biggrin]

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As an absolute novice, I am finding my way with hops

 

I just bottled a Galaxy only IPA Coopers Kit and I just started a galaxy & cascade Coopers APA

 

I gotta agree with Hairy here about getting to understand your hopping - you can't do it with a kaleidoscope at the beginning. You need to start with some basics that only your own nose can teach you, and then build from there...

 

But it doesn't hurt to cheat and get a good start from the legends on this website

 

I agree with Nick regarding the Cascade. I have used this kit with lots of different hops but you can't beat cascade; heaps of cascade.

 

I have even made a partial mash beer with the APA kit and just hopped it with cascade [love]

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  • 4 months later...

Hi guys.

 

I thought this thread deserved a *Bump*.

 

I enjoyed reading through all of the posts. [joyful]

 

If Scottie inferred using the Coopers Aus Pale Ale kit as a base, I'm cool with that as a starting point. [cool]

 

I have a tin of it on the brew shelf atm (amongst many other ingredients), & am contemplating what I might add to it & brew with it in the next couple of weeks.

 

I originally wrote, "I have a tin of it on the brew shelf atm (amongst many other ingredients), & am contemplating what I might do to it..", & then realised Hairy would read this & take the mickey out of me on that statement, so I changed it! [lol]

 

He's everywhere, he's everywhere! [lol]

 

Anyways, I've got a few cool hops left over from single hop brews that I brewed to simply learn about their characteristics, that might get a throw at the APA kit.

 

The interesting hops I have on hand & am considering are Sorachi Ace, Riwaka, Falconer's Flight, Mt. Hood, & Vic's Secret.

 

I'd be interested in any ideas from those that may have used any of this group of hops.

 

I have just ordered a truckload for when I do the OS Lager kit.

Nice to see you still working on O.S. Lager kit recipes after you won the "O.S Lager Challenge" Hairy! [biggrin]

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony.

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I have one idea of what you could do with it [lol]

 

I haven't tried any of the hops you mentioned but I just bought a four pack of Feral Golden Ace tonight and is now in the fridge. I will report back tomorrow on the commercial beer using Sorachi Ace.

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I only brewed with the APA kit twice, once doing the Ashes Ale from the How to Brew section, and the other doing an amber ale which I didn't particularly like that much. The Ashes Ale was a pretty nice drop from what I recall (a year and a half ago, second brew).

 

My best pale ale (American) recipe is the one that featured in my brew day thread. And I'll come back and edit this post with it when I find it. [lol]

 

Here's the recipe:

5.3kg JW Traditional Ale Malt

.25kg Munich I malt

.25kg Wheat malt

.20kg Caramalt

 

75 min boil

Hops 20g Cascade added as a FWH addition

10g Super Galena @ 60 mins.

20g Cascade @ 20 mins.

20g Willamette @ 10 mins.

\xbd Whirlfloc @ 10 mins.

10g Cascade @ 5 mins.

30g Cascade dry hop

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Hola

I have done a few APA's and also used the APA can.

 

Best with the APA can is the LCPA clone in my signature.

 

But the BEST beer I have made is my ANZAC Pale Ale. Everyone loves that, and I always get asked if I have more.

 

Also made a quick recipe using the APA can, 1kg DME, some crystal (200g) and a little bit of choc malt (100g I think) for colour and a load of Pacific Gem hops. Used the kit yeast to get a bit fruity. It's quite nice

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  • 1 year later...

Fave Pale Ale?

Has to be the last one I brewed, which I'm doing again now.

Simply 1.7kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale

1kg BE2 (or equivalent) - in my case I use my LHBS's "Ultra Mix" which is 500g malt, 250g dextrose, 250g maltodextrin.

Just the usual, fill to 23 (or 24 litres to allow for the liquid absorption of the hops), and the yeast that comes with the can.

To that I add 12-15g steeped Cascade - steeped for up to 20 mins, then dry hop with another 12-15g Cascade on day 3.

It's supposedly a clone recipe for LCPA, but I actually think it sits somewhere between the Coopers APA and the LCPA - which is a pretty good brew.

 

I've made different styles, I've made more complex beers, and I've done simple K&K, but this one stands out, and is possibly my overall fave of all my home brews.

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Hey Brad

 

That is a great link from Hairy, he shared that with me some time ago and I made a couple of really good beers. It also gives you confidence to expand.

 

If you are thinking of a partial I did a good one last November.

 

Scotties Ashes Ale

Coopers APA

1kg Maris Otter

15g Ella at 8 mins

15g Stryrian Goldings at 5 mins

15g Styrians Goldings dry hop day 7

5 g Ella dry hopday 7

1968 London ESB yeast

 

bottled at about 4%

 

Cheers

Scottie

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Have limited experience in this category. BUT! Did a small batch in my Mr Beer fermenter (8.5 Litres). Got talking to my LHBS chap and talking about styles I like and would like to make/replicate and mentioned I liked James Squires Hop Thief. He then suggested I use 1 can of Coopers Real Ale, no fermenting sugar. I ended up dry-hopping this for the 3rd week with 100 grams of Simcoe pellets.

 

The krausen went ape-shit the first 2 days (spewed out everywhere. was sort of expecting this.). But this didn't affect the brew.

 

The batch stayed in the fermenter for 3 weeks. Bottled it and tried the first one about 1.5 weeks later. Man it was a brutal brew, as you would expect. I wasn't game - it was a really strong, dark, pungent, in your face beer that was a "sipping beer" only.

 

Anyhoo, pulled one out last week and took to work to let the work mates suffer it as well. I was blown away - everyone loved it. It has become quite a refined and mellow beer with great balance and clarrity. I'm now consudering how I can replicate this taste/style in my 30 Litre fermenter...maybe 2 x cans of Coopers Real Ale in 20 Litres dry-hopped again with 100 grams Simcoe.

 

It's a simple brew. But one that was a surprise. Might try this over Xmas.

 

Cheers,

 

Pete

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