i am trying to make an American amber ale
I used the recipator to come up with this:
Brewer: Fat ***** Brewin
Beer: Andy's American Ale Style: American ale
Type: Extract w/grain Size: 5.5 gallons
Color:
18 HCU (~11 SRM)
Bitterness: 24 IBU
OG: 1.070 FG: 1.019
Alcohol: 6.6% v/v (5.1% w/w)
Grain: 1 lb. Dextrine malt (Cara-Pils)
1 lb. American crystal 40L
Steep: bring 3.5 gallons of water to 160° Steep specialty grains at 156°-160° for 45 minutes.
Remove grain bag. Bring pot to a boil.
Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.128 3 gallons
6 lb. Light malt extract
3 lb. Light dry malt extract
At start of boil add 1 oz Cascade hops. At 30 minutes add malt extracts. At 15 minutes add 2 oz
Amarillo hops.
Hops: 1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 60 min.)
2 oz. Amarillo (8% AA, 15 min.)
Yeast: Wyeast London Ale III-1318 smack-pack
Carbonation: 3.0 volumes Corn Sugar: 6.31 oz. for 5.5 gallons @ 68°F
I am shooting for a sweet malty ale. I think this should have a nice caramel flavor. Since this is my first recipe I was hoping for opinions on whether I am going overboard on the sweet. Also I heard you can get a butterscotch note from this yeast. Is it from ferment temps?
I've heard that adding cara-pils to extract recipes doesn't work very well because the starch doesn't convert fully, but I don't have personal experience with that.
Also, you need to have some extract in the boil for the 60min addition. I usually do 3lbs (for a 3gal boil) extract at beginning of boil, and the rest at the end. This allows proper hops utilization. Too much or too little and it changes how the hops are used.
Also with an OG of 1.070 you should consider pitching two smack-packs or making a starter.
Finally I might use the amarillo as bittering and the cascade as aroma, but I'd bet either way would work.
No need for cara-pils, there should already be enough in the extract.
I agree with damdaman, I'd put in the DME at the start and the rest at the end and use 2 packs or a starter. Actually, IMO I'd just use Fermentis S-04 instead to make it easier and get a similar beer.
I've heard that adding cara-pils to extract recipes doesn't work very well because the starch doesn't convert fully, but I don't have personal experience with that.
Also, you need to have some extract in the boil for the 60min addition. I usually do 3lbs (for a 3gal boil) extract at beginning of boil, and the rest at the end. This allows proper hops utilization. Too much or too little and it changes how the hops are used.
Also with an OG of 1.070 you should consider pitching two smack-packs or making a starter.
Finally I might use the amarillo as bittering and the cascade as aroma, but I'd bet either way would work.
Otherwise looks good to me!
All sounds good. I was only adding the cara-pils because I thought it was supposed to add body and help the head. I don't know anything about hops from experience. I read about the flavor profiles on another site. Why would you swap the two?
No need for cara-pils, there should already be enough in the extract.
I agree with damdaman, I'd put in the DME at the start and the rest at the end and use 2 packs or a starter. Actually, IMO I'd just use Fermentis S-04 instead to make it easier and get a similar beer.
Only because traditionally Amarillo is more of a bittering hop than Cascade, which tends to be used more as an aroma hop. However, both can be used either way, so I say go for it if you want.
Only because traditionally Amarillo is more of a bittering hop than Cascade, which tends to be used more as an aroma hop. However, both can be used either way, so I say go for it if you want.
Amarillo has a slightly mandarin flavour. Cascade has a more grapefruit flavour. Amarillo may be often used more for bittering but only because it has a higher aa and therefore you use less. Either can be used for either - it depends what you want in the flavour profile. Too much amarillo in flavour additions may need some conditioning to settle out but it is a delicious hop.
You'll get plenty of body with crystal malt and all extract. However cara-pils supposedly aids in head retention. Maybe drop out a smidge of the crystal and replace with some carapils so you have both but in reduced amounts. I can't distinguish how much a pound is (metric here) so I'll leave the actual amounts to you.
Personal taste is personal taste but I think with an FG that high and an IBU that low, that you will get a brew that is too sweet and a bit cloying. Sweet and malty is one thing but over the top extract brews aren't that nice. You can either up the bittering hops a little to balance or (my preferred method) would be to back off a little on the extract, add a touch of dextrose (maybe 250 grams or the imperial equivalent) and make sure you aerate the wort.
Also with an OG that high, you should really make a good size starter or pitch two packs (expensive).
Diacetyl can diminish if you raise the temps in the latter part of fermentation so I guess if you ferment low-ish and don't condition the beer on the yeast cake for too long, then you might retain some. Whether or not that's a good thing will be up to you - I'm not sure how it would go with cascade.
[QUOTE=manticle;1918146]Amarillo has a slightly mandarin flavour. Cascade has a more grapefruit flavour. Amarillo may be often used more for bittering but only because it has a higher aa and therefore you use less. Either can be used for either - it depends what you want in the flavour profile. Too much amarillo in flavour additions may need some conditioning to settle out but it is a delicious hop.
You'll get plenty of body with crystal malt and all extract. However cara-pils supposedly aids in head retention. Maybe drop out a smidge of the crystal and replace with some carapils so you have both but in reduced amounts. I can't distinguish how much a pound is (metric here) so I'll leave the actual amounts to you.
Personal taste is personal taste but I think with an FG that high and an IBU that low, that you will get a brew that is too sweet and a bit cloying. Sweet and malty is one thing but over the top extract brews aren't that nice. You can either up the bittering hops a little to balance or (my preferred method) would be to back off a little on the extract, add a touch of dextrose (maybe 250 grams or the imperial equivalent) and make sure you aerate the wort.
Also with an OG that high, you should really make a good size starter or pitch two packs (expensive).
Diacetyl can diminish if you raise the temps in the latter part of fermentation so I guess if you ferment low-ish and don't condition the beer on the yeast cake for too long, then you might retain some. Whether or not that's a good thing will be up to you - I'm not sure how it would go with cascade.[/ QUOTE]
Wow. Thanks for the detail. Since I am using amounts available at my LHBS, I would probably up the IBUs. I'm not sure what would be a good balance because I have no idea what this will taste like. I guess I can up the bittering addition by a few points. (5?)
feedback on American amber recipe
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