American Amber Ale Caramel Amber Ale

Almost at day seven, The first two days this made some obnoxious sulfur gas. The room it is in smelled like a wet f@rt for the whole time

Cant wait to taste this one, its clearing now and the yeasties are going to sleep.

Haha, I'm pretty sure that is normal for kolsch yeast. Definitely let us know how it turns out with that yeast.

Ok, Since I just upgraded my account here and can now post pictures I figured, what the heck lets post a picture. I pulled a sample for testing, I can see the yeast in the carboy are still slowly swimming around munching on this goodness but a little bit in my diet is OK.

The color is a nice amber, the smell is very nice although different. I can defiantly smell the yeast but Im still picking up hints of the raisin smell from the DAP/Sugar mix. I cant really taste this raisiny essence but its hint is there and is going to add a very nice touch to the finished product if it survives another few weeks in primary. Taste wise it is good, hops are there for sure but are nicely subdued by the slightly sweet maltiness Im getting and I think the raisin smell is helping mask some of the young bitterness even though there is really no hint of flavor form the 290 degree sugar mix. Overall its well balanced yet yeasty and green at this point. I think this one is going to be very nice when its done cooking. I fermented low so far, about 63-64. My gravity right now is 1.010 so Im close to finished but she needs to rest a bit longer.

Would anyone be willing to swap a bottle of this for one of my ipa's? I would love to try one out to see if I should try making it again. It was my second batch ever, and I screwed up the mash temps royally!

so i've had this in primary for 4 weeks, carbed it in a tap-a-draft for 3 weeks and tried my first glass today. I was worried about the caramel flavor as I had no thermometer when I was making the syrup, but it turned out great. The initial taste is great, but it's lacking something on the back end, if that makes any sense. any ideas? how is it supposed to finish? great beer either way.

Well I finally made it 3 weeks in the bottle. This is by far the best beer I have made and is tops as far as an amber goes. I had some Full Sail amber in the fridge to compare it to and this is better! I went to a party the night after I tested it and they were serving fat tire...good...but this is better. Thanks for the recipe, it will be a regular. I find it to have a nice mellow hoppy finish with just a trace of raisiny caramel flavor at the end..very subtle. As far as making the candy syrup without a thermometer goes, I would guess that you probably didn't get the temps high enough to bring out the caramel flavors. I could not believe how long it took after the boil started to reach 290 degrees.
Cheers to King Brian

I brewed a 2.5 gallon batch of this, left it in the primary for 3 weeks, and just opened the first one after 3 weeks in the bottle. While it's got pretty good flavor, I'm definitely not getting any of the caramel flavors coming through. I can smell a slight sweetness, and get just a touch of sweetness at the finish, but not the complex caramel flavor I was hoping for. I'll give it some more time in the bottle, but i wonder if my thermometer was off and I just didn't get the candi hot enough.

skelrad said:

I'll give it some more time in the bottle, but i wonder if my thermometer was off and I just didn't get the candi hot enough.

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How did the color compare to the examples below? Mine comes out pretty dang dark at 290. Pretty much looks black in the pot. I bet the flavors will continue to develop over time even if you didn't quite hit 290.

SnickASaurusRex said:

Here's a pic of the color stages.

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I brewed this 2 months ago and it's hitting on all cylinders now! Great Amber!

My caramel syrup came out to about the 270 degree color. Lighter than what the recipe calls for but was still very nice. I'm going to try and get it darker next time. The caramel really didn't start shining through until the 6 week mark or so.

I also dry hopped this with .5oz of Chinook. It has faded over time and I don't think it was really necessary. I think you want to smell the caramel with the hops in the background, not the other way around.

By far the best American style Amber I've made! Thanks and cheers!

it really is a great brew. i've given mine a few more weeks and it's getting really good.

Tried a sample after 3 weeks in the bottle (after 3 weeks in primary). It was okay, but nothing to write home about. I was surprised that it tasted a lot like my first basic all extract amber ale. So I gave it another week...it's a different beer now! I'm amazed at the difference. There is a slightly sweet, kind of fruity aroma to it, and a fantastic finish with just the right amount of hoppiness. I screwed up the caramel and didn't get it quite dark enough, so I'm not getting much in terms of that flavor, but it still adds a very nice complexity to the finish. All in all, this is a great beer after it has aged for a little while. I know it's hard to leave a few in the case, but if you're patient and wait on this, you'll be amazed how good it gets over time. This was my first AG brew. I will never go back to the simple taste of extract ever again. BIAB is so easy that there is little reason to.:rockin:

Finally this beer is on tap. I did a two month primary and almost two weeks on the CO2. This beer is a winner, no doubt. I gotta say, it's one of my favorite beers I've made yet. It will be a staple in my 6 tap keezer.

This beer looked absolutely delicious and I just finished brewing it.

