American Amber Input

[BeerChef17]

Its been a few years since I did a batch and just wanted to get some feedback on this recipe for an American Amber. Here's the BeerSmith file

Brewer: BeerChef17
Batch Size: 5.00 gal Style: American Amber Ale ( 6B)
Boil Size: 5.83 gal Style Guide: BJCP 1999
Color: 12.9 SRM Equipment: 42qt Aluminum w/ Basket
Bitterness: 29.7 IBUs Boil Time: 75 min
Est OG: 1.053 (13.1° P) Mash Profile: BIAB, Full Body
Est FG: 1.014 SG (3.6° P) Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
ABV: 5.1%


Ingredients
Amount Name Type #
6 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2
2 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3
1 lbs Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 4
1 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 5
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 6
7.5 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 7
1.0 oz Cascade [5.5%] - Boil 60 min Hops 8
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10 min) Misc 9
1.0 oz Cluster [7.0%] - Boil 10 min Hops 10
1.0 oz Cluster [7.0%] - Boil 0 min Hops 11
1 pkgs Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 12
1.00 tsp Amylase Enzyme (Primary 3 days) Misc 1

I'm not planning on brewing for a few weeks so I have time to change things. Just looking for general feedback if this looks okay or if I should tweak something here or there.

Thanks!

 

[GaBrewZoo]

Sounds like a lot of crystal malts. You might think about using less, maybe use the darker crystal and up your base some.

 

[porterpounder]

The percentage of 20L is a bit high, but it's only 20L, so it may be fine. Unless you're just trying to use 6-row you have lying around, I'd drop that out and replace it with more 2-row. No adjuncts to require the extra enzymes 6-row would provide and it wouldn't add to the flavor profile. Also you don't need to add Amylase enzyme, you're going to get that from the base malt. Hopping looks good.

 

[Yooper]

You've got 11 pounds of grain, and 3 pounds of that is crystal malt. That's too much. You want to get no more than 15% in an amber, and that is only if the beer is heavily hopped to counter that. You don't have enough IBUs for a very crystal-heavy beer.

I'd reduce it to a total of 10% crystal malt, using some 20L or 40L and then some 80L to "layer" the flavors. I'd probably not use biscuit malt in this- it's very dry in the finish and would be odd with the crystal in my opinion.

It's really helpful if you post the percentages Beersmith gives you with the recipe, since beer is all about balance and balance comes from knowing the percentages. I did some quick math in my head, but I'm not a morning person, nor a math person, so I did a guestimate.

And definitely NO amylase. You probably will never need it in any beer, but definitely not that one.

 

[BeerChef17]

heh, yeah I did a little more reading on the amylase and cant really remember why i ever bought it haha. As for the 6-row I have 2.5 pounds laying around that i need to burn out. what if i go with this:

8oz Dextrine (4.4%)
8oz Crystal 20L (4.4%)
15.5oz Crystal 80L (8.4%) this is just how much i have laying around or I'd round it up
2.5# 6-row (21.8%)
7# 2-row (61.1%)

Batch Size: 5.00 gal Style: American Amber Ale ( 6B)
Boil Size: 5.83 gal Style Guide: BJCP 1999
Color: 12.2 SRM Equipment: 42qt Aluminum w/ Basket
Bitterness: 29.1 IBUs Boil Time: 75 min
Est OG: 1.056 (13.6° P) Mash Profile: BIAB, Full Body
Est FG: 1.015 SG (3.8° P) Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
ABV: 5.4%

Beersmith Recipe

 

[BeerChef17]

or better yet, maybe I can replace all the 6-row with 2 row then use the 6 row when I make the cream of three crops

 

[porterpounder]

I'd still toss the 6-row in place of the 2-row and knock down the 80L crystal to .25-.5 lb. Otherwise looks good.