18B American Pale Ale

Chico Reloaded

The great Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has pulled its weight in providing liquid inspiration, including this recipe. American Pale Ale is often homebrewing 101 for beginners and routine everywhere else. Chico Reloaded takes very similar ingredients as SNPA to make a softer, juicier, more modern take on this style. Different process produces different results.

This method follows an all-grain recipe with basic, minimal equipment. Specifically, a modified dunk sparge explained later. All steps covered, first-time beginner friendly with required equipment.

Start Brewing Required Equipment Get this bill

Ingredients

Standard · 5 gal · estimates

OG (original gravity)

1.053

FG (final gravity)

1.009

IBU (bitterness)

ABV (alcohol)

5.7%

SRM (color)

8.5

Fermentables

10 lb Proximity ReGenMalt PaleOptions: Root Shoot Genie Pale; Simpsons Maris Otter
12 oz Proximity ReGenMalt Crystal 45Option: 12 oz Proximity ReGenMalt Crystal 60
8 oz Proximity Body Builder

Hops

0.5 oz Cascade, 60 min
0.5 oz Cascade, 30 min
1 oz Cascade, 10 min
1 oz Cascade, hop stand ~180 40 min (bag)
1 oz Cascade, hop stand ~170 20 min (bag)
1 oz Cascade, DH primary 2 days (bag)
1 oz Cascade, DH cold ~50°F 2 days (bag)

Yeast

SafAle S-04

Other yeasts on the writeup.

Pre-boil kettle volume

~6–6.5 gal

Post-boil kettle volume

~5.5 gal

Grain bill

11 lb 4 oz

Mash rest

158°F / 60 min

Hopping Schedule

60 min - boil
40 min - hop stand

Cascade

0.5 oz

FWH 60 min

First wort hop

Cascade

0.5 oz

30 min

Boil, 30 left

Cascade

1 oz

10 min

Boil, 10 left

Cascade

1 oz

~180 40 min

Hop stand, 40 left

Cascade

1 oz

~170 20 min

Hop stand, 20 left

Cascade

1 oz

DH1

Late primary 2 days

Cascade

1 oz

DH2

Cold ~50°F 2 days

Method Overview

Limited-equipment BIAB with a modified dunk sparge and rinse. The first few days of fermentation require more careful krausen/foam monitoring to time the first dry hop accurately.

Mash ~5.25 gal at 158°F / 60 min. Cooler is the dunk rinse/sparge vessel. Kitchen pots will do a 1 gallon rinse/sparge.
60-min boil. 0.5 oz Cascade at 60, 0.5 oz at 30, 1 oz at 10. Planning IBU ~29.
Flame out, move kettle to sink for hop stand. Drop temp to low 180s, 1 oz bagged Cascade hop stand 40 min. At 20 min, add stand 2 at ~170. Both bags out, then ice bath/chill.
Pitch S-04 ~68°F. Ferment upper 60s/low-70s.
Dry hop 1 late primary, bagged, two day contact then remove and take gravity. Wait three days. Take another gravity to confirm no/little gravity drop. Start DH2 - option to chill at this point if equipped. Remove DH2 after two days. Package fresh.