[stuworx]

Hi guys,

I think this is my first post on here, but I've been reading the forum for a while. So hello from the UK.

In the NY I plan to create the perfect blonde ale for my gf. But as usual I'll make sure I benefit from it too.

I want to go back to basics and learn what each variable brings to the party, malt, hops, yeast, water and so on...

My first round of testing will be 3-4 smash brews to identify her preferred hops. I'm thinking noble type hops, saaz is in there but what others do you guys recommend?

The 2nd round will be speciality malts, again no more than 4 brews. E.g. 5-10% Munich, Vienna etc with her chosen hops, but keeping the ebc <10 (4-5 srm). Again, recommendations?

3rd round will be yeast. I think I'll do more than 4 brews here as I could split a brew into 2 fv and pitch different yeasts.

From here I plan to test water, hop timing and any other technique based variable.

The end goal is create her perfect blonde and a beer I could use as a base, e.g. Add different aroma hops.

Specs will be:
4% ish
<10 ebc
No more than 3 malts
Single hopped

Any other recommendations?

Cheers, Stuart.

[klickitat jim]

We tend to speak BJCP here! so Blonde would be kind of like an American kolsch. Clean yeast character, moderately hopped usually with citrusy hops but I like your nobel idea. Saaz would be great or hallertau,  mittelfruh, etc. I like the idea of a UK spin on it. Maybe Golden Promise with about 8-10% vienna, about 20-30 IBUs of EKG, and a scottsih yeast fermented fairly cool. Mash low so it finishes fairly dry. Dang, now I want one.

[theoman]

Funny, Belgian is what came to my mind, though the 4% might be low. I'm with Jim. But if you want to go the more Belgiany route with some estery yeast and some fuggles and/or goldings hops, I'm sure that would be delicious as well.

[klickitat jim]

Funny, Belgian is what came to my mind, though the 4% might be low. I'm with Jim. But if you want to go the more Belgiany route with some estery yeast and some fuggles and/or goldings hops, I'm sure that would be delicious as well.

That little e makes all the difference huh?

[narvin]

Funny, Belgian is what came to my mind, though the 4% might be low. I'm with Jim. But if you want to go the more Belgiany route with some estery yeast and some fuggles and/or goldings hops, I'm sure that would be delicious as well.

That little e makes all the difference huh?

Yeah, the difference between French and Flemish

[dmtaylor]

Fellas, American blonde ale is a BJCP style, and it is a style that I love.  But of course you can turn it into something German, English, Belgian, whatever if you want to.  Here's a few ingredient ideas that I've used in my American style versions:

amber malt (you can toast your own if you can't find commercially)
Munich
Maris Otter
rye malt
wheat malt
smoked malt (for very very slight effect, keep it under 8% of the grist)
flaked corn
Gambrinus honey malt (<5%)
wildflower honey
Wyeast 2565 or WLP029 Kolsch yeast
WLP400 or 3944 witbier yeast
Nottingham ale yeast
US-05 / WLP001 / 3056

Sky is the limit on hops and yeast, really.  I usually use my homegrown Hallertau and Cascade hops for these, or Tettnanger, or odds and ends.  I don't like a huge hop flavor in most of my blonde ales although I did really like the Cascade single-hop one.  So anyway, listed above is the somewhat more unusual ingredients that have made many of the best blonde ales that I have tasted.

[Jimmy K]

I always thought a perfect blonde was more an ultimate goal than 'basics'

[morticaixavier]

The only thing I'll add is that you might want to switch your steps. figure out the malt first as it's a malt forward style more than a hop forward one and because the malt bill will affect the hop perception more than the other way around in my opinion.

[stuworx]

The only thing I'll add is that you might want to switch your steps. figure out the malt first as it's a malt forward style more than a hop forward one and because the malt bill will affect the hop perception more than the other way around in my opinion.

Very good point, I did think of doing it that way but I thought starting again with 3-4 smash beers would be more useful to me and to help the hops shine. But yeah you're right, the malt is primary in this.

Now which hop to start with or is the hop round really required?

I could just pick one to stick with or experiment after the yeast round.

[morticaixavier]

The only thing I'll add is that you might want to switch your steps. figure out the malt first as it's a malt forward style more than a hop forward one and because the malt bill will affect the hop perception more than the other way around in my opinion.

Very good point, I did think of doing it that way but I thought starting again with 3-4 smash beers would be more useful to me and to help the hops shine. But yeah you're right, the malt is primary in this.

Now which hop to start with or is the hop round really required?

I could just pick one to stick with or experiment after the yeast round.

I don't know, does your girlfriend like hops? what kinds? I think noble hops are nice in malty beers because they just support the malt like herbs in stew. But american and new zealand hops can really be great and interesting with fruity and pungent flavors and aromas.

[S. cerevisiae]

The grist that I use for my blonde is 90% German pils, 5% carapils, and 5% torrified wheat.  I bitter and flavor with Liberty (a triploid derived from Hallertau) for a total of 25 IBUs.  It is a beer that goes over very well with craft and non-craft beer drinkers.

[stuworx]

I'd say she's not a big hop fan. That was the reason of going Nobel, I'm thinking saaz as I know its used in a beer she likes.

As said, I kinda want a go to beer but then have a base to tweek and experiment. Going US or NZ might be too hoppy for a base beer.

[HobsonDrake]

Does your gf have a commercial beer that she likes? This would give you something as a starting point and then change it up from there.
Not that brewing lots of beers to get to what you want wouldn't be the best life ever too.
 

[morticaixavier]

The grist that I use for my blonde is 90% German pils, 5% carapils, and 5% torrified wheat.  I bitter and flavor with Liberty (a triploid derived from Hallertau) for a total of 25 IBUs.  It is a beer that goes over very well with craft and non-craft beer drinkers.

this is a good place to start. simple, easy drinking, and fairly neutral. but with the german pils there will be some nice sweet pils malt flavor and aroma that will make it not too plain.

[stuworx]

I've got 5 initial brews:-

Malt 1 - lager malt
Malt 2 - wheat malt
Malt 3 - Munich, Vienna, pale rye, carmalt (same carapils i think) and amber malt

The % of Malt 1 & 3 will vary obviously and the wheat will stay at 5%.

I want to keep the ebc under 10 so the % of malt is restricted depending on its colour. I've used 10% rye, which brings the ebc to 5 but would that be too much or too little?

I've never used rye so don't know which way to go. But hey that's partly why Im doing this.

I'm just using saaz at 60m and flameout. And s-04.

Thanks for your time so far guys.