American Amber Ale Mojave Red

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Malticulous

Desert Gecko
HBT Supporter
Joined
Aug 27, 2008
Messages
4,254
Reaction score
218
Location
St. George Utah
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
US-05
Yeast Starter
no
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
no
Batch Size (Gallons)
5
Original Gravity
1.060
Final Gravity
1.013
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
34
Color
14
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
7
Tasting Notes
Best beer I ever brewed. My wife thinks it the best beer ever and she loves all beer.
jushua.JPG


Mojave Red
Efficiency at 80% for a OG of 1.060
hopville . "Mojave Red" American Amber Ale Recipe

82% 8lb 4oz American Two-row
5% 8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (Franco Belges 80L is best)
5% 8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
5% 8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
2% 3 oz Melanoidin Malt
1% 2 oz Carafa II special
0% 1/2 oz Roasted Barley - 550L
Mashed at ~152
60 mins 1.0oz Palisades pellet 8.1
20 mins .5oz Sterling leaf 7.0
10 mins .5oz Willamette leaf 4.5
Rehydrated pack of US-05
Dry hop 7 days .5oz Cascade leaf 7.0
Carbonated to 2.5 volumes
Extract Version here

It's darker than the desert here but goes down very well in it. The Melanoidin and Carafa create an interesting flavor with the Crystal malts and the hop schedule complement them very well. It's balanced just the way I like it. Nothing is overpowering. I can't say it tastes like anything else I've had before. A delicious west coast red.

MojaveRed.JPG



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P1010943.jpg


Took category 10B first place in the 2009 Morebeer forum Competition and third in the 2011 HBT west.
 
I love a good red. In many ways. Looks like a very nice recipe, where did you get the inspiration? I have only made one red. It was good, not great. I really like Ft. Collins Retro red. they claim no melanoidin, and no roasted. I think they lie. They say it is wheat.

I have not tried carafa, what does it add? Only 3oz melanoidin, and 1/2 oz roasted seems light. Have you tried wheat in any reds?

Sorry about all the Q's.
 
I got the inspiration from some videos that revvy posted on Bud Ale. I kind of stole the hops from there but the grain bill is just what I came up with from what I have on hand and what I like.

I do add wheat to many of my American ale's but with 15% caramel malts I don't see any point.

The Carafa and Roasted Barley are really just for color but they do add to the flavor. Carafa II is very close to Chocolate malt. The Melanoidin adds more to the flavor than the darker malts do. It's really more about the caramel malts and the hops.
 
So how did that turn out Revvy?

Well it is funny you asked, because I put one in the fridge a couple of days ago for the first taste tonight...

Well I think I mentioned that I had to go with belgian aromatic as a sub for the melanoidin, and that as chronicled in the "never let the owner of you lhbs drink the beer you brought him til AFTER he measures your grain" thread that he doubled the amount of aromatic in the recipe.

So overall it is nice and crisp and I'm not sure if the interplay between the melanoidin, carafa and caramels comes through in mine...The aromatic is a bit over powering, it kind of reminds me of the ordinary bitters I have brewed with aromatic...a little bit of tannin is how I have always described it.

I like it... it is unique...I don't know how it will play with some of my non beer snob audience, who are willing to try my stuff, but don't always like some of the more complex brews of mine.....(I plan on having people try it this weekend.)

I however will enjoy it.. and look forward to brewing it 2 more times...1 with the real melanoidin malt....and once with half the aromatic that went into it this time.


I'll keep you posted.

:mug:
 
I brewed an amber with almost a pound of Melanoidin once. I drank it but I sure got a good taste of what Melanoidin does. IMO 2 oz in five gallons is noticeable.

I subbed a mix of liberty, Vanguard, and Argentine Cascades for Sterling in the batch I'm currently drinking (I thought I had some, but alas, there was none left in the freezer.) It's still good but Sterling is so much better.

I had a few friends over Saturday that are Keystone drinkers and they really did enjoyed it, along with some BGSes.:drunk:
 
The more I quaff mine the more I enjoy it, and the more I want to brew a dead on version of yours.

I just recommended this in another thread. He's looking for a quick turnaound time (he kegs) I thought maybe this could be pulled off.
 
