My first recipe (Amber Ale)

I've been tweaking this recipe for a while now. I haven't made it yet, because this is my first time, and I want to make sure this recipe will be good.

What do you guys think?


6Boil Size: 6.51 gal Asst Brewer:


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 61.9 %
2 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 19.0 %
1 lbs Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 3 9.5 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4 9.5 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 20.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 6 10.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 4.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 8 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.054 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.6 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 35.1 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 15.8 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 8.0 oz
Sparge Water: 4.69 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 13.13 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 4.69gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 3.61 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 3.61 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

I'd punch it up to 8lbs of 2-row and add another 1 oz of Cascade at flame out. Looks pretty tasty!

That is an absurd amount of crystal and specialty malt in general. Personally I'd Take the crystal to 12%, Yea you can make an amber with 20% but it's gonna be sweeet. I'd also split it so that it's half Crystal 60 and half Crystal 120. Take your biscuit down to 4%. The Munich is fine.

Cascade is perfect for this but I'd bitter with something really clean like Magnum or Warrior. Get half your IBUs from the bittering addition. Then do your cascade additions at 20, 10, and 0. You want that citrusy cascade goodness on top of all that malt.

I'd reduce the crystal to no more than 15%, and then I'd mix it up some.

I've found that in an amber, "layering" the crystal malts adds depth. I'd use some crystal 40L and 80L, for example. Say, .75 pound 40L and .5 pound of 80L, and that makes a wonderful amber.

You've got too much biscuit malt there. I'd reduce that to .25 pound. It's very "drying" in the finish, and too much is very noticeable in the finished beer.

You can increase the Munich malt or the two-row to make up the difference in dropping some of the specialty grains.

Thanks everyone! Advice taken. Here is the revised recipe

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 74.4 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 9.3 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.0 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4 7.0 %
4.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.3 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 20.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 10.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 4.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 9 -



Is this too much % of 2 row?

Nope, that should be just fine.

Yooper said:

I've found that in an amber, "layering" the crystal malts adds depth.

Click to expand...

Agreed in full.

...I wonder how this guys beer turned out? Ever read these old recipe questions and wonder? I kinda wish everyone would update their recipe request threads with the actual recipe used, along with water profile, mashing technique, etc and discuss how it turned out.

So Rockstar55667, if you ever read this, how did it turn out? What did you end up doing with the water, mash schedule, etc...? I know it was a long time ago and likely many batches in the past and you may not recall this particular brewing, but if you kept a log, would ya share the brew session and results?