Double Brewday: Janet's Brown and McDole's American Amber

I am so happy with my first batch of Janet's Brown turned out that I need to make another before my first keg kicks. I am also brewing an american amber just in time for my father to enjoy it when he comes to visit (it is his favorite style). This will be my last mini-mash batch before I switch to all grain. I have all the pieces, I just need to make a lautering system for the cooler.

First up is the Janet's Brown. I tweaked the recipe to my system, so it looks a little different than the version in BCS, but the OG, IBUs and SRM should be very similiar.

Recipe: Janet's Brown MM v2
Brewer: Eric
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.28 gal
Estimated OG: 1.073 SG
Estimated Color: 21.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 70.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6 lbs Wheat Liquid Extract [Boil for 10 min] Extract 49.75 %
1 lbs Wheat Liquid Extract [Boil for 10 min] Extract 8.29 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 16.58 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 10.36 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 10.36 %
8.0 oz Pale Chocolate (225.0 SRM) Grain 4.15 %
1.0 oz Chocolate (AHS) Malt (625.0 SRM) Grain 0.50 %
28.07 gm Northern Brewer [8.10 %] (60 min) Hops 23.9 IBU
14.07 gm Northern Brewer [8.10 %] (60 min) (First Hops 13.2 IBU
56.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
14.17 gm Northern Brewer [8.10 %] (15 min) Hops 6.0 IBU
42.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (10 min) Hops 8.8 IBU
42.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-SteepHops -
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

Spent grains, about to become bird food.


Boiling 6.25 gallons in a 15 gallon pot > Boiling 4 gallons in a 5 gallon pot!


All the hops ready to go (got this idea from someone else on HBT...love it!)


Brewer's Friend checklist and Basic Brewing logbook:


To be continued...

Good deal! I made a Janet's brown and swapped on the hops because I had some homegrown. Turned out really good IMO, but it was on the high end for an American Brown, and really could have fell into IPA for bitterness and hop flavor. Tasty!

McDole will be the first to say that JBA is definitely out of style for an American brown. I can't remember what category he won NHC gold for, but it was not American brown. His amber ale recipe was runner up the same year he won the longshot with his Pliny clone. The funny thing is that the malt bills are very similiar with the exception of a little roasted barley for color in the amber in exchange for the pale chocolate and chocolatein the JBA. He uses more late Addition hops in the amber too. I will post the recipe later when I get home. I had to pause between brews to pick up nausea meds and tater tots. Such is the life with a pregnant wife!

Eric

Ok, I'm back. Mama's happy now so I can get to brewing again.

Janet's Brown in the fermenter. Came out to 1064 corrected. I didn't measure my top up to boil correctly, so I had to top up too much in the fermenter. Oh well.


Amber Ale just before boil.

Tasty McDole's Amber (again, I modified to my system):

Recipe: McDole's Amber Ale MM
Brewer: Eric
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Amber Ale
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.28 gal
Estimated OG: 1.056 SG
Estimated Color: 13.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 33.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5 lbs Extra Pale Liquid Extract [Boil for 10 minExtract 50.63 %
8.0 oz Wheat Liquid Extract [Boil for 10 min] Extract 5.06 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 20.25 %
1 lbs 2.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 11.39 %
1 lbs 2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 11.39 %
2.0 oz Black Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.27 %
14.00 gm Northern Brewer [8.10 %] (60 min) (Mash HHops 2.7 IBU
56.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
10.00 gm Northern Brewer [9.80 %] (30 min) Hops 8.9 IBU
12.00 gm Northern Brewer [9.80 %] (15 min) Hops 6.9 IBU
14.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 4.5 IBU
14.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
56.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (1 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
1.05 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.05 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

Here is the original AG recipe if you are interested:

Recipe: McDole's Amber Ale MM
Brewer: Eric
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Amber Ale
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.28 gal
Estimated OG: 1.056 SG
Estimated Color: 13.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 33.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5 lbs Extra Pale Liquid Extract [Boil for 10 minExtract 50.63 %
8.0 oz Wheat Liquid Extract [Boil for 10 min] Extract 5.06 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 20.25 %
1 lbs 2.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 11.39 %
1 lbs 2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 11.39 %
2.0 oz Black Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.27 %
14.00 gm Northern Brewer [8.10 %] (60 min) (Mash HHops 2.7 IBU
56.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
10.00 gm Northern Brewer [9.80 %] (30 min) Hops 8.9 IBU
12.00 gm Northern Brewer [9.80 %] (15 min) Hops 6.9 IBU
14.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 4.5 IBU
14.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
56.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (1 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
1.05 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.05 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

Obligatory assistant brewer photo.


Love the new big pot, but 5 gallons of wort in a 15 gallon pot definitely makes my wort chiller too tall. I still got below 120 in 4 minutes and to 70 in 18 minutes, but I think it was because it was 40 degrees out. I worry that this will be an issue in the summer.


You know you're in Texas when you use a pre-chiller in February.


Reusing the water to put in the washer.

Ready to transfer!


My first try at wort transfer with the new brewpot. I need a better method. I will probably use hop bags. I had to knock the hop matter out of the strainer about 10 times before I was done. There is also about a one quart dead space because the valve is 1/2" off the bottom and it is a very wide pot.


Lots of late hops=hoppy wort sample.


Both beers at 65 degrees, ready for the yeast orgy.


Now the not fun part...clean up.


The amber was 1055, only 1 away from my target. I'm excited to try these out. They will both be dry hopped with 2oz centennial each for 7 days once fermentation slows down. They will probably be kegged in 1.5 to 2 weeks and perfect for drinking in about a month.

My next beer will be a session beer. As much as I love the big, hoppy beers...I need a session beer for everyday drinking.