I wanted something slightly heavier, so I added an additional 1.5 lbs of 2-row pale malt. Final gravity was 1.060. The color is really nice! My wort was already very clear going into the fermentor (minus the floaties, which settle quickly anyways).

Cannot wait to try the final product!

drkaeppel said:

This beer looked absolutely delicious and I just finished brewing it.

I wanted something slightly heavier, so I added an additional 1.5 lbs of 2-row pale malt. Final gravity was 1.060. The color is really nice! My wort was already very clear going into the fermentor (minus the floaties, which settle quickly anyways).

Cannot wait to try the final product!

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You won't be disappointed. I need to brew this again.

Just made this today. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Just made this one again. It's on the gas carbing. This time around I droped the finishing hops to half ounce each. Seems to fit better with my tasts. This beer goes to show that you don't need a long and complicated malt and hops bill to make a wonderful beer. This will end up being my house ale for sure

Has anyone tried adding the candi syrup @ flameout instead of 15 minutes left in the boil. I would think that this would increase the aromatics of the caramel and increase the perception of caramel in the overall beer. I am definitely going to give this recipe a try this summer. Thanks for the recipe. The pictures posted of this brew look amazing.

Hey Brian,

I am a brew noob and am limited in the equipment department to partial mashes. This recipe looks totally exciting and I would love to brew this up, especially trying out the Candi syrup for the first time.

Do you have any recommendations for how to turn this recipe into a partial mash? Any compensatory malts to add to make up for the use of extracts?

Thanks so much for posting this recipe, look forward to working a version of it out.

ballz50401 said:

Has anyone tried adding the candi syrup @ flameout instead of 15 minutes left in the boil. I would think that this would increase the aromatics of the caramel and increase the perception of caramel in the overall beer. I am definitely going to give this recipe a try this summer. Thanks for the recipe. The pictures posted of this brew look amazing.

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After all the boiling it takes to make the syrup, I don't think 15 minutes in the kettle will drive off any aromas that are in there. But feel free to experiment and add it at different times. You may find something that works really well.

bovinejony said:

Hey Brian,

I am a brew noob and am limited in the equipment department to partial mashes. This recipe looks totally exciting and I would love to brew this up, especially trying out the Candi syrup for the first time.

Do you have any recommendations for how to turn this recipe into a partial mash? Any compensatory malts to add to make up for the use of extracts?

Thanks so much for posting this recipe, look forward to working a version of it out.

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This is a very easy recipe to make with extract and steeping grains. Steep the 1.5 lbs of crystal malt and use either 4.2 lbs of light DME or 5.25 lbs of light LME in place of the two row malt. Everything else in the recipe should be the same. If you're not doing a full boil, you may want to increase the first wort hops slightly to get the same bitterness. It's that easy.

KingBrianI said:

After all the boiling it takes to make the syrup, I don't think 15 minutes in the kettle will drive off any aromas that are in there. But feel free to experiment and add it at different times. You may find something that works really well..

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Ok, thanks for the quick reply. I was just curious because I've heard that flameout additions work well with honey. I've never used candi syrup before. Thanks again for the recipe.

Great! Thanks so much Brian. I'll post the results when finished.

this recipe sounds really cool. i had to jump to the last pgae, not enough time read everything just yet. but I had a question(s): what about using piloncillo unstead of the candi syrup??? and northern brewer instead of chinook?

chelero said:

this recipe sounds really cool. i had to jump to the last pgae, not enough time read everything just yet. but I had a question(s): what about using piloncillo unstead of the candi syrup??? and northern brewer instead of chinook?

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You can do any changes you want, it just won't be the same beer. Piloncillo probably won't have the richness or depth of flavors of the candi syrup but feel free to try it. Northern Brewer will of course give you a more herby, minty beer than the citrusy, pungent chinook.

brewing this today! I went ahead and made the candi syrup, so the only change will be the northern brewer instead of chinook. the syrup got dark really fast, and I never made it past about 250F. i'm at 8700ft, so I probably should have taken that into account. I stopped it as soon as it started going dark. it's probably darker than it should be, but man, the flavor is insane-figgy, raisiny, just awesome. had some on pancakes this morning for breakfast!

chelero said:

brewing this today! I went ahead and made the candi syrup, so the only change will be the northern brewer instead of chinook. the syrup got dark really fast, and I never made it past about 250F. i'm at 8700ft, so I probably should have taken that into account. I stopped it as soon as it started going dark. it's probably darker than it should be, but man, the flavor is insane-figgy, raisiny, just awesome. had some on pancakes this morning for breakfast!

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Yeah, the candi syrup is awesome. Try some on vanilla ice cream!

Thanks for the recipe guys. I brewed a batch of this recently and am considering entering in a competition. Any ideas on what style this fits? American Amber Ale 10B?

noodledancer77 said:

Thanks for the recipe guys. I brewed a batch of this recently and am considering entering in a competition. Any ideas on what style this fits? American Amber Ale 10B?

