Dos Equis Amber

One of my favorite beers to drink on tap is Dos Equis Amber. I would like to brew something that is similair to this. I found a clone kit on Austin Homebrew supply, but I noticed it uses a lager yeast. I am a total newbie and just have my first brew in the pimary right now. Could I use this kit and not go through the traditional lager cold conditioning methods? Could I substitute a Ale yeast? If so what should I substitute? Does anyone have a extract recipe that would work for this? Am I getting in over my head for now?

Apparatus

European Ale, German Kolsch, or California Common--these are your best bet for "bastard lagers" fermented at ale temps.

Check out the temperature ranges and flavor profile descriptions for these yeasts and select the one that best fits your fermentation temp and preference.

Here is an old recipe of mine that uses an ale yeast and steeped specialty grains. It is a very nice beer and close to XX considering it uses an ale yeast.

Fedralas Lager
A ProMash Recipe Report
BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
03-A European Amber Lager, Vienna Lager
Min OG: 1.046 Max OG: 1.052
Min IBU: 18 Max IBU: 30
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 16 Color in SRM, Lovibond
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 7.13
Anticipated OG: 1.04861 Plato: 12.055
Anticipated SRM: 13.4
Anticipated IBU: 25.4

Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes



Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
77.2 5.50 lbs. Alexander LME - Pale America 1.03696 2
14.0 1.00 lbs. Amber Malt Great Britain 1.03200 35
7.0 0.50 lbs. Crystal 20L America 1.03500 20
1.8 0.13 lbs. Black Patent Malt America 1.02800 525


Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Whole 4.75 21.3 60 min.
1.00 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 3.50 4.2 15 min.

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1007 German Ale

I would suggest the following method:

Mix extract in hot water (6 gallons if possible to allow for evaporation and loss) and raise temp. to about 155 degrees. Steep grain for 30 to 35 minutes, making some effort to keep in the temperature range. Remove grain, set aside for later use, and bring to a boil. Hop as per recipe. At end of boil, return and steep grains again for 15 minutes and then force chill.

If you can't boil total volumn, boil as much as you can, proceed as above, except don't top-off with cold water until after the second steeping.

Thanks for the reply. As I said I am a total newbie. I have never done the grain steeping. Your instructions seem fairly straight forward. Should I be able to print off this recipe and take to my LBHS and purchase everything there. I have never been to the LHBS here in town, but I have heard the guy who owns it is kinda a A$$hole. Not very friendly and very stingy on the help and advice. I thought I might go there for the first time tomorroww and see for myself. If it does not look optimistic there is another HBS about 20 miles from here that has a excellent reputation that I would not mind driving the extra distance to. Should I expect a decent LHBS to stock all the ingredients you have listed here. Should I be able to show him the recipe and say this is what want to do? What can you tell me to help accomplish this? Also what is a reasonable total price to pay for the lot of ingredients.
Thanks for the help. The people on here are top notch.
Apparatus

That's is a tasty looking recipe! Not to answer for Brewpastor, but any good LHBS should have all of this. If they don't carry a particular brand of extract or type of hops, they should be able to suggest a good substitute. If not, drive the 20 miles.

In what region are you located? Someone here may already be familar and able to make a suggestion - or save you a trip!

Rhoobarb said:

That's is a tasty looking recipe! Not to answer for Brewpastor, but any good LHBS should have all of this. If they don't carry a particular brand of extract or type of hops, they should be able to suggest a good substitute. If not, drive the 20 miles.

In what region are you located? Someone here may already be familar and able to make a suggestion - or save you a trip!

Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself. If you go with pellet hops instead of leaf, adjust the amount down a little so you don't over hop.

Well I went and visited the LHBS today after work. I actually found the gentleman there to be quite friendly and willing to help. He did not have the brands of extract listed in this particular recipe, but he did offer alternatives. He said the total for this brew would be just under $50.00. The price tag was a little more than I intended, so I did not end up purchasing anything tonight. I believe part of the reason for the high cost was the unit size the ingredients were packaged in. I would have had sizeable leftovers on almost every ingredient. He told me if I ever need help in developing a recipe or just general advice he would be happy to help. He also gave me some suggestions on future equipment to purchase and in what priority. I think I wil patronize his shop so I can build a relationship with someone local.
BTW, I live in Salem, OR.
Apparatus

apparatus said:

He said the total for this brew would be just under $50.00. The price tag was a little more than I intended, so I did not end up purchasing anything tonight. I believe part of the reason for the high cost was the unit size the ingredients were packaged in.

Click to expand...

Gosh, that's indeed pretty expensive. I can see this happening if they sell the LME only in 3.3lb bags/cans for about $10 each.

If you have such odd sizes of malt extract in your recipe, you may want to get DME instread (adjust weight by 0.8) since it will keep better and is always good to have at hand for starters or priming.

But I can easily see you pay $35-$40 for this recipe.

Kai

The cans of extract were $12.75 ea. I believe he said the brand was Muntons or somthing similiar sounding.

FWIW, that would cost me somewhere around $37 at my HBS....

You could try this Brewers Best kit. Fairly inexpensive.

http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/4,9211.htm

I've been using their G & G kits since they give me copies of the
ingredients and I can adjust a little from one brew to the next
the try and learn to achieve different flavorings.

I brewed this last week but used the 6.6 LME and did 5.5 gal batch. OG 1.053 and after a week I tested the gravity and it's down to 1.014 but it seemed to have a strong alcohol smell to it and kinda burned when I leaned over and took a strong whiff of it. Did I mess up by using the extra 1.1 LME? If so that sucks cause it tasted great when i took the OG after being chilled.

Well first of all this thread was lasted posted on 8 years ago

And to answer your questions. The extra malt sugars are probably not a huge deal, it may take just awhile longer to clean up. Next up, really hard to say how a beer is going to taste by sampling before adding yeast or at 1 week from yeast pitch. Let it sit for a couple more weeks and try it then.

If you stuck your nose into the fermenter, your nose was burned by CO2. Be very careful with that. Okay to sniff beer in a glass or in a hydro jar, but not okay to sniff inside the fermenter as CO2 is heavier than air.

Benisone said:

I brewed this last week but used the 6.6 LME and did 5.5 gal batch. OG 1.053 and after a week I tested the gravity and it's down to 1.014 but it seemed to have a strong alcohol smell to it and kinda burned when I leaned over and took a strong whiff of it. Did I mess up by using the extra 1.1 LME? If so that sucks cause it tasted great when i took the OG after being chilled.

Click to expand...

Assuming your SG measurements are accurate, you're only at 5.12%abv. Nothing about that seems like you "ruined" anything.

The beer's only a week old, don't be too quick to judge it. Give it time.

Thanks for the quick reply's. This was my first partial so I guess I'm a little paranoid and thanks for the sniffing tip