Got wrong DME. Could it be good anyways?

So I originally put together a recipe for a Citra Pale Ale, but bought 7 lbs of Amber DME by mistake. Think it could be put together to make something good anyways? I did pick up an extra 2 oz of Citra (total of 6) so perhaps it could be a sort of Amber IPA?

Original Recipe:
6 gal
7 Lb Pale DME
3 Lb Caramel 40
2 oz Roasted Barley

4 oz Citra (bittering/flavoring/aroma/dry)

Targets: OG 1.058, AA 43

I would remove at least 2-2.5 lbs of the caramel. If you need the extra gravity add some 2 row or light extract.

You sure about having 3# of Crystal 40L in the batch? Seems more than a bit excessive for a 6 gallon batch. Maybe in a 15 gallon batch it would work...

To offset the color from the Amber DME, you could drop the C40L by 1/3 (to 2#) and get pretty much the same color range.

OG estimate under the light/pale DME was 1.054, with the modified recipe, it's 1.053... Not sure where you got 1.058 from...

I would suggest running the recipe through software (where you are) with the hops to get a solid plan formulated before you start the batch. Depending on the AA% of the hops, you could get far more than you planned on for IBU's...

Golddiggie said:

OG estimate under the light/pale DME was 1.054, with the modified recipe, it's 1.053... Not sure where you got 1.058 from...

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Thanks for the advice, im pretty new to formulating recipes. Ill probably go get some Pale DME and cut back on the C40L. As for the OG, I calculated by hand using Palmers Yield Table:

40 PPG for DME: 7lbx40ppg/6gal= 46.66
22 PPG for C40L: 3lbX40ppg/6gal= 11 Total OG: 1.0577

are you estimating using software? could be the difference

The contribution for the C40L is ONLY if you mash it... Since you're not, it gives you very little (if anything)...

I would get some light DME to use.

Software really helps when you start formulating/changing recipes. Since you're making an extract brew, you can't count the specialty grains. You would only be able to count them IF you mashed with some base malt too. I would also keep the C40L contribution under 20% of the recipe. Most of the time, you don't see more than about a pound of any single specialty grain used. Also keep in mind, most DME/LME include other malts in them. So, you're already getting some crystal malts with the light DME (more with amber DME)...

Making something like this would be far easier to figure once you go all grain, IMO/IME... Since you'll know, for certain, what grains you're using, you'll have a much better idea of color and such...

I really would run the entire thing through software before you go back to the HBS. That way, you can get more DME if you need to. Either use one of the online tools, the open source software, or get the trial version of BeerSmith (you get to try it out for 21 days before they want you to purchase the license)... It's [BeerSmith] been a huge help since I started formulating my own recipes.

Golddiggie said:

The contribution for the C40L is ONLY if you mash it... Since you're not, it gives you very little (if anything)

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I don't steep very often. But I have never heard this before. And the beers I did steep at least seemed to result in the expected beer color and gravity.

ayoungrad said:

I don't steep very often. But I have never heard this before. And the beers I did steep at least seemed to result in the expected beer color and gravity.

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Sure, you get color and flavor and fermentables from the grains! That's why you use them. The crystal doesn't need to be mashed- as it's sort of "pre-mashed" the way they are processed. The sugars are available without mashing.

Palmer seems to estimate that steeping crystal extracts anywhere from 40-65% of the expected extract from mashing. Not 100% but it still contributes.

EndlessWinter77 said:

So I originally put together a recipe for a Citra Pale Ale, but bought 7 lbs of Amber DME by mistake. Think it could be put together to make something good anyways? I did pick up an extra 2 oz of Citra (total of 6) so perhaps it could be a sort of Amber IPA?

Original Recipe:
6 gal
7 Lb Pale DME
3 Lb Caramel 40
2 oz Roasted Barley

4 oz Citra (bittering/flavoring/aroma/dry)

Targets: OG 1.058, AA 43

Click to expand...

That's three times the caramel malt you need with the pale DME (rule- never go over about 5-8% crystal malt in an APA). But since you got amber instead, which has crystal malt in it already, I'd either leave it out completely or go with .25-.5 pound at most.

Golddiggie said:

The contribution for the C40L is ONLY if you mash it... Since you're not, it gives you very little (if anything)...

Click to expand...

Huh.. im confused because according to HowToBrew.com just steeping a pound of Caramel 40L will yield around 22 points per gallon.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter13-2.html

Am I missing something? My last batch was an IRA and I got pretty close to target OG using these same calcs for the grain.

EndlessWinter77 said:

Huh.. im confused because according to HowToBrew.com just steeping a pound of Caramel 40L will yield around 22 points per gallon.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter13-2.html

Am I missing something? My last batch was an IRA and I got pretty close to target OG using these same calcs for the grain.

Click to expand...

You can probably get that. That's fine. You still don't want three pounds of it in one 6 gallon batch, no matter what!!!!!!

Yooper said:

You still don't want three pounds of it in one 6 gallon batch, no matter what!!!!!!

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Point taken Well thanks for dropping some knowledge guys. Im having my roommate pick up some Pale DME as we speak and I will knock the C40L down.

Thinking my next batch may be a porter... something to utilize all the Amber DME.

You guys know of any good articles/tutorials on achieving the right color when formulating recipes? So far ive learned calcs for estimating the OG as well as IBU's but the whole color and body thing is new to me.

As for the hops, I really enjoy the Citra. I've done a couple all Citra ipas and they were great. Lots of tropical fruit.