Caldera Amber Clone...too easy?

brando632 · 09-12-2011, 05:55 AM

Caldera is a small brewery outside of Medford, OR. I've only has their amber a few times while in the area on business, but I've got real fond memories of the stuff. Anyway, their menu has a pretty detailed description of the beer: "A crisp, well balanced, refreshing amber. Simplicity is the key to this recipe. Malts: Premium Two Row, Crystal; Hops: Cascade, Galena; ABV: 5.4%; 24 IBU; 15.4 SRM."

I've only got four brews under my belt, but I figure why not. So I drop the ingredients into Beersmith and start playing. Doesn't take long to come up with this:

5.5 gals @ 70% efficiency

10.5 lbs 2 row
1.2 lbs crystal 120
Mash @ 152
0.25 galena @ 60 to go
0.25 galena @ 35
0.25 cascade @ 15
0.25 cascade @ 5
Nottingham

OG: 1.054
FG:1.012
ABV:5.5
IBU:24.3
SRM:15.4

The reason I chose Crystal 120 is because I remember reading that Crystal shouldn't exceed 10%. With only two grains, it takes the 120 to match SRM and stay within the 10% recommendation. Other than knowing galena is for bittering and cascade for flavoring, the hops are a guess. What do you think? Is it really this easy with a simple recipe and a cheat sheet?

rexbanner · 09-12-2011, 06:07 AM

Ever used 120 before? You might not like the taste it gives you in that quantity. My advice would be to forget about hitting exact SRM and shoot for a good basic amber recipe, or contact them and see if they'll tell you exactly what malts they use.

brando632 · 09-12-2011, 06:33 AM

Never used the stuff. I figured it wouldn't be that simple...

rexbanner · 09-12-2011, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brando632

Never used the stuff. I figured it wouldn't be that simple...

Try a half lb of 120 and a lb of 40.

**TopherM** · 09-12-2011, 05:49 PM

I would also look at eliminating the 35 min addition and have a 0.5 oz 60 minute addition.

grendle77 · 10-27-2011, 03:22 AM

I would like to know if you did brew the amber beer and how did it come out.

brando632 · 11-03-2011, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grendle77

I would like to know if you did brew the amber beer and how did it come out.

I didn't. I'm gonna work with established recipes for a while. I might try it sometime, I'm wary of the responses on here though. I don't see any other way you could get their numbers from the ingredients they list, maybe I'll do it sooner rather than later.

**Yooper** · 11-03-2011, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brando632

I didn't. I'm gonna work with established recipes for a while. I might try it sometime, I'm wary of the responses on here though. I don't see any other way you could get their numbers from the ingredients they list, maybe I'll do it sooner rather than later.

You could go up to 20% crystal with an amber- so you could use crystal 40L, or crystal 60L, and more of it, to get a nice amber. Crystal 120L is raisiny, almost like burnt toffee, but crystal 40L is sweet. You could even do a mix- some 10L and some 60L- to get a nice amber base. A typical amber might have 15% crystal malt, but not usually a dark crystal like 120L.

grant-robison · 01-05-2012, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yooper

you could use crystal 40L, or crystal 60L, and more of it, to get a nice amber.

I'm brewing this today with 1.25# 60L and .5# 40L, using pils LME as the base and my LHBS didn't have galena so subbing chinook. SAF US-05 i'll be sure to tell you how it was!

southside2234 · 02-08-2012, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grant-robison

I'm brewing this today with 1.25# 60L and .5# 40L, using pils LME as the base and my LHBS didn't have galena so subbing chinook. SAF US-05 i'll be sure to tell you how it was!

how did it turn out?