# 🍺 Top-down Brew: Beer Engine 2024 Example

This example is an American pale ale flexstyle calculator. The values on the left are based upon averages submitted to beer competitions. The right side gives some style guidance. More information is available about the philosophy and documentation.

Original Gravity

Enter the desired original gravity as specific gravity (1.0XX) or degrees plato (°P).

Specification: 1.045 to 1.060; 11.2 to 14.7 °P

Target volume

Enter the desired volume at the end of the boil. The volume units can be either liters, gallons, or US barrels.

Measurement Units
Metric US US Barrels

Select the preferred unit of measurement for the inputs and outputs. Metric uses liters, grams, and kilograms. US uses gallons, ounces, and pounds. US Barrels (31 gallons = 1 barrel) is in barrels, pounds, and ounces.

Mash Efficiency

Enter the anticipated mash efficiency percentage. If this is not known, try the following values based on the sparge method: Steeping (50%), No-sparge or brew-in-a-bag (65 to 75%), Batch sparge (80%), or Continuous (fly) sparge (85 to 90%).

Grains

Enter the name, fermentable %, Lovibond, and yield (SG or percent) with comma separations.

American pale ales typically have an American two-row base malt paired with 5 to 10% of a light or medium crystal malt. Small amounts of wheat malt or carapils are optional for increasing foam. Small amounts of high kilned malts like Vienna, Munich, Biscuit, or Victory are possibilities, but use restaint.

- Beer-analytics.com American Pale Ale analysis
- Brew United's grain database
- BYO magazine grain and adjunct resource

Sugars

Enter the name, fermentable %, Lovibond, and yield (SG or percent) with comma separations. The grain and sugar percentages must add to 100%.

Sugars are not typical for American pale ales. These could be used to lighten the body if desired. Malt extract brewers could try steeping 5% crystal malt (medium: 40L or 60L) in the grain section and use 95% liquid (1.035 yield) or dry malt (1.044 yield) extract in the sugar fields.

- BYO magazine sugar resource

Bitterness

Enter the desired bitterness in international bittering units (IBUs).

Style specification: 30 to 50 IBUs. The beer-analytics.com averages suggest a BU/GU of .73.

Hops

Enter the hop name, IBU %, AA %, and boil minutes with comma separations.

The classic American pale ale hops are the C-hops: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus. There are numerous other American-type hop possibilities like Citra, Galaxy, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Mosaic. Hop combinations sometimes use a higher alpha acid hop for bittering and a lower alpha acid hop for flavor and aroma.

- Beer-analytics.com American Pale Ale
- Brew United hop database
- BYO magazine's hop resources

Late Boil Additions

Enter late boil additions like spices with the name and dosage (grams/liter), with a comma separation.

Spices are not typical for an American pale ale.

Dry Hops

Enter dry hops with name and dosage (grams/liter), with a comma separation.

Dry hopping may be used for hop flavor and aroma.

- 0.5 to 0.9 g/l: Light
- 1.0 to 2.0 g/l: Moderate
- > 2.0 g/l: High

Yeast
Ale Lager

Select the yeast type, ale or lager.

This style typically uses a neutral American ale-type yeast, such as White Labs 0001 or Fermentis US-05.

← Click here when the data entry is done.

## Results

*** Waiting for results ***

## Notes

2021 BJCP 18B - American pale ale style: "Characteristic Ingredients: Neutral pale malt. American or New World hops. Neutral to lightly fruity American or English ale yeast. Small amounts of various specialty malts."

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.045 – 1.060, IBUs: 30 – 50 FG: 1.010 – 1.015, SRM: 5 – 10 ABV: 4.5 – 6.2%

## Sources

Beer-analytics.com American pale ale

Colby, C. (2006, March-April). Oh, say can you "C"? A guide to brewing American Pale Ales. BYO, 32-39.

Strong, G. (2009, January-February). American pale ale: The test of a brewer's skill. BYO, 19-23.

Zainasheff, J. (2013, January-Feburary). American pale ale: Crisp and hoppy. BYO, 19-23.

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