Mojave Red
Efficiency at 80% for a OG of 1.060
hopville . "Mojave Red" American Amber Ale Recipe

82% 8lb 4oz American Two-row
5% 8oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L
5% 8oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
5% 8oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
2% 3oz Melanoidin Malt
1% 2oz Carafa II
0% .5oz Roasted Barley - 550L
Mashed at ~152
60 mins 1.0oz Palisades pellet 8.1
20 mins .5oz Sterling leaf 7.0
10 mins .5oz Willamette leaf 4.5
Rehydrated pack of US-05
Dry hop 7 days .5oz Cascade leaf 7.0
Carbonated to 2.5 volumes

I see that the Cramel/Crystal Malt is entered three times with a different "L" Can someone let the newb in on what that is? Also the Carbonated to 2.5 volumes illudes me as well.
 
Thanks Conroe,

Everyone here on this site is so Newb friendly!

I just did my last half and half brew. I have it ( an Irish Red ) in the primary, But I am going with your recipe next time. Grinder and Mash tun will be up and running before the week is up.
 
Anyone want to have a guess on how this will come out using 8oz (.5 lb) of Roasted Barley instead of .5 oz? I misread the recipe and now my grain bill's all crushed and mixed. I'm debating on scrapping it (cringe) and going back to LHBS and getting it right.
 
Anyone want to have a guess on how this will come out using 8oz (.5 lb) of Roasted Barley instead of .5 oz? I misread the recipe and now my grain bill's all crushed and mixed. I'm debating on scrapping it (cringe) and going back to LHBS and getting it right.

It will be like mine with the double melanoidin....different from the original, but more than likely still a good beer. Just a tad darker and more roastier.

I would brew it still...

Wow conroe, seems like NONE of us have any luck with getting accurate measurements of ingredients on this recipe.....Must be haunted or something. :D
 
It will be like mine with the double melanoidin....different from the original, but more than likely still a good beer. Just a tad darker and more roastier.

I would brew it still...

I just plugged it into Beer Tools Pro and it fits an American Brown Ale as opposed to Red. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
 
My Irish Red was good, really all of em are good...I just want to learn to be great!

This is my first commitment to All Grain Brewing (never going back) will be kegged in a day or so. Did a quick wheat 10 gallon (practice, you don't want to know the details). Poured into to two fermenters, one smelled like pure rubbing alcohol, and the other I sank a little fresh lime juice (6 limes)into secondary. Can't wait, it has to be good, it is Home Brewed!

Conroe, that pic on the original post looks so good! The head, the red hue... I want it!

How was the head Retention?
 
The head retention on this beer is a bit much really. Don't over carbed it or it may be very hard to pour. 15% crystal malts will do that.

I found out that there is a small brewery in California's high desert making a lager with the same name.
 
I've thought about using S-23. Some brewers say it produces great mock-ales, lol. One guy said he has won quite a few ribbons with it in APAs.

US-05 has been great at 59F and then slowly ramped to 65 over the first four days.

I'm using K-97 in the batch that's fermenting now. I did about the same ramp with K-97 but it went a bit slower over a week. It also keeps kraeusen for weeks and doesn't want to clear. I'll have to crash it in a secondary like I'm doing with a APA now.
 
I've thought about using S-23. Some brewers say it produces great mock-ales, lol. One guy said he has won quite a few ribbons with it in APAs.

US-05 has been great at 59F and then slowly ramped to 65 over the first four days.

I'm using K-97 in the batch that's fermenting now. I did about the same ramp with K-97 but it went a bit slower over a week. It also keeps kraeusen for weeks and doesn't want to clear. I'll have to crash it in a secondary like I'm doing with a APA now.

I think when I get into ghetto lager season again, and can lager the locker in my loft building's garage, I may try it with saflager.
 
This won a blue ribbon in the B3 comp! (My first competition.) Not only that but three of the five beers I entered placed. Another blue for my Black Hills Robust Porter and a bronze for my Gila Monster American Brown.

The Red I sent was not even my best. I had to sub Liberty, Vanguard, and Argentine Cascade for the Sterling. It was good but Sterling is better.

