I am excited that this year’s Big Brew recipe is my own beloved Nearly Nirvana Pale Ale (NNPA). This is a recipe that I have brewed over 90 times and one that has personally taught me a great deal about brewing. You can find the recipe and the backstory in the new March/April Zymurgy.
The key point I tried to impart is summed up thusly: Oscar Wilde once said that “Consistency is the hallmark of the unimaginative”. I counter this philosophy and believe that to master brewing, one must start with a thorough understanding of one’s processes, systems, ingredients and one’s own limitations to achieve the desired outcomes.
I advocate for homebrewers to try a specific recipe that they love, be it a clone of a commercial craft beer or their favorite unique recipe. Brew it several times until you get to the point where brewing it becomes almost muscle memory. And once you have locked it in, try changing just one variable at a time to see, taste and smell the impact of that one change.
I want to stress that this year’s NNPA is not the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (SNPA) Clone that was the 2000 Big Brew recipe. Back then was trying to get as close as possible to SNPA. But over time I modified it to suit my tastes which lean more toward more bitterness, a bit higher malt flavor and a touch higher alcohol.
If you want to get closer to a SNPA clone, then take one of the two ounces from the bittering Cascades and save it for either whirlpool or dry hopping and drop the mash temp to 153o – 155o.
You can listen to Ken Grossman and I discuss his SNPA recipe, discuss a few homebrewing insights and also also this year’s Big Brew recipe during the April Zymurgy Live on April 25th (How Homebrewing Led to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale | Zymurgy Live).
As a member of the AHA GC Events & Education sub-committee, we are proud to re-invigorate this feature with great discussions which lead to lively chats with members and an opportunity to ask questions of our speakers while live. I encourage members to sign up for these events as they help nourish and expand our thoughts about the art & science of homebrewing. Wait, isn’t that the very definition of Zymurgy?
I’m happy y’all chose an APA this yr. Admittedly, though I brew on the day, in the past I have brewed a different beer because I was uninterested in the Big Brew recipe. This yr I’ll at least be brewing in the ball park with my version of a session APA.
In the past it has been chosen a number of ways. Going forward the Events & Education subcommittee will have some overview and feedback on homebrew holiday events, such as Big Brew and Fermentation Day.
I volunteered this particular recipe for a couple of reasons. First, it’s ease - 2 grains, one hop variety nd a yeast. An all grain single infusion. Second, it’s deliciousness. Finally, it is a base recipe that can be infinitely modified so as to allow brewers to fully understand the impact that a single process or ingredient can make.
My 91st iteration in currently in the fermenter and I’ll be brewing #92 (a rare extract version - for me) a day or two before I have a chat with Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada, on both his Pale ale and my Nearly Nirvana Pale Ale on April 25th (How Homebrewing Led to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale | Zymurgy Live). I figure as part of my homage to his nearly perfect American Pale Ale that I should have one “peculating” in the background while we have our discussion.
Now, as a reminder, this years is not a “copy” or 'clone" (sorry Denny) of SNPA. It is a bit bigger, a bit more bitter and more malt forward. If you seek something closer to SNPA simply take one ounce (per 5 gallon batch) of the Cascade that was up front for bittering and add it at knock out or whirlpool. Drop the mash temp to 152o - 153o. Maybe hold back a little of the Crystal 40oL. t will get you closer.
Then try it again and see if you are able to replicate it. Then change a variable. It has been a lifetime of learning for me.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a passionate homebrewer and have been for 30 years, and that I love brewing my Nearly Nirvana Pale Ale (NNPA) recipe. First brewed in the 90’s, it was my homage to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (SNPA), a consistently perfect American Pale Ale. I have brewed it over 90 times to date.
In 2000 I had the good fortune to have my NNPA recipe selected as the Big Brew recipe that hundreds of brewers across the world brewed that first Saturday in May on National Homebrew Day. Over the years I have learned most of what I know about brewing from this recipe. Tweaking one variable at a time, I have come to understand what these changes have meant to the flavor, aroma and body of this beer.
As a homebrewer I am more than excited that my current version of this recipe is once again being shared with homebrewers worldwide as the 2023 Big Brew recipe. My current version is now modified to my own tastes. A bit bigger and a tad more bitter than SNPA, it is what I love to brew and drink. You can read about it here - Big Brew for National Homebrew Day May 4, 2024 - American Homebrewers Association
And to top it all off, I get to discuss SNPA and NNPA with Ken Grossman, founder and owner of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company this Tuesday at 5:00PM EST. We will talk about his development of his recipe as well as my own. As a homebrewer, this is indeed a Nirvana moment. And to do this less than two weeks before brewers all over brew their own batch of my recipe…priceless.
This is an AHA Member only event, but if you are a friend and would like to attend or get a chance to listen to it later, send me an email and I can get you the link. And if you are a friend and you do homebrew, I highly recommend joining the AHA. And I can get you $10 off your membership if you want to join – let me know!
I hope to see some of my friends in the chat, asking Ken and I whatever is on your mind about these brews!
This must be a bit surreal. I too have been brewing for a long time and anytime I’m able to give something of value to others; it recharges my battery. Good on you!