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Yep, American Amber Ale.

My batch just finished bottle conditioning. Amazing beer! I will definitely be brewing this one again soon as well as your Pumpkin Ale for the Fall.

EDIT: On a slightly different note: I noticed that the hop aroma from late addition hops declines pretty noticeably after a few weeks in the bottle (I've noticed this with several of my beers). Any remedies to this?

Just brewed this over the weekend. The caramel was an anxiety-ridden experience but was really fun. Pretty sure I overshot the 290F by a little bit but it still smelled full of raisin/plum and rich flavor. I overshot the OG by 6-8pts, undercalculated my efficiency due to trying a new method. Luckily though I enjoy hoppy beer so I had added more hops then the recipe called for. Can't wait =)

I brewed a recipe based off this about a month ago. Here is what I did

3 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 35.0 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 20.0 %
2 lbs Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 20.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4 15.0 %
0.55 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 26.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
1 lbs Candi Sugar, Amber (40.0 SRM) Sugar 5 10.0 %
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 -
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 10 -

I ended up mashing for about 85 min as I utilized some iodine to test for my starch conversion. I mashed at 152.
I bottled it last Sunday. Cracked a bottle yesterday to see how it was coming. It isn't fully carbonated, but holy cow....this beer is awesome! Had a buddy over and he was amazed....even though it was still green...can't wait for a couple weeks when it will be ready!

I'd like to make this soon but I've only got Caramel 40, 60, and 120. To get the 16 SRM, 1 1/2 lb of 60 and 4 oz of 120 will get me to the correct color. What say you? Also, would I be able to find DAP in any of the megagroceryatoriums or will it be an online only thing? Thanks and I can't wait to get this brewed.

EllisTX said:

I'd like to make this soon but I've only got Caramel 40, 60, and 120. To get the 16 SRM, 1 1/2 lb of 60 and 4 oz of 120 will get me to the correct color. What say you? Also, would I be able to find DAP in any of the megagroceryatoriums or will it be an online only thing? Thanks and I can't wait to get this brewed.

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1.5 of c60 and .25 of c120 should work fine. I've never seen DAP in a grocery store. Most homebrew stores carry it though.

KingBrianI said:

1.5 of c60 and .25 of c120 should work fine. I've never seen DAP in a grocery store. Most homebrew stores carry it though.

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Thanks your majesty. I'll order some today and hope it gets here by this weekend. My closest LHBS is 150 miles away.

Just wanted to say that I made a 1 gallon batch of this a while ago and tried the first bottle recently.

Quite good. I'm not sure what it was supposed to turn out like, but I like it!

There's definitely a smooth caramel flavor to the brew, especially in the initial taste. It'll be interesting to see how this one ages.

I should mention that I did not use the yeast nutrient when I made the caramel. Just used sugar and water.

Thanks for the recipe KingBrian!


Just realized another departure - I used different hops. I'll need to check out the details of my changes when I get home. I'll post them later (if I remember...).

Just realized another departure - I used different hops. I'll need to check out the details of my changes when I get home. I'll post them later (if I remember...).

Man I went to edit my last post and ended up making a new one. I'm making this thread nice and sloppy.

sorry

Just tasted sample two weeks after brew day. Awesome. Going to give it another week or two and keg. Thanks for the recipe.

Just finished bottling after month primary. Let me just say that this amber is exactly as you described it before. Not just an smooth amber, but an amber with enough complexity and character to make it a memorable sip. I can't wait to get these bad boys conditioned and act like the quality is a result of my own brewing skills =). ty brian

Brewfat said:

Just tasted sample two weeks after brew day. Awesome. Going to give it another week or two and keg. Thanks for the recipe.

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bovinejony said:

Just finished bottling after month primary. Let me just say that this amber is exactly as you described it before. Not just an smooth amber, but an amber with enough complexity and character to make it a memorable sip. I can't wait to get these bad boys conditioned and act like the quality is a result of my own brewing skills =). ty brian

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So yesterday I pitched yeasties on my third go-round with this recipe. I gotta say, I've gotten so many great recipes from HBT, it's tough to keep a rotation going - but this one will always have a spot.

A question about the caramel syrup - it takes nearly an hour to make, and given my poor organizational skills it is always a close call getting it into the pot before the end of the boil. Has anyone tried making this in the microwave? I know that when SWMBO makes a flan, she caramelizes the sugar in the microwave and pours it into the bottom of the flan pan.

Maybe I need to start a new thread, "Twenty pounds of sugar, a jar of yeast nutrient, and six microwave ovens".

Cheers!

Brewed this yesterday. Used a combo of C60 and 120 to get 16 srm and used Columbus instead of Chinook for steeping. Can't wait till I can get this into a keg.