I took the FG for my K-97 batch and it is very good. More crisp and maybe even cleaner than US-05. The yeast is a pain to deal with though.
 
I subbed pale chocolate for carafa in my last batch. It's not as good, it made it closer to a brown ale. I only had 4 oz crystal 40L so I upped the crystal 60L and added 2 oz crystal 15L to compensate. The underlying sweetness form the two oz of the c-15L almost make a licorice flavor with the c-80L. The original recipe is still the best.
 
I just plugged it into Beer Tools Pro and it fits an American Brown Ale as opposed to Red. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

This was our first brew ever. We skipped extract and dove straight into all-grain. It did turn into a DARK little number, but was an excellent beer. Very nutty with almost a coffee taste at the end. No aftertaste. I'm not usually into more than a couple of brown ales at one sitting, but my brother and I and one other buddy killed ~5 gallons of this beauty in one night. I didn't have enough left to bottle.

:tank:
 
I got my score sheets and ribbons from B3 finally. Scored 35.5. They thought is was too dry and not complex enough. Balanced well but needing both more malt and hops (they obviously did not realize it was at the limit for ABV.)

My old MLT would loose temp so all my beer were dry. My new Coleman Extreme 52 holds temp well.

I will add 10% Munich in my next batch. One judge suggested using a more estery yeast.

Their notes read very much like the guidelines. I thought that was how to get a high score?
 
this looks yummy. now i need more people around here to drink some kegs dry so i can fill one up with this!
 
I'm a roofing foreman and I'm going to start installing photovoltaic systems. Work is mad for me right now (I hope this is a precursor to an turn in the economy in the rest of the country.). I'm working long days every day and when I get home I have my PV stuff keeping me busy. I'm going to brew this very soon. I have 10 gallons of other stuff waiting that I WILL bottle soon.
 
It rained today so I finally got a day off. I brewed this up. I got nearly 11 gallons of 1.060 wort.

17lb American Two-row (Great Western)
1lb Caramel Munich 80L (Franco Belges)
1lb Crystal Maris Otter - 50-60L (Simpson's)
1lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (Great Western)
8 oz Melanoidin Malt
3 oz Carafa II special
1/2 oz Roasted Barley - 550L

60 mins 2.0oz Palisades pellet 8
20 mins 1oz Saaz leaf 4.5
10 mins 1oz Willamette leaf 4.5
Dry hop 7 days 1oz Cascade pellet 6.0

P1010943.jpg


It defiantly came out more red. I hope the imported crystals add the richness that the judges found missing. I've used the Franco Belges Caramel Munich 120L and it dose add rich malt flavors. I didn't want that dark of crystal in this beer. I hope the 80L tastes as good. My first batch of this used Simpson's medium crystal. All though the crystal Maris Otter is the same SRM it tastes different as grain. By the taste of the wort I think this is the best batch yet.

edit,

I bottled half five days ago (with a tad of T-58) and kegged the other half three days ago. Both are carbed. The bottled ones are better tasting and clearer. I did rack and cold crash that half a few days earlier. The ones off tap have a finer head--more like nitro. Head retention is great on both. Keep in mind I'm a very good bottler and have no experience kegging.

I like the imported crystals. I think Franco Belges is the best there is.

This is the best Amber I have ever tasted.

Edit,

The keg is good now. Took a week longer than the bottles. It's still not as clear. T-58 must help.
 
I brewed this in May and bottled it a few weeks ago. Its a good beer, malty and roasty. I used the latest incarnation with the imported crystal malts as listed under Malticulous Mojave Red in the American Ale - Amber Ale section of Brewmaster's warehouse.

Its a hearty malty Amber that pushes some boundaries with some interesting hops character to be sure! A little more time in the bottle and it will be a very distinctive Amber. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
 
Yeah, I have to make another batch soon. This is definitely a "goto" recipe for me, and one of the few beers I brew that's not one of my own recipes. There's really no need to do one of my own. This is superb!
 
I cracked my first bottle of this last night. This is a fantastic beer! Very smooth and tasty. I am going to brew it again next weekend. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good amber.
 
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