So it’s been a while since I’ve brewed anything. I have a case of pumpkin ale that I’ve been trying to get rid of, and while it was OK, it wasn’t spectacular in my book. So I need to brew something new. I have an amber ale kit that’s been in my freezer/fridge for a while, but I’d really like to formulate my own. Recently I was in Indiana and went to the Ram brewpub in Fishers. I absolutely loved their rye pale ale. I also recently bought a 6 pack of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale and loved it. So i need some help formulating my recipe. The malts I want to use: Victory, Crystal, Wheat, Pale and Nugget, ahtanum, and cascade hops. I want to do this as an extract/grain beer where I do some steeping at the start then adding my extracts. Where can I use extract and what can I steep at the beginning? I’m shooting for an IBU of 37 to 41, and by my calcs, with Nugget at 60, ahtanum at 15, and cascade at 5min, I can get right in that range. Also, how much rye does one typically use?
Supposedly Denny has the “end all” Rye Pale Ale. Do a search for the recipe. I’ve never tasted it but my opinion is rye really complements a beer. Belongs there.
Since you want to brew a rye pale ale, I’ll assume you want some rye in your grain bill! 
You mentioned Terrapin . . . Here is a clone of that recipe I made that tasted like the real thing. The IBUs are a little higher than what you’re shooting for, but not by much.
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale Clone
A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 12.50
Anticipated OG: 1.058 Plato: 14.22
Anticipated SRM: 6.9
Anticipated IBU: 44.9
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Pre-Boil Amounts
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
74.0 9.25 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
10.0 1.25 lbs. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 8
8.0 1.15 lbs. Rye Malt America 1.030 4
4.0 0.50 lbs. Victory Malt America 1.034 25
4.0 0.50 lbs. Honey Malt Canada 1.030 18
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
0.50 oz. Magnum Pellet 14.00 27.1 45 min.
0.75 oz. Fuggle Pellet 5.00 8.2 30 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 3.4 20 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 2.0 10 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.75 4.1 3 min.
1.00 oz. Amarillo Gold Whole 10.00 0.0 Dry Hop
Yeast
WYeast 1272 American Ale II
Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 12.50
Water Qts: 18.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 4.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.44 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 153 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 168 Time: 15
Total Mash Volume Gal: 5.50 - Dough-In Infusion Only
All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
You may be thinking of the Rye IPA, but I do have a really good rye APA recipe, too. It’s about 40% rye.
Gonna be tough to do with Extract/Steeping since the Rye Malt needs to be mashed.
There’s very little difference between mashing and steeping though, and rye malt has enough DP to self-convert, so it should be fine.
Kegged 10g of DC’s RIPA a week ago…This is a must brew for every homebrewer. The first time I brewed it, I didn’t get the proper crush on the rye, and little if any rye character made it in to the final product. Meh. Fast forward a couple yrs., got the proper crush and BAM, kick a** beer! Brew it up, Euge! (and OP) You guys will NOT regret it. 8)
I just made this American Rye/wheat beer. It’s unmalted stuff I got at Natural Foods at about 50 cents a pound.
That 12% flaked rye is up front on the flavor profile. This flaked rye seems more pungent flavored then the German and British rye malt I’ve used before.
This weekend I judged a Rye ale made with a neutral ale yeast and generously hopped with 100% sarachi hops. Wow! it was incredible. The spicey hop with that sort of lemony sarachi flavor and aroma made for flavors that were incredibly unique. Everyone that tried it said it was like nothing they’d ever had before - totally original and a pleasure to drink!
Any chance you could add a link to the latter the AHA recipe wiki? I’ve brewed the RIPA three times this year and love it (though the last batch came out too bitter and not hoppy enough due to new-equipment blues), but an RAPA sounds really approachable. A gateway beer
From everything i’ve read I think I will try steeping it. Maybe i’ll throw some flaked rye in at the end of the boil as well give it a little more punch. I think for the recipe, I am still looking around, and I downloaded a beer recipe formulator so I will fool around with that. Should a half hour steep/mash time do it for the rye?
If you “steep” for an hour at 155, you’ll be fine. If you’re not prepared to do that, than don’t use rye. And I hope you don’t really mean you’re going to put flaked rye in the boil! It needs to be mashed also, but it doesn’t contain the enzymes to convert itself. You’ll need to mash it with a malt that has diastatic power. And FWIW, flaked rye won’t give you much “punch”. It’s much more subtle than malted rye.
Oh ok… For some reason I thought flaked rye was added at the end. Probably from a “misrepresented” recipe I found somewhere on google. I can “steep” for an hour no problem. Thanks!
OK I’m adjusting this recipe a little bit and going to use Light DME instead of the Pale 2-row. I want to know what people think, if i’m on the right track (It will end up being a partial mash)
Recipe Gravity: 1.056 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 38 IBU
Recipe Color: 11° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.014
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.3%
Ingredients
German Munich 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Honey Malt 0.50 lb, Grain, Other
Light D.M.E. 4.50 lb, Extract, Extract
Rye malt 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Victory Malt 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed
Amarillo Gold 1.00 oz, Whole, 0 minutes (Dry Hop)
Cascade 1.00 oz, Pellet, 3 minutes
Fuggles 0.50 oz, Pellet, 30 minutes
Kent Golding 0.50 oz, Pellet, 10 minutes
Kent Golding 0.50 oz, Pellet, 20 minutes
Magnum 0.50 oz, Pellet, 45 minutes