Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Wyeast 1056
Yeast Starter: Yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 3
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU: 70
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 8.3 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 21 @67F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 @70F
Tasting Notes: Earthy hop aroma and flavor with Caramel malt backbone

This is the second revision of my APA. The goal was a middle of the road ABV APA with caramel malt and earthy hops. To that end I think I succeeded. This beer won a Gold medal at the 2009 Schooner Homebrew Competition in WI for the APA category with a final score of 43.5.

I do 3 gallon batches, scale accordingly.

5.5lbs 2-Row(Rahr)
1/4lb 80L Crystal
1/4lb Honey Malt

.25oz Magnum @ 60m
.25oz Simcoe @ 45m
.25oz Magnum @ 30m
.25oz Simcoe @ 10m
.25oz Magnum@ 5m
.25oz Ahtanum @ 1m

.75oz Ahtanum Dry hop
.25oz Magnum Dry hop

Mash in at 154 for 90 minutes(though you could probably do it a lot shorter)
60 minute boil
Pitch a starter of Wyeast 1056 or other neutral yeast and ferment for 3 weeks before adding dry hops. Again you can shorten that time line if you hit your FG sooner, I'm lazy and let it sit.

You could sub the Ahtanum for Cascade but I think you would change the hop profile if you subbed the Simcoe and Magnum. The IBU's on this are high(70) but it is not real bitter and doesn't taste out of category. You might consider more dry hops if you like a bigger nose.

Overall I really enjoy this beer and plan to revisit it, I hope you enjoy it too and look forward to hearing if anyone brews this. The name came from the story at the beginning of the Charlie Papazian book about homebrew saving him and a friend on a cold night when their car broke down and the fact that it was originally brewed as an American Amber Ale, AAA offers roadside assistance. As an Amber you would just bump up the gravity a bit, increasing the percentage of Crystal and bump up the 60 minute addition a bit.